Bridford Parish Council minutes of meeting 7th March 2016

March at 7.00pm

(Clerk), Cnty Cllr Brook attended for part of the meeting. No members of the public were in attendance.

on 1st February 2016 as a true and accurate record of the meeting

Price carried out her weekly check and reported that there were no problems,

since the decision to rationalise the County gritting routes and with further major

financial reductions planned, it may be necessary to reduce the existing gritting

routes.   It would therefore not be possible to reconsider the decision to remove

Bridford from the primary gritting route. The Parish Council decided that it would

not give up and suggested that a diary note should be made in October to write to

the County Council again.

surface of any that have solidified.   To supply and additional grit bin on Pound

Lane would incur a cost. Suggested the Parish Council asks Cnty Cllr Brook if he

would be able to fund it. The Clerk will bring a map of the location of the bins in

the village to the next meeting to see if it would be possible to move an existing bin

to Pound Lane. Arrangements will be made to turn around the bin at the

bottom of Pound Lane to make it accessable.

Co-ordinator and will undertake the formal briefing in order for him to be covered

by Devon County Council’s insurance. Notices around the village and in Unity

asking for additional volunteers for his team.

the Parish Council to keep the old recycling bank. Cllr Price has registered the

Parish Council with the recycling company Bag to School which accept and pay

for good quality items for re-use. Details of what can and cannot be accepted will

be put up on the notice boards and published on the Parish website and in Unity.

Cllr Dowding suggested that storage might be possible in the waste paper collection

shed by constructing a shelf above the area where the paper is stacked.

From £1,110 – £2,000. Dst Cllr Ford will give £200 from her District Councillor’s

purse. The Parish Council is also holding proceeds from the sale of contents of the

textile bank which could be used. A defibrillator is of no use without basic first

aid knowledge. . It is probably more important to provide first aid training than a defibrillator. St John’s charge £250 plus V.A.T.. There are other local qualified

first aid trainers who will be contacted to see what they would charge for running a

course which ideally would be held on a Saturday in the summer.   Details of a

trainer, cost and date to be available at the next PC meeting.   Parishioners wishing

to attend a first aid course will be asked to make a suggested minimum donation of

£10.

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lighting to enable night time landing at the Play Area would have to be born by the

Parish Council. Planning permission would also be the Parish Council’s

responsibility. The approximate cost is not known but is likely to be expensive as

it would need to be remotely activated via mobile phone lines from the helicopter.

The Parish Council initially decided that this is not something that it would wish to

follow up at this time.

hold a garden party at Bridford Barton organised by the Church to raise funds for

the Church.   A Parish Councillor suggested that Bridford Parish Council should

send a birthday card to Her Majesty. Alan Fitzjohn to be contacted to see if he still

has any cards featuring the local church or if he would like to design a card,

smaller vehicles for future deliveries and given assurance that they will put right

any damage caused to neighbours boundary banks and hedges.   They have however

walked along Neadon Lane and cannot see any evidence of this. The removal of

a section of hedge was to enable lorries to turn around without trespassing on

neighbouring properties and to be able to go back down the hill and not through the

village. Mr & Mrs Vaines were not aware that planning permission was required to

remove a section of hedgerow which will be reinstated when building works have

been completed.

local MP Mel Stride on behalf of the Teign Valley ward asking for his action on

poor Broadband connection / speed and mobile phone coverage.

The District Council tax element will be increasing by 3.3%.   This was voted in at

the last full council and budget meeting.

The Local Government Boundary Commission of England is looking at the current

number of District Councillors, triggered by the fact that more than 30% of current

council wards have an electoral variance of more than 10% from the average.

It is suggested that there should be approximately 2,000 electorate for each

Councillor which may mean that the Teign Valley ward is expanded to take on

more Parishes. Teignbridge has voted to keep the current number of forty-six

ward councillors despite the increase in housing in Teignbridge, but the ultimate

decision will be made by the Commission

For Discussion

PC meeting when Cllr Evans will be present to share his ideas.

discussion and was able to explain more in detail what the application is about but

was unable to offer any advice as he will be chairing the planning meeting which

will make the decision.   The Parish Council will respond to the Consultation

requesting the authorities to place restrictions on weight limits and the

regular daily movement of vehicles on the B3193.

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been given a reprieve under public pressure.

Following a lobbying of MP’s by Devon County Council the County has secured

an additional £8.5m to the budget outcome. A considerable portion of this will be

utilised for Children and Young Peoples Services.   The Tour of Britain is returning

to Devon after a year’s absence and is expected to generate a lot of income for the

region. Good news, following an inquiry into Children’s and Young People’s

Servicers, DCC has received a letter lifting it from ‘inadequate measures’

Cnty Cllr Brook supports the Parish Council concerns over the gritting of Bridford

Hill in that although the population is less than 500, the village is vulnerable due to

its geographical location. However, the long term answer has to be for a Parish

approach together with the help of a Snow Warden and team. The Chairperson

confirmed that things are moving forward in this direction to restore the cover we

have had for the previous two years.   A Parish Councillor mentioned that there

does not appear to be a public consultation with regards to the Devolution Plan

With regards to the bidding process for Devolution, the Government said that

when the idea was proposed, it would be more favourable if more than one

authority was in the frame with the bid. Cornwall wished to go it alone and Devon

joined with Somerset. It is all about costs and securing a better deal with a more

local control of the financial package.

