FENITON PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 9th November 2009

Present: Cllr M Smith (Chairman)

Councillors: Mr P Privett, Mrs B Powell, Mr G Preston, Mrs P Blackmore Mr M Jolly and Mr G Broom.

In Attendance: Cllr Roger Giles (DCC), Cllr Graham Brown (EDDC), 13 member of the public and
J Masters (FPC Clerk).

98. Questions from the public: -
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the Parish Council meeting saying that the first 15 minutes is open for any member of the public to ask questions of the council.
A number of Louvigny Close residents asked the following questions:-
What is the Council’s proposal for access to the Youth Centre?
The Chairman explained why the Parish Council supports the Youth Centre and the reason for better access.
Why is better access now required to the site.
Mr Partridge from the Youth Centre Management Committee explained that the current 3mtr dirt track access through the Allotments had become inadequate for larger emergency vehicles and quoted from a report that was commissioned for the proposed planning application.
Many of the residents expressed their concerns about the increase of traffic and emergency vehicles using Louvigny Close and youths being in the area.
Cllr Blackmore asked Mr Partridge how often the Youth Centre was used.
Mr Partridge replied that during a typical week two groups use it in the early evening, four groups during the day and the odd private function, a total of six or seven times a week.
Cllr Brown (EDDC) said he would go back to the planning department to check if the advise given by them that planning permission was not needed was correct and would report back to the Clerk.
Cllr Giles (DCC) said that he believed that Mr Partridge may have been misinformed by DCC as to the Youth Centre’s right of access and asked the department responsible for allowing the pavement to be lowered to put this on hold until a definitive answer has been reached.
The residents complained about parking in the road at school time saying that access to their homes is then blocked; this would also block access by emergency vehicles if they wanted to get to the Youth Centre.
A resident suggested the Youth Centre should spend the money on widening the existing access road rather than going through their road.
Cllr Giles (DCC) said he is keen for the school to produce a travel plan which could include yellow lines in Louvigny Close; this was rejected by the residents as they wanted visitors to park in the road.

At 8pm, the Chairman brought this part of the meeting to a close reassuring everyone present that the council would seek a satisfactory conclusion to this issue and would await responses from the DCC councillor and the EDDC councillor. The residents of Louvigny Close left the meeting.

The Chairman then welcomed Gary Broom as the new Parish Council Councillor.

99. Apologies for absence: - No apologies

101. Declarations of Interest from Members and Officers:-
The Chairman Cllr M Smith declared an interest in Item Number 11 on the agenda; (Item 108 in these minutes) Cllr Smith said he would hand over the Chair to the Vice Chairman Cllr P Privett.

100. Confirm the Minutes of the meeting held on 12th October 2009:-
The minutes were agreed and the Chairman initialled each page and signed the last page.

102. Police Officer’s Report:-
The following Police Report was received by Email:-
In total there were 19 incidents reported to the Police. There were 5 recorded crimes which were as follows;
1 x theft from motor vehicle in Chestnut Mews.
A pedal cycle was stolen and was subsequently recovered in Feniton.
2 x criminal damage to motor vehicles in Ottery Road, Feniton and 1 x criminal damage to a motor vehicle in Exeter Close. All three are believed to be linked but there is insufficient evidence for proceedings to be taken.
1 x burglary non-dwelling to a property in Station Road. A chainsaw was stolen.

103. County and District Councilors’ Reports:-
Cllr Brown (EDDC), good news all bar two applications for grants were paid to members of the public who put in for flood prevention help from the £97,000 on offer.
The joint efforts of the Environment Agency, EDDC & DCC to distribute the money has worked well. He felt that together they were well on the way to getting some more grants and are working their way up the list. Cllr Brown left the meeting at 20.20hrs

Cllr Giles (DCC) A report “Devon Cycle Strategy: The Next Period” went before the DCC Cabinet on 3 November. It sets the scene for the development of cycling facilities in Devon in the coming years. The report acknowledges the importance and potential of the former railway line from Feniton to Sidmouth through Ottery and Tipton for conversion to a cycleway (as it does other potential cycleway’s). The report recommends that the level of financial commitment to cycling should continue at the level made in recent years.

The creation of a cycleway on the old railway line would produce very many benefits including safer routes for children to cycle to school; off-road routes where children can learn to cycle in safe conditions; routes to enable people to get to local facilities and to work/a safe and attractive route for commuters; leisure and health benefits; less traffic/less congestion/less pollution/less carbon emissions; and it would create a tourist attraction which would provide a considerable boost to the local economy.

A key factor in achieving it is that it should be identified as such in the Devon Local Transport Plan (DLTP) to 2026, which is to be agreed over the next year, and also in the East Devon Local Development Framework (EDLDF) document. Councillor Stuart Hughes and I have been seeking the inclusion of the scheme in the DLTP and the EDLDF.

OTTERY HOSPITAL BED CLOSURES

Devon Primary Care Trust (DPCT) proposes closure of 7 beds at Ottery Hospital for three months commencing January. There has been no proper consultation about this decision, which appears to be a knee-jerk reaction to DPCT once again finding itself in financial difficulty. It appears to be part of a rolling closure of beds in community hospitals, which presumably DPCT thinks would be more acceptable than an acknowledged policy to reduce the number of beds available. It is bed closure by stealth.

