Minutes EGM 20 May 2026

May 29, 2026 | Minutes

Minutes of the Extraordinary General Meeting of Dittisham Parish Council
Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 6:30pm, Dittisham Village Hall

Present: Parish Cllrs Bond (Chair), J Green, Neale, Pope, Unitt & Taylor were present, as was C Radford (Clerk). 2 members of the public
Apologies: Cllrs Golding, Hawkes

Public Forum No issues raised.

1. Apologies were received as above
2. Declaration of Interests No interests were declared on items on the agenda.
3. Ham Events: ITERA Expedition Adventure Race 19 -20 July 2026 To consider the hire request received. A briefing note had been circulated in advance of the meeting to provide cllrs with additional information in response to queries about management of the event. It was noted that the organisers would require exclusive use of the car park from the evening of Saturday 18 to approx.. 10am on Sunday 19. To achieve this aim the Ham carpark would need to be cordoned off 2/3 days prior to the event to allow cars parked to be moved.  The estimated cost of the exclusive use of the car park, based on 20 spaces over 3 days at £6.50 per day would be £390.  The budget offered by the potential hirer was £200.  It was commented that the car park is in high public demand in the first weekend of the school holidays.  Heras fencing would need to be hired and erected to ensure the carpark area was secured.

Following discussion it was RESOLVED to refuse the hire request.

Meeting closed at 6:44pm

Minutes 2026 May 6

May 12, 2026 | Minutes

Minutes of the monthly meeting of Dittisham Parish Council held in
Dittisham Village Hall on Wednesday 6 May 2026 at 7:30pm

Present: Parish Cllrs Bond (Chair), Golding, J Green, Neale, Pope, Unitt & Taylor were present, as was C Radford (Clerk). D.Cllr McKay and C.Cllr Rake was present for part of the meeting. No members of the public attended.
Apologies: Cllr Hawkes.

Public Forum No members of the public were present and no issues were raised.

