Beer Parish Council
The Parish Council Meeting was held on Tuesday 6 September 2016 at 7pm at the Mariners’ Hall. Copies of minutes and reports are available on request.
Present: Cllr. F Gage Cllr. M Graham Cllr. M Green Cllr. L Harrison
Cllr. G Hirons Cllr. U Makepeace Cllr. G Pook Cllr. L Vine
Cllr. M Westlake
In attendance: A Dallaway (Clerk); one member of the press; Cllr J Knight (DCC)
1. Apologies accepted by the Council: Cllr. D Clinch; Cllr. M Richards
2. Declarations of Interest: There were none declared.
3. Items to be dealt with after the public, including the press have been excluded: There were none.
4. Public participation: There were no members of public in attendance at the meeting.
5. Approval of minutes: The minutes of the Parish Council Annual Meeting held on the 12 July 2016 were approved and signed as a true record.
6. Police Report: There were no representatives from Devon & Cornwall Constabulary in attendance at the meeting but a report had been provided. There were 8 crimes in August 2016 – one vehicle offence, one theft, four criminal damage and two public order offences.
7. Reports – Chairman, Clerk
Chairman’s Report: No report available.
Clerk’s Report:
· The community awareness session for the defibrillator took place in August and was well attended and informative. In the event of an incident of cardiac arrest, the recommended protocol is to alert the emergency services prior to attempting to use the defibrillator.
· The Clerk will schedule the annual brook clearance for October. ACTION: CLERK
· Locality Fund applications have been made for a bench at Ash Hill play area and a sensor camera to provide evidence of dog fouling. The sensor camera will be installed on a well used footpath within the village and will form part of a broader awareness raising campaign, which will highlight the importance of clearing up dog waste and encourage a zero-tolerance approach to dog fouling within the community. Councillors agreed that it would be useful to review the current dog restrictions on the beach – this will be an agenda item for the Parish Council meeting on 4 October. ACTION: CLERK
8. Financial report:
i) The Council approved the bank reconciliation to the end of July 2016
ii) The Council approved the interim accounts to the end of July 2016 including the forecast budget for 2016/17
iii) Cheques required:
001731 £814.58 HMRC (PAYE/NI)
001732 £63.27 Kevin Hale (pay adjustment)
001733 £217.20 Seaton Design & Print (NP printing)
001734 £30 DALC (new councillor training)
001735 £12.84 Bradfords (materials)
001736 £360 Grant Thornton (audit fee)
001737 £13.80 Seaton Design & Print (NP printing)
001738 £198.22 Annie Dallaway (NP admin)
001739 £79.61 Annie Dallaway (postage & stationery)
An additional cheque was requested: 001740 for £40 for Seaton Design & Print (NP printing)
The Council resolved to approve the cheques listed above and the additional cheque which was previously approved expenditure. RESOLVED
9. East Devon Villages Plan consultation – to approve consultation response
EDDC has produced a draft East Devon Villages Plan, which includes an alternative Built Up Area Boundary (BUAB) for Beer, taking into consideration access to local services and facilities. The Parish Council does not support the alternative BUAB proposed and would like to propose that the following areas of established family housing are included in the BUAB:
1. Park Road
2. Short Furlong
3. Quarry Lane (including the CLT development)
4. Paezens Lane
The Clerk will send the consultation response to EDDC. ACTION: CLERK
10. S106 criteria for Short Furlong – to receive an update regarding proposed amendments
The Parish Council has proposed amendments to the s106 eligibility criteria for applications to make the short-list for housing allocation in Short Furlong. EDDC supports the proposed amendments but has advised that any changes to the s106 will incur legal costs. The Clerk will obtain a quote from EDDC legal team for the legal work required. ACTION: CLERK
11. Storage of kayaks/boards on beach – to discuss and agree proposal
Local residents have expressed concern that an EDDC licence is required to store a kayak/board on the beach, similar to a boat licence. Cllr Pook advised that EDDC has agreed to review the situation and consider the possibility of setting aside an area on the beach for kayak storage.
12. Parish Council surgery – to receive report
Parish Council surgeries are currently being held monthly with a focus on Neighbourhood Plan consultation. The next surgery is scheduled for 10 September 2016 at the Mariners’ Hall.
13. Environment Report – to receive an update and discuss Community Engagement initiatives
Cllr Westlake provided a full report on behalf of Beer Volunteer Group and highlighted projects for completion over the autumn to include bench renovation, litter picking, clearance of Starr Bank and brook clearance. Cllr Westlake will also obtain a quote to cut back the foliage on the Short Furlong to Little Hemphay footpath.
14. EDDC asset transfer – to receive an update
Cllr Pook reported that he had received the raw financial data from EDDC regarding the village assets and that a working group would be scheduled to review the data in late September. ACTION: CLLR POOK
15. Beer Coastal Community Team – to receive an update:
Cllr Pook provided a progress report on the approved short term projects:
· Visitor Survey – 200 surveys have been conducted. It is hoped that the survey will shortly be available online.
· A walking leaflet for the village – templates have been produced for consideration but the format has yet to be confirmed.
· A shower for the West beach – quotes are currently being prepared.
16. Neighbourhood Plan – to receive an update and reports from the Steering Group
Consultation on the draft plan will cease 10 September 2016. The results will be collated and presented to the Steering Group at the end of September. An Environmental Impact Assessment will be necessary if a development site is to be allocated within the Neighbourhood Plan.
17. Planning: Minutes from the Planning Committee meetings held on 12 and 26 July and 4 and 23 August 2016 had been previously circulated.
The Council resolved to accept the recommendations of the Planning Committee. RESOLVED
18. Reports of EDDC and DCC Cllrs including matters for attention
Cllr Pook, EDDC raised the following items:
· An ordinary bin is available for installation at the top of Common Lane, pending approval by the landowner.
· EDDC is currently producing the revised directional signage for motorhomes within the village.
· There is on-going concern regarding the large lorries contravening the width restriction on Common Hill. The police do not have the resources to enforce the existing traffic restriction and there are concerns regarding pedestrian safety on Common Hill and the potential erosion of the cliff to the highway. Council agreed that the Clerk should write to DCC to request the installation of a physical weight and width barrier on Common Hill. ACTION: CLERK
Cllr Knight, DCC raised the following items:
· The green at the end of Couchill Lane has been so badly churned up by tractors that DCC Highways are planning to install bollards to restrict access. The Clerk will write to DCC Highways to request that large stones are used instead which will blend better with the natural environment. ACTION: CLERK
· The traffic island at Long Hill requires a new post – Cllr Knight will raise this at the next Seaton Coastal traffic meeting.
19. Reports of Parish Council representatives on other bodies:
· Cllr Makepeace reported that the South West Britain in Bloom results will be announced 6 October and the Royal Horticultural Society results will be announced 14 October.
20. Correspondence/Literature: As on Appendix A.
The meeting closed at 8.30pm.
Date of next Parish Council meeting: Tuesday 4 October 2016
Date: ………………………………….. Chairman: ………………………….
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