IPPLEPEN PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of Parish Council Meeting held at Ipplepen Millennium Centre
On Tuesday 1st April 2025 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.Jerwood
Coun.Carnell (Vice Chair) Coun.Rattlidge
Coun.Latter Coun.Mrs.Calland
Coun.Smith Coun.Ranjit e
Coun.Farrow
Miss Cat Freston – Parish Clerk
Coun.Dewhirst – County Councillor
Four Members of the public present
Before we move on to tonight’s agenda, I would like to make a brief statement as Chair of the Parish Council and kindly ask that it be included in the minutes.
As many of you will know, the Devon County Council elections are taking place on 1st May 2025.
We have become aware that the proposed development at Blackstone Cross—part of our Neighbourhood Plan—is being raised as an issue within the election campaign by one of the candidates.
I want to take this opportunity to say that the Parish Council believe Blackstone Cross is, above all, a local matter for the people of Ipplepen.
It should not be used for political advantage or made into a divisive issue during a County Council Election campaign.
Cllr -David Palethorpe – Chair – Ipplepen Parish Council
175) APOLOGIES – Coun.Burnham (Apologies approved unanimously)
176) DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – No declarations of Interest
177) MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 4th March 2025, were approved and signed by the Chairman.
178) PUBLIC QUESTION TIME – No Comments
179) CORRESPONDENCE – Parish Clerk
- a) An email has been received from Ipplepen Cricket Club regarding the wooden fence that separates the car park from the grounds. The fence has become rotten and needs replacing. The club are happy to contribute 50% of the cost and happy to source quotes. Action – Clerk to arrange a site meeting to discuss the fence and arrange the Football Club inspection at the same time.
- b) An email has been received from the Chair of the Tennis Club asking if access could be gained to the toilets up to 9pm throughout the Summer. It wouldn’t be every week but have asked if it is possible for the toilets to be locked later than usual.
Action – Clerk to notify Tennis Club that the locks have been set to British Summer time and will open at 7am and lock at 9pm.
OUTSIDE BODIES
Coun.Rattlidge attended the Police and Crime Commissioner meeting last week. The Clerk was passed a copy of the Police and Crime Plan 2025-2029.
Coun.Smith attended the Stoneycombe Quarry Liaison meeting on Wednesday 19th March 2025. Coun.Smith spoke to them about helping the community with placing large stones in certain areas around the village if required.
Coun.Palethorpe attended the MCMC meeting and the Primary School brought to the attention of the Committee about the height of the fencing at the front which runs behind the shed. They would like to make the fence 6ft high along with the second gateway into the Millennium Centre. Also they would like to add a gate to the rear of the Millennium Centre. Coun.Carnell will discuss at the Amenities meeting on Tuesday 8th April 2025.
180) DISTRICT & COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
March has been a busy month at Teignbridge with the adoption of the Budget for 2025/26.
I had the pleasure of visiting Coombe Head Academy in Newton Abbot to meet with young people involved in the District Council’s Safer Spaces initiative, funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
This project has been focused on two significant issues,
Giving young people a voice and building positive relationships between them and the police and preventing Violence Against Women and Girls.
Discussions have centred around acceptable behaviour, misogyny, and its impact on society.
As the Executive Member responsible for the initiative my visit aimed to explore how trust can be built between youth and the police, with support from the police and Young Devon who have delivered the project.
It was really insightful and informative to hear from Inspector James Johnson about the challenges the police face and the pressures the young people feel themselves to be under.
Perhaps it’s worth remembering that those who complain about “young people today,” that we are only talking about a minority, that we were once in their shoes, and these young people are our children and grandchildren, who live in a world we have provided them.
Other things that have taken place this month,
New Dawlish Bridge Named ‘Sweet Violets’
A new bridge over Shutterton Brook in Dawlish has been officially named Sweet Violets Bridge, honouring Dawlish’s historic violet industry that supported ex-servicemen after WWI and helped supply Covent Garden with fresh blooms.