1. Apologies were received as above.
2. Declaration of Interests Cllrs declared an interest in the following items: Cllr Neale on item 5.6 payment 2605_5.  Cllr Bond on item 5.6 payment 2605_9.
3. Approval of Minutes It was RESOLVED to approve of the minutes of monthly meeting held on April 1 2026 as an accurate record, without amendments.
4. Community Reports The following reports were received:
4.1 South Hams District Council Councillor (D.Cllr)
– Planning and changes in the National Planning Policy Framework. From September, all planning will be mostly determined by planning officers.  Given the new rules, there will only be a small number of plans that will be determined by the Development Management Committee.  If the determination is refused, it will immediately be referred to a Planning Inspector.  The D.Cllr considers this a total undermining of local democracy.  The consultation process will otherwise remain the same.  Cllrs will seek to work closely with Officers to share local information prior to determination.
– Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) It is expected that the Government will make a decision in early July.
– Local Plan The District Council has just launched a process to develop a new Local Plan. There are good reasons to do that despite the context of Local Government Reorganisation.  A Local Plan will be an evidence led defence of the Council’s position to its lack of ability to fulfil Government imposed housing targets through supply constraints.
– Leisure Centres The Council has found a new supplier to manage the leisure centres without a disruption to services to the public. The debt left by the previous operator has had to be met by District Council funds.
– National Emergency Briefing film The District Council is organising screenings of the film made for the National Emergency Briefing about the impact of Climate Change. Parish Councils are encouraged to also host screenings, with an introduction and an opportunity for discussion afterwards. Cllrs were interested in attending a screening in Ivybridge.
– Locality Fund The District Councillor invited applications to the Locality Fund.
4.2 Devon County Council Councillor (C.Cllr)
– End of Financial Year It was reported that the outturn at the end of the Financial Year has not been announced, but is expected to be positive news, with an underspend that can be reallocated in the upcoming year.
– LGR Whilst awaiting the Government’s decision, councils have been invited to prepare for structural change orders, should their preferred Unitary Authority option be the one chosen.
5. Financial Matters
5.1 Update from the Finance Working Group Meeting It was reported that the year-end position was positive, with greater funds in the account than expected, due to calculations excluding VAT.  It was noted that the budget is not under any threat, and the Parish Council can afford to give a grant to the shop.  It was reported that the working group had reviewed the bank reconciliation, which was signed.  All paperwork compiled for the Annual Audit had also been reviewed.
5.2 Consideration of recommendations of the Finance Working Group Following consideration:
5.2.1 West Dart Bus Grant It was RESOLVED to award a grant of £300 to the West Dart Bus, allocated from the ‘Grants Other’ line in the budget.
5.2.2 Dittisham Village Stores Grant
– It was RESOLVED to accept the recommendation that the Parish Council give a grant of £5000 to Dittisham Village Stores to purchase a specific item, or items, such as a fridge or freezer. It was agreed to propose that the Village Stores should identify what item will be purchased by the grant, according to their priority list.
– It was RESOLVED that to afford the grant, the Parish Council accept the working group’s recommendation to that £1000 of the ‘Sick Leave’ earmarked reserve be transferred to the General Reserve. The £5000 grant payment should be coded to ‘Grant Other’ with the budget overspend being met by the General Reserve.
– It was RESOLVED to confirm the grant offer immediately and make the grant to the new account associated to the Community Shop.
5.2.3 Car Park/Burial Ground Costs It was RESOLVED to accept the Working Group’s recommendations that:
– the predicted commitment of £2000 is met by the ‘Professional Legal Fees’ earmarked reserve. If costs to the Parish Council increase from £2000 to the worst position of £4000, to allocate funds from the ‘Parish Infrastructure’ earmarked reserve.
– the Parish Council pays the bills received and to request contributions the other parties for their share on a quarterly basis.
– the Parish Council should have sight of estimates/quotes obtained for services before supplier invoices are issued and before they are paid.
– a letter is written to the Project Managers detailing the points above, and that the Project Managers make the formal agreement on this process with all other parties.
5.2.4 Clerk’s Hours It was RESOLVED that the Clerk can carry over the 17.5 hours of TOIL and 8 hours of unspent holiday (equating to 10% of the annual holiday allowance) into the next financial year.
5.3 Receipts and Payments between meetings  it was noted that:
– Payment 2604_15 to Dittisham Village Hall for the 2026/7 grant as approved in March 2026 = £4000 no VAT.
– Payment 2604_16 Lloyds bank fee = £4.25
5.4 May Payments It was RESOLVED to authorise the following payments:
– Payment 2605_1 Nest Pensions for Pension contributions on Clerk’s Apr Salary = £39.61 no VAT
– Payment 2605_2 to CRadford Apr Clerk Salary (month 1) = £888.01 no VAT
– Payment 2605_3 to HMRC for Tax and NI on Clerk’s Apr Salary = £275.56 no VAT
– Payment 2605_4 to MHurrell for monthly car park checks and banking takings (Apr) = £150 no VAT
– Payment 2605_5 to RNeale for reimbursement: JottaCloud backup services Monthly renewal Apr at 12EUR per month (£10.41) and Lebara mobile phone monthly renewal Mar at £4.08 plus 82p VAT per month. = £15.31
– Payment 2605_6 to CRadford: Reimbursement for purchase of 20s Plenty Wheelie Bin stickers= £150 no VAT
– Payment 2605_7 to Community Heart Beat Trust for Annual support cost: Annual Support Cost Zoll AED3 Year 8 (min 5 years) 01/08/2026-01/08/2027 Node 5284 at £165 and 25/04/2026-25/04/2027 Node 5285 at £165 plus £66 VAT= £396
– Payment 2605_8 to Devon Association of Local Councils (DALC) invoice 7614 for attendance of Mike Taylor at the Being a Good Councillor 4 webinar at £15 plus £3 VAT = £18.00
– Payment 2605_9 to RBond for reimbursement: HP Instant Ink at £3.74 plus £0.75 VAT = £4.49
– Payment 2605_10 to Coast to Coast Surveying (SW) LTD INV-0361 for the undertaking of a Topographical Survey at Land West of The Park House, Dittisham on 7th April, issued 13th April 2026 at £650 plus £130 VAT= £780
– Payment 2605_11 to ARCCAS inv 287 for Monthly grounds maintenance invoice 2 of 10 at £430 plus £86 VAT = £516
– Payment 2604_12 to HMRC for Quarter 4 VAT return for period 1 Jan – 31 Mar 2026 at 4,370.60, plus uncollected interest on late VAT payment at £8.66 = £4379.26
– Payment 2604_13 to JHodge for the completion of jobs 2) Posts 3) Bench 5) Guttering = £630.00 no VAT
– Payment 2605_14 to Devon Association of Local Councils (DALC) Attendance of Mike Taylor at the Introduction to Planning webinar at £35 plus £7 VAT = £42.00
– Payment 2605_15 to West Dart Bus/Ivybridge and District for 2026/27 grant = £300 no VAT
– Payment 2605_16 to Dittisham Village Store Limited for 2026/27 grant = £5000 no VAT
5.5 Laptop Purchase It was RESOLVED that Clerk will bring quotes back to the Parish Council for consideration.
6. South Hams District Council’s Planning Decisions To note the following:
6.1 0745/26/ARC Meadow View, The Level, Dittisham Application for approval of details reserved by conditions 4 (Doors/Windows) & 5 (Cladding) of planning consent 2659/25/HHO APPROVED
6.2 0698/26/ARC Meadow View, The Level, Dittisham Application for approval of details reserved by condition 5 (Doors/Windows) of planning consent 2651/25/LBC APPROVED
7. New Planning Applications to consider a recommendation to the planning authority on the following applications:
7.1 0700/26/CLP 2 Meadow Cottages The Level Dittisham, Certificate of lawfulness for proposed conversion of two flats into a single dwelling. It was noted that this application had already been decided, and had been APPROVED.
7.2 0954/26/CLB Quicks Cottage Lower Street Dittisham Certificate of lawfulness for proposed installation of EV Charger in Garage. It was RESOLVED TO SUPPORT the application.
8. Reports from Councillors’ Working Groups, Parish Projects and External Forums
8.1 Neighbourhood Plan It was reported that the Steering Group will deliver a session about the progress of the Neighbourhood Plan at the Annual Parish Meeting. The main issue will be on whether more sites for housing will be needed.
8.2 Maintenance Working Group It was reported that the contractor has undertaken three of the jobs quoted for: new posts, benches and guttering.   The benches will need further maintenance in the future, due to the condition of the bolts.  The Working Group is meeting again in May, at which a list of further jobs will be compiled.
