The approved minutes of the meeting can be downloaded here or read below MN_2022_May 10 BPC Approved Minutes
Approved Minutes of the meetings of Blackawton Parish Council held on Tuesday 10 May 2022
at 7:30 p.m. in Blackawton Village Hall
Open Forum
No matters raised.
Present: Councillors Rake (Chair), Mewes (Vice-Chair), Coe, Mallyon, and Ougton were present, as were South Hams District Councillor Reeve, Devon County Councillor Brazil for his report, and A Thom (Clerk). There were no members of the public.
Annual Meeting of the Parish Council
91/22 Election of Chair
Councillor Rake was unanimously re-elected as Chair.
92/22 Chairman’s Signature of Declaration of Acceptance of Office
Councillor Rake signed the Declaration.
93/22 Election of Vice-Chairman
Councillor Mewes was unanimously re-elected as Vice-Chair.
94/22 Absent
Apologies were received from Councillors Curry and Thomas.
95/22 Declaration of interests in items on the Agenda
None declared.
96/22 Appointments to special areas of responsibility
Councillor Coe’s re-appointment as Footpath Warden was confirmed.
The roles of Health Representative, Snow Warden, and Tree Warden are vacant.
97/22 Model Publication Scheme
It was resolved to adopt the proposed updated Scheme.
98/22 Review of Risk Assessment and Statement of Internal Controls
The draft documents circulated were approved.
99/22 Review BPC’s Delegations of Authority
It was resolved to remove references contained in sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.4 to COVID-19 and to convening a virtual consultation meeting in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972.
100/22 Asset Register, Insurance Cover, Current Contracts and Subscriptions, & List of Policies
These were noted. They had been listed in a separate document (posted on www.blackawtoncommunity.com).
The Clerk noted that BPC will review in autumn whether to extend the current grounds maintenance contract.
101/22 Annual authorisation of the Clerk’s base salary & Working from Home Allowance
It was resolved to re-approve that the Clerk’s base salary will be paid on the last day of each month and be authorised annually in May of each year or when the national salary award is changed, and to continue payment £10 per month Working from Home Allowance as BPC’s contribution to total £27 per month pro-rata with Dittisham Parish Council (rate as per Devon Association of Local Council’s notice). The Clerk gave notice that energy costs will be monitored and may instead be invoiced based on evidence of costs.
102/22 Training Requirements
The Clerk was asked to book Councillor Rake onto Data Protection training.
103/22 Ordinary Meetings of the Parish Council
It was confirmed that ordinary meetings of the full council will continue to take place in the Village Hall on the first Tuesday of each month except August starting at 7:30 p.m. If the first Tuesday follows a Public Holiday Monday the Parish Council’s meeting will be held a week later.
104/22 BPC’s Forward Plan
BPC’s working document is on the community website.
Monthly Meeting of Blackawton Parish Council
105/22 Declaration of Interests in items on the agenda.
None declared.
106/22 Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting held on 5 April 2022
The minutes were approved.
107/22 To ratify the decisions made by virtual consultation meetings held 8/6/21 & 7/9/21
It was resolved to ratify the decisions.
108/22 Report from South Hams District Council Councillor
51 guests from Ukraine are registered in the South Hams. Some children are on a waiting list to start School in September.
Some brown bin collections are being missed. It is not likely a team will come to collect the next day so please take missed bins in again.
SHDC is on the NextDoor social media platform (www.nextdoor.co.uk).
SHDC Officers agreed to install a dog waste bin at French Furze with s.106 funds. The Parish Council would be invoiced to empty the new bin. BPC asked for a map of existing dog waste bins so it can assess if they are all well located.
109/22 Platinum Jubilee Celebrations
This item was brought forward at the Chair’s discretion.
BPC agreed to support in principle the Sustainable Blackawton & Primary School Habitat Homes project and that it would administer grant payments. An application will be made to SHDC Cllr Reeve for a £500 grant.
110/22 Report from Devon County Council Councillor
Deferred pending the arrival of Councillor Brazil.
111/22 Planning Applications
111/22.1 SHDC Planning Decisions
The following decisions were noted:
- 0227/22/PDM Barn at Dallacombe Farm Blackawton Totnes TQ9 7AH. Application to determine if prior approval is required for a proposed change of use of agricultural building to 1No. dwellinghouse (Class C3) and associated operational development (Class Q (a +b)).
