IPPLEPEN PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of Meeting held at Ipplepen Millennium Centre
On Tuesday 5th December 2023 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.Mrs.Calland Coun.Latter
Coun.Smith Coun.Farrow
Coun.Jerwood Coun.Ranjit
Miss Cat Freston – Parish Clerk
Coun.Palethorpe District Councillor
Coun.Dewhirst – County Councillor
No Members of the public present
95) APOLOGIES – Coun.Burnham, Coun.Rattlidge (Apologies approved unanimously).
96) DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – No declaration of interest.
97) MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 7th November 2023, were approved and signed by the Chairman.
98) PUBLIC QUESTION TIME – No comments
99) CORRESPONDENCE AND OUTSIDE BODIES – Parish Clerk
- a) A letter has been received from South Devon and Dartmoor Community Safety Partnership. 16 days of Action is an annual campaign which takes place between 25th November and 10th December 2023. It is for an end to gender-based violence and for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. They have provided stickers and asked that they are placed on the back of all the Parish Council’s public toilet doors. Action – Carnell to place the stickers on the back of the toilet doors.
- b) A letter has been received from Teignbridge District Council regarding the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Consultation. Teignbridge have invited the Parish Council to comment on the draft CIL Charging Schedule. The consultation takes place between Monday 4th December and 8th January 2024. All Councillors have been made aware and will complete the online survey form.
- c) An email has been received from Knights Solicitors informing the Parish Council that they will be charging for their time spent on looking at the Overage Payments for the Land at Tremlett Grove. Ipplepen Parish Council did not instigate their time, as they approached the Parish Council. Coun.Smith proposed that the Parish Council do not pay anything, seconded by Coun.Palethorpe (All Unanimous). Action – Parish Clerk to reply to Knights Solicitors.
100) DISTRICT & COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
District Report – Coun.Palethorpe
November as always in the lead up to Christmas has been busy.
My thanks to the Parish Council for erecting the Christmas Tree again this year and to the organisers of the Lantern Parade which was a triumph and it’s really good to see it back. Congratulations to everyone involved.
As reported in last months report unfortunately due to serious budget restraints Devon County Council are no longer in a position to clear standing water from roads other than A roads. My thanks to the residents of Bilver Cross for clearing the gully and the landowners for allowing the standing water to be released onto their land.
The remodelling of Queens Street in Newton Abbot is due to start next year. Newton Abbot Neighbourhood Plan made the remodelling of Queen Streets on of the specific issues to be implemented and the scheme is designed to make it a more attractive place for shoppers and visitors to the town by widening the footpaths for pedestrians to give better access to the shops and services along Queens Street.
There will also be a new zebra crossing, as well as raised-table pedestrian-priority crossings at the side-road junctions to support pedestrian movement, in particular for less mobile visitors.
The locality will be well served with parking spaces; with 26 on-street parking spaces retained on Queen Street as well as five new blue badge holder spaces. There’s also Teignbridge District Council’s car park at Cricketfield Road (over 300 spaces), and the short-stay Halcyon Road car park (115 spaces).
Chance to have your say on developers’ levy
More than £100 million is expected to be raised in the coming years to fund essential infrastructure through a levy developers pay on all new developments in Teignbridge.
Called the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), it was first introduced in Teignbridge in 2014 and is used to fund for example roads, schools, parks and public transport facilities.
It is being updated to reflect current viability evidence produced through the preparation of the draft Teignbridge Local Plan and from Monday (4 December) businesses and residents are being invited to comment on the proposals in a five-week consultation.
The proposed new rates vary across the district according to property values. They seek to balance the housing supply and infrastructure delivery envisaged in the draft local plan with site viability which takes in a range of issues such as affordable housing provision, build cost and sales values.
This will be of particular interest to Ipplepen as the housing within the Neighbourhood Plan comes forward.
Finally I wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year.
David Palethorpe
Teignbridge District Councillor for Ipplepen
david.palethorpe@teignbridge.gov.uk
County Report – Coun.Dewhirst
Children in Devon and their families will see a new model of support services, in line with national Government guidance. Since first introduced in the late 1990s in response to the Government-led Sure Start initiative, Children’s Centres in Devon have supported thousands of young children and their parents, with targeted early years support and other services.
