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Burlescombe Annual Parish Meeting 2018

Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting

Burlescombe Parish Council

held in the Community Hall, Burlescombe

on Monday 9th April 2018 at 7pm

Present:

Chairman Councillor Les Neville

Councillors: Judy Downing, Cliff Taylor, Kevin Stower & David Sprague

District Councillor Heather Bainbridge

County Councillor Ray Radford

Secretary Mrs Leslie Findlay

The Meeting was well attended by local residents.

The Chairman opened the informal meeting and welcomed everyone. No points were raised but all the reports were available to read.

Chairman’s Report April 2018

This has been my third year as Chairman and whilst it has been at least as busy as the first two years, I feel we have made considerable progress. It has been pleasing to note the number of Parishioners who have attended our meetings to raise matters of interest to them in Open Forum or simply to observe Local Government in action. I must again thank my Clerk for her guidance, support and hard work.

During the year, together with the usual, and sometimes contentious, planning applications, we have dealt with issues including, data protection legislation, affordable housing, the proposed J27 development, Westleigh Quarry ROMP and the application for further mining at Rocknell, the condition of our highways (including the A38) and byways, the maintenance of our grassed areas, the poor state of the old telephone box in Westleigh, HGV traffic, the condition of the play areas, the Old Railway Line (ORL) project, the bus shelters in Westleigh and Burlescombe and the maintenance of our PROW.

Together with the Chairmanship I am currently responsible for matters concerning the Grand Western Canal and PROW (Public Rights of Way).

We are most fortunate to have the Grand Western Canal in our midst. Who does not enjoy the flora, fauna and leisure opportunities afforded by this Country Park? Hundreds of Parishioners and many more visitors from further afield regularly walk or cycle the towpath, paddle along the canal or fish from its bank. Many appear to especially enjoy monitoring the development of the ducklings, baby moorhens and especially the cygnets through the spring

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into the summer. We now have a resident Muscovy duck and a goose. In addition Canada geese, herons and other waterfowl are regular visitors. Reported sightings of kingfishers between the tilting weir and Fossend Bridge are becoming more frequent and there have been sightings of otters between Fenacre Bridge and Lowdwells. The Rangers, voluntary helpers and Wardens, do a fantastic job preserving and improving this ‘jewel in the crown’ of Mid-Devon. The tilting weir has proved very effective in controlling the water level throughout the winter.

Within the Parish, we have over 16 kilometres of PROW. These 18 paths, together with the 3 permissive footpaths along the Old Railway Line, through Park Wood, and along the western boundary of Westleigh Quarry provide excellent opportunities to enjoy our local countryside. The location of these PROW is displayed on the noticeboard by the railway bridge in Burlescombe. Please take your secateurs with you when walking our paths, especially in the summer and early autumn. Helping to keep the bramble growth under control helps keep our maintenance costs down and makes walking even more enjoyable.

The Old Railway Line project is still not quite finished. We have encountered a problem with the water tower and the new information boards have yet to be installed by AIUK. We still hope for an official opening later in the year. This permissive path and leisure area has become a considerable asset to the community. It has received many positive comments from the increasing number of users. Sadly we have found the need to put up notices reminding dog walkers that it is their responsibility to clear up their pet’s fouling. Please help us keep these areas free from dog faeces and litter.

In my wish list for next year I would have to include:

A successful outcome from the public consultation on the development of Longwood Lane to relieve the impact of HGV traffic on Burlescombe. This is to be held on 10th May 4pm-8pm in the Community Hall, Burlescombe.

The refurbishment of the bus shelters in Westleigh and Burlescombe More responsible behaviour from dog walkers regarding dog fouling along the canal

towpath and our other footpaths. Less litter being in evidence throughout the Parish and especially at the ‘truck stop’

on the S bends above St Mary’s Church. The re-establishment of an independent community website. More Parishioners putting themselves forward for election or co-option as

Councillors.

