Minutes – September 21st 2021

Minutes of the meeting of Lydford Parish Council, held on

Tuesday 21st September 2021 at 7:00pm

At the Nicholls Hall, Lydford

Present: Cllr Squires (Chair); Cllr Grigg; Cllr Skeaping; Cllr Cook; Cllr Blackmore; Cllr Sanders (DCC); Cllr Southcott (WDBC); 4 members of the parish; John Bright (Clerk)

  1. Public Session (15 minutes or at the discretion of the Chair)
  2. The brambles in the hedge at the edge of the vacant plot in Hawthorn Park are growing out onto the footpath and are will soon be of a size to pose a danger to passing pedestrians. Cllr. Grigg to contact owners to arrange for the hedge to be trimmed. (AP1)
  3. Councillors were thanked for their actions over the Yew Trees at Town Farm.
  • Apologies for Absence

Cllr MacIntyre (abroad); Cllr Tainsh (work commitment). Apologies accepted.

  • Declarations of Interest 

            Nil

  • Minutes of the meeting held 13th July 2021

Resolved that the minutes be accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

            Proposed – Cllr Grigg, seconded Cllr Blackmore. All in favour

  • Matters arising from the meeting 13th July 2021

(For information only)

  • Platinum Jubilee Councillors remain keen to support any initiative parish might want to lead. Parishioners to be invited with repeat article in Parish Newsletter (AP2)   
  • Path from Hawthorn Park – Cllr Sanders has reminded Highways repeatedly that the surface needs spraying to kill moss. Cllr Squires will run his own sprayer over the path (AP3). Matter now closed.
  • VAS on A386 opposite Lydford Farm Shop – The sign appears to be operating effectively at the moment. No need for further action at present, this matter is now closed.
  • Meeting with representative of TORS Group – Cllr Squires will meet with a representative from TORS (Andy Roden). Clerk to arrange (AP4)
  • SpeedWatch through Lydford – Cllr Southcott is awaiting confirmation from D&CC on approved sites for volunteers. Requested email addresses of volunteers received to date (AP5)
  • Update on matters that have arisen since last meeting

(For discussion & information only)

  • Replacement Home Guard seat outside Merriment House – Helen Hardy has offered to sponsor the new bench. This offer has been accepted and the bench ordered. There is a lead time so the bench is unlikely to be delivered for at least another four weeks. There will need to be an address for the bench to be delivered to and someone to install it and remove the old bench. Clerk to contact suggested member of the village who lives close to Merriment House, and a handyman who can undertake jobs like this (AP6)
  • Repainting of Phone Box outside Nicholls Hall – BT have been contacted. They are currently considering whether the door needs replacing as it appears rotten in places.
  • Reports from Outside Bodies

Nil

  • Borough Councillors Report (previously circulated)

Councillor Southcott reported that there are ongoing waste collection issues. The reasons have been frequently reported. 

Councillor Sanders explained to the Council the background to the consultation on new DNP by-laws, which is now open. Largely the purpose is to create laws which rangers can enforce as the existing laws are not enforceable. The draft by-laws are not written in stone and feedback is strongly requested. The survey is available at https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/about-us/who-we-are/byelaws-consultation

  • Climate Change Emergency (Standing Item)

Whilst other issues have prevented Council action on this, Councillors remain keen to bring a charging point to the village. Clerk to make enquiries of WDBC about the support that might be available to help this project along. (AP7)

  1. Public toilets (standing item)

Toilets will be closed as usual from the end of October to the beginning of April 2022. They will be drained down prior to closure.

Saturday 25th Councillor Grigg is to meet with parishioners who have offered help and guidance with possible installation of CCTV. (AP8)

  1. Playground (standing item)
    1. Councillor Blackmore completed a safety inspection of the play equipment and identified an issue with the swing set.
    1. Councillor Blackmore will ask Mr. Ross Simmons if he would be willing to undertake repairs. (AP9) Councillors agreed that going forward it would make sense to retain someone who could be called upon to maintain the equipment and carry out minor repairs when needed. Clerk to make enquiries (AP10)
  1. Finances
    1. Monthly payments

Councillors resolved to approve the following payments:

  1. J Bright                   £25.99             Toilet supplies
  2. J Bright                 £307.52             Salary September
  3. HMRC                                 £72.40             PAYE September

Proposed – Cllr Cook, seconded – Cllr Grigg. All in favour

  • Financial update

Councillors received and approved an update on spending against budget.

