STRETE PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk: Mrs Andrea Phillips
Squire’s End 1 Hyne Town Strete Dartmouth TQ6 0RT
clerk@strete.org.uk 01803 770786 www.strete.org.uk
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF STRETE PARISH COUNCIL (PC)
HELD IN STRETE PARISH HALL ON THURSDAY 21 JUNE 2012 AT 7.30 P.M.
PRESENT
Cllr Tony Crawford, Chairman (TC) Cllr Ian Cumberlidge (IC)
Cllr Kate Gill, Vice-Chairman (KG) Cllr Malcolm Hollis (MH)
Cllr David Rothwell (DR) Cllr Jeff Scanlan (JS)
Cllr Bryan Seymour (BS)
Cllr Richard Foss, District Councillor, Skerries Ward (RF)
Cllr Julian Brazil, County Councillor, Kingsbridge & Stokenham Ward (JB)
Mrs Andrea Phillips – Clerk
Four members of the public
OPEN FORUM
No matters were raised.
0612/1 APOLOGIES
None were due.
0612/2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
MH declared a personal interest in item 16, the parish website and 13i.
0612/3 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING HELD ON 17 MAY 2012
The above minutes were AGREED as a true and correct record and were signed by the Chairman.
0612/4 COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
JB’s report was postponed
0612/5 DISTRICT COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
RF reported that the works on Strete Gate car park has commenced but bad weather has halted the tarmac process and white lining. He continued to report that the new plans received for Fairfields has changed to lower the roof lines. He enquired as to whether the PC was discussing the new Code of Conduct, which was announced this week. The PC replied that this was indeed an agenda item later in the meeting. There is no movement yet on the Coastal Footpath project; a September start was planned. IC said that the path at the back of Strete Gate beach is very overgrown; RF is to enquire who is responsible for this.
0612/6 REPRESENTATIVE’S REPORTS ON OUTSIDE BODIES
To receive reports from councillors on their attendance at meetings:
• StreteWise stretewise@gmail.com – MH – the management accounts for six months have been prepared and circulated. Present shortfall is covered by reserves but in future the revenue produced needs to be higher to break even or production costs need to be lower. It is hoped that a higher quality print might improve advertising. There are 161 subscribers from 293 properties.
• Slapton Line Advisory Forum – 13.6.12 – KG was unable to attend but RF reported that there were no major items raised. DCC’s view on the future ownership of the Slapton Line was released in a letter today but they do not want to pass ownership over to anyone else and believe they are best placed to manage the road long term. New timeline signage was erected along Slapton Line today which includes the history of the road.
0612/7 TREE WARDEN REPORT
IC had no items to report.
0612/8 PARISH REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS
• Traffic & Highways: (JS) Blackpool Bridge works are still ongoing, hedgerows are becoming increasingly long due to the huge growth spurts of late.
• Litter Bins, Street Litter: (DR) No items to report.
• Play Park: (KG) – the grass cuttings are still in situ and awaiting removal by SHDC, grass was cut again today. The fencing on the two sides not replaced last time are in desperate need of attention. It is thought with new uprights, the fencing may be saved for a few years. The clerk is to obtain quotes for this work.
• Public Rights of Way: (IC) – Prideaux Lane has been cut at the top half, but the lower section and Strete Gate picnic site need cutting. It appears that free range chickens may be loose on the bottom of Prideaux Lane, this would potentially not be safe for these animals as dogs are often along this path, the clerk is to notify the footpath officer.
• Strete Sands, Strete Gate, Pilchard’s Cove: (IC & KG) – the car park surfacing is underway and it is hoped that motorcycle spaces can be incorporated. However there does not appear to be sufficient drainage for the spring holes in the centre of the car park, this was relayed to RF who is to raise concerns with the team at SHDC as it could damage the new surface.
• Tannen Land (Community Area) & Dog Waste Bin: (BS) – the grass has been cut this month and is awaiting strimming.
• Milestones: (MH) Matts Point needs cutting back, the other two just need minor trimming.
• Website: (Editor – Clerk) – the host company, Crystal Clear IT Solutions have disappeared, AP is unable to contact them. Therefore the company approached for information a year ago was re-contacted with a view to taking a back up of the site initially and making proposals for hosting etc. JS proposed suspending Standing Orders for this item, seconded by KG, all were in agreement due to the fact that this matter was raised since the agenda was prepared and it involved committing expenditure. As it was possible that the site could disappear at any time it was agreed to urgently go ahead. Richard Portway is highly recommended and in the absence of any other recommendations, the quote in the sum of circa £164 plus VAT was accepted. The clerk is to organise and once it is up and running, the content can be updated. JS then proposed reinstating Standing Orders, seconded by MH, all were in agreement.
0612/9 SOUTH WEST COASTAL FOOTPATH
No items to report, the footpath team are still negotiating the compensation payments and awaiting the September start date. It is hoped the minutes will be available from the meeting held at Follaton House in April.
0612/10 TRAND LIMITED
Update on meeting held on 31.5.12. – the plans received at the meeting showed a sample development layout of 20 houses, but it was not in context with the field, surroundings and orientation, so the group were asked to return with a new plan showing all these points. Plus the exact percentage of social housing and private market housing needs to be clarified with SHDC, it is thought that this needs to be 30:70. Trand are also developing housing at Charleton. A follow up meeting will be held w/c 16th July.
