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ROCKBEARE
PARISH COUNCIL / Chairman: Dave Miller
Ashbridge, Rockbeare Hill, Rockbeare, Devon EX5 2EZ
Telephone: (01404) 822928
Clerk: Mrs Judy Morris
3 Meadow Lane, Cullompton EX15 1LL
Telephone: 01884 33859
Email:
Web:

ANNUAL REPORT 2012.13

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PARISH COUNCIL FROM THE CHAIRMAN

The Parish Council has 7 members, the current Parish Councillors are

Chairman:Cllr David Miller

Vice-Chairman:Cllr David Mason

Cllr Jonathan Allen, Cllr Naomi Allen, Cllr Jeremy Honeywill, Cllr Colin Please and Cllr Bryan Pepper

All the Councillors have held office for the past year except for Cllr Jeremy Honeywill who was co-opted onto the Council in August 2012 to replace Shaun Forsyth who resigned at the end of March 2012.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Councillors for their hardwork and support over the past year.

I would also like to thank District Councillors Peter Bowden (who is also our County Councillor) and Derek Button and Beat Officer PC Dave Smith, they have served our parish well over the past year.

Our long serving Clerk, Tracey Bell, leaves us at the end of April 2013 to concentrate on her other business commitments. All Councillors, particularly the current and past Chairmen, would like to thank Tracey for her hard work and sound advice without which the Council would not have been able to function effectively. We have been fortunate in securing the services of an experienced Clerk, Judy Morris, to take over the role. She is very welcome.

In April of last year the Council was successful in its application for “Quality” status and we are all very grateful to Tracey for the hard work she put in to ensure that the Council achieved this award.

Rockbeare Parish Council is involved with many organisations, this includes:

  • The Joint Parishes Group: which meets to discuss all items of relevance to all the parishes affected by the development of Cranbrook.
  • Devon Association of Local Councils: I am on the County Committee of this association which provides the Council with legal advice and representation at a County and National level.
  • I also represent East Devon on the Exeter Airport Consultative Group.

During the year the parish joined with other adjacent parish and town councils in successfully bidding for funds to support the Ottery Help Scheme which provides a range of services, particularly transport, for local people.

The Council made comment on 31 planning applications during the year, several of them major applications. This remains consistent with 2010/11 when we responded to 31 applications and 2011/12 when 29 applications were responded to. There have been two appeals, one was withdrawn and the other was dismissed and is currently subject to enforcement action.

The major issues in the parish, which are likely to impact in the near future are:

  • Grange Hotel site where remedial action to remove earth back to the north bank of the Rockbeare stream was completed last summer. Quantities of brick and rubble were moved off site and airport car parking ceased. East Devon District Council Planning Enforcement has ruled that the owner of the Grange has met his obligations with regard to the various enforcement notices served on him two years ago.
  • Cranbrook is now a reality and has a new primary school with over 100 children on the roll and a pre-school offering wrap-around care. The numbers at the school have trebled since last September. The detailed planning of the secondary school and the second primary school proceeds apace and public funds from central government underpin this expansion. The planned development of the Science Park is underway but is longer term. The Intermodal Freight Terminal remains just an idea but a significant part of the site will be occupied by the new Sainsbury’s distribution centre which is about a year away and will provide about 400 full-time jobs as well as a lot of lorry movements. As I write the Clyst Honiton by-pass is only days from opening. The biomass heating plant is there for all to see, although it will not be performing fully for some time.
  • Exeter International Airport continues to struggle for passenger numbers, due largely to its dependence on Flybe who continue to file profit warnings with depressing regularity. In the past 12 months the airport will have handled 700,000 passengers which is below the peak of 1 million just before the 2008 financial crash. The civil aviation authority has severely reduced Exeter’s future passenger traffic projections and the impact of the new numbers will need to be addressed as the East Devon District Council Local Development Plan goes through its next stages.
  • The East Devon Local Development Plan should have been in place by now but has yet to face its examination in public. As a result some local developers have sought to take advantage of the present lack of a planning framework – Feniton, in particular, has been in the news recently and planning consents have been obtained on appeal. There is no reason to assume that Rockbeare will be immune and it is important for the Parish Council to rigorously and impartially scrutinise any proposals coming forward.
  • The quarry/car park on Rockbeare Hill is not presently used by SW Highways to store top dressing. This has, in the past, attracted a small rent of £250 per annum. There has recently been some fly tipping which needs to be addressed.
  • We have a financial reserve that is sensible for the size of our village and responsibilities and were able to make grants to village facilities this year and have budgeted to continue our support in the coming year, especially to start a youth club in Rockbeare which is a major priority. The full accounts for 2012/13 are available to view.
  • The Council is pleased to support Rockbeare School, pre-school, the Parish Plan, the Flood Group, Parish magazine (Roots), Rockbeare and Marsh Green village halls and the Playgroup Committee as they work hard to improve and maintain the facilities in the village and have made good progress this year.
  • The Chairman thanks Mr Ivan Randall and all the committees, volunteers and staff for their dedication and hard work on behalf of their community and in helping Rockbeare remain a sustainable community. Particular thanks to Mr Randall for all his efforts to ensure that the flood prevention work that is now on the verge of completion is fit for purpose.

