You are hereby summoned to attend the monthly meeting of Blackawton Parish Council to be held on Monday 13 July 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 8 June 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 New Applications

For information:

• 1703/26/ARC Development At Sx 8052 5109 Town Farm School Lane Blackawton. Application for approval of details reserved by condition 20 (Traffic Management Plan) of planning consent 3878/18/VAR.

• 1611/26/COM On the way to Cornish Post Farm Blackawton TQ9 7AW. Notice of intent to install electronic communication apparatus comprising 21 wooden poles at 9mtrs high (Ref: WH3MKF0B).

To note the following premises licence application. No extraordinary meeting was considered necessary to comment:

• Variation application to a premises licence (SHPL0458) from Steven Hanson, Woodlands Leisure Park, Blackawton, Totnes , TQ9 7DQ

7. French Furze Development

To receive an update.

8. Wind Turbine Feasibility Study

To receive the Steering Group’s Report.

9. Stonemason Works to the Blackawton Churchyard Walls

To note that the works commence Monday 25 July, Park Lane followed by Main Street, and will take a total of approximately four weeks.

10. Bus Shelter at Woodlands

To note that two panes of glass in the northbound shelter have been broken and replacement is being investigated. The reinstallation of the external sign on the southbound shelter will be investigated simultaneously.

11. Finance

    1. Update on Current Financial Position

To receive Reports and sign Bank Reconciliation.

1. 2. Payments

To authorise the following payments

• Clerk June Expenses Reimbursement £72.58

• Devon Association of Local Councils Bespoke Council Training £321.12

• Devon Association of Local Councils AI for Councils Training £42.00

• Grounds Maintenance Frequent cuts 10 and 23 June 2026:
  Churchyard £210.00 & Cemetery £228.00

Payments authorised since the last monthly meeting

• Bus Shelter Cleans March 2026 £252

• Website annual hosting £115.00

1. 1. Grant Requested from BPC

• To consider the request from the Ivybridge & District Community Transport Association (West Dart Bus) for the budgeted grant of £300.

1. 1. Receipts

• To note the receipt of a grant of £2,000 from South Hams District Council towards the restoration of the gates of St Michael’s Churchyard.

12. Review of Data Protection Compliance

To note the ongoing data audit. To consider the Clerk’s Report and its Action Items.

To consider approval of reviewed/new: Privacy Policy, Public Privacy Notice, and Role Holder Privacy Notice.

13. Correspondence

To note or consider:

• SHDC Joint Local Plan: Notice of scoping consultation to gather views from 16/7/26-14/9/26 & forthcoming consultation.

• Invitation South Devon National Landscape Partnership meeting, 17/7/26 10 am Hybrid.

• Invitation SHDC Town & Parish Council Briefing: Planning Decision-Making Process 24/9/26 5:00 pm Online

• Invitation Scribefest 2026 Online Conference for Town, Parish and Community Councils 17/9/26 9:30 am-4:00 pm

14. Next Meeting

To confirm the next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Monday 14 September at 7:30 p.m.

15. 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.

16. Wind Turbine Feasibility Study

To receive an update on commercial-in-confidence aspects of the feasibility study.

PRESS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE VERY WELCOME TO ATTEND

Annette Thom

Parish Clerk

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2026 Review BPC Data Protection Compliance

Financial Reports

BankReconciliationSummary_2026 June 30

Reserves Balance at 2026 June 30

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Community Emergency Hubs are community-run spaces where local people can come together to support one another and take swift, safe and effective action in the early stages of an emergency, before emergency services are able to arrive.

During an emergency, services will always prioritise the most urgent calls, which means they may not be able to reach everyone immediately. A Community Emergency Hub helps our village respond together and provide support where it is most needed.

A Community Emergency Hub kit is kept in the cupboard above the kitchen sink in the Village Hall. The kit is a small plastic box containing instructions and resources to help local people set up and run the Hub until emergency services are available.

These Hubs depend on local volunteers – people from the community who are willing to turn up, help others and work together when it matters most.

To find out more about emergency preparedness and how communities can become more resilient, visit:

Devon & Cornwall Local Resilience Forum
https://www.dcisprepared.org.uk/

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These alerts indicate a heightened risk to health, with impacts expected across communities, particularly for those who are more vulnerable.