8.3 Car Park/Burial Ground Project The Project Manager’s report was included in papers. A site meeting is being held on 13 May, to which Cllr Pope will attend as a representative of the Parish Council.  A number of quotations had been forwarded and it was agreed that invoices received that matched these quotations could be paid by the Clerk between meetings:
– Trace Design Consultations Limited: Assess and Car Park Design: Fee proposal for Highway and Transport Advice to support Pre-App process on land at Dittisham = £855.55 plus disbursements plus VAT.  It was noted in the Project Manager’s report that the meeting scheduled for 13 May will incur a cost of £375 plus travel @ 45p per mile plus VAT v for the attendance of one of the Trace consultants.  Meetings were not included as part of the £885 fee quote.  Going forward meetings will be kept to a minimum.
– Rathbone Partnership: Appointment of Landscape Architect for Dittisham Hill Car Park and Graveyard: Lump sum fee for completing a sketch landscape design and assessment:  A fee of £1800 plus expenses plus VAT.  Any further meetings will be charged at daily rate (£100 per hour/£800 per day) plus expenses plus VAT It was noted that expenses were not included in this quotation.
– Luscombe Maye: Assist and lead application on Ditttisham Parish Graveyard site.  Fee for initial phase confirmed as no greater than £1000 plus VAT
8.4 Ham Events Working Group
– Ham Hire policy and information pack To consider approval of the updated documents (Work in Progress). The document as circulated was approved by the Parish Council, noting that further work is required on the Terms and Conditions, to ensure that there is no conflict between the Policy and the Terms and Conditions.  It was agreed to include wording about use of glassware on The Ham.  It was agreed that this was a much more user friendly document for applicants.
– Ham Hire Applications To consider approval of applications made for hire
— ITERA Expedition Adventure Race 19 -20 July 2026. It was agreed that there was not sufficient information available in the application in order for the Parish Council to make a decision. Cllrs were concerned about potential disruption through the night and making a large part of the carpark available during the school holidays.  ACTION:  Cllr N Green to have a telephone conversation with the applicant for further details, and to discuss the fee.   It was agreed that an extraordinary meeting could be held on the 20 May 2026 to consider any new information received.
— Dittisham Regatta Sports Day 8 – 9 August 2026. The Clerk had reviewed updated risk assessment documents and discussed traffic management and insurance arrangements with the applicant. It was RESOLVED to APPROVE the hire request.
— Sargeant Wedding 10 – 13 June 2027 Having reviewed the application it was RESOLVED to APPROVE the hire request and set a fee of £1000 and a 50% damage deposit of £500.
—  Campbell Wedding 7 – 12 July 2027 It was RESOLVED to feedback to the applicant that hire period can only be for a maximum of 5 days and that the Parish Council cannot give exclusive use of the public car park. It was agreed to advise the applicant of the 10m wide zone by the river to enable public access and to suggest mitigation measures in relation to the risk of the reception being near the riverbank.  Should the hire period be reduced to 5 days, a fee of £1250 would be set, with a 50% damage deposit of £625.
9. Clerk’s update No update.
10. Parish Paths Partnership (P3) Cllrs were updated on the changes to process. The first draft of the documents required by Devon County Council have been produced.   A meeting with the P3 working group will be arranged to make a recommendation to the Parish Council on the works that are required.  It was RESOLVED to report all the signs that need replacement to Devon County Council via the ‘Report a Problem’ webpages.
11. Policy Audit The policy audit provided by the Clerk was considered. It was RESOLVED to review the 2022 proposed Climate Policy and 2021 PO Approved Herbicides and Pesticides policy at the next meeting.  It was agreed that the Personnel Committee consider implementation disciplinary and grievance arrangements through adoption of a policy, and an antibullying and harassment policy be considered.  ACTION: Cllr N.Green agreed to support production of a Tree Management Policy in September.
12. Parish Lengthsman Brief This was carried forward to a future meeting.
13. Annual Parish Meeting It was confirmed that the event will take place from 7pm on Wednesday 20 May 2026. The agenda will include a Chair’s report ‘Looking Back, Looking Forwards’; a brief summary of Parish Council finances (Cllr Unitt); an update on the Neighbourhood Plan (Cllr Pope) with the opportunity for general conversation and questions. ACTION: Cllrs Bond, Unitt and Pope to prepare their respective updates.  ACTION: Cllrs Golding and Neale to make arrangements for refreshments.
14. Correspondence and Contacts to note or consider
To note
– The DARTY Work … Someone’s got to to do it! Cllrs were informed that a team cleaned the 3 mile forshore from Dittisham around to Mill Creek on Sunday 20 March, with South Hams District Council disposing of the bags of rubbish collected.  Another litter pick will be arranged in the autumn. It was RESOLVED the Parish Council send a letter of thanks.
– Minutes of the Meeting of the South Devon National Partnership Cllrs are informed that the minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2026 have been received and can be forwarded on request.
– Footpath No. 7, Dittisham – Confirmation Cllrs are informed that the order has been confirmed to divert public Footpath No.7, Dittisham from A – B , to a new line A – C – B – D from the county road north east of Capton Cross, running north north west along a hedge of Little Capton, formerly Homelea, and then west north west across a paddock exiting through a gate, turning west over the highway verge to join the county road to Capton Village.  The order came into effect on 17 April 2026.  A map can be viewed on the Order Plan  CCET/PROW/25/61 online devon.gov.uk/haveyoursay.
– DALC #21 E Bulletin Cllrs are informed that this bulletin includes a link to a recording of the recent Connect Event about ‘clustering’. The session brought together examples from councils already working collaboratively, highlighting how clusters can take many different forms – from small, informal groups to larger networks involving councillors, clerks and officers.  A link to the recording is available from the DALC website
To consider:
– Parking for the 2026 Bathing Water sampling season The Environment Agency’s Field Monitoring Officer has requested that the arrangement agreed in 2025 by the Parish Council to provide 30 minutes free parking at The Level Car Park whilst undertaking water sampling visits is repeated in 2026. Visits will take place once a week between 15 May – 30 Sept 2026 while water samples are taken from a site off the pontoon.  Vehicle registration plates can be supplied for the period.  It was RESOLVED to approve this request.
– DVH Christmas Show Cllrs are informed that the Village Hall will be in use by the Ditsum Players between 30 November – 6 December 2026 and therefore unavailable for hire. An alternative venue will therefore need to be arranged for the meeting of the Parish Council on 2 December. ACTION: Cllr Bond to make enquiries about the availability of the Sailing Club, otherwise the Parish Council would book Cornworthy Village Hall.
– Meeting to discuss planning policy (Case Ref_ CV21972) Caroline Voaden MP has invited an open meeting with other South Hams Town and Parish Councils to discuss the role of Neighbourhood Plans in Planning Policy. The meeting is called following the MP’s awareness that many Town and Parish Councils are unhappy that the Neighbourhood Plans they worked so hard to put together are being disregarded in planning decisions. The MP’s view is that development should be community-led, and that local authorities are best placed to know what developments are needed in their area, not central government. Each Council is welcome to send a maximum of two representatives, providing names by email ahead of the event.  13:45 – 15:15 on Thursday 11 June 2026 at Halwell and Morleigh Community Hall. No cllrs expressed an interest in attending.
–  Highways Assembly 6 May 10am – 1pm Cllrs were informed that a Microsoft Teams link has been provided for the Highways Assembly. 30 ‘in person’ places are available at the Cary Room, Follaton House, on a first come, first served basis.  The programme includes introduction to positive engagement with Parish Councils, including a new ‘Handbook for Highways’ to help understanding of Highways issues, and opportunity to ask questions, before a session on ‘Financial Constraints and Opportunities’; a session on ‘Busting Highways Myths’, a video-d masterclass on how cold-lay materials can provide a permanent repair by road wardens, a session on ‘The Big Picture’ on how repair and restructuring decisions are made and how road wardens can work alongside County Council teams.  The Handbook has been made available by email and has been circulated to all cllrs by the Clerk.
15. Next Meeting: It was confirmed the next confirm the next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Wednesday June 3 2026 at 7:00 pm.

