Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting
Held on Wednesday 13 December 2006
In the Meeting Point, High Bickington at 7.30pm

Present:
Myc Riggulsford (Chairman), Roger Bickley, David Brown, Stella Burrows, Roger Keen, Mike Leatham,
Stan Parker.

In attendance:
Torridge District Councillor James Morrish, Mr Bob Head - CPT Architect, David Venner - CPT Ltd
7 Members of the public, Mrs Di Carter - Clerk

1. Apologies were received from Peter Tucker.

2. The Chairman welcomed Councillor James Morrish to the meeting. He also wished everyone a very happy Christmas as this was the last meeting of the year.

3. Matters raised by the public
   

   1. Little Bickington Farm Project. A query was raised as to how muc-h money will be expended before the likelihood of the scheme being successful is known. The fact that a fairly detailed revised planning application is being prepared as an outline application was queried and the fact that this will involve greater cost. It was pointed out that the requirements of an outline application are now virtually the same as for a full application. The Chairman pointed out that the scheme has always been known to be outside the local development boundary and meetings have taken place with County and GOSW planners to ascertain what is likely to be acceptable on the site. The Parish Council was consulted by Devon County Council about possible uses for the site instead of simply selling to a developer, and the scheme was based on the results of the public perception of what the village needs to take it into the future. A further housing needs study will be carried out. The number of affordable and private houses will be reduced and it will be necessary to carry out a feasibility study to ensure an acceptable project is viable. When the revised plans are available a public consultation weekend will be arranged to ensure the Parish Council and the CPT continue to take the project forward with openness.

   2. Zebra crossing at Fountains Field. A member of the public felt the Parish Council had not made acceptable progress in ensuring the installation of the zebra crossing. The lack of any traffic calming at this point has resulted in increased vehicle speeds which cause great concern for public safety. It was pointed out that the Chairman, Clerk, County Councillor John Rawlinson and the Police have all made a number of representations to Highways and Poltair in an effort to speed up the issue. The Clerk reported that Highways had informed her to-day (13th December) that the agreement has been signed but not sealed and Highways will put pressure on their solicitors to chase the matter up. It was unfortunate that Torridge District Council had not included any reference to traffic calming in the 106 agreement and therefore there is no legal right of enforcement. The Chairman outlined the problems to Councillor Morrish who said he will take whatever appropriate action he can to help the situation. One suggestion was that all building work at Fountains Field be stopped until such time as the zebra crossing is installed.

   3. Dog fouling. This has become a problem again in the village. The Clerk will report this to the Dog Warden.

   4. Road drainage. Many of the gulleys are blocked and causing a problem with lying water on the roads; the bus shelter is also suffering from mud and sludge being washed into it. Stan Parker will take this up with Highways and ask the Lengthsman to address the problem on his next visit.

4. The Chairman invited Councillor Morrish to address the meeting.
   
   Councillor Morrish reported that a decision will be made on 14 December about the applications to site Tesco and Somerfield stores in Torrington. Councillors expressed differing views on the effect such a development would have on the town and made several relevant points which Councillor Morrish agreed to take to the meeting. Torridge District Council's budget setting is under way and the financial demands of various departments continues to rise. Black bin bags will continue to be supplied. Apart from the Planning department a full complement of staff is now in place at Torridge. There are appointment processes taking place to ensure a successful recruitment of suitable staff for the planning department. Ray Webster is now in post as Head of Planning with Lisa Skinner the first point of contact. Councillor Morrish said he was confident that Torridge is now progressing in the right direction; staff morale has improved significantly. A question was raised as to the likelihood of a merger between Torridge and North Devon District Council. Councillor Morrish said that although some services are shared nothing further has been decided. There are discussions taking place with Government to try to arrange for a special status to be granted for Devon to encourage business development. The Objective 1 status enjoyed by Cornwall encourages business to invest in that County.
   
   The Chairman thanked Councillor Morrish who then left the meeting.