  • Microsoft Office licence

Councillors approved the purchase of 1 year’s licence @ £48 + VAT for the Council laptop.

  1. Actions taken under delegated authority since last meeting:
  1. Payments made –

10.9.2021 – Jade Tennant (Toilet cleaning August) – £481.00

18.8.2021 –

  1. John Bright (Zoom subscription, June) – £14.39
  2. Jade Tennant (toilet cleaning July) – £573.50
  3. John Bright (salary August) – £307.52
  4. John Bright (PPE) – £4.00
  5. Evans Plumbing (repairs to toilets) – £132.00
  6. John Bright (Zoom subscription July) – £14.39

All noted by Councillors

  1. Planning Applications:

Councillors agreed to support both planning applications – 

  • 0471/21 Smalland, Lydford – change of use of ground floor of existing barn to residential
  • 0480/21 Higher Beardon, Lydford – enclose a gated elevation to agricultural building
  1. Council Policies:

Councillors resolved to adopt – 

  1. Code of Conduct 2021  V.1 (Re-written using new model from WDBC)
    1. Lydford Reserves Policy V.2 (update of existing policy) 

Proposed – Cllr Squires, seconded – Cllr Blackmore. All in favour.

  1. Any other urgent business for discussion by permission of the chairman.

(For information only)

Councillor Cook asked that the Royal British Legion Plymouth be contacted to supply wreaths for this year’s remembrance Sunday and that the matter be placed on the agenda of next meeting to agree Council’s actions in the absence of Cllr MacIntyre. (AP11)

Clerk wondered whether either of the grit bins needed re-stocking ready for the coming winter. Cllr Skeaping to check and report (AP12)

A recent email from Devon County Council gave details of an initiative called Saving Devon Treescapes, as a part of which local councils can act as hubs to distribute small saplings of British native trees to people to plant. Clerk to notify SDT of the Council’s interest and outline the project through the parish newsletter. (AP13)

Date of next meeting – Tuesday 12th October 2021

Nicholls Hall, Lydford

Action points:

1Cllr. Grigg to contact owners to arrange for the hedge outside the vacant lot in Hawthorn Park to be trimmed. 
2Clerk to action “Parishioners to be invited with repeat article in Parish Newsletter” in October newsletter.To October Newsletter
3Cllr Squires will run his own sprayer over the path in Hawthorn Park to kill moss. 
4Clerk to arrange meeting between representative of TORS Group (Andy Roden) and Cllr Squires Email 27.9.2021
5Clerk to forward email addresses of SpeedWatch volunteers received to date to Cllr SouthcottCompleted 26.9.2021
6Clerk to contact suggested member of the village who lives close to Merriment House to receive and store the new Home Guard bench, and a handyman who can undertake installation.Enquiries made 27.9.2021
7Clerk to make enquiries of WDBC about the support that might be available to help the charging point project along.Email 27.9.2021
8Councillor Grigg to meet with parishioners who have offered help and guidance with possible installation of CCTV 
9Councillor Blackmore will ask Mr. Ross Simmons if he would be willing to undertake repairs to the swing set in the Play Ground 
10Clerk to make enquiries to retain someone who could be called upon to maintain the equipment and carry out minor repairs when needed.Completed 24.9.2021
11Clerk to enquire of RBL Plymouth about ordering wreaths for this year’s Remembrance Day and to place the matter on next month’s agenda.Ordered on helpline 29.9.2021
12Cllr Skeaping to check on quantity of grit available in the two parish bins.Completed 25.9.2021
13 Clerk to notify Saving Devon’s Treescapes of the Council’s interest and outline the project through the parish newsletter.Completed 27.9.2021