Minutes Annual Meeting of the Parish Council 2026 May 6

May 12, 2026 | Minutes

Minutes of the Annual Meeting of Dittisham Parish Council
7pm Wednesday 6 May 2026, Dittisham Village Hall

1. Election of Chair It was RESOLVED to elect Cllr Bond Chair of the Parish Council.
2. Chair’s Signature of Declaration of Acceptance of Office Cllr Bond signed Declaration of Acceptance of Office before the Clerk.
3. Election of Vice-Chair It was RESOLVED to elect Cllr N.Green as Vice Chair of the Parish Council.
4. Apologies for absence It was noted that Cllr Hawkes had given apologies for absence.
5. Declaration of Interests None declared
6. Consideration of the recommendations made by a committee (if any) None
7. Review of delegation arrangements to committees, sub-committees, staff and other local authorities None
8. Review of the terms of reference for committees Confirmation of the Terms of Reference for Personnel Committee and Subcommittee A minor amendment was made to change the date of the annual meeting of the Personnel Committee to September instead of November.
9. Appointment of members to existing committees Confirmation of the appointment of the Members of Personnel Committee and Subcommittee It was RESOLVED that cllrs N.Green, Neale and Pope to be appointed to the Personnel Committee.
10. Appointment of any new committees in accordance with standing order 4 None
11. Review and adoption of appropriate:
11.1 Standing orders Were reviewed with no material amendments made.
11.2 Financial regulations Were reviewed with minor amendments made, including reference to a Finance Working group rather than Committee.
12. Review of arrangements (including legal agreements) with other local authorities, not-for-profit bodies and businesses None.
13. Review of representation on or work with external bodies and arrangements for reporting back It was confirmed that the appointment and the role description of ‘Working Groups & Positions of Responsibility’ document, was approved at the April Meeting of the Parish Council.
14. In an election year, to make arrangements with a view to the Council becoming eligible to exercise the general power of competence in the future;
15. Review of inventory of land and other assets including buildings and office equipment; It was confirmed that the Asset Register at 31/03/25 was approved at the April Meeting of the Parish Council.
16. Confirmation of arrangements for insurance cover in respect of all insurable risks It was noted that the Parish Council had entered into a three-year agreement with Clear Councils/Ecclesiastical Local Councils Policy which ends 2/7/27.
17. Review of the Council’s and/or staff subscriptions to other bodies Includes DALC and SLCC. It was RESOLVED to retain subscriptions of both the Devon Association of Local Councisl (DALC) and Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC).
18. Review of the Council’s complaints procedure Was reviewed. Contact details were updated.
19. Review of the Council’s policies, procedures and practices in respect of its obligations under freedom of information and data protection legislation (see also standing orders 10,19, and 20 ); It was noted that these policies were approved at the April meeting of the Parish Council.
20. Review of the Council’s policy for dealing with the press/media It was noted that procedures were incorporated within the Parish Council’s Communications Policy and Standing Orders. The Communications Policy was reviewed.  The date of the first internal review and references to the Parish Magazine were removed.
21. Review of the Council’s employment policies and procedures NA
22. Review of the Council’s expenditure incurred under s.137 of the Local Government Act 1972 or the general power of competence. In process.
23. Review of matters required by the Annual Audit:
23.1 Review of Statement of Internal Control was reviewed. The limit of expenditure in extreme emergency was update to £2000 in order to agree with limits laid out in the Parsh Council’s Finance Regulations.
23.2 Review of Parish Council Risk Assessment/Risk Register Updates were made to remove some abbreviations, remove reference to trim behind the stream as this is now part of contracted works, refer to ‘Tree Risk Management Policy’ instead of Assessment. Updates were made to section 7: Resources in reference to support and management of the Clerk and the role of the Personnel Committee.
23.3 Receipt of Grants and Proof of Need Summary 2025/6 It was noted that the Clerk had produced a summary of grants given and received for publication on the Parish Council’s website.
23.4 Confirmation of bank signatory arrangements It was noted that Cllrs Bond, J.Green, N.Green, Pope and Unitt are bank signatories with Lloyds Bank. The Clerk has access to the account to set up payments.  Cllrs Pope and Unitt are signatories with NatWest.  The Clerk is noted as an administrative contact.
23.5 Approval of Standing Orders and Direct Debits It was noted that VAT and Nest Pension payments are paid by Direct Debit.
22.6 Finance policies (Investment Strategy and Reserves Policy) It was RESOLVED that the Clerk produce and Investment Strategy and Reserves Policy for consideration by the Finance Working Group before recommended to Full Council.
24. Determining the time and place of ordinary meetings of the Council up to and including the next annual meeting of the Council It was RESOLVED that meetings would continue to take place at 7pm on the first Wednesday of every month except in August, at Dittisham Village Hall.

