Parish Council Meeting – November 2021
BELSTONE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes for the meeting of Belstone Parish Council held on 30th November 2021 in the Meeting Room, Belstone Village Hall at 7.30 pm
Councillors Present:
Michael Ash (Joint Chairman), Ann Norman (Joint Chairman), Paul Boyce, Peter Cooper, Susan Norrish, Jon Pike, Theresa Weaver.
Also present: Sally Fullwood (Clerk), Peter Grubb, Sophia Clist.
2021/22-77 Disclosures of Interests
Cllr Ash declared an interest in 2021/22-98 St Mary’s Church Belstone Letter and Email.
2021/22-78 Minutes
The minutes of the meeting of the Council held on the 19th October 2021 were signed as a correct record.
2021/22-79 Apologies for Absence
Cllr Lynn Daniel had a late WDBC Council Meeting.
2021/22-80 Borough Councillor Statement
Cllr Daniel’s report was discussed. Cllr Weaver suggested some of the links from the statement could be put on the website. Action: Clerk
2021/22-81 Chairman’s Announcements
Cllr Ash asked councillors not to talk over each other in meetings and allow each other to finish speaking.
2021/22-82 Clerk’s Workload
The Clerk has spent less hours working this month, Cllr Norman and Cllr Pike have advised that she should shorten the agenda and minutes, contrary to the training she has received. The Clerk had spent 6 hours on the website since the last meeting.
Cllr Pike proposed and Cllr Norman seconded that the Clerk should be paid for 3.5 hours a week starting on 1st April 2022. She should also be paid statutory holiday pay. Action: Cllr Pike and Cllr Norman will review the Clerk’s contract before the end of the year.
2021/22-83 Finance
A. Draft Budget for 2022/23
It was agreed to use the third version of the budget with the 3.5 hours a week pay. The car park expenditure was taken out of the expenditure for the precept as it will be paid from reserves. The Jubilee costs were provisionally halved until the engraving price and any donation availability are clarified. Action: Cllr Cooper will get quotes for the memorial engraving.
B. Collection pot at Tors Inn
The Council welcomed the offer from Dicky at the Tors Inn to host a collection pot for Village Car Park costs. Action: Clerk
C. Internal Auditor
It was resolved to appoint Chris Walpole as Internal Auditor. Cllr Norman proposed, Cllr Pike seconded.
D. Change of Bank Accounts (Resolution 2021/22-45B)
Cllr Pike reported Lloyds Bank are currently not opening accounts for existing Parish Councils. He will continue to monitor the situation.
2021/22-84 Clerk’s Report
The Clerk reported on website articles produced, training received, and correspondence including a successful intervention on behalf of Ann Dickman. It was agreed not to respond to the DCC Flood Risk Management Strategy or a New Zealand family hoping to start a tourism business, or promote the Avian Flu information. Action : Clerk – the Community Risk Management Plan will be put on the next agenda.
2021/22-85 Kerbing at Great Green (Resolution 2021/22-65)
The Commoners have not made a decision with regard to the parking at the Great Green. The Council will await their actions.
2021/22-86 Car Park Actions
A. Removal of Grass (Resolution 2021/22-47B)
Donations have been promised from Village Hall £200, Belstone Commoner’s Association £200 and the Tors Inn £250. DNPA have not responded.
Action: Clerk – email to Marion Walpole – the scaffolding company have moved to Sticklepath so are no longer using the car park as they used to so the Council will not be approaching them. Using weed killer would leave mud on the car park.
Invoices will be sent out after the work is done.
It was agreed that the work will commence in the spring, before Easter.
B. Removal of Tree Guards (Resolution 2021/22-34E)
Cllr Ash reported this had not been done.
Cllr Cooper reported two stakes and fixing for the noticeboard would be £45.
Cllr Norman proposed, Cllr Norrish seconded and it was agreed to purchase the materials and put it up when the tree guards were down.
