Present: Cllrs Hockings, E Janes, Jeffreys, Stubbings, Fearn, G Janes, Johnson, Beamish and D Cllr Steer.
Apologies: Cllrs Patrick and Williams (for six months).
Members of the Public: 2
Clerk: Mrs D Crann
The Chairman opened the meeting, welcomed everyone and invited the members of the public to speak. Ms G Attwood and Ms J Cummings both spoke in turn. Ms Attwood explained that she had applied to SHDC for a Certificate of Lawfulness for a dwelling house at Berrystone Vineyard, East Leigh Cross, Harberton and Ms Cummings had come in support to verify the application. After some discussion regarding this matter, the Chairman proceeded with the meeting.
D Cllr Steer said that unfortunately she would have to leave the meeting before the end and wished to report the road from Coppethorne to Blakemore Level in Harberton was crumbling away at the side. The Chairman then mentioned the tragic fatal shooting accident which had taken place in Harberton at the week-end and proposed that the Parish Council should write a letter of condolence to the family. All in favour.
The minutes of the previous meeting in July were then considered, agreed and signed by the Chairman as a true record.
Matters Arising:
1) Flooding in Harberton. D Cllr Steer reported that she had recently spoken to Bill Lawrence of SHDC. The District Council were still optimistic that DEFRA would fund the shortfall in costs for this work and a report of the costs was being sent to DEFRA to be included in this year’s budget. However, the matter was also going before the SHDC’s Executive Committee at the next meeting so that if DEFRA did not meet the shortfall, SHDC may be able to cover the balance. The total shortfall was expected to be in the region of £40,000.
2) P3 Footpath Scheme. Still ongoing.
3) Harbertonford Playground Scheme. The Clerk had received a letter from Mrs J Walker of Michelmores, solicitors to the Diocese, who said that they were awaiting the outcome of the next School Governors meeting at the end of September regarding the decision on the fencing. D Cllr Steer also brought up the subject of the grass cutting. Councillors felt it would be easier if the Parish Council were to contribute to the grass cutting bill. It was proposed by Cllr Fearn, seconded by Cllr E Janes that the Parish Council contribute 60% of the cost, excluding VAT. All in favour. (Up to now the Parish Council has contributed 50% each year, excluding VAT.) This arrangement would leave the school free to use the playground if they needed to at any time.
4) Proposed 20mph speed limit through Harbertonford. The Clerk had given each councillor a copy of a fax received from Ben Hubbard of DCC Highways at Ivybridge, indicating DCC’s proposed 20mph speed limit area in Harbertonford. This included all the side roads in the village within the 30mph limit, except Mill Meadow. Along the A381, it only included an area from the bus shelter to just beyond Kiln Lane. These proposals did not include moving the pedestrian crossing and councillors were somewhat at this. The Clerk will contact DCC regarding this matter.
5) South Hams Leisure Centres as a Charitable Trust. D Cllr Steer confirmed that CLS, the Charitable Trust would, this winter, be taking over the running of all SHDC Leisure Centres as being their preferred bidder.
Planning: Parish Council Recommendations -
Decisions between meetings
23/1396/04/F Tristford Farm, Harberton. Construction of stone outbuilding for car parking. No objections, but mixed feelings about the grass roof.
23/1450/04/F Sandwell Barns, Harberton. Conversion for business use B1. No objections (majority decision) provided no retail outlet and business kept at stated level. Concerns at extra traffic level.
23/1311/04/F Tristford Farm, Harberton. Plan now withdrawn.
23/1679/04/O Hill Mill Nursery, Harberton. Erection of new dwelling. Objections. Unnecessary development in the countryside. Proposed by Cllr Johnson, seconded by Cllr Stubbings. 7 in favour and 1 abstention.
23/1538/04/CLU Berrystone Vineyard, East Leigh Cross, Harberton. Certificate of Lawfulness for dwelling house. Parish Council had no comment to make.
Members of the public left the meeting.
Correspondence:
1) The Clerk reported that the Annual Audit had now been completed and the accounts passed by the District Auditor for the year ended 31/03/04.
2) DCC. Temporary road closures: Harbertonford, Old Road 30/08/04 and 09/09/04. Harberton, Peak Cross also Leigh Bridge to Broadpark Stile on 06/09/04.
3) Safer South Hams Crime Audit – completed and to be returned.
4) A letter from Mr Moreno to the Chairman was read out regarding slow progress of the flood works near St Clement’s Terrace, Harberton. This has already been answered.
5) SHDC. Changes to street cleaning. There was a proposal to reduce the number of hours by half. The District Council was trying to reduce the cost of this service to the Council Taxpayers as it seemed an excessive amount. Cllr E Janes reported that members of the public noticed the road up Riverdale, Youldens and the end of Bow Road in Harbertonford were not swept very often. D Cllr Steer said she would enquire about this matter.
