SHALDON PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE MEETING 31st JULY 2007 AT 7.15PM

IN THE METHODIST CHURCH HALL

Present: Cllr Clarance (CC) (Acting Chair), Cllr Steve Shelter (SS), Cllr Ann Storton (AS), Cllr Rick Smith (RS), Cllr Kim Sturgess (KS), Cllr Peter Williams (PW) Prayers taken by: Revd Diane Daymond In attendance: Cllr D Cox, WPC Joy Stoppard, Mrs B Coley (Clerk)

1. Apologies : Cllr Mike Coley

2. To approve and sign the Minutes of the Meeting of 26 th June 2007 : Prop SS Sec RS Carried

3. Matters Arising from the minutes of the meeting of 26 th June 2007:
AS Item 3: AS had not had the opportunity to monitor mobile library times. She commented that it was difficult to track which weeks it was due. Proposed requesting dates to be posted on the Noticeboard. Sec KS Carried Action: Clerk to request dates

AS Item 8: TDC have responded in writing to confirm that ownership of the antique benches will be transferred to SPC. AS asked for agreement from SPC to proceed with this arrangement and this was agreed unanimously. Action: Clerk to confirm

PW Item 10: report for EA meeting would be available in next few days – to be discussed at next meeting.

4. Chairman's Announcements: CC sent SPC's good wishes to the Chairman who was still in hospital. He confirmed that he intended to speak on behalf of the Council at the Hearing regarding the objection to the application for extended hours by the Royal Standard pub. For SPC's information, he read the statement he intended to present at the hearing which included some research on this subject. He felt that the public disorder issue was the best way to get this issue resolved. Suspended S/Os. Major E Hibberd thought that CCTV and ‘heavies' on the door would not dispel the problems with noise. He was disappointed that the Police had not raised an objection and that the EA and Child Protection Agency had not made a comment. He asked that CC represent himself and other residents at the meeting which CC confirmed he would. Mrs Rowe felt the Police should be on the side of residents. CC encouraged those who could attend on 8 Aug to do so. Gerry Symons felt the Police would have to deal with antisocial behaviour which defeated their own argument in not objecting. S/Os reinstated.

5. Devon & Cornwall Constabulary: WPC Joy Stoppard reported: Unfortunately, more vandalism has been carried out at the Ness Golf Course. Police are patrolling but she asked that people call the Police at the time they see the vandalism taking place. Improved lighting and CCTV was being pursued.
She has displayed ‘fixed penalty notices' around town to make people aware and deter them despite knowing there are no traffic wardens. She and the PCSOs are giving out parking tickets. AS asked about the caravan on the highway in Middle Street and whether it was acceptable. . WPC JS thought that if it was chocked, properly lit and with a number plate then so long as it was temporary it was OK. She said she would have a look at it.
CC asked for assurance that there would be a Police presence on Water Carnival Night. It was confirmed that at least 3 police officers including herself and 2 PCSOs would be present. CC thanked her for providing this presence.

6. Correspondence: RS A5: The clerk was asked to notify Teignbridge that parking on KGV field is still an issue. RS said this was being used as an overflow car park for the Shipwright's pub. He recommended that the gate should be locked on the embankment by the Shipwright's. Since emergency access would be a concern if this gate is locked, it was decided to ask a local resident to hold the key KS volunteered to hold a key at her house. . Action: RS to ask John Chapman to hold key. Clerk to write to TDC with this suggestion.

SS A6 There was a protracted discussion regarding whether or not a bollard should be in place outside the newsagents at corner of Fore and Albion Street . SS proposed another straw poll to see if opinions remained against, as before Carried unanimously. Action: SS to write an article for the PN. Clerk to reply to the Email to this effect.

PW A4 : CC: Acknowledged receipt of letter re EA flood defence concerns and expected the EA to address those issues in due course.