2021/22-87 Planning Rew Meadow (Resolution 2021/22-67)
Nick Savin of Dartmoor National Park Authority believes that the new building at Rew Meadow is permitted development. Permitted development is defined in the General Permitted Development Order 2015, with exemptions for National Parks. Peter Grubb offered to look up which part of the regulations it might contravene. Action: Clerk to email Nick Savin asking for the landowner to apply for a certificate of lawfulness, following Peter’s advice.
2021/22-88 Planning – Tors Shed (Resolution 2021/22-69)
Dicky from The Tors has confirmed that the Shed is included under the license and planning usage of the pub.
2021/22-89 Queen’s Jubilee (Resolution 2021/22-56)
The Clerk has written to ask Michael Reddaway for permission to plant a tree, there has been no response.
The memorial engraving was discussed under the budget item 2021/22-83 A above.
Belstone Village Hall have not decided if they will organise any social activity.
At the Diamond Jubilee 2012 there was a Parish Meeting which appointed an independent committee. No decision was made as to whether this should be done again.
2021/22-90 Byelaws Consultation (Resolution 2021/22-70)
Cllr Weaver and Cllr Norman had completed the response to the Dartmoor National Park byelaws consultation following input from the members.
2021/22-91 Village Light (Resolution 2021/22-73)
The reported fault logged on 1st October is still outstanding with a status of work in progress.
2021/22-92 Eagle House Salt Bin (Resolution 2021/22-74)
The bin has been securely replaced.
2021/22-93 EV Charge points (Resolution 2021/22-66D)
Cllr Weaver reported that government grants will only be available for domestic charging points until April 2022. It was agreed that there was no need to put this on the website.
2021/22-94 Parish Council Logo (Resolution 2021/22-51B)
Cllr Pike had provided some possible logos. It was suggested that the first font in the examples should be used, but with the words Belstone Parish Council under each other. Action: Sophia Clyst offered to turn the stocks photograph into a drawing, and the Council will consider her drawing at the next meeting.
2021/22-95 Dog Poo Signs (Resolution 2021/22-57)
The clerk has produced and laminated some signs. The Belstone Commoners’ Association whilst sceptical of the usefulness of such signs have no objection. They request that such signs be sturdy (e.g., mounted on board) with sturdy attachments such as cable ties. They have confirmed the design and wording and requested that a copy be put up in the Car Park as well. Action: Sophia Clyst offered to provide a better designed poster the Council will consider her drawing at the next meeting.
2021/22-96 Mobile Booster Scheme
There is a scheme for people to buy a booster to improve their indoor mobile signal, using a voucher from Connecting Devon and Somerset. Action: Cllr Weaver will investigate the scheme further to see if it would be useful in the village, some broadband providers supply WiFi calling anyway.
2021/22-97 Memorial Bench
Rachel Ledger, an Exeter resident, has requested to install a bench in memory of her husband who used to enjoy visiting and walking around Belstone, from his youth to his death in May. Cllr Cooper and Cllr Ash believe that the regulations restrict memorial seats to those commemorating someone who’d lived in or had a strong connection with the village. Action: Cllr Cooper will look for documentation regarding this.
2021/22-98 St Mary’s Church Belstone Letter and Email
Belstone Church PCC would like feedback on their ideas to use the church as a community resource. The Council have no suggestions, but may contribute individually.
The PCC also asked which authority they should approach to put a cycle rack against the wall of Church cottages. The Council believe that it would be Highways and the Owner of Church Cottages that would need to be approached. Action: Clerk to respond to PCC.
2021/22-99 Assets Register
It was agreed that the seats were council assets, although their maintenance was mainly the responsibility of the donors. They should therefore be on the asset register, which when amended will be brought back to the next meeting. Action: Cllr Cooper will review the list of seats to update it.
2021/22-100 West Devon Super Links Meeting
Action: Cllr Weaver will attend West Devon Super Links meeting Tuesday 7th December.
2021/22-101 January Meeting
The next meeting was originally scheduled for Tuesday January 4th 2022, but Cllr Ash suggested that it was moved to the following week, which would then be six weeks.
The meeting closed at 9.22 pm.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday January 11th 2022 in the Meeting Room of Belstone Village Hall at 7.30 pm.