6) DCC. Autumn surfacing to include Peak Cross, Harberton.
7) Tor Homes press release shown to the meeting.
8) DAPC. Various items received – Village Green magazine, DAPC Annual Report 2003/04, CCD Review 2003/04, AGM details 25/09/04, various Councillors’ Training Days and Clerks’ Training Days and other training eg: Planning and New Legislation. Also included were the new Clerks’ Salary Award Scales from 01/04/04. This should now total £1,540.00 pa – an increase of £86.00 pa. It was proposed by Cllr Fearn and seconded by Cllr E Janes to follow this. This will be backdated to 01/04/04. The Clerk thanked the Council.
9) Disabled Parking Bay. The Clerk received a letter from DCC about a request for a disabled parking bay for Mr Beattie of 2 Riverdale, Harbertonford. Councillors had no objections.
10) SHDC. Official notice of street naming and numbering for Dundridge House, Harberton, had been received and was shown to the meeting.
11) A letter had been received from Mrs Gaskin regarding the name of the new Treasurer for Harberton Parish Hall, now to be Mr C Gates, The Old Stable, Harberton and the new Secretary was to be Mr N Stopard, 4 Wesley Place, Harberton.
12) S Hams Police Liaison Meeting on 07/09/04 at South Brent Primary School at 7.30pm. Notice to be posted on the board.
13) SHDC. Draft Statement of Licensing Policy and Alcohol Designation Orders received and shown to the meeting.
14) Copies of letters from Mrs Watkins of Riverdale, Harbertonford, and a reply to her from Jim Morrison of DCC re proposed fencing along Bow Road, Harbertonford, were shown to the meeting.
15) South Hams CVS. Letter with a request for a grant will be kept until the end of the financial year.
16) Letter from Pension Service was discussed. Cllr Fearn agreed to contact them to suggest meetings in both villages be arranged.
17) Draft Code of Conduct for Local Government Employees and a review of the Regulatory Framework governing the political activities of such employees had been received and was shown to the meeting.
18) Electoral Roll. Notification of the new qualifying date of 15/10/04 was shown to the meeting.
19) A letter had been received from D Cllr G Date asking to be notified of our meeting dates and venues. This was shown to the meeting.
20) SHDC. Parks and Open Spaces Management. The Clerk will complete and return a questionnaire.
21) The Clerk reported that during the summer recess she had been in touch with Mr and Mrs Chattaway of Ford House, Harbertonford who had kindly agreed to undertake to plant up and keep tidy the flowerbeds at the Ford area in Harbertonford. The Parish Council are very grateful to them.
Also on the table: SHDC Executive Forward Plan; DCC Structure Plan to 2016; Notice of intention to adopt the Plan shown to the meeting; DCC monthly newsletters, etc; Tor Homes Sheltered Housing Newsletter and Open Door; DPFA The Playing Field; SHDC Agenda and Minutes; S Hams Council for Voluntary Service Annual Review 2003/04; South Hams Matters; Health News; SHDC Open Air Concert 08/09/04 at Follaton House; SHDC Minutes of Executive Meeting 09/09/04.
Matters at the discretion of the Chairman:
1) Cllr E Janes had received a letter from Mr Evans of Harbertonford Post Office and Stores. This letter brought to the attention of the Council his problem with a lack of view from his property owing to excessive height of a Leylandii hedge bordering the Parish Council car park. This had grown up considerably since his arrival in the village. The Parish Council also had a problem with this hedge as it was undermining the wall bordering the car park. The Parish Council had, in recent months, initiated repairs to this wall, which had kindly been carried out by Mr Len Lewis of Harbertonford, without charge. The Council could only write to Marylin Harvey to ask her to trim the hedge to an acceptable height to help preserve the wall.
2) Cllr E Janes also reported that there had been fly tipping at Luscombe Cross which he had reported to SHDC. It had been cleared away.
3) Cllr Beamish reported that the cress in the river at the Ford in Harbertonford had regrown, but that he was not able to clear it away as before. The Clerk will contact the Environment Agency.
4) Cllr Fearn raised a number of points – a) He enquired if the Parish Council minutes could be published before the meeting; b) He complained that the patching work by DCC in Screws Lane, Harberton, was of poor quality, as was their work from Coppethorne Hill to Blakemore Level. In both cases the patching was already breaking up; c) He enquired why the Police had not attended any meetings recently; d) As a point of information, he wished to make it known that BT Broadband was now available in Harberton.
Cheque signed:
No 322 – Mrs D Crann - £382.14
The meeting closed at 10.05pm. The next will be held on Tuesday 12 October 2004 at 7.30pm at Harberton Parish Hall.