Present:
Councillor A White (Chairman)
Councillor R Souness (Vice Chairman)
Councillor J Pillar
Councillor W Cann
Councillor C Curtis
Councillor C White
Councillor J Darch
Dr P Brotherton (Clerk)

07/289 Apologies for absence

Apologies were received and accepted from Councillor J White, Councillor Woolland and Councillor Coombs for family reasons.

07/290 Declaration of Interest for items on the agenda and update of Register of Interests.
There were no declarations of interest and no changes to the Register of Interests

07/291 Minutes of the last meeting

Minutes of the meeting held on Monday 22nd October 2007 were circulated, read, confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

07/292 Clerk’s Report

The Clerk had nothing to report.

07/293 Questions from parishioners.

Questions and observations from Dr. K Crawford:
a. It was reported that the service bus 179 from Whiddon Down, turning down towards the entrance to the Croft off the old A30, was often severely hampered by cars parked at the top of this lane. Sometimes the bus has to reverse back towards the main road. It was asked that the Clerk ask for police help and support over this matter.
b. Council’s attention was drawn to a new national emergency phone service which automatically routes calls to the emergency services using lines identified as free, so reducing waiting times. This means that callers could end up talking to someone anywhere in the UK. However, a recent test of the system handled 70,000 calls without problem.
c. A report, available to Councillors, concerning a Senior Council meeting held in Exeter on future housing needs and care in the home was introduced.
d. A request was made to recommend community use and services to be built into the development of the Castle Hospital in Okehampton.
e. The Chairman (Councillor A White) asked that in the light of the decision by Carmel Coaches to end the 017 service which picks up and returns school children from and to the foot of South Zeal, the Clerk be asked to send a letter of complaint to Mr Richardson-Dawes (Team Leader, Public Transport, Devon County Council) emphasizing the short-comings of the alternative arrangement, which would be to provide a similar service based on Ford Cross.

07/294 Correspondence

a. Training DVD from the Standards Board on planning committee meetings. The Clerk had been invited to borrow this training video and had asked to be placed on the list.
b. Notice of a meeting of the DNPA Forum Group on Friday 23rd November. This notice will be passed to Councillor C White.
c. Letter from ‘Detox for Devon’. This letter was read to council. It was decided not to put on any special event in response to this.
d. Notice of a Silent March in Okehampton on Monday 26th November to raise awareness of domestic violence. Council noted this event.
e. Documents from South West Water, ‘Clean Sweep and Beyond’. These documents were made available to councillors. It was noted that improvement of the infrastructure of sewerage systems was a future target.
f. Letter from the Bench Chairman, Central Devon Bench offering information about strengthening the ties between magistrates and the communities they serve. Council felt that at the moment the invitation to speak with a Magistrate be deferred.
g. Devon County Minerals and Waste Development Framework Minerals Core Strategy – Consultation. This part of the Development Framework was noted.

07/295 Agenda Items for discussion and resolution

a. Matters concerning the repair of the mains water supply to the Recreation Ground toilets and Pavilion. Councillors aired their disquiet over some aspects of the quality of the work carried out to repair this mains water leak and improve the system. The clerk was asked to write a letter to the contractor raising these matters. Councillor Souness (Vice Chairman) as Chair of the Recreation Ground Association, said that the Association had granted £800 towards these expenses. Council expressed their gratitude to the Association and were similarly grateful for the donation of £500 from the Folk Festival organisation which the Clerk had already received towards the cost of these repairs.
b. Matters concerning Footpath No. 2. Councillor Cann stated that the situation had now been clarified and that he was happy with the outcome at the moment, which was substantially as described in the minutes for the last meeting.
c. Report from the Appraisal Group. The group reported that the Open Meeting had now been held. Although the turn-out had been less than expected a considerable amount of information had been volunteered by parishioners towards the future work of the Appraisal Committee which was to be formed in the very near future.
d. Request from Mr C Law for a grant towards the costs (£325.95) of placing signs to advertise the Post Office. After discussion, it was proposed by councillor A White (Chairman) and seconded by councillor Cann that a grant of £100 be given to Mr Law towards this expense. All agreed.
e. Request from Okehampton District Community Transport Group for grant aid. Proposed by councillor Cann and seconded by councillor A White (Chairman), a grant of £300 was made to this organisation.
f. Suggested Housing Needs Survey by the Community Council for Devon for WDBC. The question of the housing survey, offered by the Community Council of Devon on behalf of West Devon District Council, was considered. it was agreed that the recommendation of the Appraisal Committee be considered before reaching a conclusion on the matter.
g. Request from West Devon Citizens Advice Bureau for grant aid. Proposed by councillor Cann and seconded by councillor A White (Chairman), a grant of £100 was made to this organisation.
h. Request for funding to help a pupil at Okehampton College complete a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award in South Africa.
After discussion it was agreed that regretfully this request could not be supported. Approaches to various charities were recommended.

