Agenda 2026 March 09

Mar 4, 2026 | Agendas

To all members of Blackawton Parish Council 4 March 2026

You are hereby summoned to attend the monthly Meeting of Blackawton Parish Council to be held on Monday 9 March 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.

  1. Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of Members’ interests in Agenda items

  1. Minutes of Previous Meetings

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held 9 February 2026.

  1. Report from South Hams District Council Councillor

  2. Report from Devon County Council Councillor

  3. Improving Road Safety at Forces Cross

To receive an update. To consider creating a BPC log of accidents at Forces Cross, including retrospective data.

  1. Planning Applications

    1. South Hams District Council’s Planning Decisions

To note the decisions as follows:

  • 3266/25/HHO The Anchorage Main Street Blackawton TQ9 7BG. Householder application for extension of existing dwelling & associated works. Conditional Approval.

  • 0211/26/AGR Wild Bank Farm Blackawton TQ9 7AA. Application to determine if prior approval is required for five polytunnels. Four measuring 20.12m (L) x 6.1m (B) x 2.84m height to ridge and one measuring 14m (L) x 7.1m (B) x 2.9m height to ridge. Refused.

    1. Review of New Applications

To consider commenting to SHDC on the following applications:

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • New premises licence application Bayards Court Care Dartmouth TQ6 0FF. Supply of Alcohol On premises Monday to Sunday 12:00-22:00 & Opening Hours Monday to Sunday 06:00-23:00.

To note the following application.

  • 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.

  1. Devon County Council Decision

To note the decision as follows:

  • Public Path Diversion Order 2026 – Footpath No.4, Blackawton. Order made.
  1. Consultations

  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government public consultation on the proposals relating to the Government’s programme of local government reorganisation in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. Closes Thursday 26th March.

To consider submission of the draft response circulated.

  1. French Furze Development

To receive an update.

  1. Creation of a Blackawton Community Emergency Hub

To consider whether to adopt this initiative and, if yes, to decide the location and confirm access arrangements.

  1. Felling of Trees in the Blackawton Churchyard

To confirm arrangements, including: proposed deadwood habitat site, arrangements for craftspeople to collect wood.

  1. Churchyard Wall Maintenance

To consider the timing and funding of the project for maintenance of areas of the churchyard wall on Park Lane and on Main Street.

  1. Cemetery Tree Maintenance

To note quotes be obtained for works to remove the Monterey Cypress’ broken limbs.

To consider the Clerk’s recommendation to remove the conifer which is growing on a grave & also obtain quotes for that.

  1. Finance

    1. Update on Current Financial Position

To receive Reports and Bank Reconciliation.

    1. Payments & Receipts

To authorise the following payments

  • Clerk February Expenses Reimbursement £29.41

  • Website updates and Accessibility Check £113.00

  • Parish Lengthsman 15 November 2025 to 18 February 2026 £408

  • Parish Council Noticeboard £1,056.04

  1. Requests Grants from BPC

To consider the following requests:

    1. Crimestoppers

For a presentation to a Parish meeting & provision of digital, social and print media. £50.00

    1. Blackawton Allotments Association

To replace windows in the communal shed which are in disrepair. £1,200.

  1. Clerk Hours Allocation

To consider the Clerk’s proposal for a core allocation of 15 hours per week from February 2026 to March 2027, as has been budgeted for, subject to monitoring with the Personnel Committee.

  1. BPC Policies and Procedures

To consider approval of the reviewed BPC documents:

    1. Information Management System Policy

    2. Publication Scheme

    3. Record Retention and Disposal Schedule

    4. Terms of Reference for Personnel Committee & Subcommittee

  2. Contracted Work

To note that BPC is currently inviting quotes for the following work. Closing date 31 March 2026:

    1. Parish Lengthsman

Clearing drainage grips and channels that carry water off Parish lanes. About 60 hours annually.

    1. Vegetation growing on St Michael’s Churchyard’s Walls and Gate Pillars

Cutting back the vegetation twice a year.

  1. Transfer of Documents to Devon Archives

To note the plan to transfer historical Minutes.

  1. Public Paths Partnerships Scheme & Annual Forms

To note that no decision received on the bid last year for works to Footpath 7, Woodford.

To consider whether to submit works requests in the current forms, probably due 31 March 2026.

  1. Correspondence

To note or consider:

  • Invitation South Devon National Landscape Partnership Meeting, 13/03/2026, Hybrid: Repton Room at Follaton House and online via Zoom, 10am – 12:30pm

  • Invitation SHDC : ‘The National Planning Policy Framework and its Relationship with Neighbourhood Plans Town and Parish Council Briefing 12/3/26 4:00pm to 5:00pm, online

  • Invitation SHDC ‘Policy for the Transfer of Community Assets’ Briefing 19/3/26 5:45pm to 6:45pm, online

  • The Department for Transport has announced an increase in Funding for Installing EV Chargers for renters, flat owners, homeowners without driveways and businesses

  1. Scheduling of Annual Meetings

  • To select a date for the Annual Parish Meeting from 1 April to 1 June.

  • To confirm that the Annual Meeting of the Council will take place at the start of the monthly meeting on 11 May 2026.

  1. Next Meeting

To confirm that the next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Monday 13 April 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 because of the commercial-in-confidence nature of the business.

  1. Churchyard Wall Maintenance Project

To consider the quotes received for the Traffic Management during the works.

PRESS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE VERY WELCOME TO ATTEND

Annette Thom

Parish Clerk