Seasonal Dog Bans Begin 1 April
Dogs will be restricted from Teignmouth, Shaldon, Dawlish, and Dawlish Warren beaches from 1st April to 30 September. Alternative dog-friendly areas include Ness Cove, Holcombe, and Teignmouth River Beach.
County Council Elections – 1 May
Nominations close 2 April at 4pm, with candidate lists published on 3 April. Register to vote by 11 April at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Pop-Up Business Tenders Closed
Applications for 2025–26 seasonal pop-up sites have closed. For future opportunities, email: assets@teignbridge.gov.uk.
Climate Hub Spring Actions Live
New seasonal ideas to reduce your carbon footprint now online. Sign up for the latest newsletter and get involved: www.teignbridge.gov.uk/climatehub
VE Day 80 – Tip Top Towns
Communities encouraged to celebrate VE Day on 5 May with local events, decorations, and street parties. Share activity with #VE80 to receive a participation certificate.
Avian Flu Alert
A wild bird in Torbay has tested positive for avian flu. Report dead birds via the DEFRA website or call 03459 33 55 77. Do not touch dead birds and follow strict biosecurity if keeping poultry.
David Palethorpe – Cllr for Ipplepen – Teignbridge District Council
County Report – Coun.Dewhirst
Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) – What happens next?
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has asked the County Council to work with other councils in the area to develop a proposal for local government reorganisation.
The Council is currently engaging politicians, businesses, emergency services, health services, educators and other representatives of local communities to share information related to finance and demand for council services in the county of Devon and work with them to co-design proposals for LGR. The council wants a proposal which puts residents’ needs first and will provide efficient and effective services which are locally accountable.
The time scale is that the Devon & Torbay Combined Authority (CCA) came into being on Wednesday 5th March; LGR interim plan submission deadline is Friday 21st March; Devon County Council Elections are on Thursday 1st May; LGR full plan submission deadline will be Friday 28th November 2025; Elections to shadow authorities will be in April or May 2027 and Vesting day for new authorities will be in April 2028.
The leaders of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Councils have agreed to work together to explore the creation of a Mayor-led strategic authority but there appears to be no time scale for this.
The County Council is not suggesting a model for the new authority this side of the elections in May, However, there are suggestions in the offing from other councils which went to government on the 21st.
Plymouth are keen to see a “Greater Plymouth”. The government has said they are looking for at least half a million residents but will accept a smaller size in exceptional circumstances. Exeter has suggested that it would also apply for a special circumstances solution but what that would look like is not known.
The District Councils are suggesting a 1:4:5 solution. A Greater Plymouth of about 350,000 population which would include the western parts of South Hams and West Devon. The 4 is the remainder of South Hams, West Devon, Teignbridge and Torbay would be just under the half million population. Finally, East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon, Torridge and Exeter would be just over half a million population.
Issues surrounding all the proposals are debt and current reserves – Devon and Plymouth both carry high levels of debt – Devon’s will depend on what the government does with the SEND debt problem and Plymouth will have around £1.2 billion of development debt by 2028. The District Councils all have adequate reserves which could be spent before the formation of the Unitary Authority.
Governance is also a problem. Devon County’s 60 councillors each have a constituency of about 12,000 but do not deal with waste or planning; the 36 Torbay councillors have a constituency of 3,000 who deal with all aspects of local government. To take constituencies down to the Torbay level would mean 276 councillors!
Finally, there will need to be a system of local committees like HATOC to deal with highways, planning and waste – my suspicion is that we might end up with a system that looks pretty much as we have at the moment but a cost of around £80 million to set up!
The Cabinet have agreed a 12-month trial which will alter the dimming regime of around 80% of Devon’s residential streetlights will get underway in April, following the pilot last year in Abbotskerswell, Holcombe Rogus, Kingskerswell and Sidmouth, where 550 streetlights underwent earlier switch-off times and additional dimming.
