📅 Wednesday 13 May

🕢 7:30 PM

📍 Blackawton Village Hall

Come along, stay informed, and have your say in our community.
Everyone welcome!

What’s on

Parish Council Chair
An update on your Parish Council’s work over the past year

Guest Speakers

🏫 Blackawton Primary School
Updates and insights from our local school

South Dartmoor Community Energy

• Simple, low-cost ways to retrofit for better energy efficiency

• Introduction to new technologies

• Guidance on grants

☕ Refreshments Provided

The post PARISH COMMUNITY MEETING Wednesday 13 May 7:30 pm appeared first on Blackawton.

Local Government Act 1972 Section 87(2)

CASUAL VACANCY

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a vacancy exists in the office of Parish Councillor for the Blackawton Parish Council.

Unless ten or more electors of Blackawton, on or before the 8 May 2026, submit a request in writing for an election to be held, the Parish Council will take steps to fill the vacancy by co-option.

Requests must be sent to the Returning Officer, South Hams District Council, Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes, TQ9 5NE.

Parish Clerk

17 April 2026

The post Casual Vacancy for a Blackawton Parish Council Councillor appeared first on Blackawton.

Our commitment

The council is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment and to avoiding unlawful discrimination.

This policy is intended to assist the council to put this commitment into practice. Compliance with this policy should also ensure that employees do not commit unlawful acts of discrimination.

Striving to ensure that the work environment is free of harassment and bullying and that everyone is treated with dignity and respect is an important aspect of ensuring equal opportunities in employment.

The law

It is unlawful to discriminate directly or indirectly in recruitment or employment because of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality, caste and ethnic or national origins), sexual orientation, religion or belief, or because someone is married or in a civil partnership. These are known as “protected characteristics”.

Discrimination after employment may also be unlawful, e.g. refusing to give a reference for a reason related to one of the protected characteristics.

The council will not discriminate against or harass a member of the public in the provision of services or goods. It is unlawful to fail to make reasonable adjustments to overcome barriers to using services caused by disability. The duty to make reasonable adjustments includes the removal, adaptation or alteration of physical features, if the physical features make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to make use of services. In addition, service providers have an obligation to think ahead and address any barriers that may impede disabled people from accessing a service.

Types of unlawful discrimination

Direct discrimination is where a person is treated less favourably than another because of a protected characteristic.

In limited circumstances, employers can directly discriminate against an individual for a reason related to any of the protected characteristics where there is an occupational requirement. The occupational requirement must be crucial to the post and a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

Indirect discrimination is where a provision, criterion or practice is applied that is discriminatory in relation to individuals who have a relevant protected characteristic such that it would be to the detriment of people who share that protected characteristic compared with people who do not, and it cannot be shown to be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

Harassment is where there is unwanted conduct, related to one of the protected characteristics (other than marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity) that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity; or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. It does not matter whether or not this effect was intended by the person responsible for the conduct.

Associative discrimination is where an individual is directly discriminated against or harassed for association with another individual who has a protected characteristic.

Perceptive discrimination is where an individual is directly discriminated against or harassed based on a perception that they have a particular protected characteristic when they don’t , in fact, have that protected characteristic.

Third-party harassment occurs where an employee is harassed by third parties and the harassment is related to a protected characteristic.

Victimisation occurs where an employee is subjected to a detriment, such as being denied a training opportunity or a promotion because they made or supported a complaint or raised a grievance under the Equality Act 2010, or because they are suspected of doing so. However, an employee is not protected from victimisation if they acted maliciously or made or supported an untrue complaint.

Failure to make reasonable adjustments is where a physical feature or a provision, criterion or practice puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared with someone who does not have that protected characteristic and the employer has failed to make reasonable adjustments to enable the disabled person to overcome the disadvantage.

Equal opportunities in employment

The council will avoid unlawful discrimination in all aspects of employment including recruitment, promotion, opportunities for training, pay and benefits, discipline and selection for redundancy.

Recruitment

Person and job specifications will be limited to those requirements that are necessary for the effective performance of the job. Candidates for employment or promotion will be assessed objectively against the requirements for the job, taking account of any reasonable adjustments that may be required for candidates with a disability. Disability and personal or home commitments will not form the basis of employment decisions except where necessary.

