Belstone Parish Council Chairman’s Report 2021-22
Chairman’s Annual Report 2021-2022
During the past year the Council has held eight meetings, plus three extraordinary meetings to discuss planning matters. A Parish meeting was also held to discuss the Queen’s forthcoming Jubilee.
Attendance of Councillors has been good and members of West Devon Borough Council, Devon County Council and Dartmoor National Park have also attended meetings, as have members of the public.
A few changes have occurred over the year. Kate Little resigned as Clerk from June, and following interviews Sally Fullwood was appointed as Kate’s successor. Sally has been in the post for nearly a year now.
Ann Norman resigned as a Councillor on 31st March 2022. Simon Herbert, who has been our Internal Auditor for some time, left the village in July, and subsequently Chris Walpole agreed to take on the post.
The precept for 2022/23 was set at £3,408, an increase of 35% over the previous year. This will cover one-off Jubilee costs and an increase in the Clerk’s hours.
The Council’s assets, seats, bus shelter etc have been inspected and repairs undertaken where necessary. The overgrown bushes around the bus shelter have been cut back.
Work on the car park is still in progress. The mud and grass have been removed and further hard-core will be laid soon. An A-Frame noticeboard has been purchased and set out on busy days, asking people to park in a sensible manner.
A solution to the parking problem from Moor Hall along the road to Birchy Lake has not yet been found.
Highways has paid a few visits to the Parish to clear drains and fill in a few pot-holes, usually weeks after they are reported.
For the Queen’s Jubilee the Parish Council will provide another engraving on the stone lamp post, and a tree on the common below Well Park by permission of Mr. Michael Reddaway.
The council now has a Logo; the stocks, and wording Belstone Parish Council!
As usual there has been much correspondence from various organisations, which has been read, noted or replied to when required. We also receive regular reports from Greener Belstone.
I would like to thank my fellow Councillors for their interest in the work of the council, our Clerk Sally Fullwood for her work on the minutes and accounts, and lastly Simon Herbert as Internal Auditor for some years.
M.W.J. Ash (Chairman)
10th May 2022