The trial is possible thanks to the upgraded technology of our Central Management System, which allows adjustments to be made remotely to around 80% of Devon’s 80,000 streetlights. We calculate that this change will achieve a reduction of circa 225 tonnes of carbon per annum.
It will be introduced in phases, starting in Exeter, before moving on to the previous pilot areas followed by other market towns such as Ashburton, Barnstaple, Crediton and Honiton, and then rural areas.
The scheme will mean that in Exeter, residential streetlights will be dimmed to 40% output from 9:30pm – 12:30am, before being switched off from 12:30am until 5:30am, and returning to 40% output from 5:30am-6:30am. In market towns, they will be dimmed to 40% output from 8:30pm to midnight, then switched off from midnight to 5:30am, with 40% output from 5:30am-6:30am. Rural areas will see streetlights dimmed to 40% from 7pm to midnight, switched off from midnight to 5:30am, with 40% output from 5:30am-6:30am. There will be no change to the current policy on streetlighting on main roads.
Devon worked closely with the Police throughout the pilot earlier last year, and in developing this trial. If Police raise any safety concerns over the lighting levels, they can be reviewed and altered.
After not quite fifteen years this will be my last Parish Council report to you. I would like to thank you for all your help and support over those years – you have been my eyes and ears over that period and I could not have done my job effectively without your help. I can honestly say that I have loved every minute – it is the greatest job that you can imagine and the honour of being elected to represent your community is heart-wrenching.
I was very fortunate in being elected to represent Ipplepen on the District Council – I learnt many lessons in those first few days. After being assured by the planning officer on my first day in office that she would ensure that St Mary’s would have a stone boundary wall like the rest of the stone walls in the village – I learnt to confirm everything in writing.
Ipplepen was also a good place to learn all aspects of being a Councillor – we are a very democratic place with a good social mix living in varied types of housing with a mix of all the issues seen in Devon.
Being elected to the County Council in May 2013 was a huge step up, but one I relished. In 2017 I was made Chair of Scrutiny, not a particularly public role, but representing my back bench colleagues on a big council was fascinating and challenging. Our work of Child Sexual Exploitation and Problem Gambling was I think, groundbreaking.
For most of my career I have been in opposition – I’m pleased to have been elected Deputy Leader at Teignbridge in 2019 and I think our record through the pandemic showed how strong we were as a Council – we were the only SW council to keep our toilets open the whole time and never missed a week of waste collections – I was so fortunate to lead a fantastic team!
Finally, I would like to thank Cllr Phil Cook and his wife Cllr Sheila Cook for teaching me everything about campaigning and fighting for your community and Cllr Alan Connett who has been my mentor and taught me everything I know about local government. Last of all your Chair Cllr David Palethorpe who has stepped up and relishes his role at Teignbridge and hopefully will see another side of life at Devon County Council – thank you David.
Alistair Dewhirst – alistair.dewhirst@devon.gov.uk
181) PLANNING – Coun.Farrow
District Councillor, Coun.Palethorpe is on the Planning Committee for TDC, so will not comment or vote on any Planning Applications discussed below.
To consider the following planning applications:
The Minutes of the Plans Meeting held on 19th March 2025 were approved and taken as read.
To consider the following planning applications:
To consider the following planning applications:
25/00525/FUL – Proposed self build/custom build dwelling and associated landscaping including demolition of existing single storey structures and garage at 4, Clarendon Road.
Comment: Coun.Farrow proposed that Ipplepen Parish Council have no objection in principle but have reservations in respect of the following:
- Loss of on-street parking
- Consider three car parking spaces is disproportionate to the size of the proposed dwelling
- The additional lengths of drop curb.
Seconded by Coun.Mrs.Calland (All unanimous).
182) AMENITIES – Coun.Carnell
The Minutes of the Amenities meeting held on 11th March 2025, were approved and taken as read.
