Parish Council Reports

Welcome to Newton St Cyres Parish Council.

The Council meets on the 1st Thursday in the month at the Parish Hall Club Room 19:30 excepting during the August recess. Members of the public are welcome to attend and address matters to the Council during the Public Session.

Parish Council Monthly Surgery Held monthly in conjuction with the monthly Coffee Morning held in the parish hall, usually on the first Saturday in each month. A member of your parish council will be present to discuss any matters you wish to raise.

Contacting the Council :- The Council can be contacted through the Parish Clerk:- Jane Hole
Tel: 01392 851148
E-mail : parishclerk@newtonstcyres-pc.gov.uk

The Parish Council organises village services and supports village groups and organisations.

Click to go to Newton St Cyres Parish Council Website

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The Latest Parish Council Reports Press Officer

PARISH COUNCIL REPORT ….. JUNE
The meeting on 6th June was attended by all nine Councillors, the Parish Clerk, Devon County Councillor Margaret Squires, and four members of the public.
During the public participation section, concern was expressed over the litter (signs, cones etc.) left behind after the road surfacing in Newton St Cyres and the installation of the new gas main along the A377. The Council agreed to follow this up with the relevant people. There was also a request for removal of the bollards near the old school site at the end of Sand Down Lane, as they were no longer needed and they obscured the view of car drivers turning out of Sand Down Lane. Again, this will be passed on to the relevant authority. Finally the loss of the cross-hatching at the end of Station Road after the resurfacing was commented on. (See later in the report for more of this)
Road safety in the centre of the village
Road safety in Newton St Cyres proved to be major topic for the meeting. This was brought sharply into focus by an incident in the village, when the school-crossing patrolman narrowly avoided major injury when he was hit on the leg by a passing motorist. The Council has been campaigning very actively for several measures that might have prevented the incident, and the DCC Councillor and the chairman of the Council recently met with Ian Sorenson, Highway Management Development Officer for DCC, to discuss road safety in Newton St Cyres. A summary of the progress on the issues is given below:
   *   School Crossing Flashing Lights. These are still located, inappropriately, at the top of the hill. The Council has been requesting they be moved for a year now. The Council was assured that their move is imminent.
   *   New white lines laid down after road surfacing. Not only is the cross-hatching missing from the end of Station Road, but the lines going through the centre of the village appear to be slightly in the wrong place. Ian Sorenson has contacted the contractors who will check where the old lines were using Google Maps and correct any errors. The lines at Langford Bridge now take into account the concrete blocks and this is an improvement.
   *   Speeding in the village. The speed limit in the village is 30 mph. A recent SCARF report on the speed of vehicles along Station Road outside the school between 8:45am and 9:15am sampled 74 vehicles. Only 4 vehicles exceeded 34mph (the maximum speed recorded being 36 mph). This level of speeding would not be regarded by DCC as of major concern. However, the Parish Council considered that this was not a true reflection of the speed of vehicles on this road as many of the vehicles would be delivering children to school and so stopping and starting. It was decided to request a second survey to be carried out at a different time. Average speed cameras are still due to be installed on the A377.
   *   The Council has requested a ‘school’ road sign to be placed near the new school site. This has not yet been agreed. It will be requested again.
   *   Pedestrian-controlled lights (Pelican crossing). Although funding is probably some years away, plans for pedestrian-controlled lights in the village centre have been drawn up and presented to the community. Comments have now been collated and together with a simpler and cheaper plan, have been sent to DCC. The Council decided that there is a need to follow up this very actively.
   *   The Parish Council decided to request a safety audit for the village centre as a means of moving issues forward.
Closure of the Village shop and Post Office
It was with great regret that the Council learnt of the closure of the village shop and Post Office. It was decided that, while the Council could not be responsible for running a Community Post Office, it would actively seek to support such a project if there were sufficient interested people. To this end it was decided to hold a public meeting on Thursday 4th July in the Parish Hall at 7pm to assess the extent of support for such a project. It is hoped to have a speaker with experience of running a Community Post Office.
Grass cutting and Hedge Trimming
Various areas of grass, paths and hedge banks now need trimming. Most of these are responsibility of MDCC and we now have a schedule for when these areas are cut. Those that are the responsibility of the Parish Council will be dealt with shortly.
Allotments
A meeting at the allotments was called to discuss the problems of rats. Those allotment holders that were present agreed to measures to control the problem which included tidying up some of their area where possible. However, there are some old, abandoned sheds on some allotments. These may need to be taken down and the Council needs to assess their construction materials before appropriate steps can be taken.
The next meeting of the Parish Council will be on Thursday 4th July 2019 at 7:30. There will be a public session concerning the possibility of a Community Post Office at 7:00 pm the Members of the public are welcome to attend. There will also be a Parish Surgery at the Coffee Morning held on 6th July in the Parish Hall.
Liz Ouldridge

