PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES - 12TH SEPTEMBER 2024
Minutes of Whitestone at Whitestone Parish Hall at 7.30pm on Thursday 12th September 2024
Attendance: Chair – Cllr T Baird
Councillors M Belt, A Evans, M Frankum, C Galton, C Lang, P Stott, M Baxendale-Nichols
Mrs P Vaughan, Clerk to the Council
District Councillor Kevin Lake
Mrs T Taylor, Mr P Mingo, Mr S Gibbons
Apologies:- Mrs L Fairley, District Councillor J Parrott
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Mr Gibbons said he was in attendance regarding a statement that had been made in the Parish Magazine that he had left the Parish and he wished it known that this was not true. Cllr Baird informed him that the Magazine was not printed by the Parish Council and therefore this statement had not been made by the Parish Council.
54. Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 11th July 2024 having been circulated were taken as read and signed by the Chair.
55. The resignation of Mrs Linda Fairley as the Chair owing to health reasons was reported and the meeting approved the appointment of Councillor Tracey Baird to take up the post and she duly signed her declaration of interest. The meeting then appointed Councillor Mary Belt as Vice Chair and she duly signed her declaration of interest..
56. Co-option of a new Councillor
An application having been received from Mrs Tina Taylor to become a member of the Council she subsequently signed the necessary declaration of acceptance of office and then joined the meeting.
57 REPORT FROM DISTRICT COUNCILLOR
District Councillor Lake spoke on objections made regarding Lower Hare Farm and Lower Brenton and stated that he was liaising with Cllr Lang regarding potholes within the Parish. A complaint had been made to the Council regarding Gratton House, i.e. “This property is a large 5 bedroom house which is let on Airbnb and various holiday rental sites. The recycling boxes are left at the top of the drive on a permanent basis and are always full to overflowing. The site is very exposed and consequently litter frequently blows out and litters the verge as far as the village. This is a totally unacceptable situation, could something please be done to mitigate the problem?” Cllr Lake said that he would look into this matter.
58 PLANNING - Applications can be viewed on line by going into the public access system at Teignbridge Planning following the directions giving the application reference. The following applications having been received from Teignbridge District Council with a request for comments were examined and responses were sent which can be viewed on Teignbridge District Council Planning site.
Planning Applications
58.1 24/01201/VAR Variation of condition 2 on planning permission 19/01872/FUL (office building and associated works) to amend design and siting of office building at Cross Park Farm, Heath Cross
This planning application is once again seeking approval for a variation of condition 2 on planning permission 19/01872/FUL. Whitestone Parish Council have discussed and considered this application and conclude that, similar to applications 23/01258/VAR and 23/01273/FUL, the lack of any planning statement and details as to what amendments the applicant actually wants and the justification for why changes are required as well as how they are to be implemented, raises more questions than it answers. We believe that this application is also a retrospective one, seeking office layout changes that had already been changed in the application 22/02218/FUL {retrospective} and was refused permission. As yet we are unsure whether the office layout originally approved in application 19/01872/FUL was ever completed in line with the plans submitted. Since the approved application 19/01872/FUL the applicant has submitted several additional applications seeking permission for changes to the internal layout of office space, access changes and change of use which have all been refused. The application 22/02218/FUL {retrospective} revealed that a swimming pool and director’s gym had been built on the lower ground floor which were not part of the approved 19/01872/FUL application. In relation to this latest application, 24/01201/VAR (and to all intents and purposes identical to application 23/01258/VAR), we note that the lower ground floor plan shows that the swimming pool and gym are replaced by office 3. We would appreciate it if Teignbridge District Council could visit the site to verify that the swimming pool and gym have indeed been fully removed.