07/296 Planning

a. WDBC 11045/2007/OKE (Adrian Noon, 11th December 2007) Mr R Mawle, Wood Home Farm, South Tawton. Barn 1 Re-submission of 10134 for change of use of redundant agricultural barn to form residential dwelling.
Council agreed to support this re-application.
b. WDBC 11042/2007/OKE (Adrian Noon, 11th December 2007) Mr R Mawle, Wood Home Farm, South Tawton. Barn 2 Resubmission of 10135 for change of use of redundant agricultural barn to form residential dwelling.
Council agreed to support this re-application.
c. WDBC 11041/2007/0KE (Adrian Noon, 11th December 2007) Mr R Mawle, Wood Home Farm, South Tawton. Barn 3 Re-submission of 10136 for change of use of redundant agricultural barn to form residential dwelling.
Council agreed to support this re-application.
d. DNPA 0575/07 (Christopher Hart, 13th November 2007) Mr L Thomas and Miss K Loram, for Ford Cross Garage, South Zeal. Full Planning Permission. Amended plans to show porch and window detail. Demolition of existing garage and workshop and provision of three new houses with garage, gardens and parking.
As the return date for this application preceded the present meeting, council were asked to ratify the decision that had been taken that the previous advice, not to support the application, be re-submitted once more. The decision, proposed by councillor Curtis and seconded by councillor Souness (Vice Chairman) was so ratified in retrospect.
e. DNPA 0752/07 (Louise Smith, 7th November 2007) Mr S McCaffrey for Black Street Field, Black Street, South Tawton. Amended Plans concerning revised location and detailing. Open-fronted tractor shed cut into sloping field with hedge on three sides.
The clerk reported that two parishioners had examined the amended plans but had not asked the clerk to forward any observations. As the return date for this application preceded the present meeting, council were asked to ratify the decision that council supported this application in retrospect. The decision, proposed by councillor Souness (Vice Chairman) and seconded by councillor C White was so ratified.
f. DNPA 0868/07 (Louise Smith, 3rd December 2007) Mr D Harcombe, Little Owls Foot, Sticklepath. Full Planning Permission. New first floor in raised roof and rear extension with minor elevational amendments to existing ground floor.
After discussion and representation from Mr and Mrs D Harcombe, it was proposed by councillor Cann and seconded by councillor Souness that this application should be refused on the grounds of over-development. However, Councillor Pillar proposed the amendment ‘that the application be accepted if the design was changed so that there were no Velux (or similar) windows in the side of the new build that faced North overlooking South Zeal village’, which was seconded by Councillor Curtis. This amendment was carried by majority vote.

07/297 Determination

a. DNPA 0738/07 (Louise Smith, 15th October) Mr A Simons, 2 Cross Park, South Zeal. Full Planning Permission. Establishment of polytunnel (3.6m x 7.6m)
Granted: Conditions: trees and shrubs to be planted in accordance with a submitted scheme.
b. WDBC 10680/2007/OKE (Ian Guffick, 21st September) A.R Hooper and Partners, Lower Sessland, Spreyton. Alteration to a listed building. Replacement of metal windows x2 with single glazed wooden windows.
Granted. Conditions: Windows painted ‘to the satisfaction of the Planning Authority’, No enlargement of window openings, set in lime mortar, softwood with hardwood cill and set on existing stone/slate cills, no departure from approved plans, method statement to be submitted detailing full schedule of works.
07/298 Notice of Site Inspection. DNPA site inspection for application 0575/07 (Ford Cross Garage) on Friday 16th November. The councillors who had attended the site meeting reported to the council.

07/299 Councillor to volunteer to help Councillor Pillar with Planning Applications for the next month

Councillor Curtis volunteered to help Councillor Pillar for the next month.

07/300 Accounts

a. Consideration of accounts.
Proposed by Councillor Cann, seconded by Councillor Pillar, and agreed by all, the accounts were adopted.
b. Setting the Precept for 2008/2009. Consideration of list of projects, targets and events that council wishes to undertake in the next financial year.
Discussion lead to a list of proposal which will be further discussed at the December meeting of the Council.
c. Annual Return for the year ended 31st March 2007. Audit Commission audited and certified annual return.
The Clerk, as Responsible Financial Officer, presented the audited accounts for the year ended 31st March 2007 and confirmed that copies had been displayed and an invitation for any parishioner to examine them posted.

The meeting ended at 9.30 pm.