Meeting was closed at 7:25pm

APPROVED Minutes 2026 April 1

Apr 22, 2026 | Minutes

APPROVED Minutes of the monthly meeting of Dittisham Parish Council
Wednesday 1 April 2026 at 7:00pm, Dittisham Village Hall

Present: Parish Cllrs Bond (Chair), Golding, J Green, Hawkes, Neale, Pope, Unitt & Taylor were present, as was C Radford (Clerk). C.Cllr Rake was present for part of the meeting.  3 members of the public attended.
Apologies: D.Cllr McKay

Public Forum
Representatives of the Community Shop were in attendance to introduce the grant request made to the Parish Council. It was commented that the shop is seeking to raise share capital from the village but it is expected that this won’t come to the amount needed and that applications are being made to charities and funding bodies alongside the request for £5,000 made to the Parish Council.  Of the total monies sought,  £20,000 will go on refurbishment costs, stock and working capital.  £17,000 will be used to purchase capital equipment, including new fridges and freezers, laptop and printer ,an awning, heater/aircon, and blinds for the window to protect bleaching and heat damage to stock. The shop is positive about trading over the summer, turning over £3,000 more than predicted.  It is expected that this profit over the summer will tide the shop over the winter period, expecting to break even annually.   In response to questions from cllrs it was confirmed that there is a list of priorities for the purchase of capital equipment, with fridges and freezers being the highest priority purchases.  The current fridges are inefficient and using a lot of electricity; investment in replacement will reduce costs. Cllrs noted that approximately 120 people attended the open meeting to learn more about the shop, and there is a roster of 50 volunteers.  Both demonstrate the community’s support for the shop. The County Councillor (C.Cllr) provided information about grants available through Devon County Council (DCC) and South Hams District Council (SHDC) Locality Funds. The matter was discussed at item 5.1.

