Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllrs G Barnell, J Cairney, J Downes Mrs F J Colthorpe, Miss E Lloyd, Miss J Norton, F W Letch, A Wilce, A Wyer, S J Penny, A White, J Buczkowski and Mrs S Griggs.

To receive any questions relating to items on the agenda from members of the public and replies thereto.

The Chairman read out the following statement from Susan McGeever:

Halberton Parish Council seeks to look after all its parishioners throughout this large, historic, and predominantly, rural parish.

The newsletter is delivered to all households and issues raised are dealt with expediently - speeding concerns at Lucombe Park, uncut verges, dirty bus shelters, potholes, parking issues at Mid Devon Business Park, disruption caused when the A361 is closed, concerns over AD plants or solar panel farms or the ability to walk to work at Hitchcocks from both Uffculme and Willand.

Halberton Parish Council considers all planning applications based on the 'material planning considerations' and is not adverse to raising questions, asking for conditions or requesting that an application is called in. Ultimately though, it is MDDC Planning Officers and Planning Committee who make the decisions.

In addition, Halberton Parish Council has reached out to its neighbours on issues that affect the combined area such as standardised speed limits throughout.

Last year, the District Boundaries Commission Review, saw Uffculme and Willand ask for changes particularly in relation to the parish of Halberton. The Boundaries Commission rejected these requests on the premise that it would unbalance the numbers.

A year later, the Parish Boundary Review committee is asking for the same changes. So before making your decision ask yourselves: Who was on the Parish Boundary Review committee?

Does the number of responses reflect the majority of the population of the three parishes (6534)?  And, how many of those responses came from residents within the parish of Halberton?

Would MDDC Planning Officers or the Planning Committee have come to a different conclusion on any planning application if Uffculme or Willand Parish Council had objected?

Will the next step be to invoke Clause 61 of the District Boundaries Commission Review?

Having considered the questions above, if the Council is mindful to adopt one of the three Options put forward, I for one would hope that those individuals who specified they wished to remain in the Parish of Halberton will be allowed to do so.

Ian Batchelor, Chairman of Halberton Parish Council stated:

It’s been ongoing for a number of years where neighbouring parishes have been wanting to exert an influence and create a degree of control over our parish and we would like to retain as much of that parish boundary for historical reasons and for the fact that we feel serve all our parishioners very well. The boundary commission and committee that was set up a little while ago, I’ve made representations to with written reports to show how well we have performed but to no avail, it seems to have been that amendments have been put in place to allow chunks of the parish to go.

If we look at it in the same way, how would certain Members feel if say Hemyock would disappear to Somerset? Just because we feel that there is a more general pull for people in Hemyock to go towards Wellington, is that a good scenario? I  ...  view the full minutes text for item 88.

To record any interests on agenda matters.

Cllr B G J Warren declared a personal interest as he was the current Chairman of Willand Parish Council.

To receive any announcements which the Chairman of the Council may wish to make.

The Chairman reminded Members of the Honorary Alderman Ceremony taking place on 5^th December.

1.     Motion 584 (Councillor R Radford – 9 November 2022)

The Council has before it a MOTION submitted for the first time:

"In the interest of a compromise, Halberton Parish wish to confirm acceptance of options 1 & 2 and that option 3 should be withdraw"

1.         Motion 584 (Councillor R Radford – 9 November 2022)

The Council has before it a MOTION submitted for the first time:

"In the interest of a compromise, Halberton Parish wish to confirm acceptance of options 1 & 2 and that option 3 should be withdrawn"

In accordance with procedure rule 16.6 Cllr R Radford requested that the MOTION be WITHDRAWN

Report of the Director of Business Improvement and Operations

The Chairman of the Electoral Review Committee thanked Members, Officers and public who had contributed to the review and stated that there had been a large number of responses and strong recommendations made.

Council then dealt with the recommendations set out in the report as follows:

Cllr L Taylor MOVED, seconded by Cllr B G J Warren that:

(a)        Recommended that given the number of electors within the Yeoford ward of the parish, it was proposed that the number of parish councillors for that ward be increased from 5 to 7.