- a) CCTV at Recreation Ground – has been repaired and is all working.
- b) Bowden Road Roundabout – parking of vehicles on the grass. This is still ongoing and Coun.Palethorpe is monitoring the situation.
- c) Mill Centre Inspection – This is in hand.
- d) Salt bins and sandbag stocks – Coun.Ranjit will check bins and stock and order any if necessary.
- e) Play Park Equipment – The play equipment at the Recreation Ground and Tremlett Grove has had a survey. The spinning cone at both play parks is not spinning. The cost to repair is around £900 + VAT. All the other equipment is ok. They are looking at potentially adding another roundabout in the smaller play area at the Recreation Ground.
- f) Recreation Ground toilet cladding – Two tenders have been received for Cladding on the Recreation Ground toilet block.
RESOLUTION: Coun.Farrow proposed to accept Tender A, Seconded by Coun.Latter and agreed unanimously at £4,360.00.
The contractor is Timber-Tec South West Ltd. Action – Clerk to notify the successful contractor.
- g) The DAA Lights are currently not working. Coun.Carnell has this in hand.
- h) The DCC Urban Grass Cutting Agreement for 25/26 has been signed and returned to DCC.
- i) The Lengthsman has been appointed to carry out any works necessary under the instruction of the Parish Council.
- j) Cricket Club fencing was discussed and a meeting on site will be arranged in due course.
183) SKATE PARK – Coun.Rattlidge
Coun.Rattlidge and the Clerk are going to apply to one company at a time for funding. This will be done in the new financial year.
184) FINANCE & PERSONNEL – Coun.Smith
Balance No. £ 2,412.16
MCMC – Reimbursement for electricity £ 27.88
Allotment Tenants – Rent £ 200.00
MCMC – Rent £ 55.00
TDC – Green Business Grant £ 10,000.00
Balance £ 12,695.04
Invoices Received and Approved: £ 7,048.77
Balance: £ 5,646.27
Outstanding VAT Refund £ 7,835.18
Year End Balance incl. o.s.VAT for 2024/2025 £ 13,481.45
Reserve Account Balance £182,207.54
£182,207.54
Overall Year End Balance Inclu. o.s VAT £ 195,688.99
Items to discuss: Nothing to discuss
185) KERSWELLA CARE – Coun.Rattlidge
They are in desperate need of volunteers, especially drivers as they are down to 4, if anyone is available, to cover Ipplepen residents and the surrounding villages.
In March the total transport requests were 91.
The requests for Ipplepen residents and the surrounding area – covered by Ipplepen volunteers were 36
Completed requester were:
Abbotskerswell 5
Denbury 4
Ipplepen 13
Ogwell 7
Broadhempston 2
Total transported 31
The Digital Drop-In and Grief Café continue to be well attended.
There was a very interesting talk by one of the first Devon Air Ambulance pilots to the Trailblazers group at the Village Hall. Again we have over 20 regularly joining us for this monthly group.
We will be having a Meet The Kerswella Team at the Village Hall on 29th April from 11:30- 1pm. For anyone who would like to know more about our services, offer ideas on how we can help or find out more about volunteering – there is no commitment and just 1 hour a month would help. There will be refreshments so come along for a cuppa, a cake and a chat.
186) APPROVE AGENDA FOR PARISH ASSEMBLY
The Agenda for the Parish Assembly was approved unanimously.
187) HIGHWAYS & RIGHTS OF WAY – Coun.Smith
- VASS is not working, waiting for Contractors to come back and rectify the issue.
- Footpath 14 Orley Road will be discussed at the amenities meeting and quotes will be obtained for the gate and repairs to the stock proof fencing.
188) PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
A parishioner asked if the annual litter pick could be arranged with plenty of notice and advertised in the Parish Magazine.
189) To note the date of the next PC meeting: Tuesday 6th May 2025 at 7.15pm
Meeting Closed at 21.02pm