5. Police Matters
   Stella Burrows reported on the Police Newsletter from WPC Sally Middleton. A new PCSO will be starting in January, she is currently deployed in Holsworthy and is fully trained. A further PCSO will be appointed in April. A discussion took place on the benefits of a police surgery as opposed to a Neighbourhood Action Group meeting held before a Parish Council meeting. It was agreed that WPC Sally Middleton be approached when the new PCSO is in post to arrange a NAG early in the new year. Neighbourhood Watch signs at Nethergrove. Roger Keen has obtained clearance for the signs to be put on the Public Footpath signs. Stella Burrows will now take this matter forward with the necessary authorities. Neighbourhood Watch funds will be used to purchase three signs at £10 each.

6. Minutes of the meeting held on 8 November 2006.
   The Minutes of the meeting held on 8 November 2006 were agreed and adopted by Councillors present. The Chairman signed the minutes.

7. Matters arising
   There were no matters arising not covered elsewhere in the agenda.

8. Parish Plans
   

   1. December update. David Venner outlined the contents of the update which were circulated. A new housing survey will be undertaken in the New Year with the help of the Rural Housing Enabler from the Community Council of Devon. There will be facilities to recycle Christmas trees at the community woodland. The planning application for the community woodland has still to be determined and David Brown outlined some of the problems which have been encountered with conflicting demands from County and District councils, particularly with parking.

   2. Funding for revised Parish Plan plans - paper circulated by Mike Leatham. David Brown declared an interest as Chairman of the CPT and did not take part in the discussion or decision.
      Mike Leatham presented his paper outlining the plans to take the scheme forward with a revised plan being drawn up in the first quarter of 2007. The plans include the main Features - the school, community hall, workshops, affordable and private housing. The housing element of the scheme will be significantly reduced but a financial assessment will determine the number of affordable homes which will be viable. The total funding required to produce revised plans, draw up an action plan and carry out financial assessments is estimated to be just under £30,000 plus VAT. The Parish Council is asked to fund £10,000 of the total towards the cost of a village hall and community facilities from the £100,000 received from Poltair as 106 monies. The school is contributing £12,000 towards the total funding, and the CPT will fund the rest as their contribution towards affordable housing and other elements of the scheme.
      The Chairman reported that the Finance Sub-Committee, at their meeting on 11 December, had considered the request and recommended to the Council that the funding be granted. Roger Bickley said he had been asked by a number of residents to ascertain how much money will be invested in the scheme before any indication of a successful outcome is known. Chairman said that after the original refusal by government any new scheme cannot go ahead at all without a new planning application. Devon County Council has decided to dispose of the Little Bickington Farm site and if the parish project is not taken forward to a successful conclusion this land will be sold to developers most likely resulting in a considerable number of private houses being built, but no community hall. Any affordable housing included in such a scheme would not be within the control of the Parish and assured for local needs as they will be under the CPT scheme which will give priority to High Bickington people.
      Decision: Proposed by the Chairman and seconded by Stella Burrows, those eligible to vote (6) decided as follows: 5 in favour of the proposal, 1 against. It was therefore agreed that £10,000 be released from the £100,000 held by the CPT to take the scheme forward.

9. Barton Meadow
   

   1. Cycle ramps - insurance and notices. The Clerk reported that Zurich insurance has agreed to insure the cycle ramp area for a premium of £210.00 p.a. The Parish Council's current insurance with Community First can remain in place. A cheque has been issued to cover this with a request that insurance cover commences from 1 December 2006, which means that work can finally go ahead to prepare the site.
      Roger Bickley reported that the Community Fund has agreed to cover the cost of this insurance. The Clerk was asked to write to the Community Fund confirming the costs.
      Peter Tucker is obtaining quotations for signage required for insurance purposes. Suitable wording and information was agreed. Peter Tucker is also liaising with Jim Hedges to clear the site.
      Roger Bickley reported that he has not been able to arrange a formal meeting with the committee but has been in contact with some of the users. The Chairman felt it was essential to have an effective working group in place to arrange responsibilities for the site. Roger Bickley agreed to take this forward.

   2. Football nets. Helen Carn reported a quotation for two 5-a-side-goals at a cost of £800.00. The Barton Meadow Recreation Area Group will reimburse the Parish Council for the cost of these goals. Delivery is approximately four weeks - the working group will arrange to erect them.
      Decision: Councillors present agreed to order two 5-a-side-goals for Barton Meadow Play area. The Clerk was asked to arrange this.

