Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held at the Victory Hall, South Zeal, on Monday 24 th October 2005 at 7.30 pm

Present

Apologies received from Councillors A White (Chairman), Cann, J Darch all for personal reasons.

Two parishioners, Mrs J Yung and Mr D Crome, attended the meeting.

In the absence of the Chairman, Councillor A White the Vice Chairman, Councillor R Souness, chaired the meeting.

05/134 Declaration of Interest (for Items on the Agenda)

Councillor R Darch declared an interest in item 5/95 and Councillors J White and Pillar in Planning Application 8104/2005/OKE.

05/135 Minutes of the meeting held on Monday 26 th September 2005 were circulated, read and confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Matters Arising

05/136 05/91 Bridlepath 57 . The Clerk had received information from Mr Ian Brooker, Dartmoor Ranger, that the landowner has submitted a claim for a judicial review with regard to part-deletion of Bridlepath 57.

05/137 05/92 Parish Emergency Plan. The Clerk reported that he, Councillors Souness and J White had attended an initial meeting called by Col. T Clark to discuss the Parish Emergency Plan. Good progress had been made.

05/138 05/93 Trial bikes on Ramsley Spoil Heaps. The Clerk outlined the correspondence on this matter. Mr Fursdon, the land owner, had given his permission for signs to be erected on the spoil heaps. Mr K. Bealing, Dartmoor National Park Monitoring and Enforcement Officer and Mr Ian Brooker, Dartmoor Ranger, were proposing to erect temporary signs "in the next two or three weeks", to be replaced by permanent, routed ones early next year, which would state "No motor vehicles/motorcycles beyond this point" and carry the relevant Road Traffic Act information and the DNPA logo. They would be placed on the path opposite the old Rising Sun Public House, another at the foot of the waste heaps on the Throwleigh road and a third on the main waste heap. All agreed.

05/139 05/94 Commons Registration Act 1965 for Bude Farm . The Clerk received the returned document concerning the Commons Registration Act 1965 for Bude Farm, Sticklepath for filing, with thanks.

05/140 05/95 Addiscott Cross . The Clerk reported that the electronic tagging of Addiscott Cross had how been completed. Mr and Mrs Janes had kindly cleared the vegetation from around the cross and proposed to do further work behind the monument.

However, Councillor R Darch was concerned that the clearing of gullies and ditches, reported to Mr Cholton, Director of the Environment, Devon County Council in August 2005, had not been carried out. The Clerk was instructed to write to Mr B George, Local Service Officer, DCC, to ask when this work would be undertaken.

05/141 05/96 Work for the Parish Lengthsman . The Clerk received instruction from Councillors concerning gully, ditch and waterway clearance between Stockland House and Harwood, near the bus shelter on the old A30 and on the hill North-West of Stente Ford bridge.

05/142 05/98 Planning Application WDBC 7869/2005/OKE . The Clerk reported that this application had been withdrawn.

05/143 05/99 Report of Development Framework documents from D.N.P. and W.D.B.C. Councillor Tilley reported to the meeting on his appraisal of these documents.

05/144 05/100 Work on Ramsley Common . Councillors Tilley and A White will undertake this survey when Councillor A White is available.

05/145 05/101 Overgrown trees on Ramsley Common . The Chairman, Councillor A White, has asked Mr T Sanderson to quote for this work.

05/146 05/102 Siting of oil tank at No. 1, Brook Cottages . The Clerk reported that he had received a verbal report from Mr N Savin, DNP Planning Officer, stating that in his view the structure did not contravene planning regulations. The Council proposed not to pursue the matter further. All agreed.

05/147 05/106 Devon Association of Parish Councils AGM . The Clerk reported that he felt this had been a useful meeting.

05/148 05/118 ENF/0349/04 Land at ' Martins Park ', Whiddon Down

The Clerk reported that he had received notice that the matter regarding the "unauthorised mobile home in residential use" was being pursued by Dartmoor National Park Authority.

05/149 05/130 Removal of telephone boxes. The Clerk reported that he had visited the telephone boxes at the Croft and Week Cross. When asked, BT stated that they both had been withdrawn from the removal list. However, BT could not guarantee that they would not plan to remove both or either boxes in the future. The 42-day Removal Notices would be taken down and an engineer would be sent to the box at Week Cross to make sure that it could receive coinage.

Correspondence

05/150 Footpath Dishcombe to East Week. It was reported by Councillors Cann and A White that the track, known as Pumpy Lane , had become impassable in places. The Clerk was instructed to write to West Devon Borough Council to ask for it to be cleared.

05/151 Commemorative Trafalgar Day plaque to be erected. On the advice of Councillor Souness, this item was withdrawn.