Working practices

The council will consider any possible indirectly discriminatory effect of its standard working practices, including the number of hours to be worked, the times at which these are to be worked and the place at which work is to be done, when considering requests for variations to these standard working practices and will refuse such requests only if the council considers it has good reasons, unrelated to any protected characteristic, for doing so. The council will comply with its obligations in relation to statutory requests for contract variations. The council will also make reasonable adjustments to its standard working practices to overcome barriers caused by disability.

Equal opportunities monitoring

The council will monitor the ethnic, sex/gender and age composition of applicants for jobs, and the number of people with disabilities within these groups, and will consider and take any appropriate action to address any problems that may be identified as a result of the monitoring process.

The council treats personal data collected for reviewing equality and diversity in accordance with the data protection policy. Information about how data is used and the basis for processing is provided in the council’s privacy notices.

People not employed by the council

The council will not discriminate unlawfully against those using or seeking to use the services provided by the council.

You should report any bullying or harassment by suppliers, visitors or others to the council who will take appropriate action.

Training and prevention

The council will /raise awareness of] equal opportunities to those likely to be involved in recruitment or other decision making where equal opportunities issues are likely to arise.

Your responsibilities

Every employee is required to assist the council to meet its commitment to provide equal opportunities in employment and avoid unlawful discrimination. Employees can be held personally liable as well as, or instead of, the council for any act of unlawful discrimination. Employees who commit serious acts of harassment may be guilty of a criminal offence.

Acts of discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation against employees or customers are disciplinary offences. Discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation may constitute gross misconduct and could lead to dismissal without notice.

Grievances

If you consider that you may have been unlawfully discriminated against, you should make a complaint. .

The council will take any complaint seriously and will seek to resolve any grievance that it upholds. You will not be penalised for raising a grievance, even if your grievance is not upheld, unless your complaint is both untrue and made in bad faith.

Monitoring and review

This policy will be monitored periodically by the council to judge its effectiveness and will be updated in accordance with changes in the law. If changes are required, the council will implement them.

Information provided by job applicants and employees for monitoring purposes will be used only for these purposes and will be dealt with in accordance with relevant data protection legislation.]

This is a non-contractual procedure which will be reviewed from time to time.

Version History

Date of policy approval: 13 April 2026

— policy ends here —

Important notice

This is an example of an employment policy designed for a small council adhering to statutory minimum requirements and does not constitute legal advice. As with all policies it should be consistent with your terms and conditions of employment.

This document was commissioned by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) in 2019 for the purpose of its member councils and county associations. Every effort has been made to ensure that the contents of this document are correct at time of publication. NALC cannot accept responsibility for errors, omissions and changes to information subsequent to publication.

This document has been written by the Worknest HR – a company that provides HR advice and guidance to town and parish councils. Please contact them on 01403 240 205 for information about their services.

The post EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY POLICY appeared first on Blackawton.

Summary Report 31 March 2026

Bank Reconciliation Summary 31 March 2026

Reserves Balance up to 31st Mar 2026

BPC Equality-and-Diversity-Policy DRAFT 2026 April 07

CR 2026 April 08 Parish Council Noticeboard Policy

The post Meeting Supporting Documents 2026 April 13 appeared first on Blackawton.

You are hereby summoned to attend the monthly meeting of Blackawton Parish Council to be held on Monday 13 April 2026 at 7:30 p.m. in Blackawton Village Hall for the purpose of transacting the following business.

a. Open Forum

The Chair invites Questions from Parishioners.

b. Councillors Forum

Cllrs may raise items for attention or for future consideration.

AGENDA

1. Apologies

To receive apologies for absence.

2. Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of Members’ interests in Agenda items

3. Minutes of Previous Meetings

To approve Minutes of the Meeting held 9 March 2026.

4. Report from South Hams District Council Councillor

5. Report from Devon County Council Councillor

6. Planning Applications

   1. South Hams District Council’s Planning Decisions

To note the decisions as follows:

• 0140/26/HHO Lower Abbotsleigh Blackawton TQ9 7AF. Householder application for retrospective permission for a timber summerhouse built within 2m of the boundary. Conditional Approval.

• 0375/26/ARC Bow Cottage, Blackawton, TQ9 7AH. Application for approval of details reserved by condition 6 (Historic Building Record) of planning consent 1800/25/LBC. Discharge of Condition Approved.

