Your Parish Council
Chairman
: Jenny Huxtable 01288 331288
Deputy Chairman : David Cornish
Other Councillors: Richard Bence, Adrian Wade and Colin Burrow
Clerk to the Parish Council : Andrea Chick
Draft Minutes
of the Parish Council Meeting Wednesday 16th November 2011
Present:
Parish Councillors Mrs. J. Huxtable (Chairman), D. Cornish, A. Wade, R. Bence
and County Councillor Alison Boyle. Also present the Parish Clerk Mrs. A.
Chick.
Apologies: Councillor C. Burrow and District Councillors Redwood and Dart.
NORTH DEVON
AOB: Presentation by Lauren Davis, Landscape Community Officer and
Dave Edgecombe from Devon AONB on the Design Guide for Hartland Peninsular.
Lauren outlined the reason for the Design Guide and explained the procedure.
A consultative event is being held on the 22nd November in Hartland with another
one in Welcombe in the New Year.
LOCAL NEEDS HOUSING: Jess Peacey of TDC Planning Department
and Sue Southwell (Rural Housing Enabler, Community Council of Devon) fedback
from the site meeting held on the 14th January 2011. Jess showed the meeting
a map indicating the possible sites for affordable housing and explained why
some had been chosen and some had been dismissed as not suitable. Land ownership
was confirmed and Jess would draw up a new, clearer map showing the sites
and forward to the Parish Council for further discussion.
29/11 OPEN
FORUM
i) The Chairman welcomed Keith Funnel to the meeting. Keith had two items
he wished to discuss:
a. An Article 4 Direction application at Lower Mead Farm. Documentation had
been previously circulated and Jess Peacey had agreed to stay for this item
which was brought forward. Following a discussion Jess said she would take
this to TDC’s legal department and get back to the clerk with further
information. Dave Edgecombe from AONB Devon said that they would fully support
the application.
b. Footpath No. 4 Dispute on the Devon/Cornwall border. Keith read out previous
correspondence regarding this footpath and the problem that now stood with
neither County Council accepting responsibility. County Councillor Alison
Boyle said she would look into this on his behalf.
ii) Report from County Councillor Boyle. Alison explained that DCC were reviewing
many of the things they did and she thanked the AONB for being an amazing
body and felt they were visionary and straightforward it all that they did.
She also reported that DCC, even though they had a tendered contract with
South West Highways for road works, still send out tenders for work to check
if the price given by SWH is competitive. Alison also reported that many people
had complained that repaired potholes were not lasting but as these repairs
were only superficial treatments SWH would be going back to do a better job.
She asked that she be told if there were any holes in the parish that had
been unsuitably treated.
Alison continued with a report into the Atlantic Array. She needed any questions
or comments sent to her quickly as there was going to be a meeting with the
developer and DCC.
30/11 MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on the 22nd August 2011 had been previously
circulated. The minutes were then confirmed as a true record and signed by
the Chairman.
31/11
MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
i) Local Needs Housing: See above.
ii) Adoption of the red phone box: Following a long battle with BT and their
final decision that the phone box should be decommissioned, the Council agreed
unanimously that they would adopt the phone box for £1 and that parishioners
be asked for suggestions for its use. Councillor Bence thought that a good
idea would be to use the box to house a defibrillator
for use by anyone in need. No-one knew who owned the land on which the box
stood so the clerk to write to TDC to enquire.
iii) Windwhistle
House: A building control officer had visited the property and ascertained
that the porch at the front and sun lounge (conservatory) at the rear did
not require permission. However, a construction to form a workshop had been
built four years ago which would
have required a building regulation application but TDC were unable to pursue
this as they lose their powers to prosecute after two years.
iv) Hartland and Welcombe Parish Boundaries: Councillor Bence reported that
several people from the Southole area had said they would prefer to be in
the parish of Welcombe rather than Hartland, but only one resident from Meddon
would. Councillor Bence to continue with this matter.
v) Welcombe Parish Plan and Community Engagement: The Parish Plan needs to
be revisited and it was agreed that at the next Parish Council meeting a date
would be set for a Community Meeting for parishioners and councillors. This
would give everyone a chance to meet and discuss any ideas and issues that
need to be looked at and incorporated into the new Plan.
