Council Meeting – 11th April 2022
A meeting of Clayhidon Parish Council is to be held at the Parish Hall on Monday 11th April at 7.45pm. 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 15th February meeting.
- Public Participation
- Matters Arising
To receive any relevant information
- Planning
To consider the following applications:-
6.1 22/00016/FULL. Change of use, conversion and extension of former military buildings to form five dwellings, erection of garages and storage building with associated parking and landscaping. Gotleigh Farm, Smeatharpe.
To note approval for:-
6.2 21/02576/HOUSE. Erection of garage/carport following demolition of existing barn. Keitch Harbour, Clayhidon.
6.3 22/00177/HOUSE. Erection of a carport with home office above. The Cottage, Clayhidon.
- Finance
7.1 To agree income and expenditure schedule
- Clerk Update
To receive update from Clerk
8.1 To note annual return will be completed shortly.
- County Council Report
To note Councillor Radford’s report.
- District Council Report
Update from Councillor Clist/Councillor Bartlett
- Highways
To receive any relevant information
To discuss and agree any tasks for parish lengthsman
- Footpaths
To receive any relevant information.
- Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
To receive any relevant information
- Connecting The Culm
To receive any relevant information.
- Blackdown Hills Parish Network
To receive any relevant information.
- Clayhidon Charity, Mary Parsons Gift Trust & John Griss Charity
To receive any relevant information.
- Correspondence
17.1 Appoint Smeatharpe Hall representative
17.2 Police – letter from Police inviting liaison with parish councillor representative.
- Items raised by Chairman
- Items raised by Councillors
- Date of the Next Council Meeting – annual meeting of the council, Monday 9th May at 7.30pm Parish Hall.
FINANCE
INCOME
| No | £ | |
| 1. | 125.00 | Grass keep, Garlands Bower |
| 2. | 0.27 | Interest |
EXPENDITURE
| No | £ | Payee | Reason |
| 1. | 865.50 | C Houghton | Lengthsman and footpaths work |
| 2. | 323.00 | Savills | Rent, Garlands Bower |
| 3. | 10.00 | HSBC | Bank charges |
| 4. | 21.00 | D Evans | Reimburse temporary events notice fee |
| 5. | 72.00 | Bridport radio | Website |
| 6. | 429.00 | C Houghton | Footpaths and lengthsman work |
| 7. | 114.20 | DALC | Subscription |
| 8. | 464.25 | D Evans | Wages and expenses Jan-Mar |
| 9. | 99.00 | HMRC | PAYE |
- 1.already paid instead of figure last month of £517.00 and 2. already paid to be ratifiedClayhidon Parish Council Meeting Held at Parish Hall, Clayhidon’
Subject Action 1. Present Mr M Bendle (Chair), Mr J Blackmore, Mr R Brown, Mr R Drew (Vice Chair), Mr J Kidner, Mrs A Weekes, Mrs D Evans (Parish Clerk) and 2 members of the public.
Apologies Mr N King (accepted and approved) and County Councillor R Radford
2. Declarations of Interest Nothing to report.
3. Minutes from previous meetings PROPOSAL: The council minutes of the meetings of 15th February 2022 are approved.
PROPOSED: Mr Blackmore
SECONDED: Mr Kidner
DECISION: passed (all in favour)
4. Public Participation Nothing to report.
5. Matters Arising Nothing to report.
6. Planning The following application was considered:-
6.1 22/00016/FULL. Change of use, conversion and extension of former military buildings to form five dwellings, erection of garages and storage building with associated parking and landscaping. Gotleigh Farm, Smeatharpe.
PROPOSAL: The pc is content with the application. The application is sympathetic to the buildings and incorporates them into the design, maintaining the history of the buildings and providing housing.
PROPOSED: Mr Kidner
SECONDED: Mr Brown
DECISION: passed (all in favour)
Approval noted for :-
6.2 21/02576/HOUSE. Erection of garage/carport following demolition of existing barn. Keitch Harbour, Clayhidon.