• 0378/26/ARC Bow Cottage, Blackawton, TQ9 7AH. Application for approval of details reserved by conditions 6 (CEMP) & 8 (Historic Building Record) of planning consent 1799/25/HHO. Discharge of Condition Approved.

• 0551/26/AGR Grimpstone Farm Blackawton TQ9 7DW. Application to determine if prior approval is required for a proposed agricultural storage building measuring 13.1m (L) x 6.7m (B) x 6.8m height to ridge. Prior Approval Not Required.

• 0192/26/CLE The Linhay Higher Wood Farm Blackawton TQ9 7AB. Certificate of lawfulness for non compliance with occupancy condition. Cert of Lawfulness (Existing) Certified.

1. 2. Review of New Applications .

To consider commenting to SHDC on the following applications:

• 0795/26/HHO 65 French Furze Road Blackawton TQ9 7FN. Householder application for proposed rear dormer to form additional bedroom with en-suite.

• 0862/26/HHO Stone House Farm Blackawton TQ9 7DE. Householder application for single storey rear extension & revised front entrance.

• 0865/26/TCA 3 Church Hill Blackawton TQ9 7BQ. T1: Oak – remove, too large, causing excessive shading, too close to power line.

• 0902/26/HHO 26 French Furze Road Blackawton TQ9 7FN. Householder application for rear extension and alterations to existing dwelling.

To note the following application.

• 0917/26/ARC Bow Farm Blackawton TQ9 7AH. Application for approval of details reserved by condition 7 (Sustainable Drainage Option) of planning consent 1799/25/HHO.

7. French Furze Development

To receive an update.

8. Greenslades Road Circuit Footpath

To consider supporting the proposal to replace the existing S106 requirement for scalpings with some provision for drainage and for the path to be broadened.

9. Parish Council Noticeboard

To agree a policy regarding posting community notices.

10. Creation of a Blackawton Community Emergency Hub

To receive an update.

11. Felling Trees in the Blackawton Churchyard

To consider the placement of a simple ‘deadwood habitat’ sign.

To decide management of the remaining dead cherry tree, next to footpath towards School Lane.

12. Planting Churchyard Trees

To consider a revised proposal to plant an avenue of five rowans the east side of the footpath and three on the west.

To consider where to plant the remaining two rowan trees. To make arrangements to plant in April 2026.

13. Churchyard Wall Maintenance

To consider approving signature of the contract with the stonemason.

To consider carrying out additional works on Park Lane (to a bulge area) and on Main Street (to brace across a crack).

14. Wind Turbine Feasibility Study Grant

To consider approving BPC’s signature of the Grant Funding Agreement.

To consider approving BPC’s signature of the NDA and a contract with the feasibility study provider.

To consider creation of a Steering Group and its members.

15. BPC Policies and Procedures

To consider approval of the draft BPC Equality and Diversity Policy.

16. Finance

    1. Update on Current Financial Position

To receive Reports and Bank Reconciliation for signature.

1. 2. Payments & Receipts

To authorise the following payments

• Clerk March Expenses Reimbursement £18.55

• Devon Communities Together Membership Annual Fee £50.00

• Scribe Accounting & Cemetery Software £535.68

• Felling Churchyard Trees £1,740.00

• Devon Association of Local Councils Annual Fee £379.57

• Website Updates £22.00

Payments made since the last monthly meeting

• Churchyard tree pre-felling bat survey £283.00

• ICO annual fee (direct debit) £47.00

17. Correspondence

To note or consider:

• Devon County Council responsible to distribute Government funding for low-income households Oil Heating through the new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CaRF).

18. Annual Parish Meeting

To confirm arrangements.

19. Next Meeting

To confirm the next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Monday 11 May at 7:30 p.m.

20. Closure of the Meeting

To consider a resolution, in accordance with the 1960 Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act, to exclude the public and press during consideration of the following item(s) because of the commercial-in-confidence nature of the business.

21. Contracted Work

    1. Parish Lengthsman

    2. Cutting back Vegetation growing on St Michael’s Churchyard’s Walls and Gate Pillars twice a year

22. Cemetery Treeworks – removal of fallen Monterey Cypress branches & removal in the autumn of the tree growing on a grave

23. BPC Insurance 2026-2029

PRESS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE VERY WELCOME TO ATTEND

Annette Thom

Parish Clerk

The post Agenda 2026 April 13 appeared first on Blackawton.

