“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”.
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.
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.
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.
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!