I sincerely thank my officers for the time, effort and commitment that they put into their Council work in general and their individual portfolios in particular.

Les NevilleChairman

QUARRY REPORTS

Westleigh Quarry A.I. I have attended Quarry Liaison Meetings on April 24th 2017, July 24th 2017, October 16th 2017, and January 22nd 2018.Next Meeting April 30th 2018.

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Westleigh Quarry Total January- December 2017 - 825.029 tons.In 2017 there was a slight reduction in Asphalt production & re-cycled material (road planings) but an increase in dry (stone) production, back hauled & non back hauled.Rock extraction continues to be mostly at Rocknell. Lorry movements for 2017 were 56.244, this is up by nearly 5000 on 2016 - most lorries are longer & more are towing drags (trailers).Since 2011 lorry movements have increased by 20.953.The amount of traffic through Burlescombe continues to have an impact on our roads, especially noticeable by the former Ayshford Pub, the Railway Bridge & road near the Village Hall, acceleration groove at the bottom of the hill (near the present building site for Affordable Housing) & three brake grooves which were mended in December 2017 (as the road approaches the A38).The Quarry has now fitted tracker devices to the company's franchised lorries & 64% of lorries leaving the quarry have these devices & 99.63 of these vehicles are adhering to the 20MPH speed limit, which has made quite a difference to the village! A.I. applied for planning permission (section 73) in July 2017 to allow an extension of the extraction area at Rocknell of 600,000 tons, at the same time renewing the ROMP.Various individuals, Burlescombe Parish Council & Holcombe Rogus parish Council have sent objections to both issues. In August 2017 there was a large spillage of rock on the hill going out of Burlescombe (adjacent to the 6 affordable houses to be built), by a lorry which had not secured its tailgate properly, (unfortunately a second spillage happened in February 2018) fortunately no one was injured & no cars were damaged! The Quarry were quick to deal with the spillage & remove stones from the road. It has been noted in 2017 & 2018 that there has been a problem with quarry lorries queueing to enter the Quarry early in the morning. We now anticipate the Public Consultation taking place on Thursday May 10th 2018 (4-8pm) at Burlescombe & Westleigh Community Hall, Burlescombe in which our Parish & Holcombe Rogus will be able to give views on upgrading Longwood Lane for two way traffic. Broadpath & Hillhead Quarry Viridor & A.I. I have attended meetings on June 12th 2017, December 18th 2017 & March 12th 2018.Next Meeting -June11th 2018. Viridor Landfill still on course for closure soon. Houndaller is now processing sand & gravel- this is cleaned & graded at a plant across the road. There has been complaints about sand on the roads, A.I. uses a sweeper regularly. Planning Application to import sand & gravel from Straitgate(Ottery St Mary) still awaiting approval, therefore the widening of Clay Lane has not yet happened! (This also affects the updating if the ROMP).

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Town Farm Quarry Hansons. I attended our first Liaison Meeting with our Chairman (Les Neville) on November 13th 2017.Next Meeting -April 23rd 2018. We were shown aerial videos (taken by a drone/camera) of Town Farm Quarry, Burlescombe & of the grading & cleaning plant at Whiteball.Future plans for the sites, including landscaping & tree planting were explained. We raised points about cleanliness of the road up to the A38 (there has been improvement since our meeting!), hedgerows & verges. Councillor Judy DowningQuarry Liaison representative