PW B9 Attended museum meeting recently. Museum are very grateful to SPC for the Clock picture and noted they have sent a receipt.

7. Devon County Councillor's Report: Cllr D Cox reported following the executive meeting at DCC held today: Concerns were raised that the Government has given the green light to Exeter Unitary bid. This decision is under review as it is thought to be bad news for the people of Devon. Costs have risen to £124m for the Kingskerswell Bypass which was now scheduled to start in 3 years and was originally proposed in 1951. This would benefit Shaldon by easing the traffic on the bridge traveling from the Maidencombe area. He was grateful for copy of AS's letter re issues of parking which he supported. April 2008 is the transfer date of parking restrictions from the Police to local authorities making it difficult to recruit traffic wardens and hence they were absent. He said DCC favoured using the expertise of District Councils to cope with parking restrictions rather than go down the Torbay outside contractor route.

8. Teignbridge District Councillor's Report : See Appendix I

Parish Councillors Reports

RS: The state of the roads in Ringmore continues to deteriorate especially with excess rain.

PW: (i) Re: flood emergency planning: He has 55 volunteers out of 65. The role is to help with flood emergencies by laying sandbags in key positions. One issue is that TDC cannot guarantee to deliver sandbags if they are overstretched. Therefore it would be wise for us to arrange for storage of sandbags within the Parish. We have 50 bags at Ringmore and 100 at Ashton's out of a total needed of 4-500. He is therefore pursuing opportunities for suitable storage for sandbags and welcomed ideas so that Shaldon could be self sufficient. He already had some suggestions but lacked storage at a central location in the village. He is seeking people willing to store over 30 sandbags. A trial run of building walls out of sandbags will take place in the next few weeks. Any questions contact PW.
CC explained that empty sandbags had been stored at Mr D Posthelwaite's house but he could not get sand at high tide. He suggested providing a reasonably sized locked container with sand to fill the bags. PW confirmed that the EA will provide containers - 9cu ft. AS suggested placing a container in a corner of Sunny Patch. PW thanked AS for this idea.

(ii) Museum: He has agreed to publish an article in the Parish News every month re museum activities. Two fund raising events being held. ‘Capt Pellow' will walk through the village every Wednesday in order to advertise the museum.

(iii) PW highlighted 3 issues:
Roadsweeping in Ringmore is in a bad state: Action SS
Seawall seriously damaged under Road leading to the playing field.
The pointing on the well by Keyworth Place to Strand is poor.

AS (i) In the absence of Cllr Coley we need to keep an eye on our properties, the Ferry Boat Shelter and Sunny Patch to see if any maintenance is due.

(ii) The pots outside 13A Dagmar St have been moved back to the highway and this is restricting access to Dagmar Street. The owner responded last year. CC proposed writing to owner again reiterating the inconvenience of their actions and restrictions for emergency vehicles. Carried unanimously. Action: Clerk

KS Has requested Lea Park Nurseries price a replacement flower container around the war memorial but this is likely to be £50-100 and the other containers may crumble next year. A barrel is missing and needs replacing.

A letter had been received from Rita Nebbit, Chair of WI, regarding the 60 th anniversary of WI in October and requesting that they be allowed to place a commemorative object, such as a sundial, on a granite plinth, in SPC's flowerbeds around the Green. Cllrs were generally in favour and KS will obtain further information. PW suggested laying a paving stone in Bell's Court - this would be more pleasant. AS questioned whether the WI would accept responsibility for maintenance. KS to report back at next meeting.

SS Pinch Pont: Thanked AS for notes and information on this subject. He had had a meeting with Mr & Mrs Rowe and the owner of Londis which concluded that there was not a lot more that could be done to reduce the pinch point problem. WPC Joy Stoppard will do what she can to stop people parking on the double yellow lines causing these problems. SS gave copies of Police 'penalty' notices to Mrs J Rowe so that she could display these where she wished. It was unclear to whom WPC Stoppard had asked to display these notices and SS confirmed he will check. Action: SS

10. Conservation Area Appraisal of Ringmore : All praised AS on her work and thanked her. There were no further comments. Action: AS to pass details to clerk - to return to TDC.