0612/11 STRETE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
Updates to the draft plan have been made by MH, these need to be discussed, it was proposed and agreed a separate meeting be held for this purpose the same time as the Trand meeting, still TBA.
0612/12 PLANNING & PLANNING MATTERS
New applications to be considered by the PC at this meeting:
• 54/1222/12/F Fairwinds, Hynetown Road, Strete, TQ6 0RS – amendments to planning application 54/2529/11/F demolition of existing dwelling and garage and construction of replacement with widening of access – Case Officer – Ed Brown - following perusal of the new plans it was agreed that no objections shall be raised.
Applications brought forward from a previous meeting:
• None
SHDC DECISION NOTICES RECEIVED:
Applications GRANTED:
• None received.
Applications REFUSED:
• None received
Applications WITHDRAWN:
• None received.
0612/13 FINANCE
The Clerk supplied the Chairman with the bank balances as follows:
Current Account opening balance £5,033.93
Cheques to be approved for signature:
1168 Strete Parish Hall – hall hire £26.00
1169 Andrea Phillips – Clerk’s salary £207.81
1170 Smiths Gore – Play Park annual rent £1.00
1171 Think Nature - strimming £60.00
1172 SHDC – Annual Play Park inspection, insurance and maintenance £120.00
1173 Hawthorns Accounting – annual pay roll & HMRC charges £66.00
A separate pay committee had discussed an additional honorarium payment for the Clerk for extra hours. It was therefore proposed by MH, seconded by KG and agreed unanimously to award an extra payment of £200.00.
1174 Andrea Phillips – Clerk £200.00
i) to discuss possible donation towards StreteWise parish magazine and how much – this was discussed and fully agreed that StreteWise plays an important part not just for the parish in general but also in printing the full PC minutes, which does take up several pages each time. It is a question of cost v quality, 90p b/w printed and 30p b/w copied in-house but with lower quality paper and print. The cost perhaps needs to be raised or print quality lowered to break even. There are just over 200 sold each print run but these are decisions for the Editor. It was therefore proposed by TC, seconded by BS and agreed unanimously to donate £200 towards the publication this year and to take each year as it comes once full costs are known, as this year has been different due to the Jubilee coverage, extra printing costs and an extra publication.
1175 StreteWise £200.00
Total expenditure £880.81
Balance £4,153.12
Funds received –
Half precept Total received - £3597.31
Current account closing balance £7,750.43
Petty Cash £10.30
Reserve Account opening balance £10,240.57
Funds received: nil
Reserve account closing balance £10,240.57
It was proposed and AGREED by all present to authorise payments as enumerated above.
0612/14 POINTS OF INFORMATION
The following items will be available in the mail bag to be circulated.
• Cluster Meeting to be held on 19th July at the Guildhall, Dartmouth – agree attendees. – this is not possible as it
is the date of the PC meeting, the Clerk is to advise SHDC of this and request a change of date for the next meeting.
• Open Door – Tor Homes publication
0612/15 CORRESPONDENCE
• Martin Sobey – Parish Jubilee Committee – thanking the PC for donation
0612/16 REPORTS
TC is to attend the Dartmouth Transport meeting on 18.7.12.
It was agreed that the Jubilee celebrations were magnificent for the whole parish, the accounts have ended at this stage at £17 in credit, but it is not known if all accounts are in, this outcome and available budget was due in part to huge generosity from some parishioners together with DCC, SHDC, the Captain Pearson Memorial Fund, the Parish Hall committee and the Youth Club. KG thanked IC for organising the bonfire and beacon, both of which went well.
Earlier in the week and since the agenda was posted, the PC was notified of the necessity to adopt a new Standards regime with new Declarations of Interest and registerable interests to be reported. A DALC model has been received, SHDC’s is to follow next week, but a version has to be adopted by 1st July. It was therefore proposed once again to suspend Standing Orders to agree which model to adopt. The DALC one has been distributed before the meeting. The clerk enquired with SHDC as to whether it was prudent to adopt one model for now to be legally compliant and if it were desired to change any aspect, could this be done at a later date? The Solicitor replied that this made perfect sense and agreed. It was therefore proposed by KG and seconded by TC to adopt the DALC version. Standing Orders were reinstated.
0612/4 COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
JB is to write to all households on the petition regarding the Tannen Land to impress upon them that there is no danger of the land being developed. It is not part of SHDC Policy and couldn’t go ahead without community support and that it was generally better to work together and not in opposition.
The Locality budget of £1.10 per elector is to be spent on local issues but needs to be done jointly with another parish. It was proposed that the Clerk contacts Stoke Fleming PC to see what their ideas are and put forward ours of extra roadside strimming or general ground works where needed. The Kingsbridge Cluster Meeting is to be held on 11 July but it is really the Dartmouth one we need to be part of, especially with shared expenditure.
The road works are still continuing on Blackpool Bridge, JB was requested to find out a targeted completion date form DCC.
Hyne Town House needed the defibrillator during the month and reported that the pads will expire shortly. DR has contacted the Ambulance Service and is awaiting replacements.
It will be difficult for BS to attend the Coleridge Assn meeting at Frogmore later in the month, but as it is the AGM and Strete is the Chairman, he has agreed to attend as there were no other takers.
0612/17 THE NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY 19 JULY 2012 IN STRETE PARISH HALL at 7.30PM.
THE MEETING WAS CLOSED at 8.55 p.m.
Signed: Cllr Tony Crawford (Chairman)
Dated: 19 JULY 2012