Old Railway Line (ORL)Report by Councillor Cliff Taylor

Not as much to talk about this year as last year as most of the planned work has been completed.The ORL is looking completed now with just the information board to procure and I have just fixed some dog fouling signs as that now seems to be the major issue we are having along the walk to the canal, hopefully it will have some effect? .We do have plans to trim the fir trees around the water tower and towards the Canal Bridge but are waiting on the Electricity board to do some work on the overhead cables adjacent to the tower before we start any further work. This has been cancelled three times over the past three months!The tower needs clearing of the ivy so we can get a better idea of any work that may be needed on the structure to enable stability of the tower for the future.Earlier in the year I cut the through the roots of the Ivy to aid the clearing later on. The ORL is looking really nice at this time of year and I have had some black and white photos printed of the ORL in the snow which can be kept with our files and with the other photos of the ORL before the project had begun and will be available for the public to view at our meeting. It is a shame that AI have not yet come up with the information boards promised as this time last year, we were hoping to have a grand opening and invite all the people involved in the project, however I think the boards may be in progress as we speak so maybe we could do something this spring ? Park Wood We are having issues with water run off from the adjacent fields into the footpath and across the drive belonging to Railway Cottages and down to the railway Line. This seems to be a

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blocked drain running into Park Wood. This has been cleared and the annual maintenance contract carried out by Grahame Hawkins will make sure this is cleared mainly in the autumn when the leaves fall and any other time throughout the year as required.Parkwood is very boggy due to the snow and rain lately but would encourage any local parishioners to take a walk through especially in May when it will be drier and the Bluebell carpet will be a sight to behold.

Planning Report

by Kevin Stower, Chair of Planning

Planning Applications considered from April 2017 to March 2018

I do not know how busy the Planning Committee has been this year compared to previous years, but it has certainly been very busy as there have been planning applications to consider at every Full Council Meeting as well as at the additional Planning Committee meetings held over most of the months of the past year.

This year we have considered 31 planning applications, which have consisted of:

1 for recycling and screening at Ayshford (A major application)The Junction 27 application (A major application)The extraction of an additional 600,000 tonnes at Westleigh Quarry (A major application)Considering additional information provided for the Westleigh Quarry application1 for 6 affordable houses (A major application)2 Appeals (Major applications)1 for Hillhead Quarry and widening of Clay Lane1 retention of new access and vehicle run off1 extension to a slurry store1 retention of PV Solar Panels1 erection of an agricultural dwelling3 change of use of agricultural buildings2 conversion of 2 agricultural buildings to 3 dwellings1 conservatory1 major alteration to a garden centre + 1 revised information1 extension to a milking parlour1 erection of a timber framed building1 retention of a garden shed2 erection of extensions4 for felling 23 trees2 applications in neighbouring parishes

Of the above, the Council have strongly objected to the 7 Major applications, 1 of which was refused, then upheld pending appeal, 2 have been granted Full Planning Permission, and the remaining 4 remain under consideration by Devon County Council or Mid Devon Distract Council.

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Of the remaining 24 applications, the Council recommended Refusal on 3 that were subsequently refused Planning Permission, and on 21 either had No Objection or recommended Approval subject to conditions, and all of these 21 were granted Full Planning Permission, subject to conditions where appropriate.

Other mattersA very big thank you to the Clerk (Leslie Findlay) for her unstinting support of me and the Planning Committee over the year, to the Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee (Cllr Cliff Taylor) and to the Chairman of the Council (Cllr. Les Neville) for their support, to the members of the Planning Committee for debating the detail of the applications, and to the residents of the Parish who have taken an interest in the planning process and its consequences. I would also like to thank Cllr. Judy Downing for attending public meetings at the principle Councils, when others, such as myself, have not been able to attend.

A big thank you also to the Officers on the Planning Teams at Devon County Council and Mid Devon District Council who have always and readily given their time, their advice and background information when asked to do so.

I would also like to thank Cllrs. John Butler (Chair of Planning) and Adam Pilgrim, both of Holcombe Rogus Parish Council, who have also given generously of their time and support in exchanging information that affects both Councils.

I have attended two Planning Courses over the year, which have taught me not only about the rules and regulations involved in the planning process, but also the enormous complexity of the subject and the responsibilities that we shoulder in discharging this duty.

The Council has purchased a small laptop and projector in order to make planning applications, plans, layouts etc. easier for all to see and understand at meetings. It has not had much use as yet, but I can see that it certainly will over the coming year.