High temperatures can increase the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and more serious health issues. While anyone can be affected, some people are more vulnerable – particularly older residents, young children and those with underlying health conditions.

Simple actions can make a big difference:

• Stay hydrated and avoid the hottest part of the day (11am–3pm)
• Keep homes cool by closing curtains during the day and opening windows when it’s cooler
• Limit strenuous activity during peak heat

Just as importantly, we’re encouraging a strong community response. Checking in on neighbours, friends and family – especially those who may be more vulnerable or isolated – is one of the most effective ways to reduce harm during hot weather. Helping people to stay connected and supported can make a real difference.

A helpful source of advice you can share with residents is the UK Health Security Agency’s guidance: Beat the heat – staying safe in hot weather.

Please look out for one another and seek help if you need it.

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Present: BPC and SHDC Cllr Rake, BPC Cllrs Coe, Hadow, Luckens, Oughton, and Thomas were present, as were Clerk A Thom, and DCC Cllr Brazil for his report. There were two members of the public present.

a. Open Forum

The two members of the public were interested in separate items: one in the Wind Turbine Feasibility Study and the other in the application from The George Inn ‘Save the Pub’ Community Group for a grant from the Parish Council.

b. Councillors Forum

Cllrs agreed that the Clerk would ask for the grounds maintenance work done in the Churchyard to include cutting beside all pathways to a width of one metre, cutting next to the northern/interior churchyard walls to a width of 600mm, and strimming at the bottom of the Church walls on all sides, as described in the contract, and that BPC prioritises the grounds maintenance over wildflowers in these areas.

1. Apologies

All Cllrs present.

2. Co-option to fill the Vacancy for a Blackawton Parish Councillor

It was noted that no applications have been received to date. Cllrs were asked to discuss the vacancy with other residents, the PC will continue to advertise, and the Clerk will ask the Primary School to advertise it in its newsletters.

3. Declarations of Interest

Cllr Thomas declared an interest in the The George Inn ‘Save the Pub’ Community Group’s request for a grant, as did Cllr Coe. They will both request dispensations.

4. Report from Devon County Council Councillor

Cllr Brazil described a very positive end of financial year position. He said that changes in practice have lead to savings, which has enabled DCC to invest more in road maintenance (£4 million more than in the budget). This time next year roads will in a be better state than they are now. He said that DCC has borrowed to invest in preventative maintenance of the roads. There is a long term, three to four year, program to get roads back up to a good state, so they are just being maintained as they should be rather than in a state of managed decline. Extra money has also been invested in Children’s Services. Children’s Services have had very positive reports from the Government appointed Children’s Commissioner, recognising improvements. This reiterates Ofsted reports and monitoring letters of the current visits every three months.

Cllr Brazil reported that the Government has paid 90% (£180 million pounds) of the accumulated Special Education Needs and Disability debt on the condition that DCC has a sufficiency plan (such as inclusion units for schools etc). That plan has just been been signed off.

DCC has had its corporate peer challenge which was very positive. It congratulated senior staff and commented on the good relationship between councillors and officers. There has been an increase from 60% to 77% of staff who recommend DCC as a place to work. The report notes the strain DCC has been under related to the local government reorganisation project. The Government will advise its decision in the next two to three weeks.

5. Minutes of Previous Meetings

It was resolved to approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 11 May 2026.

6. Report from South Hams District Council Councillor

SHDC Cllr Rake reported that the grant scheme for disabled living facilities and similar is being tweaked to allow people with long-term degenerative diseases to access the scheme early (before an expected reduction in ability happens). Some of the Crisis Resilience Fund money is being used for South Hams Citizens Advice to employ 1.5 full-time-equivalent caseworkers to meet the needs of specific local groups such as school leavers and veterans.

Cllr Rake said that the changeover in the management of the Leisure Centres has now taken place. It has gone very smoothly because of the work done by SHDC. The Centres stayed open and all memberships and bookings were honoured. The Centres are now being run on a management basis rather than under contract. SHDC receives all the money earned, pays the bills, and pays Parkwood a percentage based fee.

