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Whitestone Parish Council

PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES February 2012

Minutes of Whitestone Parish Council held at Whitestone Parish Hall on Thursday 9th February 2012

Attendance: Chairman – Councillor P Nierop
Councillors Mrs M Belt, Mrs P Fisher, S Heathcote, D Munro, Mrs B Netherway, R Phillips, M Quinn.
County Councillor J Brook (for part of the meeting)
Mrs P Vaughan, Clerk to the Council
Mr C Hodge, Mrs S Greenfield
Apologies: Councillors A Reed, A Skeet, District Councillor P Bromell 

The meeting was preceded by the February Draw for the 100 Club in support of the Parish Hall Development Fund. The number drawn was 92 and belongs to Vicky Bryant.

The Chairman opened the meeting and invited County Councillor Brook to make a report to the meeting. Cllr Brook said that he had attended a Devon County Council budget meeting when cuts to services were discussed but it was hoped that £5m extra might be available for “C” road maintenance although it was obvious that reductions in the general budget would be made.

Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 12th January 2012 having been circulated were taken as read and signed as a true copy by the Chairman.

PLANNING 
Planning Applications
12/0037/FUL Extension to existing garage to create storage in roof space at Edenfield, Whitestone.
Councillors discussed the application and plans and there were no objections.

Cllrs Belt and Phillips declared an interest in the following application.
12/00281/FUL Demolition of existing boat store and garage roof and rebuild with additional storage at floor level for domestic use at Merry View, Whitestone. Councillors discussed the application and plans and there were no objections.

Grant of Conditional Planning
11/03862/FUL Installation of a solar photovoltaic array and associated equipment at Attwells Farm
11/03797/FUL Erection of an industrial building and demolition of two existing buildings (extension of time for implementation of planning permission granted in 2008) at Cross Park Farm, Heath Cross.
11/03845/FUL Alterations and extensions to existing dwelling at Heath House.
11/03752/VAR Variation of condition 2 on planning permission 09/02530/FUL to change approved garage to single garage with car port at Way Farm Barn.

MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION
School Houses – replacement of faulty cooker
As resolved at the January meeting members of the Asset Sub Committee had made an inspection of the kitchen at 1 School Houses and quotations have been obtained for its refurbishment and the provision of a new cooker. Three quotations had been obtained and it was resolved to accept the lowest of these at £3000 plus VAT. It was agreed to allocate £3,500 in total which would allow for any extras which might be necessary. It was resolved that the Asset Sub Committee contact the tenants and go ahead with this refit as soon as possible as the complaint regarding the cooker had been ongoing since late December. A vote of thanks was given to the Asset Group for their work on the Council’s behalf.

Notification has been received from Parish Hall Management Committee of their intention to remove the damaged notice board historically used for Parish Council notices. Discussion followed and the offer by the Management Committee for the Council to have exclusive use the other notice board on the wall of the Hall was accepted. Also discussed at this juncture were concerns by some Councillors, which had been raised at a previous meeting, regarding the publication of minutes prior to their ratification at the next Council meeting. After discussion it was resolved by majority vote that as from this meeting minutes should not be published until authenticated and signed as a true copy. The Clerk would advise the Parish Magazine editor accordingly.

Quotes for condition survey and 10 year asset maintenance plan
It was reported that three quotes of £3,400 (plus VAT); £1,900 (plus VAT); and £750 (plus VAT) have been received and the tenders were discussed. It was resolved that expenditure of £750 (plus VAT) could be incurred but that the two lowest quotations should be investigated further in regard to the electrical inspections of the houses with a view to reducing the quoted fee. It was also felt that the annual inspection which was carried out by ROSPA on Crossway Park would be adequate for the maintenance plan. 

Quotes for management of tenancy agreements for School Houses
Seven quotations had been received with rates for management ranging from 12.5% down to 8%. In view of the complicated agreements accompanying the quotes it was resolved that Cllr Nierop and Cllr Quinn should examine these in the first instance and bring forward the qualifying firms for consideration by the Council.

MATTERS RAISED BY THE CHAIRMAN
There were no matters raised.

FINANCE 
Expenditure The following accounts were proposed and seconded for payment. All in favour 
Whitestone Parish Hall Management Committee (February donation) - £125.00
Clerk’s expenses - £31.09 
Councillor Munro Parish Paths expenses for the year - £13.80
Councillor Munro expenses for materials used to fix gate at Crossway Park in October 2011 - £10.35. A vote of thanks was passed to Cllr Munro for undertaking this repair.

CORRESPONDENCE
Teignbridge District Council Green Spaces and Active Leisure – Active Villages. Confirmation that Ben Ayres will come and give a talk at 7pm prior to the March Council meeting. The Clerk was requested to ask if this information could be included in the Parish magazine and on the Whitestone website in order that parishioners were aware.

Request from Tedburn St Mary Parish Council that this Council joins forces to request positive moves from Devon County Council Highways regarding the dangerous ice that forms on the road between the two parishes just south of Heath Cross. It was resolved that the Clerk should instigate this.

Devon County Council – Highways and Traffic Management. Report that the crossroads sign at Heath Cross has already been issued for replacement and should be in place shortly. Contractor has been instructed to carry out repairs to all safety defects on road leading to Oldridge Woods.

Teignbridge District Council – Consultation documents for the Teignbridge Core Strategy 2012-2033 Preferred Options were distributed. This consultation is now taking place with a closing date for comments of Friday 2nd March and can be viewed on the Teignbridge website.

Teignbridge District Council – invitation to attend a Tree Warden Forum on 18th April. Cllr Munro expressed an interest and the Clerk will forward information to him.

REPORTS
The Chairman asked if Mrs Greenfield would like to report on the Parish Plan. Mrs Greenfield said the Group has had their second meeting and said that she will be acting as Chair of the group. The Group were hopeful that financial matters could be dealt with through the Parish Council avoiding the need to set up separate financial arrangements. She would write formally to the Council about this. It was confirmed that a sum had been set aside within the Council budget to fund any expenses incurred for the Parish Plan. She gave a brief report saying that she would liaise with the Clerk regarding the possibility of supplying a written report in time for circulation to Councillors for their monthly meetings. 

Concern was expressed regarding the footpath running from the rear of the Hall to Crossways and Cllr Munro agreed that it was very waterlogged. 

It was noted that the grit bin which was at Trillow Corner had been removed and the Clerk was requested to report this to the Highways Department together with a request for grit bags to be placed by Friars Ball Farm and Eastern Plateau.

It was noted that there was now a scheme in operation through the Community Council of Devon for the bulk buying of oil and parishioners interested could access this information through their website.

It was noted that the leaves in Church Hill had been cleared and the Clerk reported having had a conversation with a member of the staff at Teignbridge District Council regarding this when she had expressed the thanks of parishioners for this service.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 
Mrs Greenfield commented that she felt that with regard to the ice forming on roads this was due to the gulleys having been made shallower and thus preventing water draining away.

The meeting closed at 9.45pm