County Councillor`s Report.

I have been your County Councillor for 13 years now, known as Willand and Uffculme Ward, time flies when you are enjoying yourself. As well as representing Burlescombe and Westleigh Communities I have another 10 Parishes, Willand, Uffculme, Culmstock, Hemyock, Clayhidon, Sampford Peverell, Holcombe Rogus, Huntsham, Hockworthy and Clayhanger. As a MDDC Councillor I also represent Halberton and Uplowman.

This year has been very different to all other years, last year I was elected to be the Chairman of Devon County Council, that has taken me all over Devon, this year to date I have attended over 150 meetings/events and have met a variety of different people including many royal occasions. It has been difficult to attend as many Parish Councils as I would have liked, because of the demands of being County Chairman.

From a County perspective, there are many issues relating to Burlescombe and Westleigh, ranging from the Quarry ROMP application, concerns about an agreement on water levels in the canal and the desire to improve HGV traffic routeing of Quarry traffic, without removing

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traffic from one area and transferring it on another, this will prove to be very challenging. Therefore I urge as many as possible to attend the consultation set for 10th May in the Burlescombe Village Hall. We need some guidance as to what is acceptable or what is not acceptable. If there is an acceptable scheme, it is going to be expensive.

I do enjoy my job, it is difficult to please all the people all the time, but I can but try to please as many as possible. It`s worth saying that I do have a couple pots of money to help local charities/organisations/groups, just make an application to me and we can see what we can do.

One of the funds, TAP fund (Town and Parish), to be renamed Communities working together, last year was unclaimed in this area, known as Willand & Uffculme and because it cannot be carried over to the next year, £3800 was lost to another part of MDDC, I don`t want that to happen again. This fund has to be applied through the Parish Council.

County Councillor Ray Radford

HIGHWAY’S REPORT

By Councillor David Sprague

Our roads are generally in fairly good order however there are several places of concern and several promises of repairs.

The major success this year is the resurfacing of the A38 past the Poachers Pocket, and Red Ball plus three large patches close to XYZ and a section past the Community Hall, however the complete road from the quarry to the A38 in all directions is in a poor state of repair considering the volumes of traffic using them every day.

This still leaves the minor roads, with Westcott road officially the worst road in the parish rapidly becoming a car ‘no go’ area, quickly followed by Beer Lane, hopefully these will be repaired in the coming year, watch this space. Pugham area is a perennial problem made dramatically worse by blocked ditches and field run off, there is no long term complete answer to this problem. Another area which is a cause of concern is section of A38 between Appledore and the Old Well, not only is the surface showing signs of major breakdown but most of the gulley’s are blocked causing surface water to wash across the road, if this freezes it would be an accident waiting to happen.

Longwood Lane continues to be a talking point. Improvements in this area would certainly alleviate some problems within Burlescombe village, but add burden on others, so come to the consultation in May and have your say as to how things should progress. With the possibilities of affordable housing in Burlescombe and a further development close to the church, these will only add to the burden of traffic within the parish. Lorries shedding loads, breakdowns and queuing traffic, pedestrians, school times and more vehicles, so please make your comments known.

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HALL REPORT

The Hall continues to be very successful and is being used by many and varied groups, everything from parties to pilates and dancing to bingo, we have Young at Heart to Holidaying Volunteers. We now have to book early!

We have just redecorated the interior and is now looking very smart, our next venture will be to redecorate the exterior. The committee would like to thank the PC for their continued support to the hall and the work we try to do.

St. MARY’S CHURCH

The Church stands at the top of the hill, visible from most of the parish, we are a very small congregation but we are always open when parishioners or school needs us. We have lost the Revd Sue Blade who has moved on to pastures new, so the team is looking for a new Rector but for the time being we adequately looked after by Revd Glyn Lewry associate priest and a band of retired vicars. So it is business as usual.