6.3 22/00177/HOUSE. Erection of a carport with home office above. The Cottage, Clayhidon.
7. Finance 7.1 Income and expenditure
FINANCE
INCOME
No £ 1. 125.00 Grass keep, Garlands Bower 2. 0.27 Interest EXPENDITURE
No £ Payee Reason 1. 865.50 C Houghton Lengthsman and footpaths work 2. 323.00 Savills Rent, Garlands Bower 3. 10.00 HSBC Bank charges 4. 21.00 D Evans Reimburse temporary events notice fee 5. 72.00 Bridport Radio Website 6. 429.00 C Houghton Lengthsman and footpaths work 7. 114.20 DALC Subscription 8. 464.25 D Evans Wages and expenses Jan-Mar 9. 99.00 HMRC PAYE 10. 80.00 BHPN subscription 1.already paid instead of figure last month of £517.00 and 2. & 3. already paid
PROPOSAL: The income is agreed and the above cheques/payments are paid/agreed.
PROPOSED: Mr Blackmore
SECONDED: Mr Drew
DECISION: passed (all in favour)
8. Clerk Update 8.1 The clerk will complete the annual return and arrange the internal audit.
9. County Council Report Councillor Radford circulated the following report before the meeting:-
At month 10 it is estimated that there will be a budget overspend of just over £5.8 million, a reduction of £2.5 million from month 8. The Dedicated Schools Grant projected deficit, relating to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is forecast to be £39.9 million. In line with Department of Education guidance this deficit will not be dealt with this financial year but carried to future years.
Adult Care and Health services are forecast to overspend by just over £3.8 million, a reduction of £1.3 million from month 8. The forecast includes budgeted savings of £283,000 still considered deliverable. Adult Care Operations is forecasting to overspend by just over £4.1 million,
Within Learning Disabilities and Autism higher demand has continued into this year with client numbers in these areas being 164 more than the budgeted level of 3,569. Older People is also experiencing significant pressures, mainly due to price pressures on residential and increase in the number of nursing placements which are 47 more than the budgeted level of 516. Adult Commissioning and Health and Mental Health is forecast to underspend by £359,000.
Children’s services are forecasting an overspend of £8.8 million a reduction of £300,000 from month 8. However, this figure does not include the projected deficit of £39.9 million on Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 recruitment for all services has been challenging, as a result the parking enforcement team currently carries a number of vacancies. Most notably there are 19.5 full time equivalent (FTE) vacancies out of a design establishment of 46.5 FTE; a shortfall of 41.9%. However, the team are motivated and continue to deliver a good service with the available resources. Overtime allows existing staff to provide additional hours reducing the shortfall. The team regularly advertise vacancies and are recruiting to fill those. Adverts and incentives are being reviewed with colleagues in Human Resources and Recruitment to ensure adverts reach appropriate candidates and the opportunities offered by Devon County Council are promoted
In Devon on 1st January 2022, 77% of community-based services were rated Good or Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission, matching the regional average, and exceeding the national average of 66%. Our Quality Assurance and Improvement Team use data to target providers who may need additional support, and work with those where improvements are required. The Care Quality Commission has highlighted the strength and continuity of leadership in Devon as being an important factor in sustaining these ratings
Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund – the Blackdown Hills is preparing an application to this government fund, which will be used to develop a business case for private investment in ecosystem services linked to the Connecting the Culm project. At the recent church service, Elizabeth McNabb gave a very interesting talk on the works of the Blackdown Support Group.
The Fire Authority plays a big role in keeping our community safe, I have put together some statistics below, which you might find interesting.
· During the 12-month period from 01/03/2021 to the 28/02/2022, 16,360 incidents were attended in our service area.
· Of these, 39% were false alarm incidents, 39% were special service calls and 22% were fires.
Governments Devolution Deal for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.
This is just a Summary: Devon, Plymouth and Torbay is one of ten areas in England selected by the Government to negotiate far-reaching devolution deals to help level up areas blighted by low productivity and deep-seated deprivation. A Deal offers the opportunity for additional powers and funding to tackle local priorities such as more affordable housing, better public transport and providing skills our economy needs.