PARISH COUNCIL REPORT ….MAY 2019

This was the first parish council meeting after the recent elections. Seven councillors were elected, unopposed. At the start of the meeting a further two people were co-opted onto the council, thus ensuring there continues to be a full council complement. The council voted to adopt the Power of Competency, which it was eligible to do as more than 2/3rds of the council were elected and the clerk is appropriately qualified. The parish also has a new district councillor, Cllr Graeme Barnell.

During the meeting Cllr Jim Enright was unanimously elected Chairman of the council. Other officers and representatives, as well the council responsibilities were distributed amongst the members of the council. Full lists of councillors, their offices and responsibilities can be found on the Newton St Cyres Parish Council website. (https://parish.middevon.gov.uk/newtonstcyres) The council’s policies and procedures were reviewed. Most of these are also posted on the website. Some need to be reviewed in light of the new composition of the council.

Items arising from areas of Responsibility

Footpaths
The footpath support paper which allocated a footpath for each councillor to walk twice a year should be reviewed and Cllr Steve Parker will update this for the next meeting.

Allotments
A tenant has reported a problem with rats on the site and has asked if rat poison could be used and whether other tenants would be able to share the cost. After discussion it was resolved that rat poison should only be considered as a last resort. Cllr Liz Ouldridge will investigate and reply to the tenant. It was also noted that the site had no formal risk assessment. This should be corrected when the risk assessments are reviewed.

Highway Matters
Resurfacing of the A377 through the village and in Half Moon – After a considerable wait and much correspondence, the badly pot-holed areas on School Hill, and in Half moon were resurfaced in Early May.
Concrete blocks at Langford Bridge – These cannot be moved back, it was decided that the parish clerk should urgently contact DCC to request the white lines to be adjusted in this area to allow space for the blocks and give a reasonable width to the carriageways.

Advertising signs on the A377
These are, strictly speaking not permitted on Highways land and can be a distraction for motorists or even a danger if they obscure motorists’ view. After discussion it was resolved that the Parish Council did not wish to have a blanket ban on advertising signs. It was resolved that any issues with signs would be dealt with on an individual basis. If a sign posed a health and safety risk, then it may be necessary to consult with Highways.

Station Road
Concerns have been expressed about the speed of vehicles along Station Road. This is a 30mph zone but vehicles are reportedly frequently seen to exceed this. If this is true it is a potential hazard, particularly with the new school located on this road. A SCARF review of vehicle speed was to be undertaken and the parish clerk was asked to request an update on progress with this. She was also asked to request progress on moving the school flashing lights to the bottom of the hill near the Post Office and installing a dropped kerb near the school gates. The council has requested a school warning sign and zigzag lines near the school gates. The clerk was also asked to follow this up.

Entrance to Station road from the A377
The A377 Action group has written to the council concerned that this entrance still poses a hazard, particularly to pedestrians crossing the road. The council noted their concerns but also noted that crossing the road near the footpath to Court Orchard was in any case a safer option as there was a central island with bollards to protect pedestrians and a clearer view of traffic coming from Crediton.

Godolphin Close
The potholes at the entrance to Godolphin close have been reported to DCC.

Five Elms Lane
The drain at the end of Five Elms lane is scheduled to be cleared by December this year. DCC reported that the associated gully was cleared in March.

The next meeting of the Parish council will be on Thursday 7th June 2019 at 7:30. Members of the public are welcome to attend. There will also be a Parish Surgery at the Coffee Morning held on 1st June in the Parish Hall.