The Parish Council asked Cllr Brook if he could fund another grit box from his

County Councillors fund which he confirmed he would be able to do, but only the

£330 cost of the box and not the cost of supplying the additional salt.

shed/wood store (DNPA ref. 0665/15)

Birchdown Farm, Bridford – Grant of Conditional Planning re construction of two

bay car port and lean-to log store (DNPA ref. 0664/15)

Seven Acre Lane, Bridford – Grant of Conditional Planning re the creation of three

access gateways (DNPA ref. 0011/16)

Clerk of an additional thirteen hours for the month of February 2016

the annual increment increase from scale SCP22 £10.527 per hour to SCP23

£10.836 per hour with effect from 1st April 2016

duties in connection with the new Pension Rules and Regulations

Current account

Investment account

Play Area and £414.20 textile bank)

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Bank interest re January 2016

Teignbridge District Council re Electors Fund Grant to Village Hall

Clerks salary for February 2016 to include an additional thirteen hours

Bridford Village Hall payment of Electors Fund Grant

Information Commissioner re annual subscription

Current account

Investment account

The Parish Council resolved to approve the accounts and authorise the expenditure.

Cllr Dowding designated by the Chairperson checked the invoices to the cheque

book and the reconciliation to the bank statement.

accepted the resignation of James Atkinson following an recent court case relating

to an incident on the the Teign Valley road last July.

Prior to receiving the resignation, and following media coverage which resulted in a great number of complaints from the public, the Parish Council met for a special meeting

which Mr Atkinson declined to attend and issued the following official statement:

“Mr Atkinson’s behaviour and demeanour, as evidenced by the Court verdict and a

photograph in the public domain was completely unacceptable.

The local; Government Code of Conduct only applies to elected representatives

when they are discharging official duties and at the time of the incident, Mr

Atkinson was not acting as a representative of the Parish Council.

The Parish Council has taken professional advice and is constrained to actions

which are according to the law.   James Atkinson was elected by due process and

for legal reasons cannot be removed from office.

Mr Atkinson believes that he continues to have sufficient local support from the

Electorate and therefore a mandate to continue in office.”

A notice of Casual Vacancy has been issued dated 26th February 2016,stating

that unless ten or more persons of the Electorate contact Teignbridge District

Council by 17th March 2016 asking for an election, then the Parish Council may

co-opt. Details to be published in Unity and on the website asking anybody

wishing to be considered to contact the Clerk.

the road may now have been cleared by workman. Enquiries to be made.

the Rural Services Network

newsletters are being received to keep everyone up to date.   Response from the

Parish Council not considered necessary.

published in Unity.                                         8

£20 by visiting [email protected]

Devon Neighbourhood Plan Road show 18th March at Hannah’s (Seale-Hayne)

Newton Abbot

the road past Hillside view to the junction at Commons Hill will be closed from 4th

to 5th May 2016 to enable Open Reach Works to replace a decayed pole in the

same position and erect one new drop wire . The alternative diversion will be

signposted.

Examination. The submitted documents can be viewed on DCC’s website or at

County Hall, Exeter during normal office hours.

to members of the Parish Council.

will not be represented.

Cox to be asked if he will repair it.   It is understood that there was a fund set up

at the old Post Office originally which Parishioners could pay into to support the

Village Garden.   Enquiries will be made to Kathy Fitzjohn to see if she still has

any information. Ownership of the garden is still not known since the death of all

three of the local people who originally purchased the piece of land for the benefit

of the Parish.- Cllr Miles mentioned that ownership of the title of the land can be

obtained from HM Land Registry for a fee of £12. Cllr Miles kindly offered to

arrange for the appropriate search to be made to establish current ownership.

A Parish Councillor reported branches leaning on telephone wires. The owners

of the land in question to be contacted and asked to make arrangements for the

branches to be cut back.

Pound Lane Hedge & Commermorative Tree Area – Cllr Price reported that

volunteers have managed to cut back a significant 20m section including several

ash and sycamore trees which were getting very tall, at the top of Pound Lane.

This follows on from last winter when about half of the overgrown hedge was

cut back. A small pile of cuttings will be cleared away leaving the area neat and

tidy. In addition, the length of hedge that was cut back last year has been trimmed

manually. The commemorative trees look much better and have made good even

growth now that they are no longer overshadowed.

Monday 4th April 2016 in the upstairs room at Bridford Village Hall at 7.00pm

Original copy of minutes signed by the Chairperson   4th April 2016

CORRESPONDENCE FOR CIRCULATION

Dunsford PC January minutes

Junk Mail issue 17

Clerks and Councils Direct March 2016

Letter from Philip Fowler – Chairman Moretonhampstead District Hospital

Amendments of the Electoral Register

Various

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