Approved Minutes 2024 May 01

May 21, 2024 | Minutes

The Minutes can be read below of downloaded here: MN_2024 May DPC Approved Minutes

APPROVED Minutes of the Meetings of Dittisham Parish Council in
Dittisham Village Hall on Wednesday 1 May 2024 at 7:00p.m.

6:00 pm – Drop-In Session

DPC was available to project planning applications and for discussions with Parishioners. No Parishioners attended.

  1. 7:00 pm – Public Forum

No issues were raised by members of the public.

Present: Cllrs Nightingale(Chair), Bond(Vice-Chair), Green (entered during the AMPC), Lloyd, Neale, and Unitt were present, as were A Thom (Clerk) and Devon County Councillor Hawkins. There were no members of the public in person or over Zoom audio-connection.

Absent. Cllr Golding.

Annual Meeting of the Parish Council

  1. Election of Chair

It was resolved unanimously to re-elect Cllr Nightingale to be Chair of DPC. Cllr Nightingale abstained.

  1. Chair’s Signature of Declaration of Acceptance of Office

Cllr Nightingale signed the Declaration.

  1. Election of Vice-Chair

It was resolved unanimously to re-elect Cllr Bond to be Vice-Chair of DPC. Cllr Bond abstained.

  1. Vice-Chair’s Signature of Declaration of Acceptance of Office

Cllr Bond signed the Declaration.

  1. Apologies

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Golding.

  1. To declare interests in items on the Agenda

No declarations of interest declared for the AMPC Agenda.

  1. Ordinary Meetings of the Parish Council

The ordinary meetings of the Council will continue to take place on the first Wednesday of the month in the Village Hall starting at 7:00 p.m. except for August and January. There is no ordinary meeting in August. DPC’s monthly meeting for January 2025 will be on Wednesday 15 January.

  1. Review of the Terms of Reference for Personnel Committee and Subcommittee

It was resolved to authorise the proposed Terms of Reference.

  1. Review of Appointment of the Members of Personnel Committee and Subcommittee

It was resolved that the Members will remain Cllrs Neale, Nightingale, and Green.

  1. Working Groups & Positions of Responsibility

All appointments were reviewed. It was resolved to authorise: the revised list of appointments, to remove the two roles SHDC Climate Community Forum & Sustainable Dittisham & Sustainable South Hams with their role done by the Climate & Environment Working Group, and to create Playground weekly checks and Tree post severe weather checks roles, that DPC will seek residents to assist with Playground weekly checks, and that the Role descriptions will be updated to reflect these changes and noting the active Communications Group.

  1. DPC’s Delegations of Authority to the Clerk

It was resolved to authorise the proposed Delegations.

  1. Standing Orders & Financial Regulations

The reviews approved 3/4/24 were noted.

  1. Asset Register

It was resolved to confirm the Asset Register as at 31/03/24.

  1. Arrangements for insurance cover in respect of all insurable risks

The three year agreement which ends 3/7/24 was noted.

It was resolved to increase the declared value insurance cover for subsidence of the Old Chapel Burial Ground retaining wall to £150,000 effective immediately, to make the Policy’s description of which wall is insured clearer, and to contact DPC’s neighbours suggesting confirmation of their own adequate subsidence insurance. DPC will research further the reinstatement costs taking into account the nature of the retained burial ground.

  1. Review of the Council’s Subscriptions, Contracts, and Direct Debit mandates

The current arrangements were noted. The Clerk noted that the annual maintenance grant to the Village Hall Management Committee requires review in 2024.

  1. Review of the Council’s Bank mandates.

It was resolved to remove former Cllrs Tucker and Hodge from NatWest and Lloyds mandates, to add Cllr Nightingale to the NatWest mandate, and to add Cllr Unitt to both NatWest and Lloyds mandates.

  1. Approval of the list of due payments which arise on a regular basis as the result of a continuing contract, statutory duty, or obligation, and to be authorised by the council & paid by the Clerk in response to correct invoices.

It was resolved to authorise the proposed list.

  1. Review of the list of the Council’s Policies and Procedures

It was resolved that relevant Working Groups would review or create as relevant: Grant documents will be reviewed by Finance Working Group, Communications Policy by Communications Working Group, and Personnel Committee will consider Disciplinary & Grievance Procedure, Dignity at Work Policy, and Equality and Diversity Policy. The Clerk will review Publication Scheme and Website Accessibility.

  1. 2024 Statement of Internal Controls

It was resolved to approve the Statement.

  1. 2024 Risk Register Review

It was resolved to approve the Risk Register.