There is a change coming in how planning decisions are made. Currently SHDC has its own scheme of delegation. Decisions may be made by an officer, an officer with a councillor, or by the Planning Committee. From this autumn a national delegation scheme will be imposed. Small applications will be determined by officers. Major applications will still come to the Planning Committee. If it’s a major application of over 150 homes and the Planning Committee are minded to refuse the application the application will go straight to the Planning Inspectorate. Cllr Rake gave his view that this a retrograde step and an assault on local democracy. In response to the changes SHDC has reduced the size of the Planning Committee.

7. Planning Applications

   1. South Hams District Council’s Planning Decisions

The following decisions were noted:

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

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

• 0895/26/PAA Wild Bank Farm Blackawton TQ9 7AA PAA for 0211/26/AGR. Prior Approval Required and Given.

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

• 1336/26/AGR Valley View, Blackawton, TQ9 7DH. Application to determine if prior approval is required for a general purpose agricultural building. Prior Approval Not Required.

1. 2. Planning Inspectorate’s Decisions

The following decisions were noted:

• Appeal #6003579, SHDC Application 1520/25/PDM, Woodford Barn, Blackawton, Totnes. Dismissed.

• Appeal #6003542, SHDC Application 1505/25/PDM, Woodford Barn, Blackawton, Totnes. Dismissed.

1. 3. Review of New Applications

BPC considered commenting to SHDC on the following applications:

• 1466/26/HHO 2 Greenslade Road Blackawton TQ9 7BP. Demolish & replace existing conservatory with minor alterations.

It was resolved that no response will be made to SHDC.

• 1233/26/VAR Larcombe Farm East Allington TQ9 7QB. Application for variation of condition 2 (approved plans) of planning consent 1714/24/FUL.

It was resolved that no response will be made to SHDC.

The meeting noted that no extraordinary meeting was considered necessary to comment:

• New Club premises certificate application, Dartmouth Ruby Club, Dartmouth TQ6 9RR. Licence application for Supply and Consumption of alcohol on/off the premises. Closed 5 June 2026.

8. French Furze Development

A draft traffic management plan for the Business Units’ car parking area has been received from the developer. The Plan has to be submitted to SHDC prior to the Units’ occupation. No response has come back from the developer regarding the Business Units’ snagging list.

There will be a public French Furze residents’ meeting in the Village Hall on Wednesday 17 June. A new more local management company has been selected.

9. Wind Turbine Feasibility Study

It was resolved to approve the proposed Terms of Reference document for the Steering Group (Advisory Committee).

It was resolved to formally appoint the three Sustainable Blackawton members of the Steering Group: J. Scott, C. Massey, and C. Everard. The Steering Group has met with the study provider and given feedback on potential sites, achieving a shortlist of four sites for further assessment. The Clerk advised that payment of an invoice for Work Package 1 should be deferred because not all of that work has been carried out. It was resolved to delegate to the Clerk, in consultation with the Steering Group, the authority to decide to when to pay that invoice.

10. Grant Application from The George Inn ‘Save the Pub’ Community Group

It was resolved to approve the request for a grant of £580 to fund: Plunkett Foundation membership (£270 for first year) and a £310 one-of cost to use its model rules for a Community Benefit Society. It is expected that BPC will be able to directly pay an invoice from the Plunkett Foundation.

Cllr Thomas reported that the Group is accessing 15 hours of ‘free’ advice time from the Plunkett Foundation. Cllr Thomas said that the Plunkett Foundation has asked if the Parish Council supports the Group and that BPC can show support with the grant. The grant will enable the next stages of project. A legal structure is needed for a bank account. Seed funding will be needed, for example to pay for a formal valuation. The group has a website (www.saveourpubblackawton.co.uk) and t-shirts are coming.

11. Churchyard Contract to cut back vegetation growing on Churchyard Walls

It was resolved to note that the first cut was completed in May as scheduled and that ivy was removed from the lychgate without damaging it, to alter the contract specifications to allow removal of ivy from gate piers, and to accept Cllr Luckens offer to carry out repointing work to the lychgate piers with materials costs paid by BPC.

12. Annual Governance and Accountability Return 25/26 Financial Year

    1. 25/26 Internal Audit

The meeting noted the Auditor’s Report. The Report says that the Council has met all control objectives.

1. 2. 25/26 Audit Annual Governance Statement

It was resolved to approve the Statement.

