Council Meeting – 21st June 2021
A meeting of Clayhidon Parish Council will be held at the Parish Hall on Monday 21st June at 7.30pm. The meeting is open to the press and the public.
AGENDA
- Welcome by Chairman, apologies for absence and introductions
- Declarations of Interest/Dispensations
To receive any declarations of interest relating to business to be conducted at this meeting and
To consider any dispensation requests and confirm any relevant dispensations.
- Minutes of Previous meetings to approve minutes of 12th April & 4th May meetings.
- Public Participation
- Matters Arising
5.1 Dog bin. A request has been made for a dog bin on Gray’s Lane. MDDC will now monitor the site for 3 months to establish if there is enough litter to justify a bin.
- Planning
To consider planning applications for:-
6.1 21/00907/FULL. Erection of an agricultural storage building. Ashfields, Clayhidon.
6.2 21/01079/FULL. Change of use of land for the siting of a temporary worker’s dwelling (log cabin) for three years (Revised Scheme). Poachers Rest, Clayhidon.
To note approval for:-
6.3 20/01426/FULL. Troakes Farm. Refurbishment of the existing dwelling, including conversion of attached barn, and provision of extensions and bat roost within the adjacent barn.
6.4 21/00592/LBC. Troakes Farm. Listed Building Consent for refurbishment of the existing dwelling, including conversion of attached barn, and provision of extensions and bat roost within the adjacent barn.
6.5 21/00760/FULL. Bolham Farm. Erection of extension to general purpose agricultural livestock building.
- Finance
To agree income and expenditure schedule
- Clerk Update
To receive update from Clerk
- Highways
To receive any relevant information
To discuss and agree any tasks for parish lengthsman
- Footpaths
To receive any relevant information.
Discuss feedback from lengthsman with regard to work on footpath
- Connecting The Culm
To receive any relevant information.
- Blackdown Hills Parish Network
To receive any relevant information.
- Clayhidon Charity & Mary Parsons Gift Trust
To receive any relevant information.
To agree a meeting date
- Correspondence
To note
Email reference Smeatharpe Stadium.
- Items raised by Chairman
- Items raised by Councillors
- Date of the Next Council Meeting – Planning meeting on Monday 12th July (if required) or full council meeting Monday 9th August at 7.30pm Parish Hall
FINANCE
INCOME
| No | £ | |
| 1. | 549.00 | Vat reclaim |
| 2. | 63.80 | D Evans (paid in error) |
| 3. | 500.00 | DCC p3 grant |
EXPENDITURE
| No | £ | Payee | Reason |
| 1. | 75.19 | NFU | Insurance J G Charity (loan) |
| 2. | 300.00 | S Machin | J G Charity expenses (loan) |
| 3. | 152.62 | Community First Ltd | Insurance |
| 4. | 978.50 | C Houghton | Lengthsman and footpath work |
BANK RECONCILIATION
| Account | £ |
| Community a/c | 11,635.01 |
| Business Manager | 5,857.42 |
| Total | 17,492.43 |
Clayhidon Parish Council Meeting
Held at Parish Hall, Clayhidon, at 7.30pm on Monday 21st June 2021
Subject Action
1. Present
Mr M Bendle (Chair), Mr J Blackmore, Mr R Brown, Mr N King, District Councillor S Clist, Mrs D Evans (Parish Clerk) and members of the public.
Apologies Mrs A Weekes and Mr R Drew, Vice Chair (received and accepted) and County Councillor R Radford
Absent Mr J Kidner
2. Declarations of Interest
None declared.
3. Minutes from previous meetings
PROPOSAL: The council minutes of the meetings of 12th April and 4th May 2021 are approved.
PROPOSED: Mr Blackmore
SECONDED: Mr King
DECISION: passed (all in favour)
4. Public Participation
4.1 A parishioner offered to repaint the ‘Welcome to Clayhidon’ sign, if it was taken down. The
parishioner was thanked for her kind offer.
4.2 Comments were made about agenda item 6.2, namely:- the applicant has not submitted the requested full Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, type of trees chosen are inappropriate, a Devon bank has been removed from site, there is no agricultural appraisal, the hedgerow mix is not compliant with DCC Devon hedgerow guidance, there is no planning notice on site and the proposed log cabin does not appear to be of a temporary nature.
