MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 8th September 2008

Present: Cllr M Smith (Chairman)

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

In Attendance: Cllr R Giles (DCC), Cllr G Brown (EDDC), 5 member of the public including Cllr Mr Phil Skinner, PC Jim Tyrell and J Masters (FPC Clerk)

49. Questions from the Public:- Pamela Daniels complained to the council that her narrow unadopted road was partially blocked by an illegally parked car during the Beautiful Days concert, she looked up the Beautiful Days website to try and ring somebody but they do not provide a telephone contact, she went on to say that it also happened two years ago and when a complaint was made to the police she was told that as her road was a private road they could not do any thing despite the fact that her rates has an element of police support. It was noted that there were several cars left in the village for the duration of the event. She also complained that yet again this year the Firework Display went off a 1am Sunday morning waking up residents who had only just got off to sleep.

Another local resident complained that after walking along a footpath with his dog for a considerable distance he was not allowed to complete the last 200 yards and was manhandled out of the area and then had to retrace his steps to get back to his home in Feniton.

50. Apologies were received from Mrs K Tomkins

51. Minutes: - The minutes of the meeting held on 11th August 2008 were confirmed by the council and signed by the Chairman Cllr M Smith.

52 Police Officers Report: - In total there were six recorded crimes which were as follows; one pedal cycle was stolen from outside the Nog Inn and was recovered in Ottery St Mary. Three pedal cycles were stolen from Winchester Close last Saturday evening. All three have since been recovered in Ottery St Mary.

Criminal damage was caused to a hedge at a private address in Wells Avenue. Criminal damage was caused to a motor vehicle in Acland Park.

19 incidents were reported to the Police.

53. County and District Councillors Reports: - Cllr G Brown (EDDC) introduced Cllr Phil Skinner (EDDC) and told the meeting that they had arranged a public meeting at Broadhembury Village Hall on Monday 15th September and invited members of the FPC to attend to discuss the forth coming Boundary changes and the bit by DCC to for a Unitary Council.

Feniton Playing Fields Cllr Brown said that he hoped a three way approach could be made with the view of purchasing the land that is for sale by involving other local authorities. Councillors Brown and Skinner left the meeting for another meeting.

Cllr Roger Giles (DCC) told the meeting that a meeting is to take place in St Anthony’s RC Church in Ottery at 7.30pm on Tuesday 9th September. The meeting will be addressed by Cllr Sara Randall Johnson (Leader) and Mark Williams (Chief Exec) of EDDC, and by Cllr Brian Greenslade (Leader) and Phil Norrey (Chief Exec) of DCC. This will be a good opportunity to hear the main political players in East Devon debate and answer questions about the issues of local government reorganization.
I have to say that I am most concerned about the large amounts of money that both councils are spending on promoting their particular positions; all that large sum of money could have been spent on improving services for the residents of East Devon and elsewhere in the county.

As previously reported DCC policy change concerning year 6 pupils from Feniton, and other Kings School feeder schools, who are due to transfer from Feniton Primary School to The Kings School in September. Those pupils spend a week at Kings in the preceding July. The pupils have been taken to Kings on the school transport buses (which have had spare capacity because many Kings students are on Project Week) for some years. This system worked well.

DCC changed the policy as a result of which “unknown passengers” (a particularly inappropriate description – the Year 6 students are obviously known to the school) are not permitted to travel on the school bus.

This decision came into effect in the week commencing 7th July. 34 pupils from Feniton School had to be driven to Kings by parents. The school buses went to Kings with very many empty seats; there was added congestion around the already worryingly congested and dangerous Kings approaches; many parents from Feniton (and elsewhere) had their normal arrangements interrupted, and had to incur additional expense; the pupils missed the chance to experience using the school bus, and missed the opportunity to “bond” with older students on the bus. And Devon’s carbon footprint worsened as a result. The whole thing is a total nonsense.

I raised the matter at the DCC meeting on 17th July – and was told that the policy would be reviewed. I hope that common sense prevails by July 2009.