1. Apologies were received as above.
2. Declaration of Interests Cllrs declared an interest in the following items: Cllr Neale on item 5.4 payment 2604_5.  Cllr Bond on item 5.4 payment 2604_8.
3. Approval of Minutes To consider approval of the minutes of monthly meeting held on March 4 It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the meeting as an accurate record without amendments.
4. Community Reports To receive reports from:
4.1 South Hams District Council Councillor (D.Cllr) There was no report in the D.Cllr’s absence.
4.2 Devon County Council Councillor (C.Cllr)
– District Leisure Centres It was reported that Fusion, the company operating the leisure centres, has gone into administration. Centres will be run by administrators for a period of 6-10 weeks before the company Parkwood will take over for a management fee.  Memberships will remain valid, staff jobs are protected, classes will remain as they are.
– Internet connection It was reported that a new programme called ‘Project Gigabit’ is now in place to address connection issues for residents not supported by the prior ‘Connecting Devon and Somerset’ scheme. It was commented that this scheme could be of benefit to the 8-10 properties in Bozomzeal using Starlink due to poor connectivity. It was commented that Capton residents were expecting to benefit from Airband’s work in the area.
– Parish Paths Partnership (P3) Feedback on the relaunched P3 scheme has not been positive, with many Parishes commenting that the level of paperwork required is a dis-incentive to engage, particularly when repairs can be requested through DCC’s ‘Report it’ webpage. DCC is looking to get to the bottom of this.  It was noted that the Public Rights of Way team has suffered from changes in personnel contributing to the build up of a backlog of P3 issues.  The advice to Parish Councils is to sign up to the scheme again, and hopefully DCC will be able to iron out some of the wrinkles.
– Government support for low income households – oil supply The Scheme is now live. Funds are being channelled through DCC and is being administered by the District Council. (See correspondence).
– Gritting A response to proposals for shared gritting arrangements across multiple Parishes has been received from Highways. More conversation is required to open up discussion about how things might be, instead of how they are.
5. Financial Matters
5.1 Dittisham Store Grant Application Following the update given in the public session it was agreed that the Finance Committee should look at the accounts to see what funds are available and bring back a proposal to the next meeting. It was RESOLVED to reaffirm support for the shop in principle and consider making a donation of up to £5K dependent on what the Finance Committee says is available.
5.2 Seven-Day Ticket price at Dittisham Car Parks from 1 April 2026 Cllrs noted that the price of a seven-day ticket will remain at £60 as that Metric is unable to increase the price to £62 as the machines only hold 30 coins in Escrow. The most that the machine can accept is £60.00 (30 x £2 coins).    Metric suggested upgrading the machines to include card payments at a cost of £675 per machine to facilitate this tariff.  A monthly cost of £10 per machine would also be required for a wireless sim for card payments to work.  It was RESOLVED that the Parish Council was not interested in upgrading the machines, and to review the availability of the-day ticket in the next financial year.
5.3 Asset Register To review and approve asset register at 31 March 2026 The asset register was reviewed and some minor amendments made to the Clerk’s first draft. It was RESOLVED approve the register.
5.4 Receipts and Payments between meetings it was noted that:
– Payment 2603_8 approved at last meeting for interest on the quarter 3 VAT return had not been charged following cancellation of the penalty. However, a penalty charge of £76.52 was levied and paid.
– Payment 2603_12 Lloyds bank fee = £4.25
5.5 April Payments It was RESOLVED to authorise the following payments:
– Payment 2604_1 Nest Pensions for Pension contributions on Clerk’s Mar Salary = £39.61 no VAT
– Payment 2604_2 to CRadford March Clerk Salary (month 12) = £877.41 no VAT
– Payment 2604_3 to HMRC for Tax and NI on Clerk’s March Salary = £286.16 no VAT
– Payment 2604_4 to MHurrell for monthly car park checks and banking takings (Mar) = £150 no VAT
– Payment 2604_5 to RNeale for reimbursement: JottaCloud backup services Monthly renewal Mar at 12EUR per month (£10.42) and Lebara mobile phone monthly renewal Feb at £4.08 plus 82p VAT per month. Away day refreshments at £118.78. = £134.10
– Payment 2604_6 to Judge’s Web Design Accessibility Report: Carry out Basic Compliance Accessibility Report . Update WordPress plugins. 20 March 2026= £80 no VAT
– Payment 2604_7 to RoSPA for Inv 95927 AI PARISH, Annual Inspection – The Ham Playground TQ6 0HS at £83 plus £16.60 VAT= £99.60
– Payment 2604_8 to RBond for reimbursement: HP Instant Ink at £3.74 plus £0.75 VAT = £4.49
– Payment 2604_9 to Source for Business (SWW) Bill 6093 5292 76 For services at Standpipe The Quay Dittisham 16 December 2025 to 13 March 2026 = £46.29 no VAT
Payment 2604_10 to South Hams District Council for Business Rate Demand for The Ham Car Park= £4641 no VAT
Payment 2604_11 to South Hams District Council for Business Rate Demand for The Level Car Park= £3270.80 no VAT
– Payment 2604_12 to South Hams District Council for Providing 2025/26 Payroll Service for Parish Clerk at £100 plus £20 VAT = £120
– Payment 2604_13 to ARCCAS inv 257 for Monthly grounds maintenance invoice 1 of 10 (March) at £430 plus £86 VAT = £516
– Payment 2604_14 to Devon Association of Local Councils (DALC) Invoice 7334 NALC affiliation fee at £28.21, DALC service charge at £8.32. DALC affiliation fee at £110.48 plus £22.10 VAT = £169.11
6. South Hams District Council’s Planning Decisions The following decisions were noted:
6.1 3607/25/FUL Red Lion Inn, The Level, Dittisham, READVERTISEMENT (amended description & revised plans) Construction of ground floor bay window, rear first floor extension, installation of 3.no Juliet balconies, & roof light APPROVED
6.2 0022/26/HHO Herongate, Lower Street, Dittisham, Householder application for new incidental outbuilding APPROVED
6.3 3609/25/HHO Blackberry Cottage The Lane Dittisham Alterations and extensions to property with associated landscaping work. New entrance door on the south-west elevation to provide an improved main access to the property. Two storey extension to replace an existing single storey lean-to extension. Small conservatory on the rear (north-east) elevation. New parking space accessed from The Lane. APPROVED
7. New Planning Applications to consider a recommendation to the planning authority on the following applications:
7.1 0745/26/ARC Meadow View, The Level, Dittisham Application for approval of details reserved by conditions 4 (Doors/Windows) & 5 (Cladding) of planning consent 2659/25/HHO It was RESOLVED SUPPORT the application