05/152 Recycling and Sustainability presentations. After discussion, the Clerk was instructed to write to Mr Barron, Recycling Education Office for West Devon Borough Council, to state that the Council was interested in these presentations. However, it was thought that it would be helpful to suggest that, organised by the Council, the community was invited to attend and that a time early next year would be more appropriate. All agreed.

05/153 Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. Report into police force structures. The Clerk reported that he had received a letter from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary stating that to improve efficiency, they were considering a new organisational structure for the force which might involve a merger with other police forces.

05/154 West Devon Borough Council. Survey of Parish services. The Clerk had received a request for information from West Devon Borough Council about services available in the Parish, such as shops, playgroups and mobile libraries,. The Council advised how this was to be completed and instructed the Clerk to return the information.

05/155 Flood Preparation. Letter from the Borough Engineer . The Clerk reported that he had received a letter from Tracy Windemer, Borough Civil Engineer, offering help and advice about flooding. Councillor Souness, on behalf of the South Tawton Parish Flood Defence Group, informed the Council that 60 free sandbags had already been received from Mrs Windemer and that Mr A Ellis of The Old Bakery had kindly agreed to store them when filled. The Council was asked to purchase two dumpy bags of sand to fill them. All agreed. It was also suggested that this might be done on the proposed Parish Self Help Day.

05/156 Eastern Parishes Link Committee Minutes. The Clerk distributed minutes of the recent meeting. Councillor C White kindly agreed to continue to serve on this committee, but said that he rarely received information about meetings. The Clerk will inform the Committee that both he and Councillor R Darch are members and should receive information. In passing, Councillor C White observed how little note had been taken of the perceived need in the proposals for Merrymeet roundabout to improve the access to the B3219, which at present involves heavy traffic making the difficult turn in Whiddon Down.

05/157 Draft Assessment of the Provision of Play Areas for Children and Young People. The Clerk had received a request from West Devon Borough Council for information about the provision of play areas in the parish. The Council instructed the Clerk that there was only one, South Zeal Playing Field, which was controlled and maintained by South Zeal Recreation Ground Association and asked him to forward that information.

05/158 Standards Committee meeting. The Clerk had received the minutes and other documents from a meeting on 18 th October of the West Devon Borough Council Standards Committee.

05/159 West Devon Borough Local Plan Review. The Clerk advised that he had received a copy of the West Devon Borough Local Plan Review.

05/160 Discussion of Council Standing Orders. The Clerk advised the Council that Standing Orders needed revision and redistribution. He had obtained permission to download a copy of the most recent Chairmanship and Standing Order which was produced for Councils by the National Association of Local Councils. This document could be copied without limit for South Tawton Parish Council use at a single cost of £17.63. Proposed by Councillors Souness and Tilley that this be accepted. All agreed. The Clerk thanked Councillor Tilley for volunteering to have copies made for all Councillors which would be distributed with the next agenda for discussion at the November meeting.

Planning

05/161 a) (DNP)0741/05 Mr Bennellick, Dependable Homes Ltd. for Quarry Farm, South Tawton .

Replacement of existing concrete 'At Cost' barn with timber parking barn to serve dwellings on land.

The Council agreed to support this application.

05/162 b) (DNP) 0793/05 Mr P Stanton, Exeter Diocesan Board for The Vicarage, South Tawton .

Remove bank and hedging on front boundary and form additional vehicle access.

The Clerk reported that he had received two letters from parishioners both of whom were concerned about the proposed removal of a portion of the hedge and bank. The Council agreed not to support this application in its present form on the grounds that the proposal entailed the removal of part of the hedge and bank.

05/163 c) (DNP) 0790/05 Mr Murrin for Mr and Mrs. C Law, The Store, South Zeal

2 applications, one for Full Planning Permission and the other for Listed Building Consent

Barn conversion to holiday accommodation.

The Chairman invited Mrs Yung and Mr Crome to address the Council outlining their objections to the applications. A draft letter was also received from Mrs A Owen, The Barn, School Lane . The Council agreed not to support this application. It was thought to be over-development of the site, involving considerable parking, security, privacy, safety and access problems.

05/164 d) (WDBC) 8104/2005/0KE The Conservatory Centre for Mr and Mrs Sampson, Springfield Park , South Tawton .

Erection of conservatory

The Council agreed to support this application.

05/165 Councillor Pillar kindly volunteered to help the Chairman assess the Planning Applications for the next month.

Accounts

05/166

It was proposed by Councillors J White and Tilley that the accounts be adopted. All agreed.

05/167 The Clerk reviewed the balances in all the Council accounts. He was instructed to move £500 from the Current to the Emergency accounts.

05/168 The meeting ended at 9.10 pm, with Councillor Tilley reporting that the 'Cider Group' had received about 3 ½ tons of apples for pressing and Councillor C White congratulating the Vice Chairman, Councillor Souness, on a well-run meeting.