The post Asset and Land Register 2026 March 31 appeared first on Blackawton.

Background

Blackawton Parish Council – Clerk and Councillors – must comply with the Data Protection legislation.

BPC’s Code of Conduct requires Councillors not to disclose confidential information.

Failure to correctly manage its information is a risk to BPC’s reputation.

This policy outlines the guidelines and responsibilities for the appropriate use of IT resources and email by council members, employees, volunteers, and contractors.

Data Protection Legislation And Its Key Principles

“Personal data”: Any information about a living individual which allows them to be identified from that data (for example a name, photographs, videos, email address, or address). Identification can be directly using the data itself or by combining it with other other information which helps to identify a living individual.

The UK General Data Protection Regulation sets out seven key principles for processing personal data¹:

• • Must be processed lawfully, fairly and transparently.

  • Purpose limitation: Can only be used for the purpose it was collected for.

  • Data minimisation – Should be adequate, relevant and limited i.e. only the minimum amount of data should be kept for specific processing.

  • Accuracy: Must be kept accurate and current, and inaccurate data erased

  • Storage limitation: Must only be retained for the time necessary for the purposes and that storage is safe and secure

  • Integrity and confidentiality: Must remain secure.

  • Accountability:The data processor is responsible for complying, must be able to demonstrate compliance, and must have measures in place to meet the requirements of accountability

Processing can only be a carried out lawfully if one of six specific conditions is met: consent, or necessary for a contract, to comply with the law, to protect someone’s life, in the public interest or official functions based in law, or meet legitimate interests.

Core processes relevant to BPC Councillors’ GDPR responsibility

1. A regular data audit to review what personal data is held.

2. Data security: for example, lock filing cabinets outside working hours and keep the keys secure, use secure computer passwords, switch computers off when not in use.

3. Follow processes when councillors cease office to remove their data from public records and for return or destruction of the council’s information held by them.

4. Deletion of out of date or no longer required data thoroughly, for example good quality shredder.

5. Data protection impact assessments for new projects.

Information Management Requirements

1. Scope

   1. This policy applies to all individuals who use Blackawton Parish Council’s IT resources, including computers, networks, software, devices, data, and email accounts.

   2. This policy outlines the guidelines and responsibilities for the appropriate use of IT resources and email by council members, employees, volunteers, and contractors.

2. Acceptable Use of IT Resources and Email

   1. Blackawton Parish Council IT resources and email accounts are to be used for official council-related activities and tasks. Limited personal use is permitted, provided it does not interfere with work responsibilities or violate any part of this policy. All users must adhere to ethical standards, respect copyright and intellectual property rights, and avoid accessing inappropriate or offensive content.

3. Device and software usage

   1. Where possible, authorised devices, software, and applications will be provided by Blackawton Parish Council for work-related tasks.

   2. Unauthorised installation of software on authorised devices, including personal software, is strictly prohibited due to security concerns.

4. Mobile Devices and Remote Work

   1. Mobile devices provided by Blackawton Parish Council should be secured with passcodes and/or biometric authentication. When working remotely, users should follow the same security practices as if they were in the office.

5. Data Management and Security

   1. All sensitive and confidential Blackawton Parish Council data should be stored and transmitted securely using approved methods. Regular data backups should be performed to prevent data loss, and secure data destruction methods should be used when necessary.

6. Network and Internet Usage

   1. Blackawton Parish Council ’s network and internet connections should be used responsibly and efficiently for official purposes. Downloading and sharing copyrighted material without proper authorisation is prohibited.

7. Email Communication

   1. Email accounts provided by Blackawton Parish Council are for official communication only. Emails should be professional and respectful in tone. Confidential or sensitive information must not be sent via email unless it is encrypted.

   2. Be cautious with attachments and links to avoid phishing and malware. Verify the source before opening any attachments or clicking on links.

   3. Email monitoring

      1. Blackawton Parish Council reserves the right to monitor email communications to ensure compliance with this policy and relevant laws. Monitoring will be conducted in accordance with the Data Protection Act and GDPR.

