The draft minutes can be dowloaded or read below.
MN_2021_December BPC Approved Minutes
APPROVED Minutes of the Monthly Meeting of Blackawton Parish Council held on Tuesday 14 December 2021 at 7:30 p.m. in Blackawton Village Hall
COVID-19 precautions being taken by the meeting were noted. They include that where possible items were removed from the Agenda.
Open Forum
No members of the public were present.
Present: Councillors Rake (Chair), Mewes (Vice-Chair), Coe, and Curry were present, as were A Thom (Clerk) and Devon County Councillor Brazil for his report and two DCC related items.
173/21 Apologies
Cllr Rake reported that Cllr Perry has resigned from the Parish Council due to family and work commitments.
Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Thomas and Mallyon.
174/21 Declarations of Interest
Cllrs Rake declared a Personal Interest in the Blackawton Business Units CIC if relevant.
175/21 Minutes of Previous Meetings
The minutes of the Meeting held 2 November 2021 were approved.
176/21 Report from South Hams District Council Councillor
Councillor Reeve sent a written report to the meeting, it comments on:
The Housing Crisis declared by the SHDC and that now is the time for us all to work together to find sites for low cost housing. A working group is to be formed at SHDC on this.
Cllr Reeve reported on work with Vistry regarding French Furze. A meeting between Cllr Reeve, BPC, and Vistry has resulted in some progress. A site meeting can be arranged in the new year. The business units are finished and await a member from SHDC to meet on-site to see them.
Ward members’ £3,000 climate change funds have been extended and no longer needs to be spent by March 2022. This now gives more time to support any good projects coming from the parish.
Support is there for the likes of Sustainable South Hams etc especially if we are all looking to achieve the same thing, only worthy causes like this need funding to be put into the council’s budget. It sounds as if funding will be available in the New Year all being well.
If the Parish Council were happy and felt there was a need Cllr Reeve has come across a way to deliver a one-off free service to empty the brown bins in January. Cllr Reeve would be happy to carry on and arrange it.
BPC accepted the offer and requested it be advertised in the Beacon if possible.
177/21 Report from Devon County Council Councillor
Councillor Brazil reported that Strete PC have organised two meetings in the New Year to sort out the administration of the maintenance and the funding for the new siting of the Monument. Cllr Brazil is chairing the meetings. The first, in January, is to hear all the proposals. The chair of Strete Parish Council will then circulate a draft agreement which will hopefully be endorsed at the second, February meeting.
Landmarc have carried out some repairs to the rock armour along the Slapton Line. This has consisted mainly of reclaiming boulders that had slipped down the beach. Natural England has specifically ruled out any further works.
Following other local authorities, it appears we are now making some progress towards a more general 20mph speed limit across the County.
Cases of COVID are still high in the County. However, the hospitalisation rates are still low.
178/21 Slapton Line Monument Agreement – Meetings in January and February
This item and the following item were moved up the Agenda at the Chair’s discretion to minimise Cllr Brazil’s time in the meeting, and therefore the meeting’s COVID risk.
The arrangements for BPC’s representation were confirmed. Two BPC cllrs will attend each meeting, provisionally Cllr Mewes and Curry in January, and Cllr Rake with one of Cllrs Mewes, Curry, Mallyon, and Thomas in February.
179/21 Speed Survey by Devon County Council
BPC requests the site for the monitor be on the road between Trench Furze corner and Normandy Cross, just below where the footpath from French Furze enters Main Street and just below parked cars.
180/21 Planning Issues
180/21.1 SHDC Planning Decisions
The following decisions were noted:
- 3328/21/LBC Churchgate House 1 Church Hill Blackawton TQ9 7BQ. Listed building consent for replacement of roof slates and painting chimney (part retrospective). Conditional Approval.
- 3583/21/CLE Higher Pasture Farm East Allington TQ9 7QA. Certificate of Lawfulness for existing use and erection of two agricultural barns without planning consent. Cert of Lawfulness (Existing) Certified.
180/21.2 Review of New Applications
- 4104/21/HHO Brook Cottage Eastdown Blackawton TQ9 7AP. Householder application for proposed extension and alterations.
Support (resolution proposed Cllr Rake, seconded Cllr Coe).
- 3954/21/OPA Dartmouth Golf And Country Club, Blackawton, TQ9 7DE. Outline application with some matters reserved for proposed extension to hotel accommodation including ancillary and office accommodation, landscaping and parking facilities and repositioned golf buggy store.
Support (resolution proposed Cllr Rake, seconded Cllr Coe).
- 4307/21/HHO The Old Vicarage Vicarage Road Blackawton TQ9 7AY. Householder application for refurbishment and replacement of single storey extension.
Support (resolution proposed Cllr Rake, seconded Cllr Coe).
181/21 Consultations
No response will be submitted from BPC to the following consultations:
- Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, Draft Community Risk Management Plan, 14/1/22
- SHDC, Proposed SHDC Grounds Maintenance layer (to enhance biodiversity on Council green spaces).
182/21 French Furze Project
The meeting confirmed BPC’s response in correspondence to SHDC and to Vistry. The need for a post-installation inspection of the playground will be conveyed. There may be further meeting in January.
183/21 Grounds Maintenance Contract – Churchyard
BPC resolved to accept the proposed revised fees and to include cutting around all headstones once each year, with removal cut in August.
Cllr Mewes will seed some trial areas of yellow rattle.
Payment was approved of invoices as follows.
- Churchyard frequent maintenance zone 14/10 & 28/10: £84.00
- Cemetery frequent maintenance zone 14/10 & all areas 28/10: £222.00
- Churchyard all areas, November 2021: £576.00
184/21 Completion of Treeworks
The payment of the invoice for treeworks in the cemetery & churchyard, £1,062.00, was approved. There is some cut wood left near the Cypruses. It was agreed this would be advertised in the Beacon. Members of the public are welcome to take some. Logs are probably of handleable size. They are on an uneven surface. Please also leave some for your neighbours.
185/21 Repair of Gate in the Cemetery
The offer from a qualified resident to repair the vehicle access gate in the Cemetery without charge was accepted with thanks.
186/21 Village Hall’s Request for Comment on long term use of 3 spaces in the top car park
BPC has no objection to this proposal.
187/21 Finance
187/21.1 Update on Current Financial Position
The Report, which showed a total balance of £57,111.02 and unearmarked reserves of £14,778.29, was noted.
187/21.2 Payments
The following invoices were approved for payment:
- TJD Construction, Repair of Churchyard Wal, £283.20
- Parish Lengthsman, June – 30 October 20 hours, £400.00
- Cllr Mewes, Cherry Tree – reimbursement, £39.99
187/21.3 Clerk’s Expenses Reimbursement CE27
The payment of the invoice for £224.03 was approved.
187/21.4 Overtime Claim
The payment of the Clerk’s claim for 8 hours overtime was approved.
187/21.5 Draft 2022/23 Budget
The budget will incorporate increased reserves for legal and surveyor expenses in relation to the French Furze development. The precept demand will remain stable, increased only in line with inflation and to incorporate new residences being built on Greenslades Road.
188/21 Correspondence
The following correspondence has been addressed, for information only.
- 12/11/21 Resident, Cars driving too fast in the village, suggesting 20 mph, DCC asked to carry out the planned speed survey
189/21 Next Meeting
It was confirmed that the next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Tuesday 11 January 2021 at 7:30 p.m.
The meeting closed at 20:59.