“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”.
December 2024 / January 2025
From day 1 of 2024 potholes and the bad condition of roads within the parish had been on our agenda. This is an issue that is regularly raised with our County Councillor and any updates that he provides will be passed on. From the beginning of the year the Eagle publishes all the necessary information that parishioners need to report potholes and other highways related issues. In this case strength is truly in numbers, as the more people complain the more likely it is that the problem will be dealt with.
In January, the council also started looking for alternative solutions to the wooden playing field fence. The council was in a stable financial position and had been advised by the auditor to set aside some money for bigger projects. Acting on this advice, an Instant Access and an interest earning Notice Account had been set up. Monies set aside in these accounts coupled with grants from Devon County Council and Torridge District Council would help pay towards a new galvanised steel fence. Cllr. Cooke had approached three firms to provide quotes for metal fencing. Only one of the firms would also install the fence. This firm was located close by in Alverdiscott should any issues with the quality of the fence arise. A decision was made to obtain a quote and present at the March meeting. During the March meeting the quote provide by the local firm was accepted and, weather permitting, the new fence should be installed around May/June.
Another issue that came up during this meeting was the fact that dogs had been seen in the playing field and there had been reports of dogs being off lead in surrounding fields. No dogs are allowed in the playing field at any time, the only exception being during the dog show as part of the village fete, and everywhere else please follow the countryside code and keep dogs on lead and under control. By April the council had approved plans for the metal fence in the playing field and contributed £200 towards new lighting on the path leading to the village hall. It was also noted that there are enough children living in the parish to make Youth Club feasible again, but parents are needed to take on the responsibility to run it.
As part of our Annual Parish Council Meeting, all relevant policies were reviewed. Cllr. Brice was elected as chair and Cllr. Newberry was elected as vice-chair.
In June the new metal fence had been installed on the playing field; labour costs had been greatly reduced by the help of several councillors.
The issue of setting up a new Yarnscombe website with domain name gov.uk came up after Cllr. Pengilley had watched a recording of a webinar held by DALC (Devon Association of Local Councils). Advantages were credibility and ease of use of emails. Cost of having it set up by an approved registrar and annual running costs would have to be taken in consideration. Cllr. Pengilley, who had first set up the Yarnscombe website and had been running it for many years, reported that he would like to step back from these duties by the end of the year. The council is very grateful for his dedication and perseverance. Sharron Newberry had volunteered to design and run the new website; she will keep council updated about her progress. Cllr. Pengilley had attended another session regarding gov.uk domain. During the August meeting he explained to councillors that he would carry out further research and present council with three quotes.
Unfortunately, the council also learnt that its application for Lottery funding for the playing field fence had been turned down.
During the September meeting, Cllr. Pengilley presented the council with three quotes for approved registrars for setting up a website gov.uk domain. Over the course of five years, the quotes ranged from £1300 to nearly £1700. It was decided that the overall cost outweighed the benefits.
At last month’s meeting it was confirmed that 2 tons of salt grit are still available and the gritter will be checked, after having been repaired earlier in the year.
It also became apparent that the launch of a newly designed website would have to be put back until February 2025. Sharron Newberry had come across some unexpected problems. The council really appreciate that Sharron took on this project and is willing to persevere.
Planning:
- 1/0887/2024/FUL Honeysuckle Cottage, Yarnscombe, Barnstaple,Devon
Erection of ground floor extension to include extended living room, extra bedroom and garage
Our December meeting takes place on 11 December, 7.30pm at the village hall.
Our first meeting of 2025 will take place on 22 January, 7.30pm.
May we take this opportunity to wish all our parishioners a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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.
November 2024
As mentioned in July’s article Sharron Newberry is in the process of rebuilding/updating the Yarnscombe website. She will give us an update shortly, so in the next edition we should be able to give you an idea when the website will go “live”.
It had been decided to keep the original website address, although the government encourages parish councils to switch to a .gov.uk domain. The advantages are trust and credibility, enhanced security, help with communication and separating personal and professional accounts. To set up and maintain <domain>.gov.uk websites, councils need the help of an approved registrar. Councillor Pengilley researched registrars based on relevance and competence and drew up a shortlist of three. Councillors discussed costs of set-up/maintenance fees and decided that at present costs outweighed the benefit. Councillors will keep an open mind and monitor the situation. For now, we are curious to have a closer look at the completed website. We hope that parishioners appreciate the dedication and perseverance that Sharron has shown: the “new” website is meant to be used by the community for the benefit of the community.
It’s incredible to imagine that by the time you read this, it will already be November and the weather may have turned colder. In any case, the council will ensure that the gritter is ready for use and that our salt grit stock is at full capacity.
Looking ahead, our meeting in December will probably be held on the third Wednesday of the month, as the fourth Wednesday falls on Christmas Day. A final decision will be made at our October meeting and posted on the website and on the notice board.
Planning:
- 1/0772/2024/FUL Demolition of agricultural building and erection of new dwelling and associated works (Variation of condition 2 of planning approval 1/0066/2023/FUL), buildings at grid reference 255410 123805, Yarnscombe, Devon
October 2024
August has been a quiet month. The new playing field fence has been installed. The council will be able to claim back VAT, which will reduce the overall cost by a significant amount. The grass in the playing field will need another cut or two, depending on the weather. May we take this opportunity to remind everyone, that after using the goal posts please return them to a position that would enable the air ambulance to land unhindered.
The parish council as an organisation, no matter how small or large a community it represents, has many obligations and responsibilities to fulfil. Part of these responsibilities are carried out by the clerk, usually the only paid staff member. The other councillors offer up their time and expertise for free. That incorporates a lot more than attending the monthly meeting: documents and policies have to be checked and regularly updated, councillors have to keep themselves informed regarding Devon Association of Local Councils and National Association of Local Councils news, which are nowadays circulated by the clerk via email.
Apart from that, if and when needed, councillors often provide their labour for free. Cutting back hedges for increased visibility, gritting roads in the winter or helping out with installing/removing materials, all this takes time and effort.
Planning:
- 1/0772/2024/FUL, Demolition of agricultural building and erection of new dwelling and associated works (Variation of condition 2 of planning approval 1/0066/2023/FUL), Buildings at Grid Reference 255410 123805, Yarnscombe, Devon, OS map ref: (E) 255411 (N) 123806.