32/11
MATTERS ARISING:
i) Land North of Lower Mead Farm – request for Article 4 Direction:
See item 29/11.
ii) 90th Land’s End Trial – 6/7th April 2012: Noted.
iii) Campaign to Protect Rural England membership: It was agreed not to join
at the present time.
iv) Queen’s Golden Jubilee Beacon 4th June 2012: It was agreed at the
previous meeting that the Parish Council would ask the Village Hall committee
if they would like to do a joint beacon as a community event. Councillor Bence
and Cornish to lead a steering group to arrange this.
33/11 ACCOUNTS:
i) Annual Parish Council accounts and Audit Commission invoice: £60
– agreed.
ii) Hire of Welcombe Village Hall for Parish Council Meetings: Four meetings
at £12.00 per meeting - £48. Agreed.
iii) Closure of Atlantic Partnership accounts: £687.21 credit to Welcome
Parish Council account.
iv) Parish Council grants approved: Hartland ATC - £100, Welcombe Village
Hall - £200 and Welcombe Parish Magazine - £100. Councillor Huxtable
suggested a £20 towards the CAB application as parishioners had used
their services, and this was confirmed by Councillor Bence, especially as
the new rules on legal aid meant that many people could no longer access legal
advice. This was put to the vote. Councillors Huxtable and Bence voted for
and Councillors Cornish and Wade voted against. As the result was a tie, Councillor
Huxtable was going to use her casting vote as Chairman so a decision could
be made, but Councillors Cornish and Wade informed her that as Chairman she
did not have a personal vote in the original vote. Councillor Huxtable did
not think this was correct so the clerk to obtain legal clarification on this.
v) Precept 2012/13: It was agreed to keep the precept at £1,600.00
34/11 HIGHWAYS:
i) Potholes: There were reported holes at Tredown and Leddon. It was considered
that the repairs were always treated as temporary and therefore did not last
very long. The clerk to email Councillor Boyle regarding this and she would
take back to DCC Highways department.
35/11 PLANNING
APPLICATIONS:
i) All previous applications and decisions have been forwarded to, and any
comments made by the Parish Councillors where necessary.
ii) Planning Appeal for Little Hollacombe, Welcombe – replacement poultry
unit refused for being too high. The Parish Council had supported this application
and it was agreed that a further letter of support be sent to the Planning
Inspectorate.
36/11 ANY OTHER BUSINESS
i) New Highway 39 School: Councillor Bence reported that his group had had
a meeting with both DCC and CCC and that DCC had shown that they would be
fully supportive of a new state school around the Clovelly/Woolsery area.
37/11 DATE
AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting to be held on Wednesday 22nd February at 7.30 p.m. in the
Village Hall, Welcombe.
Recently, Village SOS – a prime-time BBC TV series – followed the journey of six UK villages as they each used a Big Lottery Fund grant to start up a community enterprise to help them answer a local need and breathe new life into their area. And now, the Big Lottery Fund is offering rural communities across the UK a share of £5m to help them start up their own enterprises, big or small, which could include community pubs and shops, broadband schemes, and local food or craft projects. Funding of between £10,000 and £30,000 is on offer to groups and organisations in rural areas of less than 3,000 people to help them develop their enterprising ideas. Applying is as easy as one, two, three....
1) Register on
the Village SOS website
2) Read our
guidance document about what we can and cannot fund
3) and tell
us about your enterprising idea using this in a short online form www.villagesos.org.uk/competition
- entries must be received by 20 October 2011.
BIG have teamed
up with rural enterprise experts The Plunkett Foundation to provide a range
of support and advice to help you get a thriving community enterprise off
the ground in your village. A wide range of support is available through a
website www.villagesos.org.uk
and telephone helpline (0845 343 9123). Whether you need technical help to
find your way through the many regulations around forming an organisation,
help with a business plan or marketing, or organising volunteers and staff,
we are keen to help people turn their ideas into reality. Local Authority
and Parish Councils can play a vital role in disseminating this source of
funding throughout their local communities, in local authority/parish council
newsletters and in conversations. Please
take a look at our website and pass on this information to anyone in your
parish who may be interested.
