“Eagle” Notes
To provide additional communication and interaction with residents, this page contains the Parish Council notes from the parish clerk published in the “Eagle” village magazine each month. (The December issue also covers January of the following year.) This page will contain the latest notes together with those for the previous two issues of the “Eagle”.
May 2025
Just to update parishioners, since PCSOs Brown and Baker left, no new PCSO has been found to cover our area, attend council meetings and/or send crime reports. Sergeant Donna Gutteridge (Holsworthy & Torrington Neighbourhood Team Leader) will therefore continue with online Teams meetings to pass on relevant information and address issues raised by parishes. Conducting the meetings will be new Neighbourhood Officer PC Harrison. If an emergency incident comes in, the meeting may have to be cancelled; PC Harrison will ensure a notice is sent out, so attendees are aware. Emergency incidents will naturally take priority over online meeting. Starting from 26 March, these meetings will take place every fourth Wednesday at 7pm. As the Parish Council meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month, rather than ‘every fourth Wednesday’, it should be possible to attend some Teams meetings as long as they don’t clash with clerk’s other work commitments.
By the time you read this edition of the Eagle, the date of our Annual Parish Meeting on 28 May 2025 will be drawing nearer. It is also the date of our Annual Parish Council Meeting, when, amongst other things, chair, vice-chair and other representatives are elected. This is followed by our ordinary May Parish Council Meeting. I would like to draw your attention especially to the ANNUAL PARISH MEETING. Every council meeting has a slot “Public Participation”, but the annual meeting is your chance to raise any issue that is important to you, your neighbours or the whole parish. We, as a council, need to know your priorities so we can work in a productive and efficient manner.
Finally, Yarnscombe Parish Council would like to say “Goodbye” to County Councillor Saywell who is standing down on 1 May 2025 to pursue a career in the aviation industry. Over the years, he has always acted in Yarnscombe’s best interest and we wish him good luck for the future.
Planning:
- 1/0204/2025/FUL, Agricultural Building At Grid Reference 255977 123750, Yarnscombe, Devon
Demolition of existing stables and sheds and erection of replacement shed for agricultural purposes.
HOW TO REPORT A POTHOLE
Please go to www.devon.gov.uk > Roads and Transport > Report a Problem > Pothole. There you will find the definition of a pothole and once you press “Start now” it guides you through a short questionnaire regarding location, size etc of the pothole. You can then pinpoint the pothole on an interactive map, check if it has been reported before and its current progress update.
March 2025
You may have heard in the news that last December the government published a White Paper regarding English Devolution.
According to www.gov.uk “the White Paper sets out the government’s plan to widen and deepen devolution across England, providing mayors with unprecedented powers and funding and hardwiring them into the way government works. It also outlines how the government will rebuild and reform local government, as the foundation for devolution, reset the relationship between central and local government, and give communities stronger tools to shape the future of their local areas, while improving accountability and building capacity across the local government sector”. You can read the whole document at the above mentioned website. At our last meeting, Cllr. Saywell (Devon County Council) made the following comments (you can read his complete statement in our January 2025 minutes):
Following publication of the Government’s Devolution White paper it is clear that considerable change is going to happen in Local Government in Devon. The County Council is going to be abolished, as will all the Devon District Councils. We have two options:
- Do nothing and the government will impose changes.
- Engage with government to get the best result for the residents of Devon.
I believe that engagement with the government is the better option.
Cllr. Saywell went on to say: It is clear that Devon County Council and Torridge District Council are going to cease to exist in a few short years and will be replaced by a new unitary council. I will do all that I can to defend the interests of Torrington Rural as we go through this period of change.
Since January, the council’s bank has been charging a monthly fee for running the account and the council would incur charges for every cheque paid in or out. After consultation with the council’s internal auditor, it was decided to switch over to electronic payments, as one hundred electronic payments per month can be made for free. The council, in conjunction with other village organisations, will keep searching for a bank account that doesn’t carry a monthly fee.
At our February meeting, we will have an update on the potential launch date of the new Yarnscombe website. Naturally, we will keep you up to date and in the meantime, we can only reiterate our appreciation for Cllr. Pengilley and Sharron Newberry.
Following on from the Village Hall’s Fire Risk Assessment, Cllrs. Brice and Newberry have volunteered to sort through parish council documents kept at the hall. According to the volume of documents that need to be kept, the council will purchase fireproof storage boxes.
Planning:
- Highfield, Yarnscombe, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 3LR. Ref. No.: 1/0044/2025/FUL, Demolition of garage and porch, and erection of single storey extension.
February 2025
Happy New Year! The beginning of 2025 brought with it a very cold snap with some difficult driving conditions first thing in the morning. Cllr. Farr has been out when needed to grit the road up to Clogshill Cross. We appreciate him volunteering and keeping the road clear.
At our last meeting before Christmas council members discussed the forthcoming budget and setting of the precept. During the last financial year the council had largely stayed within budget, although the erection of the metal fence in the playing field cost more than the allocated budget for “Repair and Maintenance of Assets”. This was partly offset by a grant from Torridge District Council and monies held in the council’s Instant Access account. The installation of the new fence is seen as an investment in the future and as a means of reducing maintenance costs in the long term.
When setting the precept councillors had to consider an increase of the clerk’s salary as prescribed by NALC (National Association of Local Councils), potential election costs and, from the middle of this month, we are being charged for having an account with Lloyds Bank. This affects other village organisations as well and we are trying to find another (low cost, preferably no cost) solution. Therefore the precept was set at £8300 from £7920 last year, an increase in real terms for a Band D property of £2.45 per month.
Hopefully, by the end of February we can provide you with an update about the new Yarnscombe website. Sharron Newberry has persevered, despite several setbacks, and we are looking forward to hearing her progress report.
Planning:
- 1/0887/2024/FUL – 9 December 2024
Erection of ground floor extension to include extended living room, extra bedroom and garage; Honeysuckle Cottage, Yarnscombe, Barnstaple, Devon – Application permitted.