Cllr D R Coren spoke and stated that the number of parish councillors within the Yeoford ward should not be increased as there would not be sufficient parish councillors to represent the remaining parish which was large and very rural.

Consideration was given to:

• Crediton Hamlets did not want to see an increase in Yeoford parish councillors
• The rural areas of a parish also needed to be represented

Cllr D R Coren MOVED an AMENDMENT, seconded by Cllr B Deed, in accordance with procedure rule 16.5 that:

(a) Recommended that the proposed number of parish councillors for Yeoford ward remained at 5

Upon a vote being taken on the original RECOMMENDATION, it was declared to have FAILED. Therefore Yeoford ward remained at 5 Parish Councillors.

Cllr Taylor MOVED, seconded by Cllr S J Clist that:

(b)        Recommended that the Council approve Option 3 be put into effect as follows (Appendix 1):- “Move from Halberton Parish to Uffculme Parish - Lucombe Park, together with Hitchcocks and Langlands Business Parks, and the area north east of Bridwell Avenue, plus moving from Halberton Parish to Willand Parish - the Mid Devon Business Park.”

Consideration was given to:

• The business park affected Willand and Uffculme more than Halberton
• Residents of Halberton did state their views and some Members could not support option 3

Councillor R F Radford MOVED an AMENDMENT, seconded by Cllr C Slade that:

(b) Recommended that Council approve Options 1 & 2 be put into effect as follows:

Option 1 – Lucombe Park move from Halberton to Uffculme and the Mid Devon Business Park move from Halberton to Willand.

Option 2 – Option 1 (as set out above) together with the area north east of Bridwell Avenue be moved from Halberton to Uffculme

Upon a vote being taken the AMENDMENT was declared to have been CARRIED.

Cllr Taylor MOVED, seconded by Cllr S J Clist that:

(c)        Recommended that the Council request the Local Government Boundary Commission for England for a related alteration, in order to put into effect the boundary changes to the district wards of Halberton and Lower Culm.

(d)        Recommended that the boundary changes proposed as per submission 33 be accepted with the amendment that the boundary followed the road north of The Orchard so that The Orchard be part of Cheriton Bishop Parish Council (Appendix 2/3/4).

(e)        Recommended possibility of merging of Nymet Rowland and Lapford parishes be further  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92.

The Chairman has agreed to include this item on the agenda under rule 3.2 of the Council Procedure Rules.

The District Solicitor and Monitoring Officer confirmed that since the last allocation had been agreed there had been requests from Political Groups and Non Aligned Members to gift and swap seats on various Committees. Because the changes could affect the political balance the changes would need to be agreed by Council. Any changes to the political balance would need to be a unanimous vote.

Cllr R Deed MOVED an AMENDMENT, seconded by Cllr L Taylor, that

1.     That Cllr W Burke transfers from the Scrutiny Committee to the Audit Committee and Cllr R Radford transfers from the Audit Committee to the Scrutiny Committee.

2.     That Cllr A Moore remained on the Planning Committee.

Upon taking a vote, the AMENDMENT had FAILED as this was not a unanimous vote. 

Note:

• Cllrs Mrs N Woollatt and B G J Warren requested that their votes against the decision be recorded

Cllr R Chesterton MOVED, seconded by Cllr B A Moore that:

1.     That Cllr W Burke transfers from the Scrutiny Committee to the Audit Committee and Cllr R Radford transfers from the Audit Committee to the Scrutiny Committee.

2.     That Cllr A Moore gifts his seat on the Planning Committee to Cllr R Radford.

Consideration was given to:

• The seats on Scrutiny and Audit Committees would revert back to what they were before the last allocation
• Some Members views that the Planning Committee was non political and therefore would not affect the political balance
• Some Members felt that both changes would affect the political balance on the Committees and could not be supported

Upon a vote being taken the MOTION was declared to have FAILED as this was not a unanimous vote.

Note:

• Cllrs Mrs N Woollatt and B G J Warren requested that their votes against the decision be recorded.
• The District Solicitor and Monitoring Officer would provide a written response to confirm the political balance regarding the Scrutiny and Audit transfer.