Liz Oldridge - Press Officer

PARISH COUNCIL REPORT.........................APRIL 2019

Eight Councillors attended the April Parish Council meeting and were joined for some of the time by Cllr Peter Hare-Scott (MDDC) and Cllr Margaret Squires (DCC).

The Annual Parish Meeting was held prior to the Parish Council Meeting and the Chairman’s report for the year and the accounts were read. The Chairman’s report will appear in full elsewhere in the Newton Wonder. At this session the Community Volunteer Award was presented. This is awarded to somebody who has given excellent service to the community and this year the worthy winner was Peter Hawksley, editor of the Newton Wonder and supporter of many events and organisations in the parish.

Also on display were draft proposals for traffic calming in the village through a pedestrian crossing. Residents were able to see the two proposals in details and asked to make comments on them to the Parish Clerk during the next few months. These proposals can also be found on the NSC Parish Council website. Ian Sorensen from DCC Highways was on hand to explain the proposals and also to inform the residents that average speed cameras had been agreed for the centre of the village and these may be installed at any time. There was a full room for the input from Highways and eight members of the public stayed throughout the remainder of the evening.

Cllr Peter Hare-Scott is leaving the area and will not therefore be standing as a candidate in the forthcoming District Council elections. Peter was thanked for his support of the Parish Council over the term of his office and he in turn thanked the Parish Council for all their hard work and efforts in so many areas.

The Parish Council Chairman, Cllr Jim Enright, thanked the retiring Councillors (David Baker, Jill Baker, Adam Reeves and Paul Taylor) for all their enthusiastic support over the years and wished them all well for the future.

Cllr Margaret Squires (DCC) replied to questions about the potholes on School Hill and urged parishioners to report all potholes through the Devon County Council website and the link to Highways regardless of the size or shape of the pothole. It was also confirmed that School Hill is scheduled for re-surfacing in early May this year.

Councillors Responsibilities.

   •   Allotments. Cllr Liz Ouldridge reported that there were            still some vacant allotments and she would write an    article            accompanied by a photo for the Newton Wonder.

   •   Arboretum. It was reported that their AGM would be held            in May.

   •   Boniface Trail. Cllr Paul Taylor reported that the first draft of        agreements were almost completed and once agreed would enable to        group to apply for grants and planning permission.

   •   Speed Watch. Cllr Steve Parker reported that PCSO Lisa McMillan        had taken on responsibility for suitable sites etc. and it was hoped that    a joint meeting with Crediton Speed Watch could be held.

   •   Defibrillators. New pads had been purchased and a new system for    maintenance was being explored.

   •   Footpaths. Cllr Steve Parker reported that maintenance was        ongoing and he would appreciate feedback from walkers and ramblers        with any problems they may encounter.

   •   Litter Pickers. Cllr Liz Ouldridge reported that she would be holding    a meeting of the group in September.

   •   Notice Boards. The board in Smallbrook had been repaired and the    doors on the main board on the Village Green were awaiting attention.    Cllr Chris Southcott agreed to update the board at the Station.

   •   It was agreed that the Village Green required weeding treatment

Community Fair

The feedback from the Community Fair was shared and it appeared that the consensus of opinion had been that it was worthwhile, it could be repeated every two years, it should commence at 10.00 am, it should keep the clubroom free for refreshments and a speaker on a relevant subject would be an asset. Thanks were expressed by the Councillors to Cllr Jim Enright for the work and effort he put into the event.

Highways matters

The Chairman had met with officers from DCC Highways and had obtained some surety of works to be carried out i.e The Engineering Dept are considering how to hold back the trees and rocks above the blocks opposite Langford Road.

The dropped curb at the new School would be installed once building work is completed.

The manhole cover on the bridge in Station Road has been reported to the Utility Company who will undertake the repairs.

The flashing lights by the old School should be turned off and the lights moved to the village once the gas works is completed.

The Traffic Team are considering the installation of a School sign and zig-zag lines in Station Road outside the School.

It was agreed to discuss the amount of road signs which had appeared at the May meeting.
The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Thursday 9th May 2019. This is later in the month as there will be Council elections in the Parish Hall on the 2nd May.

