Agenda 2025 October 13

Oct 8, 2025 | Agendas

To all members of Blackawton Parish Council 8 October 2025

You are hereby summoned to attend the monthly meeting of Blackawton Parish Council to be held on Monday 13 October 2025 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

  1. Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of Members’ interests in Agenda items

  1. Minutes of Previous Meetings

To approve Minutes of the Meeting held 8 September 2025.

  1. Report from Devon County Council Councillor

  2. Report from South Hams District Council Councillor

  3. Planning Applications

    1. South Hams District Council’s Planning Decisions

To note the decisions as follows:

  • 1987/25/FUL Land At Sx 808 527 (Nr West Drayton Farm) Blackawton. Provision of new agricultural access. Conditional Approval.

  • 2823/25/TEX St Michael’s Church, Church Hill, Blackawton, TQ9 7BQ. Removal of dead tree in Churchyard. No Objection Raised.

    1. Review of New Applications

To consider commenting to SHDC on the following applications:

  • New pavement licence application: Coastal Trail, Riverside Court, South Embankment, Dartmouth, TQ6 9BH.

  • New pavement licence application: The Crafty Mussel, South Embankment, Dartmouth TQ6 9BH.

For information. SHDC’s decision’s will be based on evidence & planing policy.:

  • 2635/25/PDM Land At Sx 801 505, Blackawton, TQ9 7AZ. Application to determine if prior approval is required for a proposed change of use of agricultural barn to 4no. dwellinghouses (class C3) & for associated development (Class Q (a+b)).

  • 2657/25/AGR Yonder Parks Bungalow Blackawton TQ9 7DR. Application to determine if prior approval is required for a proposed general purpose agricultural building measuring 22.86m (L) x 18.28m (B) x 9.14m height to ridge.

  1. French Furze Development

To receive an update.

To receive information about DCC’s plan for French Furze.

  1. Devon County Council Highways Matters

To consider requesting a 20mph zone for the village, the process, and the limits of the zone requested.

To consider a project to install Vehicle Activated Signage in the village.

  1. Management of Trees in the St Michael’s Churchyard

To decide arrangements for use of cherry wood by local craftspeople
To consider proposals to leave cherry tree trunks in situ as habitat deadwood, or if that is not acceptable then stacking any unused cut wood in a series of low piles against the north Church wall.

To decide planting details for avenue of Rowan trees avenue e.g. number, size of trees, budget, post-planting care.

To consider the proposal to replace the dead cherry on the path to School Lane with a Hawthorn tree.

  1. Maintenance and Restoration of Gates in the St Michael’s Churchyard

To note the Report – including the agreed method, grant funds will be sought, a Church Faculty application is required for the lychgates, & suggesting removing the remaining lychgate.

  1. Noticeboard

To consider specifications and preferred location for a replacement noticeboard.

  1. Emergency Plan

To note the working draft and actions Report including: to identify members of the Community Response Team & the Co-ordinator, to consider communications – including Volunteer Emergency Telephone Service and two way radios.

  1. Wind Turbine Feasibility Grant Application

To consider scheduling an Extraordinary Meeting to consider Cllr Coe’s proposed application & to list Cllrs outstanding questions, if any.

  1. Blackawton Cemetery

To consider a request from a family to purchase a grave to inter the ashes of a non-resident whose spouse is interred in the Cemetery.

  1. Notice for the Beacon about the Blackawton Cemetery

To consider approval of the proposed notice.

  1. Warden Vacancies

To consider confirming the appointment of the volunteer Tree Warden.
To note that the Footpath Warden role is vacant and BPC welcomes applications.

  1. Meeting Action Items

To briefly review.

  1. Finance

    1. Annual Governance and Accountability Return Audit 24/25

To note the Notice of Conclusion of Audit and the External Auditor’s report.

    1. Update on Current Financial Position

To receive Reports including report against budget to 30 September, and to sign Bank Reconciliation.

To note the new ‘Churchyard’ Cost Centre to reflect the new clarification of responsibility.

    1. Payments & Receipts

To authorise the following payments

  • Clerk September Expenses Reimbursement £107.53

  • Parish Lengthsman June 2024 to March 2025 £1,012

  • Grounds Maintenance Churchyard Frequent cuts 2, 16, & 30 September £306.00

  • Grounds Maintenance Cemetery Frequent cuts 2, 16, & 30 September £324.00

  • Blackawton Defibrillator Annual Support £198

Payments authorised since the last monthly meeting

  • Parish Lengthsman April to August 2025 £310.50

  • External Audit 2024/25 £252.00

  • Cut flush Churchyard wall vegetation, completion of cut £381.25

  • Bulb grant, four bedding packs October 2024 £15.00

To note the following Receipts

  • Precept second half £14971.50

  • VAT Refund 2024/25 Financial Year £1,092.90

  • DCC Public Right of Way Grant Minor Repairs £420

  1. Parish Lengthsman Rate

To consider approving an increase in the hourly rate to £24.

  1. Correspondence

To note or consider:

  • Better Housing Better Health – https://www.bhbh.org.uk/ A not-for-profit free of charge service to help residents access fuel poverty advice and support.

  • SHDC Invitation – South Hams Energy Assembly Saturday 18 October 9:30-3:30.

  • Primary School, 30/9/25, Sharing correspondence about dog fouling between School and Car Park.
    The Clerk has shared SHDC’s dog fouling information and reporting webpage, and requested SHDC public notices and a visit from the Localities team.

  • Invitation, Dartmouth Caring AGM, Tuesday 21 October 17:00 for 17:30-18:30.

  • Hastoe, Request for help to establish Land Registry boundary

  • Invitation Annual Slapton Ley Research Seminar on Saturday 15th November 2025 10:0016:00

  1. Next Meeting

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

  1. 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.

  1. Management of Trees in the St Michael’s Churchyard

To consider quotes received for a bat survey of trees planned for felling and to make or note decisions about employing a contractor.

  1. Maintenance and Restoration of Gates in the St Michael’s Churchyard

To consider quotes received for the work and to choose a contractor.

PRESS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE VERY WELCOME TO ATTEND

Annette Thom

Parish Clerk