MINUTES OF PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETINGS
SHALDON PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING 25th October 2011 following planning
IN THE METHODIST CHURCH HALL
Present: Cllr Peter Williams (Chair) (PW), Cllr Chris Clarance (CC), Cllr Eddie Holden (EH), Cllr Maia Miller (MM), Cllr Lisa Pash (LP), Cllr D Yates (DY)
In attendance: Maddie Williams (Clerk)
Prayers taken by: Rev Geoffrey Richardson
1. Apologies: Cllr Hugh Davey (Vice) (HD)
2. To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of 27th September 2011: It was noted that the name Peter Bayliss in Item 14 was incorrect and should be changed to Dave Bayliss. The minutes thus amended were approved.
3. Matters Arising from the minutes of the meeting of 27th September 2011:
LP: The low chain across the Clipper Quay could be a health and safety risk, but the Clipper must have health and safety insurance so this is not really a SPC matter. However, she will have a word with them regarding the SPC concerns.
CC: Asked whether the planning application for the KGV pavilion was in hand. PW replied that yes the application had been put in to TDC and that he would address the issue further in his report.
4. Declarations of Interest: There were none.
5. Devon & Cornwall Constabulary: Colin Rider (CR) presented the latest crime statistics.
6. Chairman’s Report:
- A planning application has been made for a Changing Room on KGV field
- Flood Defence Practice: Following the distribution of the Manual and training of volunteers, a practice session was organised for Thursday 27th October.
- Jubilee Celebration Plans: A second meeting of the working party was held on the 18th October of the Queens Jubilee working party. Fun bowls will be organised by the Shaldon Bowling Club. Several other proposals are in the pipeline. The Parish Council are hoping to organise a street party. It was also proposed that we should provide souvenir mugs to all school children living in Shaldon or attending Shaldon School. It was agreed that the Parish Council should investigate the purchase of a sundial for Sunny Patch.
- Kicking Goal KGV field: Following concerns expressed by residents and police regarding the use of the Kicking Goal on KGV field, I wrote to TDC requesting a notice on the frame indicating no climbing and no responsibility for accidents and also suggesting a safety mat. I have received a reply from the Portfolio holder at TDC saying these suggestions will be met next week.
- Guy and Gal Fawkes competition: Thanks to Peter Stokes with a little help from your Chairman for re-instituting the competition, hoping to raise extra funds for the Bonfire Fund. Special thanks to Chris Clarance for his hard work in organising this year’s Bonfire Night.
- Toilet Maintenance: A strongly worded letter was sent to TDC saying that our current public toilets were essential and that we did not wish to take over their day to day management.
7. Correspondence: Councillors’ Comments:
A7: Over 60s Club request for funding:
CC: This request was an ideal candidate for the DCC Community Fund so CC had already taken the application form to Richard Dorey, the application had been returned to DCC and the grant approved.
A3: Membership of the Campaign to Protect Rural England:
MM: Suggested that SPC subscribes and that she would take in the information received and update SPC. LP was unsure whether the campaign was specific enough to Shaldon. Membership of CPRE was proposed by MM. 4 in favour. 1 abstained. 1 against. ACTION: Clerk to action the subscription. MM agreed that the membership should be reviewed next year when the subscription renewal request is received.
A4: Request for £50.00 by Teignmouth Citizens Advice Bureau:
LP: The CAB carry out important work of great benefit to the local community and she proposed that SPC support them with this grant. PW seconded. Carried.
A5: Request by Richard Dorey for SPC to intervene on behalf of the Over 60s Club in regard of the winter bus timetable: Local transport issues were discussed and the transport needs of retired persons highlighted. CC commented that other local parish councils have been very proactive in their negotiations with transport providers and that the recent high winning bid by Country Bus on the tendered Newton Abbot to Teignmouth via Bishopsteignton line showed that supposedly marginal local transport services actually have a good profit margin and can afford to consider the needs of the community. PW proposed writing a letter to Stagecoach to request that they increase the frequency of the number 11 bus service, and also that pensioners be allowed to use their Senior Travelcards on the first bus to Teigmouth. Seconded by CC. Carried. Action PW.
Extra correspondence: PW had received an email from Graeme Smith regarding a suggestion to designate sections of the Templer Way footpath within the Parish as recognised public rights of way, and had invited him to speak at the next meeting.
8. Devon County Council Councillor’s Report:
CC: Following the Turner Centre deliberations as you will recall I am very much hoping that the organisations hoping that the Centre would progress will at least achieve in some different format what they would like to see progressed.
The pre-school were keen to go to a better facility, one of the contentious points was that the heating in the Victoria Hall was inadequate at times in the winter, so to that end the Victoria Hall Committee have made an application for £5000 Invest in Devon money (Exeter Airport fund) which I hope the DCC panel will approve for a complete revamp of the heating system. This has especially been brought about by one of the major heaters going wrong.