Before the pandemic, the area as a whole was already underperforming significantly, with economic output at 77.7% of the rest of the UK. 612,000 residents live in constituencies with low productivity worse than or as low as Cornwall. If Government funded Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Devolution Deal area the same as Cornwall, it would mean £540 million, £80.19 per head, to help level up our hardest hit areas and avoid an economic cliff-edge between our counties.
Supermarket vouchers worth £570,000 have been sent to families of 19,000 children in Devon to help them buy food over the upcoming Easter holidays. It’s thanks to the government’s one-off ‘household support fund’, which was given to councils to distribute. Over the last year we’ve invested Devon’s £4.7 million share in providing nearly 140,000 supermarket vouchers for families who qualify for free school meals; so their children don’t go hungry over the school holidays.
Team Devon authorities, including Devon County and District Councils and the Devon Association of Local Councils, have pledged to work together to support Ukrainian refugees seeking sanctuary in the UK, and have each condemned Russia’s actions. Also, that individually, Councils have also taken steps to cut Russian links, such as through contracts for energy provision. And any few remaining investments within the Devon Pension Fund, linked to Russian assets, are being sold off quickly.
DCC Corporate Scrutiny Committee, resolved “that the report be accepted as an accurate record of the meeting held and that the recommendations contained therein be endorsed and commended to Cabinet, namely:
(a) repair and maintenance of our road networks be underpinned by a positive and proactive approach and efforts to be made to implement this mindset into the working practices of DCC staff and contractors;
(b) the Community Road Warden Scheme and the Snow Warden Scheme be continued and expanded;
(c) annual work programmes be produced to cover integrated schemes and additional detail is included where these include drainage repair;
(d) graffiti be explicitly recognised in the Plan as a notable problem and innovative solutions to graffiti removal be investigated; and
(e) further exploration of local council involvement in highway maintenance is undertaken, to include closer relationships between local councils and the County Council.”
10. District Council Report Nothing to report.
11. Highways Mr Bendle and Mr Kidner met with Dan Wood, Devon Highways Neighbourhood Officer, to discuss various matters around the parish.
Clerk was asked to report the blocked drain along from Deadbeer.
Councillors discussed an email from a parishioner commenting about the work the lengthsman does on behalf of the parish. It was agreed that Mr Drew will liaise with Mr Houghton.
The clerk will ask Dan Wood to confirm which ditches in the parish are the responsibility of DCC.
Clerk
RD
Clerk
12. Footpaths Mr Brown had submitted his grant application to DCC. An area on footpath 28 regularly floods and DCC are liaising with the landowner to resolve this.
13. Queen’s Platinum Jubilee The working group are planning the events. The next meeting is Tuesday 19th April @ 7.30pm Church Rooms. The clerk was asked to add to the agenda for this meeting:- card machine and funding.
Clerk
14. Connecting the Culm Mrs Weekes recently attended a meeting which gave information on environmental grants that are available. Local landowners highlighted issues with the existing grants scheme.
15. Blackdown Hills Parish Network Nothing to report.
16. Clayhidon Charity, Mary Parsons Gift Trust and The John Griss Charity The trustees of the Mary Parsons Gift Trust have registered its field with the Land Registry and, after contacting the Charity Commission, now intends to sell the field.
17. Correspondence 17.1 Smeatharpe Village Hall – the committee has written to the pc asking for a nomination for its representative on the committee.
PROPOSAL: the pc no longer nominates a representative.
PROPOSED: Mr Blackmore
SECONDED: Mr Brown
DECISION: passed (all in favour)
17.2 Police – have asked for a parish councillor representative. Mr Blackmore volunteered.
18. Items raised by Chairman 18.1 Mr Bendle shared with the council email correspondence he had exchanged with a parishioner with regard to burning plastic on a bonfire. It is understood that the matter is now resolved.
19. Items raised by Councillors. 19.1 Mr Brown reported that gas bottles are still in the lay by on Broad Street. Clerk to report.