South West
Team
England Directorate
Big Lottery Fund
T: 01392 849700
Click here to read a paper on Overhauling Rural Services
Planning Applications
1/0960/2011 - Alterations to layout, new porch and conversion of garage, Upcott Barn, Welcombe
Applications Approved:
1/0988/2011 for the demoltion of existing double garage and workroom and replacement with new, Star Cottage, Welcombe for Mr Chris Mellor
1/0771/2011 - Demolition of derelict stone building, Tredown, Welcombe
1/0773/2011 - 20 sqm solar pv panels on tractor shed roof, field opposite East Town, Welcombe
the extension and alteration to Tidewood was granted permission
1/1002/2011 Change of use of former restaurant (ground floor) to residential use, Welcome-In, Welcombe Cross.
Applications can
be viewed online at www.torridge.gov.uk.
Snow Warden Scheme It might seem a bizarre request to make in the middle of summer, but Devon County Council is on the lookout for volunteer snow wardens.The council wants to hear from people willing to act as a point of contact for individual parishes during winter and offer to store and manage local salt supplies.Safety training is given, and as part of the role, wardens would take responsibility for the grit bins and salt bags within their community, encouraging responsible use of grit.Around 30 parishes signed up for the scheme when it was launched last year and it is hoped the recruitment drive will swell the ranks before next winter arrives.
Those that do will receive up to five tonnes of free salt. They will be free to decide, in the best interests of their community, how they use it on public roads and footpaths in their area.
Among those to have already signed up to the scheme is Great Torrington Town Council, which bought its own push along salt spreaders last winter.Cllr Roland Pitts, who is the snow warden for the town, said: “We know there are limited budgets for everyone, but if we can work together with the county council we can get a lot more for our money.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said although parishes weren’t obliged to join the scheme, severe weather could hinder efforts to re-stock local supplies.“The winter is months away but we’re encouraging parishes to plan for it now,” he said.
“The snow warden scheme is about giving parish councils local ownership, and supporting them in providing self-help in their local community during the winter.
“Parish councils know what their priorities are in terms of maintaining access to their community buildings and primary schools, and they would be able to determine their local need.”
Devon County Council is in the process of replenishing the county’s 3,000 grit bins ahead of next winter.
Next meeting in the Village Hall on Wednesday 16th November
Choir Rehearsals
These
are held on the first two Sundays of every month from 5.30pm until 6.30pm
Sundays. The sessions are for working on pieces to sing in the monthly family
service and at important services on the church calendar, such as Harvest
Festival and Christmas and Easter. All ages welcome.
Greg Hookway
Monthly
Discussion Group at the Pub - First Wednesday
Everyone is welcome. Come and enjoy 'cheap food night', helps the discussion
go down well!
Shirley Henderson
The Queen's
Diamond Jubilee Beacons 4th June 2012
Her Majesty The Queen will become the second Monarch in
British history to celebrate sixty years on the throne, the previous
Monarch to achieve this was Queen Victoria.
Individuals and communities will, of course, mark the Diamond Jubilee
in any number of different ways. As part of these celebrations, a series of
beacons will be lit across the UK to celebrate this Jubilee. In 2002, over
1,800 beacons were lit to mark The Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Communities
across the UK and around the
globe, including as far flung as Antarctica came together to light a beacon
and celebrate this very special occasion. In 2012, the plan is to have even
more with 2,012 being lit, and Her Majesty lighting the National Beacon
on Monday 4th June. Should Welcombe have a Beacon? If you
have a view and/or would like to participate please contact the Parish Council.
Contact details above.
The
Village Newsletter is
produced by
(01288 331732) who is always looking for news and information to include.
Please don't forget to let him know about anything that should be included.
The Parish Plan is available in full on this site, follow the link.
if you are new to the village and would like to have a copy of The Parish Plan please contact the Parish Clerk
Team Vicar: Rev Shirley Henderson
Churchwardens:
01288 331273
01288 331391
Morning Service 9.30am
This site is sponsored by:-
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 Pottery Courses UK |
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Copyright© Welcombe Village Website Group February
2005