I was asked to put into this report that DCC are going to be saving money by turning out the streetlights from 12.30am in the early hours to 5.30am. DCC have some 75,000 street lights, 23,000 from the 60,000 to be done have been altered already and it is hoped that the current electricity bill of £2.2 million can be reduced by £450,000. Main roads lights are still due to be kept on and areas with special circumstances are to be considered for keeping the lights on, old peoples housing complexes are one such example. Consultation on this was done some while ago, plus our leader John Hart does this also with his road shows known as “Tough Choices” whereby the public suggest which budgets should be cut to save the 40 million budget reduction that we have to make in the next budget.
9. Teignbridge County Councillor’s Report:
CC: At the last parish council meeting SPC agreed to submit the planning application for a changing room/pavilion on the south side of the KGV playing field. This application for a 45ft by 15ft changing room/pavilion fits between the two sycamore trees that are about 70ft apart, leaving room for the roots to grow, and still leaves a 7ft slide out area for the football pitch. The application will go before the planning committee at TDC in due course rather than a delegated decision, as all applications on land whereby TDC are the custodial landowner have to be heard by the committee. At this stage, as I have pointed out before, this is only a SPC planning application. Should it be successful the challenge then becomes one of finding the money to be able to build it.
Although not in Shaldon I can report that the Morrison’s planning application at Broadmeadow has been approved by TDC. This is for a food store and petrol station, a new entrance is due to be created opposite the entrance to Chris Humphreys Boatyard, where there will be a set of traffic lights. Plus on the upper plateau Morrison’s are going to remediate that area for long overdue playing field use.
As far as planning goes, TDC have published a core strategy document, out for consultation now, this is a document that will hopefully lead to the local development framework being approved by a planning inspector, which is rather like the old local plan we had, which provides the basis for planning guidelines for TDC for the next 20 years. As you may recall our last attempt at producing a local development framework document was found to be unsound by a planning inspector, so we had to start the process off once again, to the stage where we are now.
10. Parish Councillors’ Reports:
LP: Sign to Public Convenience off KGV: This sign has finally been commissioned and should be in place on lamp post near raised SW Water area on Embankment walkway very soon.
Floral Displays – Thanks to all village volunteers who helped to water and maintain the displays through the summer, particularly ‘Franks Boat’, about which I hope to have winter discussions. Contractor Simon Boyce cleared the summer displays and set up the winter/spring displays this morning. Have asked Simon to consider Green plantings for Jubilee 2012 and to quote for improved plantings around the Clock Tower along with monthly maintenance; and on Sunny Patch to go for a complete re-plant of one of the beds which would include a border of summer plantings. This quote should be with us for the November meeting. I ask the PC to consider the relative value of spending £3,500pa on floral displays as opposed to the £1,200 spent on Christmas trees.
Litter Bins – Plan to have winter talks with Teignbridge regarding the new bins in particular problems with the one located at Manor House.
Benches – A second bench on Green looks as if it will need repair, one in Bell’s Court is in need of repair, but that’s a TDC bench.
Victoria Hall: Serious problems have arisen with the Hall’s heating system which have had to be dealt with immediately. However, a £500 (legacy from Father Ashley) has been spent on report from Devon Energy Action including a check on insulation issues. Report and recommendations will enhance any applications made for funding and will act as a guide to preparing a Master Plan for the future of the Hall.
This work on drawing up a ‘Master Plan’ for the Victoria Hall is involving the community user groups making recommendations as to what they’d like to see in the building, in particular the Pre-School, the Sea Scouts and the Theatre Company. Once plans are firmed up, the Trustees will be seeking the PC’s support to bring this community asset into the 21st century.
Homeyards Gardens: Teignbridge have been advised by the HLF that Homeyards will not be suitable for a Parks for the People application but there is another fund they’re looking at with regard to restoration of The Castle. The Friends have done an engineers report which indicates that the retaining wall will need repair work before work on The Castle can begin. The Friends plan to spend funds on a signage/information system for the ‘star’ trees in the Gardens
MM: TALC meeting held in Dartmoor National Park on 6th October: MM had attended the meeting and recommended that councillors read the minutes which had been circulated. They contain a useful report on planning myths and truths. Other points of interest were the cut in DEFRA funding to support local buses, a debate on the merits of the snow warden scheme, and a decision by the EA not to proceed with the proposed septic tank registration scheme. In her role as Tree Warden MM had given strong advice this month regarding the re-instatement of a Devon bank and hedge. She would be preparing a report for the council in the Spring containing a survival report on new trees. The RSPB Labrador Bay walk was excellent and she thoroughly recommended it. It should be better advertised and she will help to raise awareness of the next walk. Many thanks on behalf of SPC to Philip Winchester for carrying out the maintenance on the war memorial railings.