   4. Emails Can be viewed in these ways:

      1. https://blackawtoncommunity.com:2096

      2. In a tool which does not move the information – for example Thunderbird (desktop), TypeApp (desktop and phone), Apple Mail

      3. Cannot be viewed in free Gmail – which may move the information outside of UK and the EU.

      4. Outlook – GDPR compliance seems to depend on how it is set up.

      5. Cannot be forwarded to a private email account.

8. Electronic Information

   1. Locate BPC information in an identifiable location(s) eg folder.

   2. Cloud servers must be in the UK or a location with comparable data protection legislation. (iCloud appears to not be GDPR compliant).

   3. BPC information cannot be placed on a shared device.

   4. External drives must be encrypted.

9. Paper Documents

   1. Organise in an identifiable location(s) eg folders.

   2. Lock-up confidential documents.

   3. Destroy confidential documents securely – high quality shredder (can be given to the Clerk to shred).

10. Return of BPC’s Information

    1. Organise documents so that the information can be easily returned or destroyed as appropriate when you cease to be a Councillor.Password and account security

    2. Blackawton Parish Council users are responsible for maintaining the security of their accounts and passwords. Passwords should be strong and not shared with others. Regular password changes are encouraged to enhance security.

11. Passwords

11.1 To access BPC information (laptops/PC, email, bank)

Must be:

• unique

• 11 characters or more

• a mix of alphanumeric characters (letters and numbers) and symbols at least one of each:

Uppercase (capital) letters. Examples: A, E, R

Lowercase (small) letters. Examples: a, e, r

Numbers. Examples: 2, 6, 7

Symbols and special characters. Examples: ! @ & *

1. 1. 1. • Not use personal information or common words & patterns

A password manager can help you.

Examples

Replace letters with numbers & symbols: Choose a word or phrase and use numbers and symbols instead of some letters. Examples:

“Spooky Halloween” becomes “sPo0kyH@ll0w3En”

“Later gator” becomes “L8rg@+0R”

Abbreviate a sentence: Come up with a sentence and use the first letter of each word. Example:

“Uncle Peter always ate chocolate-covered everything” becomes “uP@8cCe!”

Check your password:

https://www.security.org/how-secure-is-my-password/

1. 2. Two step verification & Two factor authorisation recommended where available.

2. Device Protection

   1. Use antivirus/anti-malware and secure firewall software with automatic updates on computer/PC/phone.

   2. Laptop/PC/phone must lock automatically after [not more than two minutes] if left unattended.

   3. Must be locked when not in use.

3. Review of Information

   1. Have a system for the information you hold to be reviewed, destroyed, and to update personal data.

   2. Set emails to be automatically deleted after no longer than [24 months] and earlier as appropriate (where no longer useful or relevant).

4. Training and awareness

   1. Blackawton Parish Council will provide regular training and resources to educate users about IT security best practices, privacy concerns, and technology updates. All employees and councillors will receive regular training on email security and best practices.

5. Record Retention & Disposal Policy

   1. BPC’s Record Retention & Disposal Policy provides further detail about specific types of records.

   2. Emails should be retained and archived in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements. Regularly review and delete unnecessary emails to maintain an organised inbox.

6. Reporting security incidents

   1. All suspected security breaches or incidents should be reported immediately to the Clerk for investigation and resolution. Report any email related security incidents or breaches to the Clerk immediately.

7. Compliance and consequences

   1. Breach of this IT and Email Policy may result in the suspension of IT privileges and further consequences as deemed appropriate.

8. Policy review

   1. This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure its relevance and effectiveness. Updates may be made to address emerging technology trends and security measures.

Version History

Adopted 4 April 2023

Reviewed and extended 9 March 2026

The post Information Management System Policy appeared first on Blackawton.

The post Blackawton Beacon 2026 April appeared first on Blackawton.

If an emergency did happen in your area, how would you manage?
What about your relatives, friends, and neighbours – do you know anyone who might need some extra help or support?

This Government website has advice about how to prepare, and a downloadable and printable household emergency plan to record this information in one document: https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared-for-emergencies/

The link to the household emergency plan is in the fourth paragraph of the ‘Make a plan’ section. 

The post Prepare appeared first on Blackawton.

The post Consultation Responses appeared first on Blackawton.