North Bovey Parish Council – Minutes of the Meeting on 12th December 2023
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF NORTH BOVEY PARISH COUNCIL AT 7.30 PM 12th DECEMBER 2023
Present: Cllrs: E Pollard (Chairman), S Loughton, K Grist, G Ilett, and M Jones
In attendance: M Wylie (Clerk)
ITEM 1 – Chairman’s Welcome
1.1 The Chairman welcomed Councillors to the meeting
ITEM 2 – Apologies for absence
2.1 Cllr Button, Cllr J Jones, CCllr Gribble and DCllr J Farrand-Rogers
ITEM 3 – Public Participation
3.1 None
ITEM 4 – CCllr and DCllr reports
4.1 None
ITEM 5 – To approve minutes of previous meeting
5.1 The minutes of the meeting on 17th October 2023
ITEM 6 – Matters arising
6.1 None
ITEM 7 – Finance & Clerk’s report
7.1 The Clerk presented the payments due, for the Clerk’s salary, J Bush, DAAT donation. Approved and signed.
7.2 The Clerk presented the accounts to the end of November 2023 and the budget turnout to date; both were approved by the Council. It was suggested that a further signatory should be added to the account. The Clerk to download the forms needed. The Clerk had asked at the bank for a form to open a deposit account but was told that this should be done by a signatory.
7.3 Precept. TDC had indicated that, if possible, parishes should aim to keep this the same as before. Following discussion Cllr M Jones suggested 5% increase was more prudent given the benefits of the parish and potential futures costs (e.g. potential liability for tree or maintenance works and the Village Hall etc); yet 5% was still a reasonable figure and would enable the parish to remain well within the average range of other similar parishes within the Devon area. Discussion was had that it was better to have a reasonably modest incremental rise annually rather than a shock large rise later or to leave the PC underfunded. This was agreed. The Clerk to return the form to TDC stating +5% rise.
ITEM 8 – Planning
8.1 Lettaford – changes to mast? Granted
8.2 Bowda application – The Council has previously written to object to this application; the Chairman requested the Mary as Clerk also retrospectively submit to the LPA (Dartmoor National Park) the brief description given by the PC for the lack of support. The Clerk (MW) agreed to do so.
As discussed between some of the Council members, Cllr M Jones pointed out to the PC members present the apparent discrepancy contained within the Planning Statement of the existing application. Cllr Jones read out that the existing planning application states, on page 14 of the Planning Statement, “……as well as formalising and enhancing present informal public access throughout its entirety..…”. Reading of this insinuates an intention to create additional formal public rights of way within the woodland. However, elsewhere within the application no further mention of this is made and furthermore during the PC site visit it was verbally stated to the Chair that there was no intention to create new formalised public rights of way. Cllr Jones suggested that were such new formal rights of way created, the benefit to the local community in perpetuity by way of “Planning Gain” may be so great this might outweigh the potential harm of allowing the new dwelling in the countryside setting. Plans for mitigation of harm by use of Planning Gain agreements (or sec.106 notices) is reasonably common and could be something utilised by the DNP in this instance. As such Cllr Jones had made enquiries of the applicant’s Agent to clarify their intention but that nil response had been received. After discussion it was agreed that Cllr Jones should contact DNP direct by phone/email to seek clarification as it may be a matter the PC may wish to further deliberate. It could also, hypothetically, be something that may cause the PC to form a different view as to the merit of the application.
[Addendum – i) a copy of the email sent to the DNP is available via the publicly available DNP planning portal, application reference Application Reference Application 0469/23. ii) no response has been received from the DNP but the applicants Agent has written to the PC to confirm the applicant does not have the intention to create additional public rights of way]
ITEM 9 – DAAT
9.1 The Council to send the donation from the LOF for DAAT lights to DAAT as the money was no longer required
ITEM 10 – Date of next meeting 13th Feb 2024 at 7.30pm
ITEM 11 – AOB
11.1 A discussion started regarding a lack of repair of potholes in the parish. Cllr M Jones said he had recently successfully reported potholes on the Devon Highways website (link here Report a pothole – Devon County Council ) both for one on the Hospit Cross to Lustleigh road and on the North Bovey to Moretonhampstead road adjacent to the Sports and Leisure Centre and that both had been repaired within 10 days of reporting. It was suggested where potholes meet the requirement, more parishioners log the pothole to encourage repairs to be made.
11.2 It was suggested that an Asset Register of the parish be prepared (especially those which may give rise to a future liability). This could then be updated annually. The Chairman will let the Clerk know if he has been able to obtain a previous/historic one which can be updated.
11.3 Sincere thanks were expressed to the Conservation group and J Barrington, D Jenkin and K Grist in particular for their recent leaf clearing efforts. It was suggested parishioners could be encouraged to make use of the NB Whatsapp forum for matters such as this to generate maximum help and participation.
11.4 Dog fouling notices should be acquired for the village green, Cllr M Jones is making arrangement.
ITEM 12 – Other Items
12.1 Shovels should be available for salt distribution. The grit bags have been put out, but smaller bags would be useful. The bins are full; the bin at Lower Hill is broken. The Chairman thanked CLLr Loughton for dealing with the salt distribution and to D Jenkin for the Christmas Tree on the Green. Lights will be added later.
12.2 It was noted that the road to Moretonhampstead by the sports hall is always wet with overflowing surface water. TDC should be responsible for this, and for clearing the gullies, as this could be a danger in freezing weather on a main route out of North Bovey.
Close of meeting: 9pm
These minutes remain in draft form until they are approved by the Council and signed by the Chairman below.
Approved by North Bovey Parish Council and signed by the
Chairman …………………………………………………………..