The PCC would like to thank the Parish Council for their continued support in aiding us to maintain the churchyard grass cutting.

Councillor David Sprague

CLERK/RFO REPORT

Another challenging year (I keep hoping it will get a bit quieter) with the Data Protection regulations to be in place by 25th May 18. We are now compliant with all the requirements for the Transparency code and the website has been kept updated with all the relevant documents. This year we have new external Auditors PKF Littlejohn and as we currently do not exceed £25,000 for income or expenditure we are exempt from an external audit. They will be doing spot checks on smaller authorities over the coming years, so it is always possible we will be chosen (?) next year. We are still required to conduct an internal audit and then all documentation has to be published on our website for the public to view. It is hoped to have this documentation available in early May. The Parish Council received the following income in this financial year:

Received £Precept 9600.11DCLG grant 399.89VAT reclaimed 936.66Transparency code 650.00Interest 4.11Horticultural Society 150.00Parish Paths payment 700.00Wayleave payment 11.92Total 12,452.69

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Expenditure is lower than last year and totalled £15,750. As can be seen by the figures below which exclude staff costs.

2017 difference 2018 Explanation13559 1769.00 11790

Hall hire 147.50 -36.00 183.50 More Planning meetingsCemetery Grants 800.00 0.00 800.00

Old Railway line project3229.6

2 2107.711121.9

1 Coppicing & purchase of bulbsOld Railway Line Park Wood maintenance 900.00 0.00 900.00Audit Fees 295.00 0.00 295.00Membership Fees 292.05 8.26 283.79 SLCC Membership reduced by £10

Grass Cutting (MDDC)1033.4

1 0.001033.4

1Play Area grass cutting 749.50 -225.50 975.00 Increase in costsParish Paths Partnership 593.00 -76.00 669.00 Increase in costsInsurance 229.09 -109.40 338.49 Increase in AssetsClerk Expenses 265.71 -96.18 361.89 includes Broadband £120Councillor Expenses 109.86 -44.48 154.34 Cllrs attended more course Wreath 50.00 0.00 50.00

Assets1177.1

3 -747.851924.9

8 purchase of Notice Board/projectorTraining 194.00 139.00 55.00 Trg attended provided free by MDDCWebsite domain & email host costs 470.00 185.00 285.00Locality budget spend 385.00 385.00 0.00 Grant not applied for this yearMaintenance of Notice Boards 571.50 389.51 181.99Queen's 90th Birthday 435.50 435.50 0.00Welcome Leaflets 110.00 110.00 0.00Signs for gate 100.00 75.00 25.00Solicitors Fees 150.00 150.00 0.00

VAT1011.1

2 -36.821047.9

4Ecology Survey 260.25 260.25 0.00Phone box refurbishment 0.00 -514.00 514.00 Purchase of Phone BoxPlanning CD/map 0.00 -18.00 18.00 Required for planning purposesNotice board delivery & magnets 0.00 -522.00 522.00Donation to Citizens Advice 0.00 -50.00 50.00

The assets have increased with a new notice board at Ayshford and a portable projector to assist with planning meetings.

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Training. The Clerk has attended several Data Protection awareness courses and both the Chair of Planning and Clerk have attended planning courses. This coming year will be dominated by planning issues and it is important that the Parish Council ensure that the 106 monies available to the Parish with any new build is used. There are currently four vacancies for Councillors on the Parish Council.

Leslie FindlayParish Clerk/RFOBurlescombe Parish Council

BURLESCOMBE AND WESTLEIGH HISTORY GROUP

The History group is thriving with increased membership and attendance and this has enabled us to keep membership fees at the same level as last year despite increases in speaker fees. This should be another interesting year with amongst other things talks on dowsing, the history of bells, and ancient Egypt. Our planned summer outing will be to Poltimore, which we visited several years ago and it will be interesting to see the progress of the restoration. Visitors are very welcome at any of our meetings which take place at URC hall Westleigh on the fourth Wednesday of every month at 7.30 p.m.