7.2 0698/26/ARC Meadow View, The Level, Dittisham Application for approval of details reserved by condition 5 (Doors/Windows) of planning consent 2651/25/LBC It was RESOLVED to SUPPORT the application
8. Reports from Councillors’ Working Groups and External Forums
8.1 Neighbourhood Plan Cllrs were updated that members of the Steering Group are meeting with SHDC Planning Officers to support understanding of how revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework will affect Neighbourhood Planning. Planners are talking about indicative housing numbers of between 20 – 30 homes for Dittisham, which is more than anyone had imagined.  A Call for Sites would need to be undertaken, to ascertain what sites are available and suitable for development and under what conditions.  The Steering Group will know a lot more following the meeting with officers. The application made to designate a Neighbourhood Plan area is in process at the District Council.
8.2 Maintenance Working Group To receive an update on the outcome of the annual play area inspection and actions relating to replacement of the Air Ambulance Landing Site bulb. It was reported that the annual play area inspection took place on. Nothing pressing on the play area, but the report comments on gaps around wet pour; a running issue with Wickstead. ACTION: Cllr Bond will follow this up.  It was noted that the Parish Council had agreed to seek replacement of the Air Ambulance Landing Site bulb, ACTION: Cllr Bond.
9. Clerk’s update It was reported that the Clerk had been approached by members of the public with reference to memorials established in the village. ACTION:  The Clerk to follow this up with Cllr Bond.  The Clerk queried the correct protocol for processing Ham Hire requests.  It was RESOLVED for the Ham Events Management Group to meet and review the application process and documents required and for these to be reviewed as part of the Council’s policy audit in May.
10. Parish Boat Park To receive update on management of the area at the end of Dittisham Sailing Club Boat Park Following a meeting of the owners/leaseholders of land/foreshore adjacent to the above area, it is being proposed that DHNA should take over management of the whole area. This would include clearance of abandoned boats, ongoing annual registration of existing actively used boats by Dittisham Residents at a reduced rate, space management including continued access to Dittisham Sailing Club and appropriate insurance. DHNA will draw up a detailed proposal which, as far as parish interests are concerned, will come up for discussion/agreement at a future council meeting.
11. Potential new car park and burial ground After receiving an update that the Red Lion, Village Hall, and St George’s church have all committed resources to the project and that the Parish Council’s support of the project would be as an equal partner as others in the community it was RESOLVED that the Parish Council: i) reconfirm its willingness to enter into the Option Agreement with minor amendments to the draft, noting that the amount of land included has increased to 3 acres. ii) approve the preparation of a pre-planning application in its name iii) approve a funding contribution up to a maximum of £4,000 for legal costs of the Option Agreement and consultancy fees in the Pre-Planning Application (including the original £2000 agreed).
12. Extra Emptying Bins on the Ham It was RESOLVED to make a request to SHDC for extra emptying of the three general waste bins on The Ham during the tourist season, as has been the case in previous years. Extra emptying would take place from Wednesday 8 July to Wednesday 28 October 2026 inclusive, for 17 visits.  Costs will be advised.
13. Assertion 10 Compliance
13.1 Website Accessibility Report Receive an update following completion of the Basic Compliance Accessibility Report. It was reported that Judge’s Webdesign had carried out a basic check of the compliance of dittishamparish.co.uk with the international WCAG 2.1 AA website accessibility standard. Checks were made on March 20 2026 and a report was provided to explain the checks carried out, the issues resolved directly on the website and advice on any further steps that may be required in the future.  Recommendations are as follows: Ensure that website editors remember to add text descriptions to images. Guidance can be provided if editors are not sure how to do this. Create posts for articles instead of using PDFs. If using PDFs ensure that they are meaningful titles.
13.2 Policy Approval Cllrs reviewed the following policies as produced by the Clerk.
– Information Data Protection Policy It was noted that the policy includes an appendix Data Protection Impact Assessment procedure to cover any additional services.  It was RESOLVED to adopt the policy.
– Privacy notices (General and Staff/role holder) It was RESOLVED to adopt the privacy notices.
– Freedom of Information Policy It was RESOLVED to adopt the policy.
– Subject Access Request Policies and Procedures and Subject Access request form It was RESOLVED to adopt the policy, procedures and SAR form
– Document Retention and Disposal policy and appendices It was RESOLVED to adopt the policy, procedures and SAR form
– Data Breach Reporting Form It was RESOLVED to adopt the form
Cllrs confirmed that, if the policies above are read in conjunction with the current ‘Information Management Requirements Policy’  the Parish Council has appropriate and secure technical and organisational measures are in place to protect personal data from breaches.  It was noted that the Clerk proposed to combine the current ‘Information Management Requirement Policy’ with the ‘Communications Policy’ in May 2026.
The only outstanding aspect of Assertion 10 remains the provision of a training programme in place Training programme in place for both staff and Councillors on GDPR principles and requirements. The Clerk will research availability of courses through DALC.
14. Councillors list and responsibilities It was RESOLVED to approve the updates made at the away day, noting that Cllr Pope replaces Cllr NGreen on the Car Parking Working Group (WG); the Clerk is added to Communications WG in relation to management of the website; Cllr Golding is replaced by Cllrs Taylor and Hawkes on the Planning WG; the ‘Tree checks post severe weather’ WG is disbanded; ‘West Dart Bus WG’ be removed, but Cllr Hawkes be listed as point of liaison under ‘liaison with outside bodies’. It was agreed to include a new ‘Parish Projects’ heading, to replace ‘task and finish groups’ which would include:  ‘Car Park/Burial Ground’ and ‘Neighbourhood Plan’ for which Cllr Pope would be liaison.
