IPPLEPEN PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of Meeting held at Ipplepen Millennium Centre
On Tuesday 2nd April 2024 at 7.15pm
The following minutes will be considered for approval at the next Parish Council Meeting and may be subject to change until that time.
In attendance:
Coun.Palethorpe (Chairman) Coun.Carnell (Vice Chair)
Coun.Burnham Coun.Mrs.Calland
Coun.Smith Coun.Rattlidge
Coun.Jerwood Coun.Ranjit
Miss Cat Freston – Parish Clerk
Coun.Palethorpe District Councillor
Coun.Dewhirst – County Councillor
Two Members of the public present
150) APOLOGIES – Coun.Farrow, Coun.Latter (Apologies approved unanimously).
151) DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – No declaration of interest.
152) MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 5th March 2024, were approved and signed by the Chairman.
153) PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
A member of the public asked for an update on the Deed of Release, the fencing at the rear of St Mary’s Place and the damage caused to the roadside curb stones in Tremlett Grove.
Another resident asked about the Planning Application on the land behind the development and whether the land would be reinstated to how it was.
Coun.Mrs.Calland proposed that the Parish Council write a letter to TDC asking if they can ensure the land is rehabilitated to its original state. Seconded by Coun.Jerwood. Action – Coun.Farrow to write a response.
154) CORRESPONDENCE AND OUTSIDE BODIES – Parish Clerk
- TDC are holding two online events for Delivering Rural Affordable Housing. Coun.Rattlidge and Coun.Palethorpe will both be attending.
- An email has been received from IpplePlanet informing the Parish Council that Devon County Council have recently been awarded more than £7milion for electric vehicle charge points around the County. Action – Amenities to discuss at their meeting on Tuesday 9th April 2024.
- Kerswella Care have emailed about their progress and hopes for projects in Ipplepen working with the community. Their Lottery project officially launched yesterday.
Coun.Smith attended the Stoneycombe Quarry meeting on Wednesday 27th March 2024.
155) DISTRICT & COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
District Report – Coun.Palethorpe
Planning continues to be an issue and concern for residents. Teignbridge Planning Officers have recently informed me that the Retrospective Planning Application for the land at Tremlett Grove has been recommended for refusal, which the applicant now has the legal right to appeal.
Work of improving the Ogwell – Newton Abbot section of the National Cycle Network is due to start this month. It will mean that a section of the Cricketfield Car Park and Bakers Park Car Park will be out of action while it is being used as a storage base by the contractor.
Venture Cafe have now taken on the lease of the xxx. In Teignmouth. The Venture Cafe group are a well respected local business who concentrate on buying goods from local suppliers and employing local people as part of their ethical business principles.
The contract for the enhancement of Queens Street, Newton Abbot has been awarded by Devon County Council with the work due to start in the near future and completed during the summer.
A major step forward in the revitalisation of Newton Abbot Town Centre will take place in April, when traders, businesses and shoppers will have the chance to see the transformative plans for the Market Hall and Market Square. An exhibition will be opened from Thursday 11 to Saturday 13 April from 11am – 2pm. Council officers will be on hand with Councillors to discuss the plans to revitalise, enhance and protect the areas of Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton. Traders will be relocated to the former Post Office which will be a transformed into a temporary Market Hall, and to vacant units in the Market Walk which have been assigned for the purpose.
Four swimming pools in Teignbridge are to receive more than £350,000 national funding to help them be more energy efficient, reduce their carbon footprint and be more eco-friendly.
The funding comes from the second phase of the Government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund and will benefit pools in Moretonhampstead, Kingsteignton, Ashburton and Dawlish by cutting their energy costs and to support the long-term sustainability of public leisure.
Councillor Community Fund – District Councillors have again this Financial Year been awarded funding to support local projects. If your organisation has a project that would benefit from support please contact me to discuss. Access to the funds will not be available until after the Police and Crime Commissioner Election on the 2nd May.
David Palethorpe
Teignbridge District Councillor for Ipplepen
david.palethorpe@teignbridge.gov.uk
County Report – Coun.Dewhirst
An agreement has been signed between the County Council and the Government which will see an extra £95 million of national funds set aside to reduce the deficit on special needs education.
Our cumulative spending on education for children with special needs and disabilities (SEND) over the past 10 years is set to create a deficit of £163 million by the end of the 2023/24 financial year and £206 million by the end of this financial year.
In common with many councils, we have been negotiating with the Government for extra funding for special needs education under the so-called Safety Valve programme. We have also set aside £10 million this year to help bring down the deficit.
The new agreement will see the Government contribute £38 million by the end of March with the remaining cash being spread out over the following eight years.
We will contribute a further £5 million a year from its revenue budget and £20 million from reserves to bring the deficit back into balance by the end of the agreement.
The SEND Action Plan that Devon has agreed with the Government includes:
- focussing on improving early intervention through strengthened universal and targeted support
- supporting young people from 14 to 25 to access appropriate education and training and ensure a planned transition into employment, independent living and their next steps into adult life
- ensuring sufficient special school places along with the establishment of Specialist Resource Provision and improved use of Alternative Provision
- working with partners to improve the inclusive capacity of Devon’s mainstream schools
- working with partners to improve the way services in Devon – including health and schools – work together to provide seamless support for children and families
Adoption services for Cornwall Council and the Isles of Scilly will join the Regional Adoption Agency, Adopt South West, from Monday 1 April 2024. It means that the region covered by Adopt South West now includes the local authority areas of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and Somerset.
Adopt South West was established in 2018, following the Government’s introduction of Regional Adoption Agencies, bringing together adoption teams from neighbouring authorities to create a single agency in the South West.
