Parish Council Minutes – 29th May 2018
BELSTONE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday 29th May 2018
at 7.30pm in the Village Hall Meeting Room
Present: Michael Ash (Chairman), Ann Norman (Vice Chairman), Paul Boyce, Peter Cooper, Susan Norrish, Jon Pike and Kate Little (Parish Clerk).
17. Apologies for absence: None received
18. Minutes of the Meeting of 17th April 2018: Signed as a correct record of the meeting.
19. Matters Arising: The seat in Skaigh Lane has been repaired and STOC has replaced the seat in West Cleave. The Parish notice board has kindly been repaired by Sean Lehni.
20. Declarations of Interest: There were none
21. Chairman’s urgent Items:
- It was resolved to pay Sean Lehni’s invoice for £10 for the repair of the notice board and the Pound gate.
- The clerk to follow up with the DNPA’s enforcement officers re feedback on the works at Rew Meadow.
22. Correspondence:
- Proposal from Parish Cllr Susan Norrish:
I propose a Parish Council policy discussion/vote with regards to our responses to the receipt of any pre-planning letters.
It was resolved that in future the Parish Council would note the receipt and contents of any pre application letters sent to it, but would not comment on the proposals they contained.
23. Clerk’s Report:
- Car Park lease – The clerk reported that a set of Heads of Terms has been agreed with the landowner for a 10 year lease of the car park. These will now be drawn up as a formal agreement for signature between the Parish Council and the land owner.
The Parish Council thanked Chris Walpole for surveying the car park and drawing up a very detailed plan. The meeting was adjourned at 8.15pm for the members to walk the car park boundaries to agree a red line area for with the lease. The lease area was agreed and a red line plan is to be sent to the land owner for agreement, subject to the access to The Lees being checked for inclusion or exclusion.
The meeting recommenced at 8.40pm
- Data protection – Privacy Policy – It was resolved to adopt the drafted Privacy Policy (required by the new Data Protections Regulations 2018) and that it be posted on the Parish Council’s section of the village website.
- Request for dog bins in the village – A discussion was had regarding the problem with dog bags being left all round the village and up on the moor. It was noted that the cost of a new dog bin is approx. £104 and that WDBC charges £1.15 per empty. It was agreed to consider making provision for this in the precept for 2019/20.
- Village centre highway drainage – It was noted that Darryl Jagger of Devon Highways had written to the clerk to explain that Belstone was a priority 3 highway for surface water drainage works and thus no work would be undertaken in the current financial year in Belstone – all funds being directed towards priority 1 and 2 projects.
24. Finances:
- The need for online banking – It was resolved that following the closure of the Okehampton Nat West Bank it had become necessary for the Parish Council to move to on-line banking. The clerk to make the necessary arrangements including ensuring that any payment required two authorisations – the Chairman and the clerk.
- Annual public liability insurance – payment due £189.82 – It was resolved that this be paid.
- Annual Governance Statement – Certificate of Exemption – The paperwork for this was agreed and signed by the Chairman and the clerk in her role as Financial Officer for the Council. The relevant documents will be posted on the Parish Council section of the village website and a notice directing interested persons to them, put on the Parish notice board. The relevant self certification documents to be sent to the official auditor.
- Payments made: DALC £62.95 (inc VAT) – Noted.
- Council Diary – The relevant tasks were signed off as completed by the Chairman and Vice Chairman.
25. Planning:
- Greenvale – loft conversion, two storey rear extension and conservatory
DNPA ref: 0217/18 – A response of ‘No objection’ has been returned to the DNPA.
- Beechcroft: amended plans, for info only.
26. Highways:
- Darryl Jagger of Devon Highways has advised that the potholes from Tongue End to the Belstone car park are first of the list for repair this financial year and should be undertaken during the summer, once the contract for the works has been issued.
27. Other Matters at the Discretion of the Chairman:
- It was resolved that a token be bought for the internal auditor for auditing the Parish Council accounts for the last financial year.
Date of next meeting: 10th July 2018
The meeting ended at 9.20pm