5. Matters Arising
5.1 Dog bin. A request has been made for a dog bin on Gray’s Lane. MDDC will now monitor the site for 3 months to establish if there is enough litter to justify a bin.
6. Planning
6.1 21/00907/FULL. Erection of an agricultural storage building. Ashfields, Clayhidon.
PROPOSAL: The council is content with the application.
PROPOSED: Mr Blackmore
SECONDED: Mr King
DECISION: passed (all in favour)
6.2 21/01079/FULL. Change of use of land for the siting of a temporary worker’s dwelling (log cabin) for three years (Revised Scheme). Poachers Rest, Clayhidon.
PROPOSAL: The council is not content with the application. It refers MDDC to its comments made on the previous application and adds:- there is no planning notice on site, the document submitted is not a full landscape and visual impact assessment, the hedgerow mix and tree types are not suitable, has the applicant provided all of the necessary evidence listed in the planning officer’s report (when the previous application was refused) to show there is a full time functional need for a worker to be present at most times of the day and night and that the need cannot be met by living in a nearby settlement, and has a detailed financial justification been provided?
PROPOSED: Mr King
SECONDED: Mr Blackmore
DECISION: passed (all in favour)
Approval noted for :-
6.3 20/01426/FULL. Troakes Farm. Refurbishment of the existing dwelling, including conversion of attached barn, and provision of extensions and bat roost within the adjacent barn.
6.4 21/00592/LBC. Troakes Farm. Listed Building Consent for refurbishment of the existing dwelling, including conversion of attached barn, and provision of extensions and bat roost within the adjacent barn.
6.5 21/00760/FULL. Bolham Farm. Erection of extension to general purpose agricultural livestock building.
7. Finance
7.1 Income, expenditure & bank reconciliation
FINANCE
INCOME
No £
1. 549.00 Vat reclaim
2. 63.80 D Evans (paid in error)
3. 500.00 DCC p3 grant
EXPENDITURE
No £ Payee Reason
1. 75.19 NFU Insurance J G Charity (loan)
2. 300.00 S Machin J G Charity expenses (loan)
3. 152.62 Community First Ltd Insurance
4. 978.50 C Houghton Lengthsman and footpath work
5. 99.05 S Aldworth Audit and payroll
BANK RECONCILIATION
Account £
Community a/c 11,535.96
Business Manager 5,857.42
Total 17,393.38
PROPOSAL: The income is agreed and the above cheques/payments are paid/agreed.
PROPOSED: Mr Brown
SECONDED: Mr Blackmore
DECISION: passed (all in favour)
8. Clerk Update
8.1 Email from parishioner reference bonfire – the clerk confirmed that she had sought clarity from MDDC Environmental Health with regard to bonfires. MDDC confirmed the following:-
Bonfire Information
We receive many enquiries about bonfires, both from people affected by them and from people wanting to do the right thing. Bonfire smoke can be very irritating and it may cause temporary local air pollution issues. Some people can be sensitive to smoke and we therefore discourage any burning which might cause smoke drifting onto nearby properties.
Alternatives to a bonfire
All garden waste can be composted at home or recycled by taking it to a recycling centre. The council and some private businesses also offer green waste collection services.
The council offers a large item collection service at low cost if you have additional waste to dispose of. Furniture can often be taken to local charities, and all extra waste (other than food waste) can be taken to a recycling centre.
The law
There are no laws prohibiting bonfires altogether, or specifying times when you can burn, but there are laws which might apply if the smoke causes a nuisance. There are specific regulations which apply to waste generated as a result of a commercial activity, or waste that will cause dark or black smoke. None of these materials can be disposed of by burning. If you need to report an incident relating to the burning of commercial or agricultural waste, please contact the Environment Agency. Anyone lighting a fire and allowing smoke to drift across a road faces a fine of up to £2,000, and concerns about highway safety should be reported to the Police.
How to have a bonfire without causing a nuisance
Bonfires are not the best disposal method for waste and having a bonfire should be a last resort. If you have ruled out all other disposal methods and the only way is to have a bonfire, please consider the following:
PLEASE DO
· INFORM YOUR NEIGHBOURS
· Burn only during the day
· Locate the bonfire as far away from neighbours as possible
· Have a small fire – it must be controllable and hot enough to burn with minimal smoke
· Consider the weather – ideally no wind or a light breeze, blowing away from nearby houses. Monitor changes in the wind/smoke direction
· Only burn suitable materials – Materials must be dry – this will burn quickly and give off minimal smoke and smell. You may be able to burn dry garden waste, clean wood, paper or card
· Supervise the burning of waste – do not leave it unattended
· Have water available to extinguish the fire
PLEASE DON’T
· Have many bonfires – neighbours are more likely to complain if you often have bonfires
· Burn the following – household rubbish, rubber, oil, green garden waste, animal bedding, plastic, tyres, foam or paint – these can produce potentially toxic dark smoke which is unacceptable and might be an offence.