The aim of a Regional Adoption Agency is to improve the recruitment of adopters, to help children move into their permanent families as promptly as possible and to offer robust adoption support across a wider region.
Many of Cornwall Council’s adoption team members have transferred to Adopt South West, which ensures their adoptive families continue to get support from the same familiar faces.
Children with a visual impairment in Devon have helped the Council to design a new custom-made armband and lanyard to help others more easily recognise that they have a disability. And both designs have been a big hit with young people who say that these aids have had an immediate impact and made a big difference to their day-to-day lives.
More than 600 children and young people in Devon live with a visual impairment. But, because it’s a disability that isn’t visible to others, this can lead to children and young people not being treated with the care and consideration that they are entitled to.
Usually those who are visually impaired use an awareness aid, such as the internationally recognised white short ‘symbol cane’ or white ‘long cane’. But these aids are designed with adults in mind, and children told us at the Council’s Rehabilitation Office for Visually Impaired Children (ROVIC) service that they needed something to suit their age group.
One nine-year-old girl shared that sometimes her cane made her feel embarrassed. So, with help from young people, designs for two new visual awareness aids that children felt ‘comfortable and confident’ using were produced.
Devon has become home to the first registered “habitat bank” in the country. The County Council and Exeter City Council have worked closely with Devon-based BioGains Limited to register the privately owned 3.2 hectare site in Duryard Valley Park.
The pioneering initiative follows the introduction of the new Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) planning laws which require all qualifying planning permissions to demonstrate that development of a site will achieve a net gain in biodiversity of more than 10% compared with beforehand. If developers are unable to deliver habitat enhancements on-site, they can either choose to undertake the work elsewhere themselves or they can purchase them from a provider of a habitat bank.
The habitat bank in Exeter will be enhanced predominantly into lowland meadow, which is a national priority habitat. There will also be around 260 metres of new and enhanced species-rich hedgerow and some small areas of scrub.
Alistair Dewhirst – alistair.dewhirst@devon.gov.uk
156) PLANNING
The Minutes of the Plans Meeting held on 20th March 2024 were approved and taken as read.
157) AMENITIES – Coun.Carnell
The Minutes of the Amenities meeting held on 12th March 2024, were approved and taken as read.
- a) Skate park removal – Gilpin Demolition have removed the Skatepark. Action – The Clerk to write a thank you letter when the invoice has been received.
- b) Clampit road toilet refurbishment – Awaiting a start date.
- c) Allotment number posts – Coun.Latter advised that he has installed 10 to date
- d) Emergency Plan – Coun.Palethorpe and the Clerk have updated the Emergency Plan. Action – Clerk to circulate to Amenities.
- e) Litter Pick – Coun.Carnell and Coun.Palethorpe have organised for 6th April 202. All organised and nothing required from Amenities Committee.
- f) Allotment waste-agreed that bonfire will be organised when weather has dried up. Cooun.Carnell suggested the Clerk send a letter/email out to all allotment holders reminding that all rubbish needs to be taken away and disposed of off site
- g) IpplePlanet-Memorandum of Understanding has been issued for review and Coun.Palethorpe proposed to accept the Memorandum, agreed unanimously.
- h) Coun.Palethorpe recommended that we promote the visit of Skate Park designer to coincide with removal of existing equipment thereby alleviating any potential concerns being voiced.
- i) Village Hall fence has been completed
- j) Coun.Burnham advised that he would review installation of new goalposts at the Recreation Ground.
- k) Grass Contract – There were two amendments for the Clerk to add, which were the footpath along the A381 and the grass verge at the rear of the Primary School and to add the Public Rights of Way list. It was resolved to approve the Grounds Maintenance Contract for 2024-2027. Coun.Palethorpe proposed for it to be advertised, Coun.Mrs.Calland seconded (all unanimous).
158) FINANCE & PERSONNEL – Coun.Smith
Balance No. £ 42,447.21
MCMC – Reimbursement for electricity £ 42.51
Allotment Tenants – Rent £ 120.00
Mill Centre – Rent £ 55.00
HMRC – VAT Refund £ 1,184.38
Balance £ 43,849.10
Invoices Received and Approved: £ 31,998.04
Balance £ 11,851.06
Year End Balance for 2023/2024 £ 11,851.06
Reserve Account Balance £ 194,150.47
Interest £ 1,617.07
£ 195,767.54
Overall Year End Balance incl. o.s. VAT £ 207,618.60
Items to discuss: Nothing to discuss
159) HIGHWAYS & RIGHTS OF WAY – Coun.Smith
Highways held their meeting on Wednesday 20th March 2024.
- The quotes for the Finger posts have been put on hold. It was decided to obtain some quotes for VAS speed signs for three units.
160) SKATE PARK WORKING PARTY
Maverick Skate Parks have been contacted and appointed as the Parish Council’s consultants. They will be attending the Annual Parish Assembly on Thursday 18th April 2024. An online survey has been posted on Spotted Ipplepen and the Parish Council encourage everyone to fill it in. Action – Clerk to advertise in the Parish magazine, school, scouts etc.
161) DEED OF RELEASE – TREMLETT GROVE
The Clerk sought advice from the Parish Council’s Solicitor who advised that signing the Deed of Release would have no impact over any Planning Applications, therefore the Deed of Release was signed and posted to the Solicitor’s.
162) APPROVE AGENDA FOR PARISH ASSEMBLY
The Agenda for the Parish Assembly was approved unanimously.
163) PUBLIC QUESTION TIME – No comments.
164) To note the date of the next PC meeting: Tuesday 7th May 2024 at 7.15pm
Meeting Closed at 20.43pm