1. 3. Signature of the Audit Annual Governance Statement

The Statement was signed by the Chair and by the Clerk.

1. 4. 25/26 Audit Accounting Statements

The Accounting Statements were considered.

1. 5. 25/26 Audit Accounting Statements

It was resolved to approve the Statements.

1. 6. 25/26 Audit Accounting Statements

The Statements were signed by the Chair of the Meeting.

1. 7. Publication of Notice of Public Rights &
      Publication of Annual Governance & Accountability Return

It was noted that the Return & Notice will be published on the website and noticeboard, with inspection dates from Monday 15 June 2026 to Friday 24 July 2026.

13. Financial Reports

    1. Update on Current Financial Position

The Reports and Bank Reconciliation were received. They showed a total balance of £68,196.73 and an unearmarked general fund of £28,067.08.

1. 2. Bank Mandate

The meeting noted that Cllrs have updated the mandate to remove the Cllr who resigned recently as required.

1. 3. Payments

It was resolved to authorise the following payments:

• Clerk, May Expenses Reimbursement: £45.57

• Cllr Coe, Parish Meeting Refreshments Reimbursement: £37.02

• Grounds Maintenance Frequent cuts May 13 and 27:
  Churchyard £210.00 & Cemetery £228.00

• Internal Audit 25/26: £165.00

• Churchyard wall vegetation cut back: £750.00 (when invoice received)

• Cemetery Hedge roadside face cut 2026: £90.00

The payment authorised since the last monthly meeting was noted:

• Works to broken Monterey Cypress branches as per quote: £432.00

14. BPC Policies and Procedures

It was resolved to adopt:

1. 1. Disciplinary Policy and Grievance Policy (new policies)

   2. Document Retention and Disposal Schedule (reviewed)

2. Correspondence

The following was noted:

• Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service Community Conversation online event 12/6/26 12:00:
  Outdoor fire safety this summer.

16. Next Meeting

It was confirmed that the next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Monday 13 July at 7:30 p.m.

17. Closure of the Meeting

It was not considered necessary to exclude the public and press to discuss the Wind Turbine Feasibility Study in confidence.

18. Wind Turbine Feasibility Study

No commercial-in-confidence aspects of the feasibility study were addressed.

The meeting closed at 20:45.

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS AND PUBLICATION OF UNAUDITED ANNUAL GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY RETURN

ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026

Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 Sections 26 and 27

The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/234)

LOCAL AUTHORITY ACCOUNTS: A SUMMARY OF YOUR RIGHTS

Please note that this summary applies to all relevant smaller authorities, including local councils, internal drainage boards and ‘other’ smaller authorities.

The basic position

The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 (the Act) governs the work of auditors appointed to smaller authorities. This summary explains the provisions contained in Sections 26 and 27 of the Act. The Act and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 also cover the duties, responsibilities and rights of smaller authorities, other organisations and the public concerning the accounts being audited.

As a local elector, or an interested person, you have certain legal rights in respect of the accounting records of smaller authorities. As an interested person you can inspect accounting records and related documents. If you are a local government elector for the area to which the accounts relate you can also ask questions about the accounts and object to them. You do not have to pay directly for exercising your rights. However, any resulting costs incurred by the smaller authority form part of its running costs. Therefore, indirectly, local residents pay for the cost of you exercising your rights through their council tax.

The right to inspect the accounting records

Any interested person can inspect the accounting records, which includes but is not limited to local electors. You can inspect the accounting records for the financial year to which the audit relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records. You can copy all, or part, of these records or documents. Your inspection must be about the accounts, or relate to an item in the accounts. You cannot, for example, inspect or copy documents unrelated to the accounts, or that include personal information (Section 26 (6) – (10) of the Act explains what is meant by personal information). You cannot inspect information which is protected by commercial confidentiality. This is information which would prejudice commercial confidentiality if it was released to the public and there is not, set against this, a very strong reason in the public interest why it should nevertheless be disclosed.