- 0322/22/HHO Higher Hutcherleigh Blackawton Totnes TQ9 7AD. Householder application for extension to dwelling. Refusal.
- 0873/21/ARC Shearstone Barn Blackawton Devon TQ9 7DG. Application for approval of details reserved by conditions 6, 8 and 9 of Planning Permission 1387/20/FUL. Discharge of Conditions – SPLIT DECISION.
111/22.2 Review of New Applications
- 1103/22/FUL Hutcherleigh Turn, Blackawton, Totnes. Agricultural building for storage.
Support (proposed Councillor Rake, seconded Councillor Mallyon).
- 0266/22/VAR Annexe 3, Shepleigh Cottage, Blackawton, TQ9 7AH. Application for variation of condition 2 (approved plans) of planning consent 2506/19/HHO.
Support (proposed Councillor Rake, seconded Councillor Mewes).
112/22 Annual Parish Meeting Tuesday 17 May
The arrangements for the Meeting were confirmed.
113/22 Report from Devon County Council Councillor
DCC Councillor Brazil reported on the project to move the Slapton Line Memorial to Strete Gate. The next step is for DCC to complete the planning application process.
Councillor Brazil has proposed a motion to the full County Council to ban the use of neonicotinoids on all DCC land. The motion will go back to a full DCC meeting on 6 June.
Councillor Brazil has attended a meeting about the delivery of Children’s Services in Devon. The new Head has been in place for about one year. The Services have been requiring improvement over ten years and slow to turn around.
Councillor Brazil will follow up the speed survey requested by BPC.
114/22 Carbon Ambassadors Course
The suggestion that BPC fund attendance (£89/two people) was considered. It was decided to defer a decision. The possibility of a Carbon Warden was raised.
115/22 Environment Action Plan
The Environment Action Plan had become unwieldy. It was agreed to stop using it and to focus on achievable opportunities.
116/22 Finance
116/22.1 Update on Current Financial Position
The 22/23 Receipts and Payments report and Bank Reconciliation were tabled. The transfer of accounts to Scribe accounting software is ongoing.
116/22.2 Payments & Receipts
The following payments were authorised:
- Copper Tops, Removal of fallen tree, £810.00
- Scribe, Annual Fee Accounting & Cemetery software, £446.40
- ICCM, Annual Fee, £95.00
- Devon Association of Local Councils, Annual Fee, £195.56
- Devon Association of Local Councils, Being a Good Councillor #1 & #2, £36.00
- Maintenance Contractor, First wall maintenance, bus shelter cleans, & maintenance jobs, £676.00
- ARCCAS Grounds Maintenance:
- 29/3/22 Churchyard Biodiversity Zone, £360.00
- 20/4 Churchyard Frequent , 90.00
- 6/4 Cemetery Green, £18.00
- 6/4, 20/4 Cemetery Frequent Yellow & Blue, £204.00
- Local Council Administration Services, Internal Audit 21/22, £150.00
- Westdown Farm, Hedge Cemetery, £72.00
Payments made since the previous meeting:
The following payments were noted:
- Clerk, April PAYE & March Overtime, £644.55
- HMRC, April PAYE, £126.80
- Pension, April Pension, £44.42
- ICO, Annual Fee by DD, £35.00
Receipts:
The following receipts were noted:
- Resident, EROB and interment, £250.00
- SHDC, Precept first instalment, £8,750.00
116/22.3 21/22 Internal Audit Report
The Auditor’s report concludes that proper practices have been followed by Blackawton Parish Council. BPC is actively considering the recommendations made to further reduce risk.
116/22.4 Internal Audit of Year Ending March 2023
It was resolved to approve re-appointment of Local Council Administration Services.
117/22 Management of BPC’s Trees
Confirmation of the Risk Assessment Survey of BPC Trees in summer 2022 was deferred to the June meeting.
118/22 Correspondence
The following correspondence was noted, for information.
- 11/4/22 Vistry Request for contacts regarding transfer of the MUGA and the Business Units
- 15/4/22, SHDC, Drainage and other issues at French Furze
- 20/4/22, SWW, Removal of sewage waste from Blackawton
119/22 Next Meeting
It was confirmed that the next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Tuesday 7 June 2022 at 7:30 p.m.