Minutes – November 12th 2024

Present: Cllrs Hulett (Chair), Moyse, Lenton L, Skeaping, Cook, Lenton K, Cllrs Mott & Southcott (WDBC), Alex Rehaag (West Devon and Dartmoor National Park Lead on Affordable Housing), Simon Thompson (NT Lydford Gorge), two members of the parish.

  1. Public Session:
    No matters were raised.
  2. Apologies for absence: Cllr Gilpin – business. Accepted.
  3. Declarations of Interest
    Cllr Skeaping felt that there might be a conflict of interest when dealing with the planning application for the Forest Lodge.
  4. Affordable housing in Lydford
    The question of whether affordable housing is required in the village has been one that Councillors have considered intermittently for some time, and how – if such a need is identified – might developers for such housing be found? Alex Rehaag (Affordable Housing lead for WDBC & DNPA) attended the meeting on invitation to explain to Councillors how they might proceed to find an answer.

Alex described the present position of Lydford’s housing stock, with only one council property remaining in the village. There are no other suitable properties available for local families to rent. Alex reminded Councillors that Lydford has an aging population which will need care and support going forward. Without affordable housing the village will not have a local population of workers who could provide that care and support. Given Lydford’s geographical isolation from the major local centres of population at Okehampton and Tavistock it will prove difficult to obtain the services of carers.

The Dartmoor Plan does not presently allocate any new housing to Lydford over the next 5 years, and only some 63 houses across the entirety of Dartmoor.

The primary school is struggling to enroll sufficient students. Presently there are 26 learners registered. The school has a potential roll of 40. Many students come from outside of the village. The Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust has stated publicly that it has no intention of closing Lydford’s primary school.

Alex asked whether it was known how many have needed to move from Lydford because of unaffordable costs for rent / transport etc. Although examples could be cited, the council were unable to give a clear number.

Alex explained that the next step needs to be establishing Lydford’s affordable housing need. To that end she offered to produce a postcard questionnaire for local residents to complete. Hopefully, enough of the local population will engage with this indicative survey. (AP1 – Alex will produce a postcard which can be put about the village to informally gauge the local need).

Councillors explained that concerns have been raised by parishioners that the introduction of affordable housing into the village would have a detrimental effect on the rest of the village. Alex explained that a legal agreement can be attached to each house restricting who could live in the property. The first priority would go to be local need, specifically those who are living or working in the village. The second priority would be given to those living or working in neighbouring villages. Should there be insufficient applicants from these groups, only then might suitable candidates from neighbouring towns and from villages through wider West Devon be given the opportunity to apply.
The agreements would mean that any houses built would remain in the public arena – they could not be sold off.

  1. Minutes of the meeting 8th October 2024
    With one minor alteration the minutes were agreed by all, and duly signed by the Chair.
  2. Matters arising from the meeting 8th October 2024
    • Concerns have been raised by local visitors to Lydford Gorge that access for Lydford parishioners to certain parts of the site have recently become limited and Simon Thompson from NT had been invited to attend and explain.

Simon explained that certain walks have had to be closed because water erosion has made them dangerous. Some paths are not able to withstand a heavy footfall when wet. There has also been a change in the usage of some buildings, which has also produced a change to some of the pathways. A wooden “wall” has been put up to prevent damage to one track, but you can walk around it.

In response to the wider issue of access for Lydford residents, Simon explained that the National Trust has consulted lawyers, who stated that they found nothing in the deeds transferring the Gorge site to the National Trust that says Lydford parishioners have free entry.

• Councillors were surprised to note that a team from South Hams District council had made an attempt to clean the War Memorial recently.

• Following on from the various – very mixed – messages coming from different branches of Devon Highways, it was concluded that the 20’s Plenty signs can in fact be re-installed, provided they are installed on private land.

Some time ago the parish council expressed an interest in being involved in the Devon Highways project to reduce the speed of traffic to 20mph though Devon villages. Following changes to Highways’ funding, they are proposing to resurrect the project for those villages (including Lydford) which have already signed up. Funding permitting, the scheme is hoped to reach Lydford during 2025/26 or 2026/27.

Lydford’s support for the campaign led by Councillors at Moretonhampstead to get the DNPA to impose a blanket 20mph limit in all of the villages on Dartmoor will continue.

  1. Playground

Councillors noted that despite having been reported in August, the repairs needed to the Stairs and Platform equipment at the playground have not been carried out and the equipment remains out of service.

Councillors resolved unanimously that until an agreement could be reached between the council and the Sports Field Trustees the council will continue to work to the existing agreement, with the council effectively taking sole responsibility for operating and maintaining the playground.