15. 20’s Plenty Consider means to support reduction of traffic speeds in Dittisham It was RESOLVED to purchase 100 x 20’s plenty wheelie bin stickers at a cost of £150 for use in Dittisham and Capton.  It was RESOLVED to make a formal request to Devon County Highways to repaint road signs on the highway on entry to Dittisham and Capton.  It was agreed that if Highways refuse, to consider purchase of a 20’s plenty banner at a cost of £40.  It was agreed that there would be limited value in initiating a Community Speed Watch in Dittisham, considering the steps required to establish a Speed Watch, and the ongoing commitment required
16. Dates for Annual meetings Consider dates and format for
– The Annual Meeting of the Parish Council It was RESOLVED this be held at 7pm on 6^th May 2026 immediately preceding the regular monthly meeting of the Parish Council.
– The Annual Parish Meeting It was RESOLVED this be held at 7pm on 20^th May 2026.  It was noted that this is a meeting of local government electors, not a meeting of the Parish Council, although the Chair will preside.  It was agreed that the format include a welcome and update from the Chair, before working group/project leads give an update on key projects, for example: a summary of the Parish Council’s finances, an update on the Neighbourhood Plan, an update on the burial ground/car park.
17. Away Day Update on the away day, not otherwise covered on the agenda It was noted that there had been discussion about the length of meetings and agreement that meetings should aim to finish at 9pm. It was suggested that perhaps the District and County Councillors attend every other month, and alternate.
18. Correspondence and Contacts to note or consider
To note
– Temporary Traffic Notice THE LEVEL, Dittisham TTRO2668670 Cllrs are informed of the road closure on The Level from Middle Meadow to Pump Cottage on June 3 and 4 2026 to enable an Openreach pole replacement. Cllr Neale to follow up, to confirm access will be available to residents.
– Oil Heating Payments Cllrs are informed that Central Government has allocated money to the County Council to distribute to low-income households affected by increased oil heating costs through a new ‘Crisis and Resilience Fund’ (CaRF). The District Council is in the process of proactively establishing those eligible through census and EPC data and cross referring this with benefits data. The team is working at pace to get the funding distributed as quickly as possible.
– Minutes of the Dart Harbour Communities Group Cllrs were informed that minutes have been circulated to Parish Clerks. The results of the Environment Agency’s water testing for summer 2025 was included with minutes, showing poor water quality at Totnes Steamer Quay & Stoke Gabriel and bathing not advised, and ‘excellent’ water quality at Dittisham, Warfleet Creek & Castle Cove.  Based on these results, Dart Harbour strongly recommends that you do not swim in the upper reaches of the Dart Estuary, north of Higher Gurrow Point / Sandridge Boathouse. The Harbour Master’s (HM)’s report included news that: the Dart 10K will be taking place this year with competitors swimming up river as this will allow organisers to manage issues around water quality; a project called 1 River, 8 Destinations is underway to encourage visiting yachts  to explore the river, spending more time in the Dart, thus spreading the commercial benefits to the communities living alongside; the HM is working to find a provider of a ferry taxi service to operate between the riparian towns and parishes.  The Group was also informed that litigation lawyers are investigating litigation against water companies following a change in UK law that could make water companies liable under the law of “nuisance”.
To consider:
– ‘Slippery lane’ A member of the public has written to the Parish Council to comment that the that the path/ lane which leads down to Ditsum creek off lower street, has become treacherously slippy, especially nearer the bottom of lane, where the algae is particularly slippy and green. There is still quite a bit of water running down, but hopeful that something can be done. It was RESOLVED to report it to Devon County Council ACTION: Cllr Neale. Consider putting up signs to warn walkers ACTION: Cllr Bond to research purchase of signage, and to obtain permission to install them.  It was RESOLVED to include regular sweeping of the lane in the Lengthsman contract.
– Progress on campaign to buy community energy locally Having been a supporter of the nationwide campaign for legislation to enable people to buy power from local community-run energy schemes, the Parish Council has been provided with the update that 114 MPs have signed have signed the Parliamentary motion in support of the campaign – Early Day Motion 2151 ‘Buying community energy locally’, which can be seen here: https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/64572. The Parish Council was not inclined to forward the briefing to the local MP.
– First Aid The Parish Council has been asked if it will be running another First Aid Course soon. It was confirmed that this will be held in the Autumn, primarily for Capton residents.
– Snow warden scheme Cllrs were informed that Devon County Council’s (DCC’s) Network Response & Winter Service Engineer has responded to draft proposals for a joint snow warden scheme. It has been suggested that the group of Parish Councils reconvenes to discuss the response, which is broadly supportive of shared voluntary efforts and makes proposals on next steps, but notes that the paid contractor element of the proposal could not form part of the voluntary Snow Warden Scheme and the Parish Councils would need to ensure any paid contractors would have appropriate insurance in place. Quantity of salt required for mechanical spreading may also be in excess of the free quantities available to parishes for hand spreading.  It was noted that the C.Cllr is following this up with Officers.
– Community Asset Transfer Update Cllrs were informed that South Hams District Council has circulated its policy for the transfer of community assets and instructions on how to use a map to identify assets which the Parish Council may wish to apply to take ownership of, within the context of Local Government Reorganisation. The Parish Council did not identify any assets for transfer.
– Meet to discuss BlackBerry Cottage works Cllrs have been asked for a meeting to discuss works at Blackberry Cottage and access by workmen and equipment via Manor Street The Lane entrance.  ACTION:  Cllr Bond to follow up replacement of the sign with Highways.  It was noted that emails have been exchanged with the owner commenting that whilst there had been an error in communication regarding access arrangements with a recent sub-contractor, the main contractor is clear that the principal access of their employees, equipment and all sub-contractors is via the Ham car park/beach as per the approved Construction& Environmental Management Plan.
19.  Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Wednesday May 6 2026 at 7:00 pm.