DY: Reported that he had asked TDC to install a handrail on the last flight of steps to the beach before the Ness. TDC said that their contractor would look at it the next time they were in the area.
CC: Snow Warden Scheme – CC will receive Snow Warden training on 4th November and the salt will be delivered soon. There are volunteers to tow the spreader and also to man the hand held gritter. The next problem is how the volunteers will be co-ordinated when needed. He proposed asking Teignmouth Town Council to hold the list of volunteer numbers as they are manned full time. Action: Clerk. Regarding the Bonfire Event please could Marshalls and Bucket Collectors meet at the Ferry Boat shelter at 5pm to receive instructions. Councillors had received an update on the Christmas Market being organised by the Business Forum including details of the road closure. With a variety of stalls and mulled wine on offer it was shaping up to be an excellent event. CC drew attention to the night time road closure for resurfacing works on the A379 between Commons Lane and Maidencombe from 14th November to 9th December.
11. KGV Kicking Fence:
PW updated the council on his letter to Jeremy Christophers at TDC regarding the kicking fence and the reply that had been received from Lorraine Montgomery. He invited fellow councillors to comment. Following discussion, Councillors agreed that the kicking fence was not fit for purpose as it was not wide enough to be used as a goal and that it would be better to remove the structure and replace nets in the current goal posts. There was discussion on whether it would be better to remove the structure immediately as a health and safety risk or to gather evidence on how the new structure is used over the coming months. LP proposed that SPC write to TDC expressing its concerns over the structure and stating that SPC would monitor the situation and revisit the issue in the near future. 5 in favour. 1 against. Action: PW.
12. Affordable Housing:
PW summarised a report received by HD which concluded that SPC should await the TDC assessment report of potential development sites which have been offered by local landowners. LP asked whether it will fall within the PC remit to look at affordable housing and whether the current demand for affordable housing was longstanding or due to a sudden increase. CC said that the demand was longstanding. A PC could promote a site for 100% affordable housing but that he was not aware of any outside of the village envelope, therefore SPC should pay careful attention to the TDC report. It was agreed that PW would write to TDC to ascertain what local sites have been offered. Action: PW. Concerning the sale of the Congregational Hall it was agreed to take no further action until faced with a specific redevelopment proposal.
13. Localism:
PW had emailed the councillors an update on the Localism Bill. The document was quite unspecific and it remained unclear what was expected of PCs. He suggested that SPC watch for further developments and used increased remits to the advantage of the Parish wherever possible. EH was concerned about the potential for town and district councils to off-load expensive projects onto PCs. LP noted that it may affect planning processes and also may increase the need to gather local feedback and generate more frequent referendums. PW commented that the attempt to engage the parish in a Parish Plan was unsuccessful three years ago and DY agreed that Parish level policy making could become unwieldy. CC commented that any new endeavours such as a Parish Plan would need a lot more time and money than currently available to SPC.
14. Maintenance of Community Assets:
LP suggested that SPC should employ the services of a handy man to maintain assets such as the SPC benches. It was agreed that LP would pursue this matter. Action: LP.
15. Signage on The Green
A sign forbidding ball games on The Green had been subject to graffiti and had been removed. LP proposed that the sign not be put back. Seconded by PW. Carried.
16. Chairman’s Board:
PW had written to the Reverend regarding permission to erect a new board in the Methodist Church Hall and was awaiting a reply.
17. Clerk’s Equipment:
LP proposed that SPC provide and maintain a dedicated and up-to-date laptop and safe data storage system for use by the Parish Clerk. She had received two quotes so far which detailed costs of approximately £600.00 for a laptop, £180.00 for the software plus memory storage costs. PW and EH agreed that it seemed reasonable to spend a maximum of £1000.00 on acquiring up to date IT equipment for the parish and that it was an employer’s responsibility to provide equipment necessary for an employee’s role. Following further discussion on affordability it was agreed that LP should pursue further quotes and report back to the next meeting. Action: LP.
18. Accounts:
The accounts were taken as read. Prop PW. Seconded MM. Carried.
19. Date of next meeting: confirmed as 22nd November 2011 to follow the planning meeting at 6.45pm in the Methodist Church Hall.
20. Public Comment:
- It was requested that a correspondence list be included in the public copies of the agenda.
- There was discussion on the current format of council meetings with some present commenting that the current format following the planning meeting resulted in a very long meeting with no set start time. It was agreed that the council would consider this issue further.
- It was suggested that the public be allowed to comment on individual councillor’s reports rather than have to save comments to the end.
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