As patients might be cared for in the RD & E Hospital, rather than Ottery Hospital (and other community hospitals), where it costs much more to care for patients in the RD&E than in community hospitals, there might well be substantially increased costs to the taxpayer. Ottery Hospital has been at or near 100% capacity for some time. Local GPs have been unable to get patients admitted. To close beds when the health service is under greatest pressure because of winter conditions is madness.

People should be able to be cared for in their local community hospitals.
Patients become better when friends and relatives visit them. To have people from Okehampton resident in Ottery Hospital and vice versa makes it very difficult and expensive to visit.

I have been doing my utmost to ensure that hospital and health services are provided as locally as possible. I have been vigorously opposing the bed closures at Ottery Hospital. All I get from DPCT is delay and misleading responses. I was even threatened with the Freedom of Information Act in response to my seeking justification for the bed closures. Regrettably there is a lack of democracy and accountability in health organizations. There is even a failure to acknowledge that there should be proper consultation with locally elected representatives before a decision is agreed.

Cllr Giles urged the Parish Council and residents to make their concerns known to DPCT.

Cllr Jolly proposed that the Clerk be instructed by the Council to write to the DPCT deploring the bed closures, this was seconded by Cllr Preston and was agreed by all councilors.

104. Finance: – The following November payments were authorized:-

105. Late Entry Finance:-

106. Correspondence:-

107. Late Entry Correspondence:-

108. HM Revenue & Customs: - Update
Cllr Smith stood down from the chair and Cllr Privett took over the meeting.

The Clerk told the meeting that despite writing a total of four letters to HM Revenue & Customs he still had not received a reply let along the information requested.
HM Revenue & Customs have received the cheque for the £400.00 fine and cashed it; they have also received the last two letters which were sent by recorded delivery.

The Clerk was instructed to write a letter of complaint to the Chief Inspector of Taxes about their lack of help and to insist on them returning the £400.00 fine.

Cllr Privett stood down from the chair and Cllr Smith resumed as chairman.

109. Planning:-

110. Late Entry Planning:-

111. Annual Finance Meeting: - It was agreed to hold the 2010/2011 Finance Budget on Monday 14th December at 7.00pm prior to the next Parish Council Meeting.

The Clerk distributed copies of previous years account budgets.

112. Village Handyman’s Report: -
Because of the mild weather grass cutting continued through October.
A new Polycarbonate panel was fitted to the Bus Shelter.
Two posts were installed at the Allotment to stop cars from cutting across Allotment Number 12.
As stated in my letter to the council the Fence in the play area in Ely Close needs replacing.

113. Clerks Report: -
15th October, along with Cllr Blackmore we represented FPC at the opening of the new Ottery St Mary Police Station.
3rd November, along with Cllr Privett we represented FPC at the EDDC Parish Council Meeting.
EDDC are going to host and provide all Parish Clerks with standardised Email addresses i.e. clerk@fenitoneastdevon.gov.uk at no cost to Parish Council’s.
Sunday 1st November Maureen Mills from 10 Louvigny Close contacted me to complain about the proposed planning application of the Youth Centre new access.
Last week two Maroon Rockets were picked up from EDDC to be let off at 11am on Wednesday 11th November, this will take place at the Sports & Social Club playing fields.

114. Individual Member responsibilities:-

Cllr Blackmore, an inspection of the Allotments took place on the 4th November and considering the time of year, most are in a fair state but two allotments that are still causing concern they are Plot 16 and Plot 17. The two tenants have previously received warning letters and were given extra time i.e. till the end of September to remove the shed, rubbish and get their allotments in order. They seem to have ignored the September deadline as all the items are still there.

The Clerk was instructed to write to the two tenants giving them until the 31st December to remove the shed, rubbish and bring their respective allotments up to an acceptable standard, failure to do this, the council will not renew their tenancy in 2010.

Cllr Preston said the hedge on the road from the Old Village to Fenny bridges was getting over grown near Feniton court, the Clerk said that this had already been reported to DCC Highways along with some other places which were brought to the Clerks attention.

Cllr Powell asked what is going to happen to the Green where the old chestnut tree used to stand. It was agreed that a suitable replacement tree would be obtained in the New Year.

Cllr Privett said he had attended a meeting of the Flood Recovery Group at EDDC offices, the meeting was very positive and moves are going ahead to seek funding for work in our area. There will be another meeting in April next year.

Cllr Broom said he was concerned about some work that was being carried out on a property in York Crescent; the Clerk was instructed to find out if permission had been granted.

Cllr Smith said he was concerned that the autumn leaves would block drains during the heavy rainfall; the Clerk was instructed to contact DCC and ask them to be vigilant.

Concern was raised about the amount of dog faeces on the pavement near the school; the Clerk was instructed to find out the cost of putting in a Dog Bin in Station Road in the vicinity of the junction of Ackland Road and to seek DCC advise on sighting the bin so as not to obstruct drivers view at road junctions.

115. Date of next full Parish council meeting: - 7pm Annual Finance followed by the Parish Council Meeting at 7.30pm on Monday 14th December 2009

There being no further business the meeting closed at 21.45hrs

Last Updated 18th January 2012