Minutes – December 15th 2022

LYDFORD PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the meeting held on

Thursday 15th December 2022 at 7:00pm

  1. Public Session (15 minutes)
  • Councillors received a presentation from Paul Brookes organizing the 2023 Walking of the Bounds. An outline of the event and possible costs had previously been circulated. 

The Council remains keen to support the event as best it can, although it was felt that a figure of £500 may be an issue.

  • Sue Powne introduced Dan Morrow, CEO of Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust who gave Councillors an outline of what the primary school hope to do to celebrate the Coronation scheduled for 6th May. It is hoped that pupils will be designing and printing tea towels and possibly decorating pasties, which will be to be supplied to every house in the village. The MAT has some funds available for the Coronation but will likely be asking the Council for up to £300 towards their costs for the celebration. Plan to follow in January.
  • Dan explained that sufficient funds have now been raised to allow the school to buy the parcel of land adjoining the school. A new wooden hut will be purchased to replace the existing one and will be called Coronation Lodge. The Council was assured that no other structures will be erected on the land. 
  • Representatives from the organising committee for Lydford Lights expressed disappointment at receiving an email from a Councillor outlining complaints he had received about the impact of parking on the night of the event and would have preferred to have received a telephone call.
  • Apologies for absence
  • Cllrs MacIntyre, Tainsh, Mott & Southcott 
  • Declarations of Interest
  • Nil
  • Any urgent business not listed on the agenda below, by permission of the Chair.
  • Nil
  • Parking in School Road 
  • Already discussed
  • Speedwatch
  • Councillor Cook explained that he felt Speedwatch had been established to gather data on the actual speed of vehicles through the village in response to complaints from parishioners of speeding traffic, going back a number of years. The evidence of a number of Speedwatch sessions was outlined, explaining that only a small percentage of the traffic recorded in those sessions was exceeding the speed limit, and an even smaller percentage was doing so by any reportable amount. No new Speedwatch session are planned now until spring. 
  • It is known that Councillor Southcott is trying to find an alternative site for the Speedwatch group to use.
  • Councillor Skeaping felt that for safety reasons what is needed in the village is a 20mph limit. 
  • Planning Applications:

Councillors supported both applications – 

  • Application 0454/22 Higher Watervale Farm – convert redundant outbuilding to a holiday cottage. 
  • Application 22/0056 – fell three trees with ash dieback, Lydford Castle
  • Minutes of the Meeting 15th November 2022

Councillors resolved to agree the minutes – proposed Cllr Squires, seconded Cllr Cook, all in favour.

  • Matters arising from the meeting 15th November 2022 
  • Flag policy has been amended as agreed and published
  • Meeting agreed with Richard Drysdale 20th December 15.30 (AP1) – Clerk to propose agenda and publish to Cllrs
  • Planning application 0392/22 Bella Mead has been withdrawn
  • Councillor Skeaping is in discussions with a local handyman to get price to repair the Council notice board outside the Nicholls Hall.
  1. Public toilets
  • Councillors were disappointed with the very small number of responses from parishioners to the question of whether the Council should continue to to fund the toilets, but noted that the responses has been unanimously to close them. A number of possible options were discussed but any decision should be delayed until the January meeting pending Councillors’ meeting with Dartmoor National Park and St Austell Brewery scheduled for 20.12.22   
  1. Budget
  • Councillors accepted the basic outline for next year’s budget – increasing the grant funds to be made available for special events such as the Coronation celebrations and Walking the Bounds. Final decision postponed until January meeting and resolution of the question of the toilets.
  1. Finances
  1. J. Bright                            £161.89           Website hosting 2022-23
    1. J. Bright                              £35.99           Printer cartridges
    1. J. Bright                            £562.54           December salary + backdated pay increase
    1. HMRC                              £136.00           PAYE December

Councillors approved the payments, proposed Cllr Blackmore, seconded Cllr Grigg, all in favour.

  1. Grant requests
  • Councillors declined a request for funding from West Devon Citizens’ Advice Bureau.
  • No decision was reached on granting funds towards the cost of Walking the Bounds 2023. Councillors wanted to wait until they had made their final budget decision in January and the organiser Paul Brookes is currently uncertain as to exactly how much he needs because he is also pursuing sponsorship from local businesses.
  1. Election May 2023
  • It was agreed that the Council should start trying to attract candidates for the next Council (AP2) – clerk to publicise election through parish magazine, Facebook, website.
  • Election Reserve stands at £800
  • Councillors approved the Clerk’s attendance on a course on preparing for the elections.
  1. Reports from Outside Bodies
  • Nil
  1. Playground (standing item)
  • Repairs to equipment. – actions have presently stalled. Cllr MacIntyre is known to be talking to someone about carrying out the necessary repairs. Cllr Blackmore to chase up.
  1. Actions taken under delegated authority
  • Nil

Meeting closed 20:24

Date of next meeting – Tuesday 10th January 2023

Action Points:

01Clerk to produce an agenda for Cllrs meeting with DNP and SAB ahead of 20.12.2022Written and shared 18.12.2022
02Clerk to advertise elections in May and invite candidates. Parish magazine, website and Facebook campaign.Campaign started with items in all three media.