   3. Shelter. Roger Bickley will obtain a revised quotation for a 8' x 6' wooden shelter with seating as illustrated in the brochure circulated.

10. Matters Raised by the Chairman

    1. Peter Tucker has reported a considerable amount of broken glass at the recycling pavilion. A report had also been received that the sports pavilion had been broken into. The Playing Field Association will be giving consideration as to whether the recycling facility can continue at this venue due to the unacceptable amount of vandalism there. Peter Tucker had cleared most of the broken glass and the Clerk has reported the matter to Torridge Environment. The Clerk was also asked to let WPC Sally Middleton know of the problem and ask for the Police to make visits to the site in an effort to deter the vandals. Stella Burrows stressed that any such incidents must be reported to Neighbourhood Watch immediately in order that effective measures can be taken.

    2. The Chairman wished to congratulate the pupils and staff at High Bickington C of E Primary School on their excellent performance in the league tables. They had been placed in the top 8 schools in Devon which was a most commendable achievement.

11. Maintenance

    1. Highways

       1. Repairs update. Roger Keen reported the worsening potholes at Nethergrove. It was felt that potholes are a problem on a large number of roads in the Parish and will continue to be so until drainage problems are rectified.

       2. Fountains Field - zebra crossing. This matter was dealt with earlier in the meeting.

       3. Atherington - speeding and overtaking concerns. The chairman read a letter from Mr John Wilde, Highways Local Services Officer. It appeared that in view of the fact that there had been no recorded accidents on this road there was little that Highways are able to do, but the situation will be monitored. The Clerk was asked to send a copy of the letter to Atherington Parish council.

    2. Footpaths and byways:
       Roger Keen has obtained a verbal quotation of £180 from Roy Brown to carry out skimming work at Braggs Hill. Stan Parker will co-ordinate the work with Roy Brown.

12. Finance

    1. The finance statement at 30 November 2006 was agreed and cheques issued were accepted by Councillors present.

    2. Precept 2007/08. The Chairman reported that the Finance Sub-Committee had considered the budget at their meeting on 11 December 2006 and recommended to the Council that the precept be set at £8,000 for 2007/08. Increased expenditure included election costs in 2007 and increased costs of maintenance. There are also likely to be increased duties placed on Parish Councils in future Government plans for local government and these contingencies must be catered for. The Clerk was asked to keep a record of the hours she works during January and February 2007 to enable a decision to be made on the number of hours allowed for the job.
       Decision: Proposed by Myc Riggulsford and seconded by Mike Leatham, Councillors present agreed to set the precept at £8,000 for the year 2007/08.
       The Chairman felt that training may become a necessary requirement for Councillors in view of likely changes to local government.

13. Planning

    1. Planning applications received before the meeting.

       1. 1/2166/2006/CON
          Retrospective application for removal of chimney
          1 Mews Cottage, High Street, High Bickington
          Paul Chapman
          DECISION: The Council has no objection to this retrospective application.
          

    2. Planning decisions
       No decisions had been received.

14. Correspondence

    1. Letters of thanks for grants received from: The Meeting Point, HB Judo Club, HB PCC, William Dodds & Joshua Tucker charities.

    2. Letter of thanks from HB Community Property Trust for cheque for £500 in respect of the prize money in the NALC Community empowerment awards.

    3. Letter of thanks from Torridge Community Transport Association including details of service. Mike Leatham will obtain copies of the timetables and service and put one in each copy of Ramblings.

    4. Community Council of Devon - letter from Rural Housing Enabler and questionnaire - David Brown undertook to complete the questionnaire.

    5. Letter from Jim Fitzpatrick, Minister for Postal Services, re closure of post offices. The Chairman read the letter to the meeting and copies were circulated to each Councillor.

15. Outstanding Matters

    There were no outstanding matters.

16. Items for information

    The Chairman urged everyone to write individually to oppose the Winkleigh Biomass application which is being taken to appeal by the applicants. David Brown reported that the Torrington MCTi is meeting with SWRDA who have asked them to put forward alternative plans for the airfield site.

17. Date of next meeting

    Wednesday 10 January 2007 at 7.30pm in the Meeting Point.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.55pm.