The planning officer for the application 19/01872/FUL provided a detailed list of requirements in his report under condition 2 that not only included the office layout plans but included a comprehensive landscaping scheme and authorised one access point on to the highway. As condition 2 in application 19/01872/FUL was never fully implemented we therefore believe the list of policies that don’t comply with the Teignbridge Local Plan 2013 – 2033 identified by the planning officer in his report for application 22/02218/FUL still stand. These include EC3 {Rural Employment} as the office and presence of two separate access points results in a standalone building with no physical link to the existing business at Cross Park Farm, S1 {Sustainable development criteria}, S2 {Quality development}, EN2A {Landscape, protection and enhancement} and EN5 {Heritage assets} due to its proximity to a listed building namely Chants Cottage. The nature of the business has also changed with the addition of the site now registered as a vehicle test centre. To muddy the waters further, there is yet another planning application pending, 24/00370/FUL, for the provision of an agricultural livestock building.
Whitestone Parish Council still find it hard to justify the need for so much office space. In 2019 we were told that there were 5 employed staff that were office based and 14 employees in total {19/01872/FUL} and then in a later application the applicant claimed that the pandemic had shrunk his business and that he for security reasons needed the premises to be residential. Comparing the various applications submitted by the applicant we find them to be inconsistent in their detail and claims. The location plan submitted does not show the office building which is already operational and we question the need for two plant rooms given that there is a repeated application 24/01202/FUL seeking approval for an external one. It needs to be noted that this is again identical to the withdrawn application 23/01273/FUL, although the latest application is not claiming to be retrospective.
In conclusion, Whitestone Parish Council object to this application and would like to see ALL of the criteria detailed in the planning officers report for the application 19/01872/FUL under condition 2 to be fully implemented as approved as soon as possible. Given that previous applications have been retrospective it is unclear what has actually been completed. If Teignbridge District Council are minded to approve this application, we would like to be assured that there is no longer a swimming pool or gym. We would further like assurance that the Planning Officer’s report for application 22/02218/FUL are fully taken into consideration, and that all the conditions the planning officer states do actually get completed within a restricted timeframe.
58.2 24/01202/FUL Plant room and wall at Cross Park Farm, Heath Cross
This new application 24/01202/FUL at Cross Park Farm is seeking permission for a Plant room and wall.
This is one of two new planning applications from this applicant which relates to the office building of this Crane hiring business at Heath Cross that was granted planning permission under application 19/01872/FUL. It is identical to a previous application, 23/01273/FUL, in all respects apart from not being retrospective. Since 2019 there have been numerous planning applications submitted to Teignbridge District Council, all of which have been refused or withdrawn, and most having been retrospective. We again believe this latest application has come about as a result of 21/00321/ENF.
This application raises more questions than it answers. No planning statement has been submitted
so we are unclear what the reasoning or justifications are for why the applicant now wants the Plant room to be external nor any details as to the work required and how this is to be carried out. What exactly is the Plant room going to store? It is also unclear what wall the applicant is referring to in the application description but we assume it is the exterior wall of the proposed Plant room that extends further than the proposed room itself shown on the “Proposed plant room drawing”. If this is indeed the wall the applicant is referring to, then the question arises as to why that wall needs to extend out longer than the proposed plant room. What is the additional space behind the Plant room going to be used for? This creates a standalone situation whereby the office and its plant room are separated from the yard. This is a business site and not a residential one. A previous planning officer raised this concern when planning application 22/02218/FUL was refused saying “introduction of standalone store/plant room to service office space is not acceptable”.
Application 24/01202/FUL shows a new additional plant room built outside the east face of the office yet the plans still show the first plant room inside the office near the stairwell/lift which was applied for in application 20/02318/FUL and subsequently refused. Is this original plant room still there? Does a building need two plant rooms? The proposed plant room drawing submitted shows the SSE elevation having double glazed doors reminiscent of French windows or patio doors. Our understanding of a plant room is that it provides storage space for equipment needed to supply the building services which might include the electrics, water, air conditioning etc. The application does not justify why this plant room now needs to be outside. The proposed site for the Plant room is in fact where the external stairs were positioned in application 19/01872/FUL which was approved. The new siting of the plant room changes the footprint of the whole area set aside for this development that had approval under application 19/01872/FUL. The position of the new external plant room also results in narrowing the gap between the office area and warehouse/machine store thus potentially making movement of any large vehicles more difficult.