May Meeting of the Parish Council

  1. Apologies

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Golding and SHDC Cllr McKay.

  1. Two Vacancies for a Parish Councillor

It was confirmed that the vacancies would be advertised closing 31 May 2024. Communications Working Group Councillors will assist with promoting the vacancies.

  1. Declaration of Interests

Cllr Green declared a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) in the replacement of the Dittisham Armada Beacon item and Cllr Neale declared a DPI in the reimbursement of Parish Meeting refreshment costs.

  1. Approval of Minutes

It was resolved to approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 3 April 2024 and the Parish Meeting on 17 April 2024.

  1. Community Reports

    1. South Hams District Council Councillor

Deferred in the absence of SHDC Cllr McKay.

    1. Devon County Council Councillor

DCC Cllr Hawkins reported that DCC will be holding a special meeting on Monday, mainly to address devolution. He attended a meeting with South Hams [District Council] last week about road sweeping: held because the work has not been done and Parishes are not given notice of visits. He was advised that SHDC will buy a new mechanical sweeper to be based in Dartmouth at the Park and Ride.

  1. Financial Matters

    1. Financial Reports

The Clerk has advised that no monthly Financial Reports were provided for this meeting. A process has been decided to manage the VAT treatment of SHDC’s RingGo and Level Car Park permit services for DPC, and the Clerk is now working to apply that to complete 23/24 financial year and the annual audit return. DPC’s bank accounts reconcile as at 28/3/24.

    1. Payments

Cllr Neale left the meeting.

It was resolved to authorise the following payments:

  • DALC, Annual membership Fee, £153.07

  • DSC Permits 24/25, £87.60

  • SHDC, Uncontested Elections, £213.78

  • Installation of section of ledge and underpinning on The Ham retaining wall, £1,350.00

  • Parish Meeting refreshments reimbursement, £32.20

  • Noticeboard Key Cutting Reimbursement, £7.95

  • Clerk office expenses reimbursement, £18.10

  • Society of Local Council Clerk’s membership, £154.70 for 24/25 (£238 pro-rata with Blackawton PC)

It was resolved to confirm transfer by cheque of £10,000 from NatWest to Lloyds Treasurer’s Account.

The following payment authorised since the last monthly meeting was noted:

  • Car Park Attendant January to March 2024, £500.00

    1. Receipts

The following receipts were noted:

  • DCC, P3 Grant 23/24, £200.00
  • SHDC, Precept first instalment, £8,000
  • DSC, Permits 24/25, £6,356.02
  1. SHDC Planning Decisions

The following decisions were noted:

    1. 0366/24/ARC Spindlewood, Higher Street, Dittisham, TQ6 0HT. Application for approval of details reserved by conditions 5 (Timber Cladding), 9 (External Lighting), 18 (Roof Slate), 19 (Hard Landscaping) & 20 (Ducts, Flues, Rainwater Goods, Vents & External Attachments) of planning consent 2455/21/FUL. Refused.

    2. 0443/24/HHO Pump Cottage The Level Dittisham TQ6 0ES. Demolition of existing single storey garage & store (north side extension) & first floor dormer, removal of existing oil tank & slab, proposed internal alterations & extension to include 1no proposed ground floor single storey extension South & West facing, 1no proposed two storey extension to north to provide extended living accommodation, 1no replacement dormer, installation of new Air Source Heat Pump & modifications to existing ground floor door & window openings. Withdrawn.

    3. 0233/24/HHO Fingals Hotel Dittisham Dartmouth TQ6 0JA. Householder application for PV cells on post 1948 garage roof. Conditional Approval.

    4. 0455/24/LBC Bay Cottage Manor Street Dittisham TQ6 0EX. Listed Building Consent for Internal alterations to first floor layout, replacement timber windows, internal & external remedial works to all stone walls, floors & ceilings, replacement rainwater goods/fascia & barge boards. Conditional Approval.

    5. 0241/24/LBC Mulberry House Dittisham Dartmouth TQ6 0ER. Listed building consent for single storey extension to kitchen, replacement of veranda with new garden room, insertion of window to rear elevation, replacement of upvc windows and doors with timber units, replacement of single glazed timber conservatory with double glazed timber, installation of air source heat pump and internal alterations. Conditional Approval.

    6. 0489/24/HHO Laburnum Cottage Manor Street Dittisham TQ6 0EX . Householder application for installation of a charger for an electric car (EV Charger). Conditional Approval.