Clerk
20. Date of next meeting Annual Meeting of the Council on Monday 9th May at 7.30pm Parish Hall
Signed…………………………………………………………………Date……………………………………………………………………
Clayhidon Parish Council
Annual Parish Meeting
11th April 2022
Clubs & Organisations
Information Pack
ANNUAL REPORT CLAYHIDON PARISH COUNCIL APRIL 2022
Councillors: Jamie Blackmore, Richard Brown, Richard Drew (Vice Chair), John Kinder, Nick King, Alison Weeks And Myself
Clerk: Donna Evans. This my annual report for the ending April 2022
We have got back to a little normality, after the covid restrictions, now having face to face meetings. John Griss’s very generous legacy has now be handed over to the trustees of newly formed, The John Griss Charity ,ably led by Nick King. The forming of the charity has greatly reduced the work of the council.
Planning applications keep coming, barn conversions, extensions, business requirements these have resulted in various site meetings, it is always helpful to hear parishioners comments. As a rule of the thumb the council support the applications especially properties that are falling into disrepair, and generally speaking we would sooner support applications for multi builds , more affordable properties rather than one large property which financially would be out of the reach with our first time buyers.
Roads, we have our ongoing issues with our roads, we despair when potholes are repaired when full of water and instead of filling an obvious close by pothole leave it and come back a few weeks late to fill it in. We endlessly request for more verge ploughing, to help keep the water off the roads, and when it is done, it is beggars belief what they do and what they leave. We have meet with Dan Wood, Devon highways neighbourhood officer for this area, this has had it successes but we are all encouraged to report any bad potholes ( their Tel no. Is on the back page of the pump).
Lengthsman, Chris Houghton we are indeed indebted to him for all he does, both on the roads and the footpaths. We have arranged for him to renew his chapter 8 training, so he is qualified for another 5 years. We have been able to get some funding from the highway community enhancement maintenance fund to erect new fencing at Lilycombe, mend finger posts at Wiltown, purchase litter picking equipment etc. Thank you Chris for all the work you do on behalf of the parish
Litter picking the litter picking equipment have been put to good use when numerous sacks of litter have been picked up ,thanks to Alison and her of volunteers for the dedication in keeping the parish tidy.
Clayhidon signs, thanks to a local lady for repairing and painting one sign, a new one has been ordered for the other one and we are awaiting delivery of it.
Defibrillators at the cost of £2,266 we have contributed towards a new 4-year lease. I believe these have been used at least twice over the last year, so very worthwhile having them.
Grays Quarry we have granted the Wellington Scout Group a 5-year lease to use the old quarry. It is encouraging to see it been used by these young people.
Footpaths Richard Brown with the help of Chris are keeping our paths walk able and safe and we able to draw some grants from the p3 parish paths partnership to help with the expenses. Thank you Richard for keeping your finger on the pulse.
District And County Councillors
Simon Clist (MDDC councillor) Simon has attended most of our meetings, and he is always at the end of the phone. Thank you Simon and your input in various planning applications have been very helpful.
Ray Radford (county councillor) ray felt with the continuation of covid cases it was in everyone’s best interest not to attend meetings , so he sends his reports by email. We congratulate him and wish him well with his election as chairman of Mid Devon district council.
Donations each year we donate to, mainly local voluntary groups. This money comes out of the precept we apply each year from MDDC council tax. The recipients this year include, the pump magazine, the parish hall, churchyard, Mid Devon Mobility, Mid Devon Churches Housing Action Team , Blackdown Healthy Living Centre, Blackdown Support Group, and Citizens Advice. We have also pledged £1,000 to get the forthcoming Queen’s Jubilee celebration, in June under way.
Thanks, in closing my report i would like to thank my fellow councillors for all the support and energies that you have given me and the parish, it is always encouraging when parishioners attend our meetings, as boring as they are sometimes, so thank you for your input and to donna, our clerk, a huge thanks for your support ,help, and time you put in , you even stepped in for me at a district planning meeting, and did a great job from the feedback I had !
