THE first Crediton Hamlets Annual Parish Meeting was held on Monday, April 4 at the Council Offices in Market Street, Crediton.

Two members of the public were in attendance. The chairman presented his report on the work of the Crediton Hamlets Parish Council in the last 12 months and the council’s plans for the future.

The key points presented were:

Crediton Hamlets Parish Council has raised the precept for 2016/17 by £1,000 (22.3 per cent) to meet the Parish Council’s increased costs and the reduction in the central government Council Tax Support Grant.

Crediton Hamlets Parish Council obtained a (Town and Parishes) TAP Fund grant during 2015/16 to enable it to provide grants to Yeoford Yarns, Yeoford Playgroup and St Luke’s, Posbury.

Crediton Hamlets Parish Council also provided grants out of its own funds to the three churchyards in the parish.

In 2015/16 the council was required to set up a website to comply with the national Transparency Code. The council successfully applied for a national grant to fund the setting up costs.

Two council members stood down at the May 2015 elections and the council has welcomed two new councillors, Carl Wholley in the Yeo Ward and Ruth Brook in the Hookway Ward. MDDC’s costs to the council for an uncontested election were £205.

The clerk, Malcolm Valance, retired in 2015/16 after more than four years’ service. The new clerk, who began in November 2015, is Diane Shepherd who is also clerk for Colebrooke Parish Council.

The chairman highlighted the issues which had been of specific concern to the council during the year: poor broadband services, proposed closure of the Play Area in Yeoford and the increasing deterioration of the roads within the parish.

The chairman also referred to issues of speeding through Venny Tedburn, pedestrian facilities at Barnstaple Cross, the closure of the Mid Devon District Council (MDDC) area office in Crediton, and the limitations and absences of the Post Office service.

MDDC gave notice in 2015/16 that it would no longer be carrying out grass cutting within the parish for Devon County Council (DCC) because DCC had withdrawn the funding for this. After careful consideration the parish council declined to fund this work but will monitor the effect of this decision.

The planning committee considers all planning applications within the parish and seeks to visit each site before deciding upon their response.

The solar farm application within Hookway caused particular concern and the council supported the residents in opposing the application, which was rejected.

Cllr Leigh reported that the council’s plans for 2016/17 included supporting Yeoford Community Association in their aim to retain a Play Area within Yeoford, supporting efforts to secure an improved broadband service in the area, encouraging residents to use the new council website, and to effectively manage their assets and finances.

Cllr Leigh thanked the councillors and the clerk for their work.

There then followed an opportunity for the public to ask questions.

The clerk read out a letter asking why the council was keeping more than £10,000 in a general reserve. The council said that it would give consideration to using some of the monies for a suitable project that would benefit the parish.

A member of the public asked about the road between Uton and Folly, which had still not been repaired.

The council has written to the leader of DCC about this matter and had not yet had a reply.

Cllr Way said that DCC was looking into this but that it was a question of money and priorities.

The second Annual Parish Meeting will be held in 2017 at a date to be agreed at the May Annual Meeting of Crediton Hamlets Parish Council.