(AP2 – Cllrs Hulett and L Lenton to obtain quotes from trade contacts for repairs to the equipment, to be compared with the one forwarded by the Trustees some weeks ago).

(AP3 – Clerk to formulate response to Trustees’ offer to maintain the equipment from Sports Field funds, outlining the changes that the council will need to see in place before agreement can be reached.)

(AP4 – Clerk to circulate the council’s proposal for a new agreement between the Trustees and the council, in the light of the offer from Trustees to assume responsibility for repairing the equipment.)

Councillors noted the following relevant points:

a) The council holds a dedicated reserve of £690.79 to cover repairs to the playground equipment.

b) The agreement between Sports Field Trustees and the council reaches its 10-year anniversary in January 2025, after which it can be terminated by either side with 6 months’ notice.

c) The council’s insurance, which covers the owners and operators or the equipment as well as the users, stipulates that repairs to the equipment should be carried out by a “competent person”. It is felt that this term relates to any properly qualified or experienced tradesperson. Such repairs do not require re-inspection. DIY repairs should not be permitted.

d) An offer of a donation to support the council’s work with the playground has been received from a member of the parish who wishes to remain anonymous. (AP5 – Clerk to write with a vote of thanks.)

e) Councillors have received notice that the voluntary arrangement by which the new dog bin at the sports field is emptied cannot continue. It was decided that the Trustees be informed so that they can make alternate arrangements as the bin is on their land. (AP6 – Clerk to write to the Trustees.)

  1. Planning applications

i. Planning application 0379/24 erection of mast on land at Wilsworthy Range (Peter Tavy parish land). Consultation requested by Planning Officer because the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment has identified a limited impact upon Lydford parish. Councillors voted by a majority to oppose the application on the grounds of visual intrusion.

ii. Retrospective application Forest Lodge – permission for a holiday caravan 2302/24/FUL
Councillors voted by a majority to object to this application on the grounds that it would be yet more holiday accommodation within the village, which is not sustainable.

  1. School Defibrillator (Cllr L Lenton) The primary school is happy to donate the defibrillator to the council. The proposal is that the device will be available outside the school. The parish council will need to obtain and supply a suitable cabinet and arrange for an electrician to install it.(AP7 – Cllr L Lenton to obtain a best price for such a cabinet and a quote for the cabinet to be installed.)
  2. Disabled parking bay
    The council agreed that a complaint be raised online with Devon Highways about the errors in the installation and misuse of the parking bay. (AP8 – Clerk to raise complaint).
  3. Budget 2025-26
    There being no proposals received for community projects for the coming year, Councillors agreed to set a neutral budget for 2025/26 with only an inflation-based increase. (AP9 – Clerk to produce first draft of the budget).
    The cost of maintaining the playground to come from reserves if necessary.
  4. Finances
    a. Councillors resolved to approve the following payments:

i. J. Bright £523.09 November salary + backdated pay increase
ii. HMRC £126.20 PAYE November

Proposed Cllr Hulett, seconded Cllr Skeaping. All in favour.

b. Christmas Tree grant 2024
Cllr Hulett proposed that the council award a grant of £50 to the Nicholls Hall Trustees to support them in their purchase of the village Christmas tree. Seconded Cllr L Lenton. All in favour.

c. Clerk overtime
Councillors approved the payment to the Clerk of 4 hours overtime, being an excess of contracted hours over the period April to October 2024.

d. Banking reconciliation for period 1.4.24 to 30.10.24

Opening balance 1.4.24 £10,705.30 Bank holdings at 30.10.24
Add receipts £10,558.64 Deposit Account £14,536.83
Less payments £6,719.68 Current Account £7.43
£14,544.26 £14,544.26

e. Actions taken under the Scheme of Delegation

Transfers:  
        6.11.24 - £650.00 from savings acc to current acc

Both items noted by Councillors

  1. Business not listed on the agenda, by permission of the Chair.

The Chair wanted to express the council’s thanks to Wilf Haydon and Leah Brendon for their help in laying the wreaths at the War Memorial on Remembrance Day. He also wanted to express thanks to Jared and staff from the Castle Inn for ensuring that there was no parking on the grass verge at the top of Gorge Hill on the evening of their fireworks display.

The dog waste bin at the end of the Granite Way j/w School Road is reported as full and the lid is broken off. (AP10 – Clerk to report the problem to the Waste department at West Devon BC.

It has been reported to the council that adverts for Mary Tavy primary school are being fly-posted around the village. Councillors called for this to stop.

Meeting closed 9.35pm