It was also noted that the following decision which was not listed on the Agenda had also been made:

    1. 0426/24/HHO The Manse The Level Dittisham TQ6 0ES. Householder application for the creation of driveway and off road parking area including access alterations. Withdrawn.
  2. New Planning Applications

    1. 1011/24/HHO Capton Mill Cottage CaptonTQ6 0JE. Householder application for first floor extension to rear, new raised patio to front, installation of new windows at first floor level on south east and south west elevations and juliette balcony.

Support (by resolution).

    1. 0673/24/FUL Lauriston Riverside RoadDittishamTQ6 0HS. Demolition of existing house and erection of new replacement dwelling.

Support (by resolution) with DPC’s comment about reducing light pollution and requesting a Construction Management Plan which includes that deliveries are not made during the School buses’ arrival and departure times. DPC thanks the applicant for a clear application, particularly for providing a direct comparison of the current and proposed buildings in one location. (DPC also noted an error in the Introduction of the AONB Statement, where the first sentence relates to a different application).

  1. Neighbourhood Plan Public Information Meeting

Discussion of the arrangements for the proposed public meeting were deferred because of Cllr Golding’s absence.

  1. Replacement of Dittisham Armada Beacon Post

Cllr Green left the meeting.

It was resolved to approve expenditure of £450 for the purchase of a replacement post for the historic beacon contingent on the availability of match funding from the Dittisham Charity, with the plan being to then donate the post to Raleigh Estate.

  1. Reports from Councillors’ Working Groups and External Forums

    1. Dittisham Parish Emergency Plan

It was resolved to approve the revised Plan. More work is required regarding communication solutions if there were to be no broadband and/or a power outage with a loss of digital voice. It was confirmed that DPC would pay for attendance at the DALC Crisis Communications for Local Councils training (£30 +VAT), and agreed that the Clerk and Cllr Nightingale will respond to an enquiry from the press about the Plan, in consultation with Cllr Unitt.

    1. ‘Zoning’ Proposal

Discussion about whether to create zones for individual Councillors to liaise with was deferred to the June meeting and zoning will be removed from the Emergency Plan.

    1. Maintenance Working Group

It was resolved to approve the Report’s proposals to remove and replace a dead Memorial tree and to reconfigure a barrier fence above southern Ham retaining wall.

  1. Being a Dementia Friendly Parish

It was agreed to invite a speaker to talk to the Parish Council (step one on Action Plan). The talk will be in June at earliest and remains to be agreed.

  1. EV Charging Points

The Climate Working Group will review the possible installation public EV charging points in the village. The two possible locations are the verge on Riverside Road and the possible new car park on the northern edge of the village.

  1. Annual Risk Assessment Survey of Dittisham Parish Council’s Trees

It was resolved to confirm the inspection in June by the same surveyor and at the same cost as in 2023.

  1. Extra emptying of the bins on The Ham during the tourist season

It was resolved to confirm that DPC will request that SHDC again make an extra visit, Wednesday 10 July to 30 October, 17 empties, £160.65.

  1. Dittisham Sailing Club Permit Regulations

It was resolved to confirm the addition to the Regulations that the vehicle registration must be written with a permanent marker.

  1. Registration of The Red Lion Inn as an Asset of Community Value

It was noted that South Hams District Council has decided to list The Red Lion Inn as an Asset of Community Value.

  1. Correspondence & Communications:

  2. The following were noted or considered:

  • 22/4/24 SHDC, Rogue Traders Advice

  • 19/4/24 Resident notified DPC of further earthworks at the Manse. SHDC contacted and resident also asked to report to SHDC

The Clerk was asked to obtain a report and to find out if there is a stop works notice, and if not why not.

  • 17/4/24 Anthony Mangnall MP, Potholes experience requested. Shared with Parish

  • 12/4/24 DCC contacted by DPC regarding repainting 20 mph circles. Dittisham has been added to DCC’s Parish Remark package list.

  • 11/4/24 Resident contacted DPC to request double yellow lines next to wall at entrance to The Level. Resident and a Cllr are working on a map which could be used for an application to DCC by DPC.

  • Clerk contacted SHDC about waiving Ham Car Park PCNs issued after Village Hall Wall collapse.

  1. Next Meeting

It was confirmed that the next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on 5 June 2024 at 7:00 pm.

  1. Closure of the Meeting

It was resolved, in accordance with the 1960 Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act, to exclude the public and press during consideration of the following item because of the confidential nature of the business.

  1. To consider the DPC’s next actions to meet its responsibilities as the owner of a freehold.

DPC is waiting on further information from its solicitor.

The meeting closed at 21:20.