The South West Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) sets out the strategic planning framework for the period 2006 to 2026. The most contentious element of the RSS is the number of dwellings to be built. In June 2006 the Regional Assembly (comprised of representatives of all SW major local authorities – including EDDC and DCC) published the draft RSS. After an Examination in Public, the EIP Panel inspectors (who are unelected and unaccountable) increased the RSS housing provision, and increased the houses at Cranbrook from 6,500 to 7,500, as well as saying there should be a second new community to the north of Cranbrook, with 3,000 houses in the 1st phase; to put this in perspective, Ottery consists of about 2,100 houses.
Whilst I do accept the need to provide many more houses for local younger and less well off people, I do feel that this is an alarming amount of house building. I also object strongly to a system when Government ministers can direct local authorities how many houses to build and where they should go. This should be a decision made locally, taking into account local circumstances, local knowledge and local expertise.

Towards the end of July 2008 the Secretary of State published her proposed changes to the RSS. The Regional and Devon housing figures were increased yet further (particularly in Exeter): however the East Devon figures remained the same.

  RA EIP Panel Sec of State
Region 461,200 569,450 592,460
Devon 100,100 130,200 142,700
East Devon 11,900 17,100 17,100

DCC had been very critical of the EIP Panel housing figures, and particularly of the requirement for a 2nd new community which seemed to have to go in an area prone to flooding or on National Trust land. DCC’s Strategic Planning Committee considered the RSS at a meeting on 1st September and agreed to hold a special meeting at 2.15pm on 8th October to discuss the formal response of DCC

Cllr Jolly asked if any provision had been made in the plan for a Gypsy Site, apparently there dose not seem to be any provision at the moment.

54. Declarations of Interest from Members and Officers: - There were none.

55. Finance – To authorise September payments.

55.2. S137 Payments as agreed on the 10th December 2007 for 2008 budget:-

55.3.

56. Correspondence: -

57. Late Entry Correspondence: -

58. Late Entry Planning Application: -

59. Village Handyman’s Report: - Replaced three missing bolts securing roof panels in Teenager Shelter in QE11 Park. Please note there is a missing step in the middle of the bridge on the children’s climbing frame.

60. Dog Waste Bins: - It was decided to install one new Dog Waste Bin on the grass verge at the junction of Colestocks Road and Station Road and to canvas residents of Feniton to find out where more Dog Waste Bins should be sited. The Village Handyman will be asked to install a suitable post for the bin to be fixed too.

61. Allotments: - It was decided to defer this item to the next meeting.

62. Public Notice Board:- The following Prices were obtained for a replacement Public Notice Board, from MLA 2 Door Notice Board ‘Chatsworth Style’ with Header Board 1800mm wide x 1000mm high with plain round posts finished with round Ball or Spike Finial ££1666.82 Plus VAT
MLA 2 Door Notice Board ‘Budget’ 1800mm wide x 1000mm high with plain square posts £1034.25.

Fitzpatrick Woolmer 2 Door Notice Board ‘Fusilier Style’ 1800mm wide x 1000mm high with plain square posts £2020.00 plus VAT, Cast Header Board £490.00 plus VAT, delivery £163.40 plus VAT.

Before a decision is taken it was agreed to investigate the cost of a wall mounted notice board of the same size.

63. A.O.B. Cllr Blackmore On the 1st of September 2008 six committee members of 4Ever Green attended a joint meeting with Feniton Playing Fields committee to discuss progress on both sides.

After much discussion on where the two committees standing in the joint aim to raise the money needed to purchase the playing fields and particularly on the difficulties of setting up a bank account for 4Ever Green funds, it was proposed and agreed by all present that it may be better if we all joined forces and there was only one committee working towards this. The new committee comprises of Mr F Pyle as Chairman, Mr M Court as Secretary and Mrs I Harper as Asst Treasurer to help Mr C Bath with his duties and she will be responsible for accepting any moneys which may be available to us. Therefore 4Ever Green as a fund raising committee is now defunct, although we would possibly all serve in the new committee. I am still awaiting the agreed proposals from the Secretary of the Feniton Playing Fields Committee.

I sincerely hope this will work for all concerned.

Cllr Blackmore returned a cheque for £50.00 that was donated to 4Ever Green by the Council for administration costs.

48. Date of next full Parish council meeting Monday 13th October 2008

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 21.50hrs.

………………………………………………Chairman 13th October 2008

Last Updated 18th January 2012