· Leave a fire unattended or leave it to smoulder – douse it with water if necessary and make sure it is out and will not continue to smoke once left
· Use an accelerant to light a fire – oil, petrol or methylated spirits could cause harm to yourself and the environment
· Burn furniture – it is likely to emit significant dark smoke and toxic pollutants
· Burn at weekends or bank holidays – when people want to enjoy their homes and gardens
· Burn during foggy conditions – the smoke will not be able to disperse
Complaining about a bonfire
If you are affected by a problem of bonfire smoke, you may consider the following options:
Approach your neighbour first – explain the problem to them. You might find this awkward, but they may not be aware of the problem and it may make them more considerate when planning and lighting a bonfire in the future. If you aren’t able to talk to them, perhaps put a note through their door explaining the problem.
If this approach fails – contact the Mid Devon District Council – Public Health
health@middevon.gov.uk or call us on 01884 255255.
MDDC could take action if there is clear evidence in relation to the bonfire causing a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act of 1990. So in effect the action has to be unreasonable and causes substantial interference in the use and enjoyment of a person’s property. For a matter to be actionable as a nuisance in law it must be a serious and persistent issue – one-off events rarely qualify. Domestic waste burning can be challenging especially if it is a one off. The Environment Agency would tend to deal with the burning of commercial or agricultural waste, and along with the Police would deal with smoke across the highway.
The clerk was asked to include the guidance in the minutes and in the next Pump.
8.2 The defibrillator scheme is due for renewal this month. The pc will continue to subscribe to the joint lease with Hemyock and Culmstock.
Clerk
9. Highways
9.1 A section of road was missed at Applehayes when work was undertaken recently. Clerk to report.
9.2 Potholes reported on road near Palmer’s Farm. Clerk to report again.
Clerk
Clerk
10. Footpaths
10.1 Mr Bendle, Mr King and Mr Brown will meet on site to discuss issues raised with regard to the ongoing maintenance of a footpath near Kingsmead. They will report back.
MB/RB/NK
11. Connecting the Culm
Mrs Weekes sent the following report – A Himalayan Balsam volunteer group has been created which I am on. The aim is to work towards eradicating this invasive plant from the Bolham, Madford and Culm rivers and tributaries. An inaugural meeting was held in Hemyock last Friday. Quite a lot of the parish is going to be surveyed by Vanessa de Hahn, the newish occupant of Lower Courtsmoor. Connecting the Culm doesn’t seem to know about the Japanese Knotweed up Lillycombe Lane.
12. Blackdown Hills Parish Network
Mrs Weekes sent the following report:- The broadband battle goes on. On July 11 some members of the Blackdown Hills Parish Network steering group (not me) met Rebecca Pow, Neil Parrish, Matt Warman, Minister for Digital and Broadband, with two BDUK (Building Digital UK) reps, one of whom is supposed to be keeping an eye on Connecting Devon and Somerset.
We think it is absolutely clear CDS has stalled the rollout of super-fast broadband for at least eight years, and that the Government has had as much trouble trying to communicate with them as everyone else.
BHPN came away from this zoom feeling a slight ray of hope if it can be established some small areas could benefit from Project Gigabit (the £5 billion scheme all the other counties around us are going to benefit from.) Chair Heather Stallard told the Minister in a subsequent letter that the BHPN do not think the voucher scheme is an adequate solution for Devon and Somerset.
13. Clayhidon Charity & Mary Parsons Gift Trust
The clerk will arrange a meeting between the old trustees and new trustees.
Clerk
14. Correspondence
14.1 Email with regard to Smeatharpe Stadium noted.
15. Items raised by Chairman
Nothing to report.
16. Items raised by councillors.
Nothing to report.
17. Date of next meeting
Planning meeting on Monday 12th July (if required) or full council meeting Monday 9th August at 7.30pm Parish Hall
Signed…………………………………………………………………
Date……………………………………………………………………