11. Car Park Charges: AS raised the issue of TDC's proposals to raise Sunday and Bank holiday car park charges with increased hours to 6pm and evening and nighttime charges. AS was totally against these charges for car parks like Shoreside which will hit those who come shopping in Shaldon. Free parking was a useful facility for people living in the village to park at night. . Cllr Cox felt these proposals would not affect Shaldon. PW said there were two issues: The effect on the evening trade for restaurants and the overspill at night which was of great importance to residents. CC had raised these points at the TDC Executive meeting. It was proposed to send an objection to Sally Morgan (portfolio holder) and Sue Edwards at TDC. Action: Clerk to write.

12. Highways drainage in conjunction with the Environment Agency Scheme : CC said that SPC should ask the EA not to proceed with any planning application until they have sorted out the problem of surface water run off. CC had receipt of the results of the flood liaison group but PW and other councillors had not seen this. PW was not prepared to discuss this subject until he had been property informed. CC said the EA had pledged that they would not make matters worse in the event of a flood defence scheme being installed. Clearly, if a wall is put up there is nowhere for the water to go. RS said there were two issues - water from the sea and from the run off. Water runs down to the beach and through an inefficient system - going across the beach tp the river. If there is a high tide and a flooding situation with gates closed then there must be a way to get rid of the water run off. . It was agreed that this was a highways issue because the water comes down the highway at Horse Lane. . RS felt that any more delays would end with the flood defence funding going elsewhere. CC proposed writing to both authorities asking them to address the problems. PW thought we had made our case very clearly to the EA over a long period of time that there is an issue of rain water run off which could coincide with high tide. The EA have said that nothing they do will make the situation worse - he interprets this as when the gates are closed the road we will not be flooded with highways water. PW thinks this is the point that should be stressed. The EA have brought in highways and SWW to take part in these joint discussions. CC said that holding tanks were talked about by the EA earlier but these have not been forthcoming. Cllr D Cox offered to Email Ed Chorlton to get his opinion.

S/Os suspended: Mr Eric Rowe felt water coming down from Horse Lane for 2 or 3 hours either side of the tide should be excepted as a risk.

Mr Nick Clarance said that as we have seen in the news there is far greater risk of flooding from surface water. He was dissatisfied with the lack of answers to his questions. The EA have told him that tidal levels will increase insignificantly and therefore that water run off is a bigger threat. S/Os reinstated.

It was proposed to write to EA asking them and DCC Highways where and how they are going to address the issue of surface water flooding if and when the gates are closed at the same time. Sec RS. 4 in favour. 1 abstain (PW).

13. Banner Licence Application for Shaldon CC read the letter from Richard Elliot re height of the bunting and whether it was up to regulation height. AS proposed writing a response to say that unfortunately the letter concerned licence application of a banner and we do not have any banners. All in favour. Action: Clerk to reply

14 Planning: RS gave an overview of planning. He thanked AS for writing in respect of off street parking. SPC had been asked what we would like to call the new S&H site. Oystercatcher Court was agreed unanimously. Action: Clerk to advise TDC. Next planning meeting 7 th Aug.

15. Accounts Prop AS Sec SS Carried.

Proposal to pay £150 to Mr M Bolsworth for bunting up and down. Carried. Action: Clerk

16. Date of next meeting: 25 th September 2007

17. Public Comment

Jerry Symons: When will work start on Oystercatcher Court: RS thought it was August.

Major Hibberd: Thought the bunting saga would make a wonderful media story.

Joan: Asked whether new rules of green would be applied to the Water Carnival on 4 August. This was confirmed.

Asked whether benches would be handed over in good condition: Confirmed by AS.

Meeting closed at 9.30