If you would like more information please contact Peter Bostock 01823 673221 (email [email protected]) or Harry Norton 01823 672582 (email [email protected])

THE AYSHFORD FOUNDATION TRUST 2018

The Ayshford Foundation Trust provides grants to full-time students aged 18 and over from of the Parishes of Uffculme, Holcombe Rogus and Burlescombe, to pay for essential books and equipment. The nine Trustees are appointed by the Parish Councils, two appointed by each Parish Council, and three appointed by Devon County Council.

No applications were received for grants in the 2017 round - an unprecedented situation. Are students better off than in other years? Maybe students are unaware of the existence of the Trust. Whatever the reason, funds are still available for the next academic year for which application must be received by 31 October.

Details of the scheme and application forms are available from the Clerk to the Trustees, P J Walter, Eastbrook, Burlescombe, TIVERTON EX16 7JT. Tel: 01823 672545, [email protected]

BURLESCOMBE AND WESTLEIGH

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Sadly, membership dwindled to such a small number that it was decided to wind up the club. It is hoped that the Craft Show will take place in the autumn. Keep an eye on Parish news for details.

P J Walter

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mailto:[email protected]



ST MARY’S BURLESCOMBE BELLRINGERS

We have insufficient ringers for regular service ringing and the bells are only heard at weddings and if we have a visiting band. Anyone interested in finding out more about ringing or learning the art should contact P J Walter on 672545 or [email protected]

WALKING GROUP

There can be few things finer than a walk on a Summer’s evening after the heat of the day (fingers crossed!) has died down. We have a programme of 6 evening walks this year, on the third Thursday of the month, starting on 19th April. Walks begin at various locations (see Parish News or phone 01823 672905 for details), depending on who is leading the walk, and there is often an optional social gathering at the end of the walk for tea and cake or a drink in a pub.

In October and November and March we walk on the third Sunday in the afternoon. In January a shorter morning walk will be followed by our annual lunch.

We are a very sociable group and everyone is welcome. We are not an organisation; we have no committee or membership fees. It does mean that we do not have public liability insurance and so we all take responsibility for ourselves.

The walks are not for novices as they are normally around 3.5 miles in length, and proper footwear is needed as paths can be muddy, uneven, hilly and slippery.

Last year we walked from Culmstock, Holcombe Rogus, Westleigh and Wrangway Corner.

Some of the group near Hockworthy last Summer

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The Four Villages Environmental Group

The Four Villages Environmental Group is a local group that covers environmental issues, such as roads/traffic, air quality/pollution, flooding, the canal, HGV’s, noise, and dust affecting village residents and businesses in Burlescombe, Hockworthy, Holcombe Rogus and Westleigh

Originally known as BEL (Burlescombe Environmental Lobby), the group has now expanded to encompass surrounding villages so that they can all work hand in hand to highlight any environmental issues affecting them. The group will work alongside existing Parish Councils and Local Authorities with a view to supporting them in the good work they already do for our Parishes.

When you live in a small community or village having a voice and working together is so important, and the Four Villages Environmental Group are looking for new members from Burlescombe, Hockworthy, Holcombe Rogus and Westleigh to join this friendly and welcoming group, that has the protection of our environment at the forefront of local issues.

To find out more about the The Four Villages Environmental Group please visit our facebook page - The Four Villages Environmental Group, or email Rhiannon Holman - [email protected]

Craft Club report

We have had another good year, with 12 members regularly attending our fortnightly meetings. Fortunately some of our ladies have a variety of skills and ideas and are happy to run occasional sessions, these are very informal and enjoyed by all.

This year we are taking over the running of the Craft Show due to the disbandment of the Garden Club. This will take place in October and we hope to encourage more entries from residents of both villages.

Christine Hammond

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€¦ · web viewwe now anticipate the public consultation taking place on thursday may 10th 2018...

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