Whitestone Parish Council note the Location Plan scale 1:1000 submitted doesn’t even include the newly built office but more importantly the plant room still appears on the ground floor plan submitted in the applicant’s other application 24/01201/VAR, yet planning has been sought for an external plant room here in this application 24/01202/FUL. This application is full of inconsistencies and lacks detail. We fail to see what benefit this application brings and once again it is another application from this particular applicant that fails to address any previous concerns and issues raised in planning officer’s reports and those highlighted by Whitestone Councillors. Whitestone Parish Council object to this application.
58.3 24/01220/FUL Erection of garage and extension to curtilage at Tor View
Whitestone Parish Council has discussed and considered this planning application 24/01220/FUL for the erection of a new garage and extension to curtilage. There are no major issues with the proposal and Whitestone Parish Council support this application. The only comments we have received concern the potential for flooding as there is feedback that this has increased since the original conversion of the barn and consideration should be given to the proposed soak away. Whitestone Parish Council would also be interested to know why the applicant is seeking to extend the curtilage and would encourage them to assess the impact of materials and look at any environmentally friendly alternatives – such as a green roof for example. As there is no mention of lighting or utilities to the garage we presume there is no lighting to be introduced. If, however, this is not the case then care should be taken with the lighting to avoid influencing local biodiversity and dark skies. To help maintain the locally rich biodiverse environment and counter any disturbance caused by the new building we would encourage incorporating bat boxes and bird/nest boxes into the structure where appropriate.
Grant of Request for Prior Approval
58.4 Application for prior approval under Part 3 Class Q (a) and (b) paragraph W of the GDPO change of use of an agricultural building to a dwelling house at Ramslade. Lane past Ramslade Farm
Granting of Conditional Planning Permission
58.5 24/00547/FUL Erection of one polytunnel and one greenhouse and change of use to horticulture at Southlands, Nadderwater.
58.6 24/00827/FUL Change of use from former care home to single domestic dwelling at Cameroon, Whitestone.
58.7 24/01096/HOU Construction of garage at Hill Farm Barn, Hill Lane.
Applications withdrawn
58.8 23/01258/VAR Variation of condition 2 on planning permission 19/01872/FUL (office building and associated works) to amend design of office at Cross Park Farm, Heath Cross
58.9 23/01273/FUL Plant room and wall (retrospective) at Cross Park Farm, Heath Cross
Appeals Dismissed
58.10 23/0059/CERT Appeal against refusal of planning application 23/01299CLDE – Certificate of Lawfulness for existing use of two static caravans as two independent dwellings at Chapel Cottage
58.11 24/00020/FAST Appeal against the refusal of planning application 23/0873/HOU – Two single storey side extensions, single storey front extension and single storey rear extension ar Armonija, Nadderwater.
Refusal of Certificate of Lawful Use or Development
58.12 24/01099/CLDP Certificate of lawfulness for proposed access at Hill Farm Barn, Hill Lane.
Certificate of Lawful Use or Development
58.13 24/01082/CLDE Certificate of Lawfulness for existing use of ground floor of agricultural building as an extension to the existing residential use of first floor of the building at Woodstock Farm, Five Mile Hill.
59 MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION
59.1 2 School Houses –
It was reported that following the departure of tenant the house remedial work had now been completed in preparation for a new tenancy.
59.2 Bus Stop Area
Cllr Stott reported obtaining a Grant of £150 from Wild About Devon Fund 2024 which can be spent to enhance the area by the bus stop.
59.3 Crossway Playground
Cllr Baxendale Nichols gave a very full report on her inspection of the equipment within the Park and noted that she had requested quotes for the necessary repairs to some of the equipment and had also been in touch with Mr Blades and she will report back at the next meeting.
59.4 CCTV for carpark and play area
It was reported that this has now been installed.
59.5 Bus Stop area
Cllr Belt had arranged for soil to be laid in the area.
