Council Meeting – 8th February 2021

6,839.86

Mr M Bendle (Chair), Mr J Blackmore, Mr R Brown, Mr R Drew (Vice Chairman), Mr J Kidner, Mr N King, Mrs A Weekes, District Councillor S Clist, 1 member of the public and Mrs D Evans (Parish Clerk)

Apologies County Councillor R Radford.

Nothing to report.

PROPOSAL:  The council minutes of the meetings of 14^th December and 11^th January are approved (with one minor amendment to the 14^th December minutes).

PROPOSED:  Mrs Weekes

SECONDED:  Mr King

DECISION: passed (all in favour)

Nothing to report.

5.1      Change of name, Hatchet & Brandy – the clerk advised that MDDC had confirmed it was not possible to protect the name of a dwelling.  Clerk was instructed to write a letter to the home owners asking whether they would consider keeping the name Hatchet and Brandy.

5.2       The Pound – Mrs Higgins emailed thanks to the council for granting a licence for a year, free of charge, for use of The Pound.

Clerk

Permission granted noted for:-

6.1      20/01845/FULL.  Applehayes, Clayhidon.  Change of use of agricultural land to domestic garden and erection of a carport.

Councillor Clist reported that:-

There is a lot of talk at the moment at MDDC with regard to a budget deficit of £2m and how it might be resolved.  MDDC is considering cutting some services (e.g. reducing the number of bin collections from fortnightly to 3-weekly).  The elections for county council and the police and crime commissioner are due to go ahead in May.  Councillor Clist has reservations about this in the current climate and hopes they will be put back until the autumn.  Mr King asked if on-line voting might be considered.  Councillor Clist also reported that Devon County Highways is looking at reducing its pot hole budget by £5.7m which, if approved, will no doubt impact on the state of the roads around the parish.  Clerk was asked to write to Councillor Radford objecting to the possible budget cut and reminding him that the state of the roads in the parish is largely a result of water accumulating on the lanes.

Clerk

Councillor Radford circulated the following report before the meeting:-

DCC is putting together a budget for next year. A series of recommendations have been made to the Cabinet, which if accepted will go to the Full Council for agreement on 18^th February.

Last week 825 children were in care and the pressure on Early Help is very high. Some additional funding from COVID 19 funds is supporting this pressure. The Edge of Care Service, which is mostly support for teenagers and families, is starting to make a difference. Social work staff on the frontline are starting to be vaccinated and this will continue to be rolled out over the coming weeks.

The draft budget complies with the targets set by Cabinet on 13th January which total £578.5M.  The total includes funding for budget pressures of £47.3M that mainly relates to additional expenditure to allow for service growth to cater for demographic changes such as increased children and adult service users and unavoidable cost pressures.  Savings and income initiatives of £11.6M are required to set a balanced budget.

9.1  Income, expenditure & bank reconciliation

FINANCE

INCOME

EXPENDITURE

 BANK RECONCILIATION                                                                     

PROPOSAL:  The income is agreed and the above cheques/payments are paid/agreed.

PROPOSED:    Mr Blackmore

SECONDED:   Mr King

DECISION: passed (all in favour)

10.1    Clerk’s hourly rate – following a recent review of the job description and completion of a job evaluation process the clerk requested that with effect from 1^st April 2021 her salary be increased in line with the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (NJC) to Spinal Column Point (SCP) 14 @ £12 per hour.

PROPOSAL:  The council increases the clerk’s salary to SCP 14 @ £12 per hour with effect from 1^st April 2021.

PROPOSED:  Mrs Weekes

SECONDED:  Mr Brown

DECISION: passed (all in favour)

10.2    Broadband – the clerk requested that the pc contribute £5 per month towards the cost of 4G broadband.

PROPOSAL:  The council contributes £5 per month towards internet connection for the clerk.

PROPOSED:  Mrs Weekes

SECONDED:  Mr Brown

DECISION: passed (all in favour)

10.3    Finance Review – the clerk recommended that the council moves the following allocated budgets to balance the accounts by virement.  Expenditure – increase salary budget by £247, reduce rent budget by £247.  Increase lengthsman budget by £403 and reduce APM by £100, rent by £53 and training budget by £250.

PROPOSAL:  The council agrees to the above virements.

PROPOSED:  Mr Drew

SECONDED:  Mr King

DECISION: passed (all in favour)

11.1    It was noted that the road at Middleton Barton and the remainder of the road to Belletts Farm had been resurfaced.

11.2    Mr Bendle has liaised with Phil Morgan, Devon Highways, with regard to the road at Deadbeer to Bollhayes and a meeting will be held shortly.

11.3    Clerk was instructed to thank Phil Morgan for the work completed in the parish so far and to report problems with road to Hartsmoor, Ridgewood lane and from ford to Hidewood Farm.

11.4    Councillor Clist will speak to the Enforcement Department at MDDC with regard to the fly-tipping on lane adjacent to Smeatharpe stadium.  It was suggested more should be done to make it easier for people to dispose of their waste at waste recycling centres.

MB

Clerk

SC

12.1   Surveys of the footpaths of the parish (some 18 miles) will be submitted to Devon County Council shortly.

Mrs Weekes informed councillors of this 25-year vision project and the work that the project team have planned at Deadbeer as a pilot scheme.  She will circulate a copy of the plan to councillors.  It was suggested that when the current lockdown is lifted it may be appropriate to invite Daniel Halford from the project to give a talk to the council/parish.

AW

Mrs Weekes updated councillors on the last meeting the group held with the two local MPs.  The main issues being discussed are:- climate change, broadband, rural strategy and transport.  If you have any issues you would like her to raise please let her know.

Nothing to report.

The John Griss Charity has been registered and the trustees will be holding separate meetings distinct from those of the council.  The charity will decide how best to communicate to the council and parish.

17.1     Email ref fly-tipping and signage – see 11.4 above.

17.2     Email ref damage to hedges and verges.  Councillors sympathise with parishioners that have seen their hedges damaged by large vehicles.  It was noted that vehicles are getting bigger and there has been an increase in traffic on the lanes with more people using home deliveries, etc.  Mrs Weekes was asked to report the problem back to the Parish Network to review.  The problem is not unique to Clayhidon and many larger vehicles are using inappropriate lanes throughout the Blackdown Hills, possibly as a result of using Sat Nav that is not designed for HGVs.

17.3     Thank-you letter from St Andrews Church for the grant noted.

AW

Nothing to report.

19.1    A stable block has been erected without the necessary planning permission.  Clerk to report to enforcement.

19.2    A drain near Bradbeers if often blocked, clerk to liaise with Chris Houghton to establish the problem and clarify if anything needs to be reported to Devon Highways.

Clerk

Clerk

Planning meeting on Monday 8^th March at 7.30pm (if required) or full council meeting on Monday 12^th April at 7.30pm (By Zoom)