When smaller authorities have finished preparing accounts for the financial year and approved them, they must publish them (including on a website). There must be a 30 working day period, called the ‘period for the exercise of public rights’, during which you can exercise your statutory right to inspect the accounting records. Smaller authorities must tell the public, including advertising this on their website, that the accounting records and related documents are available to inspect. By arrangement you will then have 30 working days to inspect and make copies of the accounting records. You may have to pay a copying charge. The 30 working day period must include a common period of inspection during which all smaller authorities’ accounting records are available to inspect. This will be 1-14 July 2026 for 2025/26 accounts. The advertisement must set out the dates of the period for the exercise of public rights, how you can communicate to the smaller authority that you wish to inspect the accounting records and related documents, the name and address of the auditor, and the relevant legislation that governs the inspection of accounts and objections.

The right to ask the auditor questions about the accounting records

You should first ask your smaller authority about the accounting records, since they hold all the details. If you are a local elector, your right to ask questions of the external auditor is enshrined in law. However, while the auditor will answer your questions where possible, they are not always obliged to do so. For example, the question might be better answered by another organisation, require investigation beyond the auditor’s remit, or involve disproportionate cost (which is borne by the local taxpayer). Give your smaller authority the opportunity first to explain anything in the accounting records that you are unsure about. If you are not satisfied with their explanation, you can question the external auditor about the accounting records.

The law limits the time available for you formally to ask questions. This must be done in the period for the exercise of public rights, so let the external auditor know your concern as soon as possible. The advertisement or notice that tells you the accounting records are available to inspect will also give the period for the exercise of public rights during which you may ask the auditor questions, which here means formally asking questions under the Act. You can ask someone to represent you when asking the external auditor questions.

Before you ask the external auditor any questions, inspect the accounting records fully, so you know what they contain. Please remember that you cannot formally ask questions, under the Act, after the end of the period for the exercise of public rights. You may ask your smaller authority other questions about their accounts for any year, at any time. But these are not questions under the Act.

You can ask the external auditor questions about an item in the accounting records for the financial year being audited. However, your right to ask the external auditor questions is limited. The external auditor can only answer ‘what’ questions, not ‘why’ questions. The external auditor cannot answer questions about policies, finances, procedures or anything else unless it is directly relevant to an item in the accounting records. Remember that your questions must always be about facts, not opinions. To avoid misunderstanding, we recommend that you always put your questions in writing.

The right to make objections at audit

You have inspected the accounting records and asked your questions of the smaller authority. Now you may wish to object to the accounts on the basis that an item in them is in your view unlawful or there are matters of wider concern arising from the smaller authority’s finances. A local government elector can ask the external auditor to apply to the High Court for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful, or to issue a report on matters which are in the public interest. You must tell the external auditor which specific item in the accounts you object to and why you think the item is unlawful, or why you think that a public interest report should be made about it. You must provide the external auditor with the evidence you have to support your objection. Disagreeing with income or spending does not make it unlawful. To object to the accounts you must write to the external auditor stating you want to make an objection, including the information and evidence below and you must send a copy to the smaller authority. The notice must include:

• confirmation that you are an elector in the smaller authority’s area;

• why you are objecting to the accounts and the facts on which you rely;

• details of any item in the accounts that you think is unlawful; and

• details of any matter about which you think the external auditor should make a public interest report.

Other than it must be in writing, there is no set format for objecting. You can only ask the external auditor to act within the powers available under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.

A final word

You may not use this ‘right to object’ to make a personal complaint or claim against your smaller authority. You should take such complaints to your local Citizens’ Advice Bureau, local Law Centre or to your solicitor. Smaller authorities, and so local taxpayers, meet the costs of dealing with questions and objections. In deciding whether to take your objection forward, one of a series of factors the auditor must take into account is the cost that will be involved, they will only continue with the objection if it is in the public interest to do so. They may also decide not to consider an objection if they think that it is frivolous or vexatious, or if it repeats an objection already considered. If you appeal to the courts against an auditor’s decision not to apply to the courts for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful, you will have to pay for the action yourself.

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Internal Audit written report 2025 26

Annual Governance Statement 2025 26 Signed by BPC

Accounting Statements 2025 26 signed by BPC

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Salary payments are not included on the grounds of data protection.

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BPC Annual Governance Statement AnnualReturnForm3_2025-26_e-Final

BPC-Making-provision-for-the-exercise-of-public-rights-2025-26

Annual Return Accounting Statements Signed RFO

BPC IA May 26 Report

BPC IA May 26 signed

Financial Reports

BankReconciliationSummary_20260531

Reserves 20260531

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