Parish Council Minutes – December 2020

BELSTONE PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 15^th December 2020 in the Village Hall

Present:  Michael Ash (Chairman), Ann Norman (Vice Chairman), Paul Boyce, Peter Cooper, Susan Norrish, Jon Pike, Theresa Weaver and Kate Little (Parish Clerk).

The Chairman re-iterated the covid-19 precautions that had to be observed in the village hall as set out in the risk assessment prepared for this meeting, including the need for face masks to be worn at all times.

43.     Apologies: WDBC Cllr Lynn Daniel

44.     Minutes of the Annual Parish Council meeting of 20^th October 2020:    These were agreed and signed by the Chairman    as a correct record of the         meeting.

45.     Matters Arising not dealt with elsewhere on the agenda:

• Hedgerows facing highways – It was noted that there are some hedges that have not yet been cut back and a complaint had been received that property owners were not clearing up afterwards resulting in the risk of punctures.
• Oldway, Tongue End – The clerk has written to the owners to ask if the hedgerow that is growing over the PC’s bus shelter could be cut back, but this has not resulted in any action.  Clerk to follow up.

46.     Declarations of Interest: There were one.

47.     Urgent Items Raised by the Chairman

• Update from WDBC Cllr Lynn Daniels – this has been circulated to all cllrs.

48.     Website Accessibility:  A formal quote has been received for this project from Moorsites and is acceptable.  The project should be completed shortly.

49.     Village Car Park:

• Notice board – John Moppet has been commissioned to produce an A3 notice board for the car park and to fit a lock on the existing Parish Council notice board, to stop commercial fliers being put up in it.

50.     Letter of resignation from the Clerk – The chairman read out the present           clerk’s letter of resignation and a vote of thanks was proposed by Cllr Ann Norman.

• Advert for replacement  – Clerk to prepare an advert for the January Beacon, for the village website and the PC notice board.
• The clerk will be the initial contact for applicants seeking the agreed job description (using NALC’s standand template).
• Contract of employment – NALC’s standard template adapted by cllr Jon Pike was accepted.  Mileage claims would not be included.
• Associated employment policies – previously circulated by cllr Jon Pike – it was resolved that these would be adopted provided all cllrs had emailed their agreement to the clerk. 
• The Privacy Policy and Code of Conduct reviewed by cllr Theresa Weaver were agreed.
• All policies to be reviewed annually.

51.     Interim Devon Carbon Plan – the webinar dates were noted.

52.     Financial Matters:

• Draft 2021/22 financial budget – this was reviewed and amended as necessary.  The amended 2021/22  version to be brought to the January meeting for final agreement.
• Section 137 grant – email (26.11.20) from Graham Vingoe of the Citizen’s Advice Bureau – It was agreed to donate £25 to this cause.
• Attendance at DCC cllr John Hart’s financial briefing webinar – cllr Jon Pike to attend. [Notes from this session have subsequently been circulated to cllrs].
• It was agreed to pay the clerk £73.99 for admin supplies.

53.     Planning:

• Burl, Skaigh Lane application nos 0559/20 and 0560/20 – Extensions and replacement garage building with store over.  The PC raised no objections to either application
• The Rews – it was noted with disappointment that the clerk had not received a consultation letter from the DNPA on this application, which replaced an earlier withdrawn one for an extension on the elevation facing the field behind.  The PC had not raised an objection to the original proposal.  The second application has been approved by the DNPA.

54.     Correspondence – Covid 19  updates

55.     Any other business – The PC meetings for the next 12 months (previously           circulated) were noted.

The meeting ended at 8.45pm

Subject to pandemic restrictions, the next meeting is programmed for 12^th January 2020

Agreed Actions