This is my second stint as chairman, I have decided it is time to hang up my boots so at our annual meeting next month I shall not allow my name to go forward for chairman. I wish the new chairman every success knowing that our invaluable clerk will be there with her expertise and experience.
Thank you
Maurice Bendle
Chair Clayhidon Parish Council
Parish Hall
At the end of the year we succeeded in becoming a registered CIO, which means that we can now legally raise money for the village hall.
As the planning permission for the improvement of the village hall had expired we need to apply for new planning permission and it was decided that we should use the opportunity to change the old planning permission in a number of ways.
We are currently deciding on the final plan which will be submitted to planning in the coming months.
In the autumn we reopened the hall so that we could restart coffee and cake mornings on the second Saturday in the month ,and they have become increasingly popular.
We currently have in excess of £40,000 in our bank account and we estimate that we will need to raise a further £100,000 to be able to finish the village hall project, so expect to see us being very active during the next twelve months.
We are grateful for the financial assistance that we have had from various parties over the last year.
Neil Carter
Chair.
Rosemary Lane Chapel – Annual Parish Report 2022
Like most places, Rosemary Lane Chapel was not immune to the impact of Covid. The lockdowns of the last two years resulted in the temporary closure of the chapel and a cessation to our usual activities. When the chapel did open, it was under the guidance of social distancing and the associated restrictions. However, the chapel also developed several new tools during this time, including the creation of an online platform for virtual midweek meetings and a YouTube channel for sharing weekly messages during lockdown. These tools remain a part of our work with each week’s message being shared online.
I am glad to say that, alongside these areas of development, we have been able to resume most of our activities. We meet every morning at 11am and currently have an evening service on the second Sunday of each month at 6.30pm. We hope to increase the number of evening meetings we have as we move further into the Spring of this year. Whilst some members of the fellowship have not been able to return to attending in person due to ill-health, we are glad to see around 50-60 people most Sundays. More attend our all-age family service on the third Sunday of the month.
Our Toddler group has been going since last year with a good number of families attending. This is true also of our Friday night children’s group (Venturers) with as many as 40 children in attendance at times. Midweek meetings, including Bible Study, prayer groups, music group and ladies fellowship, also take place. Furthermore, our partnership with the Blackdown Support Group has also resumed with a monthly lunch club taking place on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. We would like to extend a warm invitation to anyone wishing to participate in the above activities.
Above all, during this difficult time we have been reminded of God’s goodness and steadfast love. So often this has been displayed in the intentionality shown by members of the community to care and support one another. Isolation has been costly, but the value of community has been enriched. We give thanks to God.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.Psalm 136:1-3
Jonathan Hillman
On behalf of the fellowship at Rosemary Lane Chapel – rosemarylanechapel@live.co.uk
The John Griss Charity
Registered Number 1193024
Charity Update
The Charity recently wrote to parishioners and asked for thoughts and comments on how best to proceed with the legacy. Over 30 comments from the parish were received and read by the trustees. It was useful for the trustees to hear from the parish and it was felt that overall the comments were in favour of proceeding with keeping the land and lakes and developing Rose Cottage.
It was suggested that the charity should continue with the planning application to develop Rose Cottage into a row of three terraced houses. If or when planning consent is achieved, the charity will consider its options at that point.
Several parishioners kindly volunteered to assist with the charity and the clerk will contact them to thank them and ask them what sort of help/support they may be able to offer.
Rose Cottage
A planning application to demolish Rose Cottage and build a row of 3 terraced houses has been delayed whilst various wildlife surveys are completed. The scheme includes the redevelopment of the developer’s Brethren Chapel, next door to Rose Cottage.
If planning permission is granted, the charity would look to own 2 of the terraced houses which might be rented at affordable rents to local people.
At this stage no decision has been made on how the charity might proceed with Rose Cottage and it will obtain legal advice to ensure it complies with any Charity Commission regulations/guidance.
