Annual Reports 2010-2011

At the 2011 Annual Parish Meeting, Annual Reports were presented. These will be shown here as and when they are made available. 

DISTRICT COUNCILLOR'S REPORT  -  2010-2011 
NEWTON POPPLEFORD VILLAGE HALL REPORT  -  2010-2011

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT, 2010-2011

Newton Poppleford and Harpford Parish Council End of Year Chairman’s Report 2010-2011

This has been an eventful year with many planned as well as unplanned events. At the start of the PC Year a number of changes were promised, including:

ORGANISATIONAL CHANGES:
The objective was to ensure a greater sharing of tasks and responsibilities within the Council beyond that previously established for the office of Planning Chairman.

This has so far been accomplished by establishing:
A) An Independent Financial Tracking system
B) A consolidated Action Reporting Method
C) Back-up support on the Pavilion (now vacant)

There is more work to be done in respect of assigning Councillors responsibilities e.g. Grants Manager There is also an urgent need to attract new Councillors in the forthcoming year to replace our departed friends and fellow Councillors.

WRITING OF PROTOCOLS:
A number of Protocols have been written to normalise and control the way business is conducted e.g.

? Hire of the Playing Field
? Hire of the Pavilion
? Use of the sheds in the Playing Field
? Guidelines for writing a contract and Project Management for works to be performed on behalf of the Council

Agreements have been signed by :

The Vikings Football Club
The Colaton Raleigh Football Club
The Newton Poppleford Cricket Club

GREATER USE OF COMPUTERISATION:
The following has been established:

Principally to communicate by E-Mail 2
Spread sheet for financial tracking
Listing and Status Reporting of Actions
Establish a written report for the Chairman’s Monthly Report
Ensure that a Report is written for all external meetings attended by Councillors.

REPORTS ON ALL MEETINGS (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL):
e.g Meetings with the Environment Agency
Meetings with Devon County Council and Aggregates Industries re-Venn Ottery Quarry
Planning Decision Meeting at County Hall re-Road Improvements at Halfway Inn
Meetings of the Finance and Trustees of the Playing Field Foundation

IMPROVE THE COUNCIL’S FINANCIAL POSITION
The Council’s resources were essentially depleted at the end of the last Financial Year ending April 2010 due to unexpected overrun on expenditures on the refurbishment of the Pavilion. We set ourselves an ambitious target to build-up our reserves for unexpected expenditures and this will be detailed in the financial statement of the RFO. This prudent budgeting still allowed significant necessary expenditures by winning external grants.

Major projects anticipated in the next financial year are expected to be:

A) The construction of a firm and safe walkway along Back Brook from the edge of the Bovis Estate to Back Lane.
B) To extend the Pavilion in respect of the Changing Room and the Kitchen Area.
C) To perform further rock armour support to the bank of Back Brook

It is the intention that these projects will be largely financed through external grants

SET-BACKS / ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The Eve Rohl Play area was finally opened after a troublesome period during and after installation of £54,000 plus of equipment. It was not long after, that the power company identified a faulty power cable in the area and further remedial work necessitated security fencing around several pieces of equipment. Western Power is about to reinstate the safety matting in this area in preparation for the removal of the security fencing.

Following these works, the car park surface has been reinstated, the fencing around the Play Area made more secure and signs erected to dedicate the Play Area to Eve Rohl for her long service on the Parish Council.

Last winter’s storms caused excessive waters to flow in Back Brook which eroded its northern bank. Two grants, one of £5000 from Pennon/ South West Water and £1000 from Western Power , enabled the placement of strategically placed armour rocks into the bed and banks of the Brook.

The Council has been working closely with the Environment Agency to safeguard our interests whilst they undertake flood prevention measures at the Venn Ottery Road Bridge and at the Back Lane Bridge and Webbers Meadow. The Agency has made provision for trees to be donated and planted along the River Otter bank and in the North West Corner of the second field of Webbers Meadow .

OTHER MAJOR PREOCCUPATIONS OF THE COUNCIL:
The Council was requested to write a ‘Local Development Framework’ which would reflect the growth and aspirations for the Parish in the next 25 years. The Plan, lodged with the EDDC, included a proposed new road to accommodate through traffic to alleviate safety problems in the High Street of Newton Poppleford and beyond. The plan included a new school, Community Hall, local shops and offices and a significant growth in housing to support the new facilities. Unfortunately, the EDDC published an overall plan but its principle and basis was severely challenged and is under rework.

The next challenge has been the proposed restart of Quarrying at Venn Ottery and much time has been spent in meetings and consulting with many parties to achieve the best possible outcome for the Parish, including a bridleway and regular liaison meetings with the Quarry owners. In this context a sub-committee of the Council (Cllrs. Cole, Swann and Woodley)have defined a new road layout scheme at the Halfway Inn which has just been submitted to the Quarry owners, Devon County Council Highways, County and District Councillors and Devon Clinton Estates.

The most recent major consideration has been the proposal to establish a large intensive indoor pig farm in the Parish and AONB. The latter two planning issues will be addressed by the Planning Chairman.

CONCLUSIONS:
This has been a very active year with several major projects and some unexpected setbacks but the overall result appears to be favourable. Our Council is taking a strong leading role on many issues impacting on local, District and County matters including the preservation of our flood plain and its resultant protection of residents.

Our results are attributable to the efforts of the Parish Councillors, David Atkins - the Parish Clerk and RFO, Ken Potter - District Councillor, Christine Channon - our County Councillor and the Police. 4

We are also grateful for the support given by Gill Sessions in organising the writing of the Village Plan, Shan Merritt for maintaining the Parish Council Website and Toby Taylor for his services in Webbers Meadow. Our thanks are also extended to those parishioners who participated in the planting of trees and the balsam bashing.

Prepared by: Cllr. Richard Swann,
Chairman of Newton Poppleford and Harpford Parish Council
April 2nd  2011