Charleton Parish Council.

MINUTES of a Meeting of Charleton Parish Council, held on Thursday 16^th October 2003, at 7.30 pm., in Charleton Village Hall.

PRESENT were:-       Mr. Hoggart (Chairman, presiding), Mr. Brown,  Mrs Hawkes and Mr. Smith.

Also present were:-    Mr. Brazil (SHDC) and Mrs Raymond (Clerk).

 1. Apologies for absence were received from Mr. Faulkner, Mr. Conboy and Mr. Masters (DCC)

 2. The Minutes of the previous Meeting, held on 4^th September 2003, had been circulated prior to the Meeting, and were approved and signed as correct.

 3. Matters arising.

 Registrable Interests:- Since no further notice has been received that any Registrable Interest forms have not been completed, it was assumed that all had now been received by SHDC.

 4. Public participation:- None.

 5. Correspondence.

 The Clerk introduced  new folders for the circulation of the monthly correspondence items and for the correspondence which requires action.

 A letter had been received by the Chairman from Mr. Horner, of 1 Marsh Lane, expressing his concern about parking, egress and maintenance of this private road. Mr. Brazil said that he would contact Mr. Horner to discuss his concerns.

 The letter from the Acting Head of Charleton School stated that a child had sustained injuries in an accident in the Adventure Playground, and requesting clarification of who is responsible for the apparatus. Mr. Smith has a list of the apparatus and who is responsible for the maintenance of each piece. Representatives of the Parish Council will inspect the Adventure Playground, list every item, and agree with the Acting Headteacher the areas of responsibility.

 6. Planning.

 Notice of Grants of CPP were received in respect of the following:-

 Application No. 09/1381/03/F, Erection of replacement dwelling, The Creek, Kingsbridge.

Application No. 09/1599/03/F, Timber framed public wildlife watching hide, Charleton Marsh.

Application No. 09/1451/03/F, Alterations & extension to dwelling, Lynora, West Charleton.

Application No. 09/1398/03/F, Erection of detached garage, etc., Herondyke, Curlew Drive.

Application No. 9/1493/03/CM, Erection of control kiosks, Charleton Sewage Works.

 Notice of a grant of Conditional Consent was received in respect of Tree Preservation Order 2003, Leat Head, West Charleton.

 Applicant:                     Mr & Mrs G Fairweather

Application No:            09/1719/03/F

Proposal:                      Removal of condition (3) of planning consent 09/1581/02/F- restriction to

                                    holiday use.

Location:                      Barns 1 & 2 adjacent to Charleton Garage, East Charleton.

 The Parish Council objected to the granting of this Application, because of the exceptionally dangerous egress from the property onto the A379, where visibility is very restricted indeed.

 7. Reports.

 a) School:- Mr. Smith read a brief written report from the Acting Headteacher, describing the recent activities at the school, including the rousing send-off for Miss Lewis on her retirement at the end of the summer term. Mr. Smith also reported that the hedge has become overgrown, hiding the warning lights. The Clerk will write to the Highways Department requesting as a matter of urgency that this hedge be cut back hard.

 b) Footpaths:- Mr. Hoggart reported in the absence of the Footpath Warden Mr. Conboy, that a reply has been received to a recent letter requesting that the stile at the entrance to the footpath in Church lane be made more user-friendly. This stile apparently meets the criteria for such features, and so if any alterations are desired by the Parish Council these must be financed from Parish Council funds.

The footpath signs on the A379 near new Bridge and opposite Church Park are barely visible, and need refurbishment.

 c) Village Hall:- Mr. Smith reported that bookings are still high, and the bowls club has changed its booking to Wednesday afternoons from 2 to 4 pm.

The water meter has been moved from the road.

The external decorating will be done by the Punishment Unit shortly. The exterior of the hall and bus stop are to be painted in cream colour to match the nearby properties in Sickleman’s Close. Shortly  thereafter the Punishment Unit will carry out maintenance work on the village flower beds.

 d) The Coleridge Association:- Mr. Hoggart reported that at the recent Meeting there was a talk on the Right to Roam, which is something of a misnomer, as it refers to open, common land rather than to farm land. The Definitive map should be available by 2005, and the law will be enacted in 2010.

 e) The Saltstone Group:- This Group seems to be mostly concerned with Action 2020 at present, since Dr. Howarth an enthusiastic supporter, but there has been some criticism recently of the unelected nature of the group involved.

 8. Finance.

 The Bank Mandate for altering the cheque signatories has been obtained, and will be completed at the next Meeting, when it is hoped all Councillors will be available to supply signatures.

 The following cheques were approved for payment:-

            Cheque no. 100607, £12.00 to the Coleridge Association, for annual subscription.

Cheque no. 100608, £200.00 to St. Mary’s Church, for S137 grant for the upkeep of the churchyard.

 9. Highway and Community matters.

 a) Hedge trimming:- Mr. Brown asked if the Parish Council could take the initiative in the matter of the overgrown hedge opposite the post Office, and arrange for it to be cut back, if necessary paying for the work to be done. The Clerk was asked to consult  Mr. Lamble of Croft Farm.

 b) The Millennium seat:- The grassy area in front of the seat is difficult to keep cut, and so some of the money still remaining in the Jubilee fund may be used to pay for stone flags. There is still a sum of money left for maintenance and repair of the seats and the beacon, as it was felt undesirable to have village signs at the approaches of the settlements.

 c) The Care and Repair Group:- Mr. Smith reported that his experiences will this group have been very favourable, having obtained assorted help and advice. He proposed that a representative of the group should be invited to attend  the Parish Council Meeting on 4^th December, to describe and publicise the work of the group. It was agreed that Mr. Smith should proceed to arrange this.

 d) Mirror opposite West Charleton Court flats:- Mr. Smith said that he had been approached by residents of the flats who asked permission to attach a mirror to a post opposite the entrance to the car park at the flats, to make it safer to drive out of the car park onto the A379. The Clerk will investigate and report back to the next Meeting.

 e) Holes in the pavement:- Two holes have been left when posts were relocated on either side of the bus stop at the end of Sickleman’s Close. The Clerk will report the matter to Devon Highways.

 10. Items for the next Meeting.

 1. The Christmas tree and illuminations

2. Traffic matters- Report for Mr. Halliday.

 11. Date of the next Meeting:- Thursday 6^th November 2003.

Signed as a true and accurate Record of the Meeting,