The Parish Surgery will be held in conjunction with the Church Coffee morning on Saturday 4th May. Please come along to these events and meet your new Councillors as they will be only too happy to answer queries.

Cllr Jill Baker, Press Officer

Thank you.

This report is my last report as Press Officer for NSC Parish Council and I would just like to say what a privilege it has been to serve as a Parish Councillor for the village and to write the reports of the meetings. Newton St Cyres is a very busy parish and is lucky to have such a pro-active Parish Council. All the Councillors play an active role on the Council and are helped by the positive attitudes of the residents and the assistance they are given.

Thank you to everyone for reading my scribbles every month. We will continue to subscribe to the Newton Wonder from our new home in North Devon and we will turn up in the village from time to time to visit friends and attend occasional Coffee Mornings.
May we wish your new Council every success in the future.
                                   Jill Baker

PARISH COUNCIL REPORT.........................MARCH 2019

Eight Councillors attended the March meeting and were joined by Cllr Peter Hare-Scott (MDDC) for part of the meeting. Three members of the public also were in attendance.

Police report

Again no report had been received from the local Police. As other Parishes in neighbouring areas were receiving regular reports it was agreed to make contact again with our local Police to see if regular updates could be sent to the Parish Council.

Mid Devon District Council

Cllr Peter Hare-Scott reported that the Budget had been approved and a small rise in Council Tax agreed. The Chairman expressed the Parish Council’s thanks to Cllr Hare-Scott for his support over his term of office and for his regular attendance at our meetings. Cllr Hare-Scott is moving from the area and will therefore not be standing for Mid Devon District Council in the forthcoming elections. Cllr David Baker added his appreciation to Cllr Hare-Scott and thanked him for his support and regular answers to the Parish Councils queries.

Cllrs areas of responsibility

The following updates were noted.

•   Speed Watch. Cllr Parker reported that DCC had appointed a new Road Enforcement Officer who had checked the present sites and had recommended many changes. The NSC group were not happy with the recommendations and have taken the matter up with Crediton Police.

•   Footpaths. Cllr Parker reported that work was in hand. It was suggested that the Ramblers Group may be able to report back on any of the P3 registered footpaths as they used them on their walks.

•   Notice Boards. Cllr Baker reported that the notice board at Smallbrook was in need of repair and the doors on the main notice board on the Village Green were binding. It was agreed to get the work done on these boards.

•   New churchyard. Cllr Baker reported that Ron Nethercott was happy to cut the grass in this area when the Parish Council wished.

•   Parish Hall. Cllr Gina Quicke reported that repairs are ongoing and fund raising planned.

•   Recreation Ground. Cllr Southcott reported that the Rec had approached the Church Commissioners concerning the purchase of the land but had been informed that it was not for sale. There is to be a joint meeting to discuss play equipment for the Rec on March 24th. The defibrillator at the Rec needed new pads and it was agreed to keep both of the defibrillators up to date with batteries and pads etc.

•   Raddon Hills meeting. Cllr Baker reported on the recent meeting of the Raddon Hills Group and explained that other parishes in the group were receiving reports from the Police on a regular basis. Discussion had taken place on the lack of communication and action from DCC Highways and it had been suggested that Parish Councils should write to DCC Highways with urgent matters and suggest that they undertake the work themselves and invoice DCC for the costs incurred! The Chairman thanked Cllr Baker for his work with the Raddon Hills Group since its inception.

•   Parish Surgery. It had been reported that a plastic bag full of brochures had been thrown into the stream in West Town. Cllr Reeves agreed to pass this on to the flood group. There was a report that the hedge down School Hill was getting overgrown and it was noted that this is listed in the schedule of work for the Handyman.

Annual Parish Meeting

It was agreed to hold this prior to the next Parish Council meeting on Thursday 4th April and full details are listed elsewhere in the Newton Wonder. The draft plans for the proposed pedestrian crossing in the village will be on show at this meeting and residents are invited to come along and raise questions and comments. It was also agreed to request that the information is placed on the Newton Wonder website.

