APPROVED Minutes of the Monthly Meeting of Blackawton Parish Council held on
Monday 8 December 2025 at 7:30 p.m. in Blackawton Village Hall
a. Open Forum
No matters were raised by Parishioners.
b. Councillors Forum
The Clerk noted matters received after the Agenda was sent: Strete Parish Council’s correspondence about protecting the A379 road over Slapton Line from the sea will need to be addressed by the next meeting of BPC on 13 January 2026. Cllrs can consider the new premises licence application from Dartmouth Angling & Boating Association and the planning application 3471/25/PDM Eastdown Farm Blackawton TQ9 7AW, and decide if an extraordinary meeting is required to comment on them.
Present: Parish & South Hams District Council Cllr Rake (Chair), and Parish Cllrs Oughton (Vice-Chair), Coe, Hadow, Luckens, and Mardon were present, as was Clerk A Thom.
Absent: Cllr Thomas.
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Apologies
Apologies for absence were received from BPC Cllr Thomas and from DCC Cllr Brazil.
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Declarations of Interest
Cllr Coe declared an interest in planning application 3266/25/HHO The Anchorage Main Street Blackawton TQ9 7BG.
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Minutes of Previous Meetings
It was resolved to approve Minutes of the Meeting held on 10 November 2025.
The provision of the approved Minutes of the Personnel Committee Meeting on 26 March and draft minutes of the Personnel Sub-Committee Meeting on 1 December 2025 was noted.
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Report from South Hams District Council Councillor
SHDC Cllr Rake reported that SHDC has decided to freeze the charges for the resident’s parking permit and the resident’s concessionary permit in the 2026/27 financial year. The residents concessionary permit provides free parking between 3pm and 10am the next day in all SHDC car parks (except South Embankment and Dartmouth Park and Ride). Other car parking fees will be increased by inflation.
Cllr Rake was asked whether the current free parking after 6pm in Totnes car parks will continue, and he will find out.
There are new programs coming out for community engagement and for arts and culture. They were approved by the Executive Committee last week. It also approved the Rally for Nature festival, which will be delivered working with Sustainable South Hams.
The 25/26 budget gap has been reduced to £150–200,000 pounds (about 1.5% of the total budget). SHDC is awaiting notice of the central Government settlement in 10 days time. It will be for a period of three years, into the expected unitary council’s starting in 28/29.
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Report from Devon County Council Councillor
In Cllr Brazil’s absence Cllr Rake conveyed the very positive assessment from an Ofsted inspection of Children’s Services for care experienced young people. Children’s Services had been in special measures, with a Commissioner appointed by an Inspectorate. The use of BandBs has been eliminated, as have evictions from supported accommodation. Young people with special needs were being evicted. DCC has been buying accommodation in out of season Airbnb which has been associated with good outcomes for children e.g. accessing university.
Cllr Rake was asked about the registration of Airbnbs, and will look into the question.
DCC has acknowledged the rights of rivers e.g. if polluted a river has the right to be protected.
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Planning Applications
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South Hams District Council’s Planning Decisions
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The following decision was noted:
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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)). Refused
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Review of new Applications to South Hams District Council
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3266/25/HHO The Anchorage Main Street Blackawton TQ9 7BG. Householder application for extension of existing dwelling & associated works.
Cllr Coe left the meeting.
Support (by resolution, Cllr Rake abstained).
Cllr Coe returned to the meeting.
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2889/25/HHO Brocks Down 13 Dartmouth Green Blackawton TQ9 7FE. Householder application for replacement of existing single storey garden room with oak framed garden room.
Support (by resolution, Cllr Rake abstained).
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3452/25/VAR Hingston Farm Lane To Hingston Farm East AllingtonTQ9 7QA. Application for variation of condition 2 (Approved Plans) of planning consent 1299/25/FUL (Proposed demolition of barns & replacement with residential dwelling in lieu of Class Q consent 2639/24/PDM).
No comment will be submitted by BPC (by resolution, Cllr Rake abstained).
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New Premises Licence – Higher Hutcherleigh, Blackawton, TQ9 7AD. Supply of alcohol off the premises:- Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00. Sunday 10:00 to 15:00. The premises will package hampers for distribution and will not be open to the public.
Support (by resolution, Cllr Rake abstained).
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Review of New Devon County Council Application
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Informal Consultation – Public Path Diversion – Blackawton Footpath No.4 Higher Pasture Farm, Blackawton.