59.6 STAWL Updates for DCC/4101/2018 Lower Hare Farm
Cllr Baird read from a report which had been sent by Mr Guy Fielding.
59.7 Having a gov.uk domain
Cllr Baxendale Nichols reported making enquiries regarding joining this organisation and will be following this up.
60. FINANCE
60.1 Conclusion of Annual Audit
Notices regarding the satisfactory conclusion of the Annual Audit by external auditors PKF Littlejohn together with comment raised will be displayed on Parish notice boards and the Whitestone website and can be viewed on application to the Parish Clerk.
60.2 Bank balances at Nat West Bank as at 1st September 2024
Current Account £200.00
Business Reserve Account 1 £32,030.15
Business Reserve Account 2 £3,499.99
£35,730.14
Income
60.3 1 School Houses rental to 2nd September £950.00 - £174.00 (includes £29.00 VAT) = £776.00
60.4 1 School Houses rental to 2nd October £950.00 - £114.00 (includes £29.00 VAT) = £114.00
60.5 2 School Houses rental to 1st March £500.00 - £60.00 management fee and £60.00 (includes £10.00 VAT) = £380.00
60.6 2 School Houses rental to 1st April £800.00 - £30.00 insurance/management fee + £96.00 (includes £16.00 VAT) = £126.00
60.7 Community Council Grant £150.00
Expenditure
The following expenditure was proposed and seconded for payment. All in favour and the cheques were signed by Councillor Baird and Mrs Vaughan as Responsible Financial Officer.
60.8 DCW Polymers Ltd £525.48 (includes £87.58 VAT) Cheque 752
60.9 Taylor Made Solutions Devon Ltd £564.41 (includes £94.07 VAT) Cheque 753
60.10 Mr L Blades £924.50 for July and August (Lengthsman £574.50-+ Grass cutting £350.00) Cheque 754
60.11 Taylor Made Solutions Devon Ltd £564.41 (includes £97.07 VAT) Balance of installation of CCTV at Parish Hall Cheque 755
60.12 Mr P Madge £250.00 (Community Garden) Cheque 756
60.12 Interline £155.98 (Bus stop area) Cheque 757
60.13 PKF Littlejohn LLP Annual Governance Return Charge £252.00 (includes £42.00 VAT) Cheque 758
60.14 Clerk’s salary and expenses £443.44 Cheque 759
60.15 HM Revenue and Customs (Clerk’s income tax on salary) £101.40 Cheque 760
60.16 G.P Roofing and Property Maintenance (2 School Houses) £4,710.00 Cheque 761
60.17 G.P Roofing and Property Maintenance (1 School Houses) £120.00 Cheque 762
60.18 Exeter Property Maintenance (2 School Houses) £192.00 (includes £22.00 VAT) – paid through Winkworth
60.19 Independent Inventories £85.00 (2 School Houses) – paid through Winkworth
60.20 Exeter Property Maintenance (1 School Houses) £111.13 (includes £18.52 VAT) – paid through Winkworth
61. CORRESPONDENCE
Mr Bruce Moody requested a Grant on behalf of the Parish Pals Group which he runs on a weekly basis at the Parish Hall. The Parish Hall rental is £416 for the year. Following discussion this was put to a vote and therefore it will be awarded. Cllr Baird will contact the Parish Hall regarding payment direct to them and inform Mr Moody of the decision.
62. REPORTS
62.1 Cllr Belt reported that the Parish Hall Committee would be installing LED lights around the Hall. And also raised an issue regarding the hedges behind the houses owned by Teign Housing which are intruding on the footpath which runs from Crossway Park. Cllr Lake said he would look into this problem
62.2 Cllr Galton reported her decision to resign from the Council as from tonight.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Mr Mingo raised an issue regarding a speed sign which has been put up by Kent Hill and was advised to report this to Devon Highways.
Cllr Baird closed the meeting and gave thanks on behalf of the Parish for all the work put in by Mrs Linda Fairley and Mrs Carol Galton during their years on the Council
The meeting closed at 9.30pm