HOUSING NEEDS SURVEY

East Devon District Council had given comments on a Devon Rural Housing Partnership site appraisal and three preferred sites had been identified. However with the grant of permission at the land opposite the Oriental Promise came an opportunity to have the affordable housing element (22 social rent properties) tied to those with a strong local connection to Rockbeare parish. This relies on the completion of the development and also provides only for those on the housing register, there may, therefore, still be a need for low cost housing in the parish, but this is yet to be proven.

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The Chairman and Vice-Chairman have spent many hours attending Local Plan meetings in Sidmouth and ensured that the parish is well represented whenever its interests were on the agenda. In addition to this the consultation was brought to the parish by the same Councillors to ensure that everyone was able to understand what was taking place. The parish made strong representations to the district council during the consultations but is deeply disappointed that the new National Planning Framework, together with East Devon’s failure to have its Local Plan signed-off by the Planning Inspectorate, may seriously undermine this effort.

REPORT FROM COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICE PC DAVE SMITH

Crimes for the year from 31st March 2012 until 1st April 2013 numbered 22. This compares with 16 for the previous year. Although in percentage terms this would appear to be quite an increase, as we are dealing with such low figures it is not considered to be alarming.

REPORTS FROM COUNTY/DISTRICT COUNCILLORS

Because of the forthcoming election and the demands of ‘purdah’ I am unable to provide an annual report in the style and manner of previous years. Unfortunately, many of the issues related to the past year are also matters extant in any campaign by any candidate standing for election to Devon County Council.

Whilst I might be able to discuss these matters in any other forum the Annual Parish and other Parish Meetings are deemed to be public meetings and not to be used for political campaigning by any candidate in the six weeks or so before the date of such an election.

I therefore confine my comments to matters which are not contentious.

At the last count, in Devon, we have 7,985 miles of roads, 3,500 bridges, 3,070 miles of Public Rights of Way (off-road), 76,000 Streetlights and 10,917 illuminated road-signs.

The 2011 Tour of Britain was watched by 220,000 spectators, 60,000 of them stayed in Devon overnight. They spent around £19 million (about £82 per head) which increased Devon’s net income by about £7.3 million. In general Devon attracts over six million visitors a year and we boast twice as many tourism related businesses in Devon than can be found anywhere else.

Devon financially supports 190 bus services around the county and 12 or more Fare Car Schemes. All are operated by 25 bus or taxi companies calling at over 6,000 designated bus stops. 26.3 million passengers are carried annually (increasing by 3.5% a year) and the public transport support budget exceeds £6 million a year. Devon supports 180,000 pass holders or 82% of the eligible (age related) population. There are a number of other services provided both commercially and by some county supported community transport groups such as Ring and Ride, Wheels to Work etc. These additional schemes carried over 60,000 passengers in 2011/12.

The population of the county in 2010 was 749,900 people of which about 457,400 are of working age. Average earnings are about £344 per week. Total unemployed amount to 4.2% of the working population of whom approximately a quarter are under 25 years of age and claiming Job Seekers Allowances.

Devon’s economy is worth some £11.6 billion and is the largestin the south-west. 7% of our economy is made up by Hotels and Catering businesses. Agriculture contributes four times more to the county than is realised elsewhere. Manufacturing still makes up the greater share of our prosperity.

Note however that East Devonians emit an average of 7.1 tonnes of CO2 per capita whilst West Devonians emit over 10.9 tonnes per head. Too many car journeys to work apparently.

Hope this is interesting.

Peter.

CONTACT DETAILS FOR YOUR COUNCILLORS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

NAME / ADDRESS / CONTACT PHONE NO. / EMAIL ADDRESS
ROCKBEARE PARISH COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN
Councillor David Miller / Ashbridge, Rockbeare Hill
EX5 2EZ / 01404 822928 /
VICE-CHAIRMAN
Councillor David Mason / Waybrook, Marsh Green
EX5 2EX / 01404 822136 /
Councillor Jonathan Allen / Little Slades, Rockbeare / 01404 823677 /
Councillor Miss Naomi Allen / Little Slades, Rockbeare / 01404 823677 /
Councillor Jeremy Honeywill / The Croft, Rockbeare
EX5 2EG /
Councillor Colin Pease / The Croft, Marsh Green / 01404 822403 /
Councillor Dr Bryan Pepper / 2 Little Slade Mews, Rockbeare EX5 2EG / 01404 822449 /
EAST DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL
Councillor Derek Button / Kennicotts, Broadclyst
EX5 3EL / 01392 464973
07526 754020 /

Councillor Peter Bowden / Bradcott House,
The Green, Whimple / 01404 823450
07711 0132440 /
DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL
Councillor Peter Bowden / Bradcott House,
The Green, Whimple / 01404 823450
07711 0132440 /

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