Support. This change would be an improvement for dog walkers (by resolution).
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French Furze Development
Cllr Rake reported that he and Cllr Thomas have met at the Business Units with a new representative of the developer and an external contractor who was there to price the work to address the final snags. This is positive, however after an exchange of texts saying a contact email address would be provided one was not sent.
There is a public meeting in the Village Hall on Wednesday 10 December at 7pm. There will be a presentation by the developer. There will not be a question and answer session.
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Maintenance of Churchyard Wall
The Report and email correspondence from the Engineer who assessed the wall were noted. It was confirmed that the Clerk can use those to obtain quotes for the recommended works.
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Churchyard Gates
The Clerk’s Report was noted. Cllr Luckens will lead on relocation of the southern lychgate into the back of the Church and photographing the lychgates for use as a scale drawing substitute in the Faculty planning application to the Church. Good photographs of all gates may be useful to support applications for grants to help to fund the maintenance and repair works. A community working group to help to seek grants for the repair and maintenance works was confirmed (Cllr Luckens will be on it), and it was agreed to ask the School and the local History group if the works might be a learning opportunity.
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Planting Trees in the Churchyard to Replace Felled Trees
The Clerk’s Report was noted. It was confirmed that the variety of rowan trees to plant in an avenue in the Churchyard will be Sorbus aucuparia and they will be spaced four metres apart.
It was resolved to authorise payment of up to £50 for a crab apple (malus) John Downie on MM106 root stock.
It was agreed that it would be beneficial to have a working group to review the Devon Living Churchyards and Devon Wildlife Trust reports and the management of the Churchyard and Cemetery to support of their habitat value, and to create signage in the Churchyard to explain the management. Further discussion is required to progress this.
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South Devon National Landscape’s Offer of a Wheelchair Friendly Picnic Table with Two Bench Seats
BPC’s choice of a wheelchair accessible site to locate the table/bench was reviewed taking into account new information that it is a table with bench seats, not a bench alone. It was decided that the table/bench would be best located outside the Village Hall in the region of the disabled access ramp.
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Personnel Sub-Committee
It was resolved to approve the recommendations of the 1 December Personnel Sub-Committee meeting:
-to book a DALC whole council bespoke training course (short course for up to 10 people cost of approximately £250 plus travel), and to confirm the topics and date,
-no action is required regarding pension contributions,
-a system where the Clerk arranges annual leave by notifying the Personnel Cllrs in advance and within legal time-frame, -to continue to pay the Clerk for 15 hours per week from October to January inclusive (excluding when on annual leave). 15 hours per week is the average total weekly budgeted staff hours for 2025/26.
The training course will most likely be scheduled for March 2026.
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BPC’s Gritter
Cllr Coe agreed to liaise with residents with a view to arranging to assess the gritter and it possibly being repaired. This will be an item on the January 2026 Agenda.
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Finance
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Update on Current Financial Position
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The Report showed total funds of £67,591.94 and an unearmarked general fund of £22,480.55 at 30 November, and the bank accounts reconcile. There will be no further precept funds received until the next financial year.
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Payments & Receipts
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It was resolved to authorise the following payments:
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Clerk November Expenses Reimbursement £35.29
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Royal British Legion Donation £50.00
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DALC, Managing Projects webinar training £42.00
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Churchyard Wall Engineer’s assessment of works £940.85
The following payments authorised since the last monthly meeting were noted:
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Bat Survey of churchyard trees prior to felling £536.00
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Parish Lengthsman October 2025 £132.00
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Cemetery Transfer of Deeds of Grant
It was noted that that effective 17 November 2025 the fee for obtaining will and probate documents has been revised by the Governement from £1.50 to £16.
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Meeting Action items
The list was briefly reviewed.
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Next Meeting
It was confirmed that the next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Monday 12 January at 7:30 p.m. Cllr Rake gave his apologies for that meeting.
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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.
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Grounds Maintenance Contract 2026
It was resolved to accept the costs proposed by the current contractor.
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Noticeboard Quotes
The consideration of the quotes and arrangements to install a Parish Council noticeboard in the Main Street bus shelter was deferred in order to have Cllr Thomas’ views.
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Churchyard Trees
The price from GardenTime to purchase rowan trees (to plant an avenue in the Churchyard) for a discounted price of £59.49 each was accepted. BPC will be advised by GardenTime on planting details such as tree protectors.
The meeting closed at 21:15.