Draft Minutes 2024 March 05

Mar 11, 2024 | Minutes

The Minutes  can be read below or downloaded here: MN_2024_March BPC Draft Minutes V2

DRAFT Minutes of the Monthly Meeting of Blackawton Parish Council held on
Tuesday 5 March 2024 at 7:30 p.m. in St. Michael’s Church

(Please note that the Parish Clerk was unable to attend this meeting so the Minutes are from notes taken by a Parish Councillor.)

a. Open Forum

  1. Proposal from a Parishioner for ‘Blackawton in Spring Bloom’

• Planting of daffodils on street-side of home gardens and roadside verges

• Ask for volunteers to assist those not able

• Seek funding and donations to purchase bulbs

• Investigate possibility of spring flowering tree(s)

Parishioner will submit questionnaire to Beacon to gauge support. BPC suggested that this was best as a community led initiative and to return once established and funding might be required. Also suggested to check in with Village Hall and Playing Fields Committees to see what support and site proposals could be gathered.

b. Councillors Forum

  1. The proposal for planting of Hawthorn trees in the Cemetery to west of north side pedestrian gate was agreed. Hawthorn is correct choice for the site and this is the last opportunity to plant this season.

  2. French Furze Business Units CIC

    1. This will be the fifth year of submitting blank accounts

    2. The units are sitting empty and unused, with no activity from supplier taking place

    3. This will lead to fabric degradation before they are even commissioned

    4. The failure to hand over has been a missed opportunity for the community and a cost to the PC instead of an income stream to maintain the units

    5. A press release will be written expressing the frustration felt with the lack of delivery on the community benefit promised. This will be distributed as appropriate.

Present: Parish & South Hams District Cllr Rake (Chair), Parish Cllrs Oughton (Vice-Chair), Coe, Hadow, Luckens, Mardon, and Thomas. There were two members of the public.

  1. Apologies

Apologies for absence were received from DCC Cllr Brazil and A Thom, Clerk.

  1. Declarations of Interest

None declared.

  1. Minutes of Previous Meetings

The Minutes of the Meeting held 13 February 2024 were approved.

  1. Restoration of the Phone Box

The proposal was approved. Costings are within previously approved budget.

The members of the public left the meeting.

  1. Report from South Hams District Council Councillor

SHDC Councillor Rake reported:

  • The Council’s plans have been adopted setting out the strategy and budget for the next period.

  • South Hams Housing Offer – a new streamlined pathway for local landowners and trusts to engage with SHDC to provide new appropriate / social housing in the area.

  • Grant funding for the Village Hall has been released.

  • Footpath from Greenslade Road development – under discussion to ensure it can be maintained (original design approach/materials may be considered unfit over the long term). Discussion includes crossing watercourses at valley bottom.

  • SHDC have been informed of an issue with litter from recycling trucks where the rubbish either doesn’t quite make it into the truck or blows out again.

  1. Report from Devon County Council Councillor

Deferred in the absence of DCC Cllr Brazil.

  1. Planning Applications

    1. SHDC Planning Decisions

The decisions were noted:

  • 3912/23/HHO Seawardstone Lodge, Blackawton, TQ9 7AB. Householder application for alterations & extension to existing property. Conditional Approval.

  • 4086/23/HHO 2 Church Quillet, Blackawton, TQ9 7BT. Householder application for proposed single vehicle hardstand. Conditional Approval.

  • 4178/23/ARC Larcombe Farm, East Allington, TQ9 7QB. Application for approval of details reserved by conditions 3 (Facing Materials) , 4 (Windows/Doors/Sills), 5 (Sample Panel), 7 (Flues/Vents), 8 (Rooflights) and 9 (Eaves/Verges) of planning consent 3929/22/FUL. Approved.

  • 4179/23/ARC Larcombe Farm, East Allington, TQ9 7QB. Application for approval of details reserved by conditions 3 (Facing Materials) , 4 (Windows/Doors/Sills), 5 (Sample Panel), 7 (Flues/Vents), 8 (Rooflights) and 9 (Eaves/Verges) of planning consent 3930/22/LBC. Approved.

    1. Appeals Update

  • 3563/22/VAR Parklands, Bay View Estate, Stoke Fleming, TQ6 0QX. Application for variation of condition 1 (approved drawings) ofplanning consent 3542/16/VAR. Appeal decision: Allowed with Conditions.

    1. New Application

  • 0456/24/LBC Larcombe Farm East Allington TQ9 7QB. Listed Building Consent for emergency structural remedial repairs on historic western stone gable wall of the attached barn at Larcombe Farm, detailed structural investigations undertaken as part of ongoing, previously approved works, have determined that upper section of wall is structurally unstable and at risk of collapse, structural engineer has advised that the only way of suitably resolving this issue is for upper part of wall to be carefully taken down before being reinstated.

Support (Cllr Rake abstained).

  1. Consultations

The following consultations were reviewed and noted:

  • SHDC Public Space Protection Orders. Closes Tuesday 19/03/24.

  • South Hams Community Action (formerly CVS) Isolation survey

  • Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority Consultation, Closes 24/03/24

  1. Finance

    1. Update on Current Financial Position

The Reports showed a total balance of £55,617.45 and unearmarked general fund of £12,769.036.

    1. Payments & Receipts

The following payments were approved:

  • Clerk February Expenses Reimbursement £29.27

  • Hire of Narthex March £20.00

  • Cemetery and Accounting Software 24/25, £535.68

The payment authorised since the last monthly meeting was noted:

  • Cemetery grounds maintenance August 2023, £216.00

  1. Portrait of His Majesty The King

The Government offer of a free portrait was declined by BPC and will be passed to the Village Hall Committee to see if they would like to install one in the new Village Hall.

  1. Correspondence

  • 8/2/24 SHDC launched The South Hams Housing Offer-support & financial assistance to local communities for affordable housing developments. – Discussed above.

  • 15/2/24 SHDC, Blackawton Housing Needs Report. – Noted, although method for statistics questioned.

  • 16/2/24 Resident, Blocked road culverts near Clyston Barton. – Passing to lengthsman.

  • 27/2/24, SHDC Walking and Cycling Project update – barriers & interventions identified. Cllrs to look individually.

  • Invitation to BPC Chair, Mayor of Dartmouth, Civic Lunch & Church Service on the 80th Anniversary of Exercise Tiger. – Cllr Rake to review.

  • 29/2/24, New Dartmouth & District Chamber of Commerce, Request for a meeting with BPC Cllrs. – Invite to Open Forum.

  • Notice of the Cornelius Fund AGM on 19 March 2024, Kingsbridge – South Hams Christian Fellowship Chapel. – Noted.

  1. Next Meeting

It was confirmed that the next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Tuesday 9 April 2024 at 7:30 p.m.

  1. Closure of the Meeting

It was resolved, 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. Parish Council Maintenance Contract

It was agreed to offer the optional two year extension.

  1. Parish Lengthsman Contract

It was agreed in principle to offer the optional two year extension and to resolve procedural issues.

  1. Planning Repairs to the Cemetery Wall

It was resolved to delegate authority to the Clerk in consultation with Cllr Rake to make a final decision regarding wall repair contractor and that timing would be based on availability.