Highways matters

No reponses had been received to the list of issues relating the highways matters and some of these were becoming urgent. It was suggested that the Parish Council Chairman, Cllr Enright, should write to request an interview with the Head of DCC Highways to emphasise the urgency and seriousness of the issues. It was agreed that a sign for the new School should be in place in Station Road. There appeared to be some damage occurring in the wall outside Newton Lodge and it was agreed to point this out to Newton House Management Committee.

The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Thursday 4th April commencing at 6.30 pm with the Annual Parish Meeting. Parishioners are invited to attend this important meeting where the report of the past year and the accounts are available, the plans for the pedestrian crossing are on display and DCC Highways will be there to explain the plans.
The next Parish Surgery will be held on Saturday 6th April in conjunction with the Coffee Morning. Please come along and meet the Councillor on duty.

                          Cllr Jill Baker, Press Officer

PARISH COUNCIL REPORT.........................FEBRUARY 2019

All nine Councillors attended the February meeting and were joined by Cllr Peter Hare-Scott (MDDC) and Cllr Margaret Squires (DCC) for parts of the meeting. Four members of the public were also in attendance.

Planning.
The Council agreed ‘No Comment’ to the planning consent for replacement rendering at 1 Silks Cottages. The conversion of the barn to two holiday units at Ford Farm had been approved by MDDC.

Grant requests.
The Council discussed the request from the PCC for payment for the hedge cutting at the Churchyard and agreed that the resolution passed by the Council was for cutting the grass in the churchyard only and this fee is paid directly to the contractor concerned. There is no facility or agreement to pay for hedge cutting etc. A small amount of grant money was still available and it was agreed to donate £50 each to the Mid Devon Mobility service and to the North Devon Search and Rescue Team.

General Maintenance.
The Handyman from Thorverton had checked the work required in our parish and agreed to undertake the work required.

Pedestrian Crossing.
Draft plans for consideration had been received from Devon County Council Highways for a possible pedestrian crossing in the middle of the village. It was agreed that more discussion was required as the centre of the village would be affected by the proposals. The Council therefore agreed to hold their Annual Parish Meeting in April and invite DCC Highways to attend with the draft plans. The date for this meeting will be published in the April edition of the Newton Wonder and on notice boards around the village.

Community Fair
This will be held in the Parish Hall on Saturday 16th March and everyone is invited to attend this event. Defibrillator training will be given in the Clubroom at 11.00 am on that morning and anyone interested in attending this session should pre-book with the Parish Clerk on 851148 or email parishclerk@newtonstcyres-pc.gov.uk Refreshments to purchase will be provided by the Hall Committee.

A377 Action Group
A letter had been received from the newly formed Action Group and it was agreed to ask the group for more details on their idea for a Parish Road Safety and Traffic Management Plan and to encourage their representatives to stand for election to the Parish Council in May to take their views forward.

Highways issues.
The list of outstanding issues is still a long list and updates are urgently required. The Council wished to make it clear to parishioners that they are doing all they can to obtain positive results to the problems and issues and would encourage parishioners to log onto https://new.devon.gov.uk/ then go to Roads and Transport, then to Report Highways and then go to the area you wish to make a report. These notifications of problems receive a more prompt response, especially if there are several reports on the same problem. Additional issues were added to the list: the block drain at Five Elms Cross where ice was forming on the road due to the overflow and the large pothole in the corner of Woodlands where the vehicles are parked.

It was reported that DDC had undertaken to check the caravans parked in Half Moon lay-by to make sure they complied with regulations regarding length of time they could stay there, health and hygiene issues etc.

The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Thursday 7th March at 7.30 pm in the Clubroom of the Parish Hall. The next Parish Surgery will be held on Saturday 2nd March in conjunction with the Church Coffee Morning. The Councillors are always happy to meet parishioners with their questions and queries so please do come along and enjoy a sociable morning.

Important Date to note: Saturday 16th March – Community Fair in the Parish Hall starting at 9.30 am. Please also watch for the date of the Annual Parish Meeting in April when the proposed layout for a possible pedestrian crossing will be displayed and comments and ideas will be logged.

The Chairman closed the meeting and thanked Cllr Adam Reeves for all the commitment and enthusiasm he had put into his term as a Parish Councillor and wished him luck in his new career.
Cllr Jill Baker, Press Officer

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