But last year, the Government proposed a new initiative, and now the Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care are working with local authorities across the UK to roll out their ‘Start for Life’ programme and develop Family Hub programmes in accordance with local need.
Devon have announced that we want to start a transition from Children’s Centres to Family Hubs in Devon. This would include working with partners and stakeholders to shape the model, which is likely to take 12 months, with a view to developing a county-wide Family Hubs programme to begin in 2025.
The Hubs will focus on a partnership approach for early help and support for families and children aged 0 to 19 including support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Exactly which services each Family Hub will deliver will develop from what local families need, but examples of the sorts of advice, information, intervention and support that Family Hubs in Devon may deliver could include:
- early help and prevention services, delivered by Devon County Council
- wider early years services and education
- Public Health, Public Health Nursing and Midwifery services and support, as part of the government’s Best Start in Life initiative
- activities, support and opportunities being made available locally by community groups, charities and the voluntary sector
- drug, alcohol and domestic abuse or violence support
- wider health support for children and young people including mental health support and neurodevelopmental support
- community activity based short breaks offered for disabled children and young people
- youth services
- services for families with adolescents
- Children’s Centres in Devon are currently run on our behalf by the charity, Action for Children.
Action for Children is already working closely with other councils including in Plymouth and Torbay to develop Family Hubs. They will now also work with us to start the process of introducing Family Hubs to the rest of the county.
Our current contract with Action for Children expires at the end of March 2024, but Cabinet have agreed a new 12-month contract with the charity, from April 2024, to develop and start to pilot the new Family Hubs model across the county. In the meantime, Children’s Centres in Devon will continue to support families.
Devon are launching a major drive to establish a wide network of community libraries in Devon’s rural areas. They will be developed as an alternative to the current mobile library service which will be discontinued by February.
Devon’s Cabinet agreed to decommission the mobile library vehicles and to help community groups and parish councils set up new community libraries.
This came after I called the decision in to Scrutiny and cross party councillors asked the Cabinet to rethink their proposals to terminate the service. The Cabinet heard from residents that the service was a lifeline for many vulnerable people in rural locations. The request to re-think was supported by our Queen, the Children’s Laureate, and a number of Devon authors as well as councillors across Devon.
The Cabinet heard that the four library vehicles are close to becoming obsolete and are increasingly off the road for repairs and maintenance. It would cost £637,000 to replace them, £736,000 to lease the vehicles over three years and £799,000 for five years. Later in the meeting the Cabinet agreed to spend nearly £57 million on improving the road from Newton Abbot to Trago Mills.
Devon are going to receive an extra £6.663 million this financial year, that is up to the end of March ’24, from the funding redirected from the scrapped HS2 rail line extension to Manchester. It will be followed by the same amount next year, and then there will be a minimum of £208.6 million between now and 2033/34.
The Cabinet Member for Highway Management, has pledged that the funding will help address some of the repair backlog on Devon’s 8,000 miles of roads, the biggest highway network of any authority in the country.
We will be using some of the money to carry out patching work and other repairs before potholes deteriorate further this winter due to wet and freezing conditions of the season.
The majority of the funding for this financial year will enable the council to bring forward resurfacing schemes earmarked within its future works programme.
Alistair Dewhirst – alistair.dewhirst@devon.gov.uk
101) PLANNING – Coun.Farrow
The Minutes of the Plans Meeting held on 28th November 2023 were approved and taken as read.
102) AMENITIES – Coun.Carnell
The Minutes of the Amenities meeting held on 14th November 2023, were approved and taken as read.
- a) IpplePlanet – Concerns were expressed regarding the wording of the bid application to CO-OP in the sum of £1000 for Monies obtained for Community Orchard and mention of partnership/collaboration in place with the Parish Council which isn`t correct. It was requested that the poster advises that the CO-OP have awarded Ippleplanet funds to create a community orchard with no reference to the Parish Council. Coun.Palethorpe will work closely with Ippleplanet on forthcoming projects.