Hartsmoor Lakes
Mike Leigh-Mallory is continuing to manage the lakes on behalf of the charity until December 2022.
A specialist engineer inspected the fishing lakes and has produced a report giving the charity advice on how best to mend the temporary fix to the outlet pipe on Greensands Lake. The charity intends to follow his advice and recommendations. Firstly, it involves arranging for a specialist company to CCTV the outlet pipe to pinpoint the exact location of the temporary fix. It then hopes to grout up the old outlet pipe and install a new outlet.
The Environment Agency (EA) conducted a bathymetric survey of Greensands Lake which provided much valuable information, including confirmation that the current water volume of 24,186m3 does not fall under the Reservoir Act. This is good news for the charity as it does not have to concern itself with the extra compliance and regulations that would result if the management of the lakes were governed by this act. However, it should be pointed out that if the capacity reduction enacted in Wales in 2016 is implemented within England (which could happen in the next 5 years) then the Greensands Lake would need to be registered under the Reservoirs Act.
Later this month, the otter fencing will be erected around the syndicate lake to protect the fish from predators. A small grant from the Angling Trust helped towards the cost of the fencing.
Mr Leigh-Mallory has been asked to put forward his proposals for the long-term future of the lakes for the charity to consider.
The trustees are seeking professional advice with a view to leasing the lakes on a long-term basis.
The land
The charity is leasing the land to local young farmer Rob Burridge until December 2022.
The charity was successful with its application to the Rural Payments Agency for the land to be included in a Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier Scheme. This means it will be able to receive grant monies towards tree maintenance, hedge laying and some fencing.
The land was damaged when various pieces of heavy agricultural machinery were removed following an auction. The charity is liaising with the purchaser with regard to reinstatement of the land.
East Devon Hunt has been told that it does not have permission to use the land.
The trustees are seeking professional advice with a view to leasing the land on a longer-term basis.
General Admin
The estate has now been settled and all monies transferred to the charity. The charity awaits confirmation from the land registry that the assets have been registered. The charity’s financial year-end is March 2022 and AC Mole have been appointed to prepare the accounts and tax return.
The charity plans to meet bi-monthly to move things forward.
SMEATHARPE VILLAGE HALL Charity No: 283034
On behalf of the Smeatharpe Village Committee I wish to submit the following annual report to the Parish Council. Activities and bookings for the village hall commenced on 28th September 2021 due to the lifting of Covid 19 government restrictions for the use of Village Halls. Initially bookings for the hall were slow in particular with the surfacing of the Omicron Variant and the public’s reluctance to attend gathering in confined areas. The Village Hall Committee were extremely grateful for the various financial grants that were available during the lockdown. We now look ahead to the future and to support local events to celebrate the Platinum Anniversary of HM Queen Elizabeth 11.
Yours Sincerely
Patricia Knowles , Secretary On behalf of Smeatharpe Village Hall Committee.
New editor needed for parish website
The Clayhidon parish website is now in its eleventh year and it’s high time it was given an injection of fresh enthusiasm. Its founder wishes to retire and is looking for someone to take over.
It’s entirely voluntary, but for anyone who enjoys writing, running the site would be a great way of meeting people. It would also be a useful work experience opportunity for someone with ambitions to become a journalist. The site would especially benefit from stronger social media links.
If you or anyone you know might be interested, please contact Gareth Weekes on 01823 681093 or email garethweekes@gmail.com.
In the past 15 months Clayhidon.org.uk has continued to attract more users. The number of visitors rose by 27% year on year. The number of views increased by 30% between 2020 and 2021.
2019 2020 2021 Views 6440 16607 21636 Visitors 1759 4082 5175 View per visit 3.66 4.07 4.18 Pages most visited in 2021 Home/archive 6446 Parish Council 1436 Agenda and minutes 665 Johnny Griss letters 526 Planning 377 The council has shown its support for the site by paying Bridport Radio for hosting, and the company has been helpful solving various technical queries. I’m also grateful for the assistance of Nicola Bendle for her local news tips.
Gareth Weekes
April 2022