AT the November meeting of Sandford Parish Council, Pamela Larcombe completed her Acceptance of Office form as a Sandford Parish Councillor, and was welcomed by the Chairman.

At the end of October there had been a flooding incident reported at a property in the Square. The residents had approached the Clerk and stated that as drains in Church Street, and the Square were never cleared out, they kept getting blocked.

This meant that one late night in October, during a night of heavy rain, the drains had been unable to cope and the water had gone back up the pipe, flooding their property.

The Clerk had taken pictures of the relevant drains and sent these on to Devon County Council Highways which had confirmed it would be dealing with the issue.

Mid Devon District Council Consultation (Second Review) - “Proposal by parishioner to reduce the number of Parish Councillors”. The Parish Council’s comments objecting to this proposal, and setting out the reasons why, had been acknowledged.

The MDDC Enforcement Team had acknowledged the complaint over Weavers Way planning non compliance issue.

The Parish Council was concerned that since the October meeting another month had gone by with no action being taken, and that the matter remained unresolved. In the meantime construction of the homes was continuing with roofs going on.

Complaints were, once again, being received over parking at the bottom of Church Street, especially on the double yellow lines.

This was causing potential problems in the event of emergency vehicles accessing the Square. The Clerk was asked to report this to the DCC Enforcement Team.

John Bodley Scott (MDDC) had been in correspondence with the Clerk over the proposed listing of Sandford Congregational Church as a Community Asset. He felt that as the Church and Hall were on one footprint, although the Parish Council was primarily interested in the Hall, the request should include both. It was agreed that the Nomination form would be submitted to MDDC as a matter of urgency.

Play Area – As reported the Outdoor Gym had been erected and chippings/road scalpings would be placed under the equipment. Changes had been made to the fencing including the construction of a gateway at the Pavilion end.

The Basket Hoop would be erected in the Spring when the surface area had dried out. The new play equipment at Creedy View would be installed as and when received.

Devon County Council - County Councillor Mrs Margaret Squires gave details of financial issues at DCC and the likelihood of severe cuts to services to balance the budget. The number of potholes being reported had dropped.

The next meeting will take place at Sandford Scout Hut on Wednesday, December 7 at 7.30pm.

At the January 2023 meeting of Sandford Parish Council, councillors will consider any grant applications received, including those from parish organisations toward capital projects (not for running costs).

MJV