- b) Electric in Park – It was discussed and the cost is not viable – Clerk to write to Kevern Mortimore who was representing on behalf of Cottage Garden, Ipple Tipple, and Ipplepen Carnival Club.
- c) Village Hall Fencing – Renewal of fence-request that removable section be included or, 2 x gates for ease of access and security the Amenities group will obtain quotes.
- d) Clampitt Road toilets – Roof works have been completed. Hazardous waste consignment note has been provided by the contractor, in accordance with the Environment Agency regulations, to cover disposal of the asbestos slates. Various other works are required to the building going forward.
- e) Skate Park removal – There are concerns that the skate park has still not been removed. It will be discussed at the next Skate Park meeting.
- f) Swing safety surface – Coun.Jerwood has confirmed with the contractor for the cost of £375 +VAT to go ahead with the repairs.
- g) Allotment Inspections took place on Friday 1st December Coun.Farrow proposed to purchase fibre posts, seconded by Coun.Smith (all unanimous) for each plot to put the number discs on. Action – Coun.Latter to arrange purchase of the posts.
- h) Carol Service on 20th December 2023 – Parish Council marshalls are required.
- i) Christmas Tree has been installed.
- j) The lights will be replaced for the Devon Air Ambulance Night Lighting site on Monday 11th December 2023.
- k) Coun.Ranjit will check all the salt bins.
- l) Quotes for a 12 foot gate for the allotment access. The quotes will be discussed at the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday 2nd January 2024.
103) FINANCE & PERSONNEL – Coun.Smith
Balance No. £ 62,399.66
MCMC – Reimbursement for electricity £ 55.50
Mill Centre – Rent £ 55.00
HRMC – VAT Refund £ 3,245.35
Balance £ 65,755.51
Invoices Received and Approved: £ 9,027.92
Balance £ 56,727.59
Reserve Account Balance £ 165,700.47
£ 222,428.06
Items to discuss: Nothing to discuss.
104) HIGHWAYS & RIGHTS OF WAY – Coun.Smith
Nothing to report.
105) APPROVE PRECEPT BUDGET FOR 2024/2025
The Finance Committee met to discuss the 2024/25 Precept Budget and Clerk’s Appraisal.
Rent Reviews
As can be seen from the above Receipts, it is recommended that the Allotments are increased from £30 per plot to £40 per plot for full plots and £15.00 per half plot to £20.00 per half plot. All the other rents will remain the same for year 2024/25.
Salary Reviews
Clerk’s Appraisal – The Clerks salary will be increased to £19,562 (SCP 32) as from 1st April 2024. Any additional hours will be paid at the standard hourly rate. Once the National pay agreement has been received, the Clerks salary will be reviewed again. It was agreed that regular payments i.e. Clerks Salary and Toilet Cleaner’s wages will be set up as Standing Orders for each month.
General Admin
The insurance has been increased from £4,000 to £4,500. The Office hire has been increased from £1,200 to £1,500, and the stationery has increased from £700 to £750. The Legal fees has been increased from £500 to £1,000 and the Election expense has been increased from £500 to £1,000.
Amenities
The Grass Cutting has been increased from £4,500 to £5,000. The £9,000 for the Skate Park Project from 23/24 will be transferred into the Reserve Account bringing the total to £86,375.40.
Highways
The Grounds Maintenance Footpath has remained at £750.
Millennium Centre
£3,000 has been allocated for 24/25.
Conclusion
The Finance Chairman wishes to inform fellow councillors that the recommended Precept for 2024/25 stands at £73,292.00 All amounts that the Finance Committee have recommended are open to discussion.
RESOLUTION:
The Chairman of Finance, Coun.Smith proposed that the Precept Budget required from Teignbridge District Council for 2024/25 stands at £73,292.00, this was seconded by Coun.Palethorpe and agreed unanimously.
106) PUBLIC QUESTION TIME – No comments.
107) To note the date of the next PC meeting: Tuesday 2nd January 2024 at 7.15pm
Meeting Closed at 20.15pm
