Charleton Parish Council.

Minutes of a Meeting of Charleton Parish Council, held on Thursday 5^th June 2003, at 7.30 pm., in the Village Hall, West Charleton.

Present were:-            Mr. Hoggart (Chairman, presiding), Mr. Brown, Mr Conboy, Mr. Faulkner, Mrs Hawkes and

Mr. Smith.

Also present were:-    Mr. Masters (DCC), Mr. Brazil (SHDC), Mrs Gross (Village Press Officer), Mrs Raymond (Parish Clerk) and one member of the public.

 1. Apologies for absence were received from Wg. Cdr. Leigh.

 2. The Minutes of the previous Meeting, held on Thursday 8^th May 2003, had been circulated, were approved, and were signed as correct.

 3. Matters arising:-

a) Traffic speeds:- Speed checks are being carried out at present, and several warnings and tickets have been issued to offenders. Mrs Hawkes complained that the speed of traffic in East Charleton still seems as bad as ever, and Mr. Smith stated that from his observations from the school, there were still many motorists who are overtaking those trying to keep within the speed limit between the school and Lyte Lane, so unbroken white lines in the carriageway are essential for safety.

b) Parking provisions:- No reply has yet been received from Mr. Halliday to the Clerk’s letter suggesting the provision of some parking spaces on the grass verge opposite the school.

c) Notice board at East Charleton:- Mr. Hoggart will obtain materials for building a Notice Board to be erected in the forecourt of Charleton Garage.

d) Co-option of Parish Councillor:- It was unanimously decided to co-opt Wg. Cdr. Leigh to the Parish Council. He will be invited to complete the appropriate forms upon his return from Malta.

e) Signature of Declaration:- Mr. Brown signed a Declaration of Acceptance of Office, and took a Notice of Registrable Interests to complete and return to the Monitoring Officer.

4. Public participation:- Mrs Gross, the Village Correspondent to the gazette, asked that any items of interesting news should be sent to her each week, so that the Village News column can continue to be of interest to the residents of the parish.

5. Correspondence:-

Various questionnaires and items for display and distribution will be dealt with appropriately by the Clerk.

 6. Planning:-

 A Notice of CPP was received in response to Application No. 09/0654/03/F, Erection of garage and utility room, Blakes, West Charleton.

Applicant:                     Mr L Townsend

Ref. No:                       09/0890/03/F

Proposal:                      Installation of 3 underground propane gas storage tanks to provide supplies to

three dwellings

Location:                      Barns adjacent to Charleton Garage, East Charleton.

The Parish Council had no objections to the granting of this Application.

7. Reports:-

a) School:- Sports Day was held today, 5^th June. A group of older children will be going to Barton Hall for an adventure and action holiday shortly.

b) Footpaths:- Mr. Conboy requested a copy of the Definitive Map of the footpaths in the parish, which the Clerk will supply to him. It has been observed that the stile onto the footpath from Church Lane towards the green lane is not user-friendly, for either walkers or their dogs, and so this will be reported to Steve Malec, the Rights of way Officer, by Mr. Conboy. It may be that the stile can be replaced by a kissing gate, or otherwise altered to improve usability.

c) Village Hall:- The Water Board has at last agreed that the water meter is in a dangerous position and it will be moved. Despite the recent increases in fees for the use of the hall, none of the current users has complained.

d) Coleridge Association:- The AGM is to be held at Charleton Village Hall on Tuesday 10^th June. Mr. Hoggart, who is currently Vice-Chairman, will become Chairman.

e) Saltstone Group:- At the recent Meeting, no controversial matters were discussed. Action 2020 leaflets were handed out, for distribution via the Post Office.

f) SH Parish and Town Councils Conference:- Mr. Conboy attended this Conference, to discover more about Parish Plans. Apparently, that of Stokenham is fairly far advanced, and the main message seems to be that a Parish Plan could be useful to regulate future development.

8. Finance:-

It was proposed by Mr. Smith that a donation of £25 should be made to the school towards the presentation to Miss Lewis on her forthcoming retirement. This proposal was seconded by Mr. Brown, and approved unanimously. A cheque will be  prepared for signature as soon as it is ascertained to whom it should be made payable.

The annual accounts are to be submitted to the Internal Auditor, Mr. Abraham, net week, in preparation for the completion and return of the Annual Audit form.

9. Highway and Community matters:-

Mr. Smith remarked that many people have commented to him that the verges and grass areas in the village have been in need of attention. Today (5^th June) much of the mowing has been carried out, but in several places the work has been done rather carelessly, resulting in bare patches being left on the edges of some areas.

Mrs Hawkes said that one of the repeater 20 mph signs in East Charleton has been damaged by a passing vehicle. This sign would not appear to be in a suitable position, and so Mr. Halliday will be informed of the damage and advised that the sign should be repositioned.

Mr. Brown had received a letter from Mr. and Mrs Stone, of Lyte Lane, complaining about the parking of a caravan in a garden in Lyte Lane. An anonymous letter along the same lines had also been received. While no action will be taken in response to the anonymous letter, a reply outlining the legal position will be sent to Mr. and Mrs Stone. Apparently, the caravan is temporarily in a more prominent position while being prepared for use, and will be returned to its more discreet usual position in due course.

10. Matters of urgency, at the Chairman’s discretion:-

Mrs Rosemary Nash, a school governor, had reported that an error was made in co-opting a new governor. According to legal advice from Devon LEA, the new governor should have been appointed as a nominee of the local authority, i.e. the Parish Council. None of the Parish Councillors expressed any desire to be nominated to serve as a school governor, and so Mr. Smith proposed that Mr. Ball, of Riverview, West Charleton, be nominated for the position. Mr. Hoggart seconded the proposal, which was agreed unanimously. Mr. Hoggart will therefore confirm this nomination in writing to the governing body of the school.

Mrs Hawkes suggested the Mr. Ball be invited to submit a brief written report to the Parish Council meeting each month of any matters which the governors wish to bring to the notice of the Parish Council, either personally or in writing.

11. Items for the next Meeting:-

            a) Annual accounts for approval

            b) Election of Vice-Chairman.

Date of the next Meeting:- Thursday 3^rd July 2003

Signature…D. G. Hoggart                    Date 3^rd July 2003