THE February 6 meeting of Newton St Cyres Parish Council was attended by nine Councillors, the Parish Clerk, the Mid Devon District Councillor (Graeme Barnell) and three members of the public.

Issues raised by members of the public:

• Concern has been expressed about the increasing level of fouling by dogs on West Town road. The Parish Council decided to write an article in the “Newton Wonder” asking for people to pick up after their dog.

• Concern was expressed about the amount of debris on the plot adjacent to the school left by the construction company after the completion of Kingfisher Close. This land belongs to the management company of Kingfisher Close. The Parish Council decided to write to the management company asking for the debris to be removed as well as the various signs around the village directing visitors to the new development.

• A complaint was received by the Parish Council about the parking on the double yellow lines by the Beer Engine. Cars parked on these lines prevent access for emergency vehicles to the houses beyond the Beer Engine, make it difficult for farm traffic to pass and dangerously limit visibility for local traffic. The Parish Council suggested that the best action in this case would be for the police to be informed of the issue by the correspondent.

• Concern was also expressed about speeding in the village. The Parish Council acknowledges that this is a problem. It is to be hoped that we will have average speed cameras installed in the not-too-distant future. These have proved very effective in limiting speeds through other villages. For more on road safety, see later in this article.

Planning applications and decisions

• A planning application has been received for the installation of French windows and a Juliet balcony on the first floor of 10 Tything Close. No negative views have been expressed online and so the Parish Council decided to make no comment on this application.

• Two planning applications have been received for Bakers Farm. These would substantially modernise the farmhouse and include the construction of a swimming pool. Mid Devon District Council will need to sanction any changes to the grade two listed building. However, as the farm is in a fairly secluded location, and the alterations would affect no-one else, the Parish Council decided not to comment on these applications.

• An application was made for a certificate of lawfulness for the existing use of buildings as mixed use of agricultural and commercial storage at Winscott Barton. Mid Devon has refused this application. At the time of the meeting no appeal had been lodged. However heavy vehicles accessing the site continue to pass though Langford. The district councillor is following this up.

The Post Office, Community Shop and the Community Land Trust

• A part-time Post Office is now functioning in the Parish Hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Parish Council urges all Parishioners to make as much use of this facility as they can.

• Work continues in the development of a Community Shop, however there is much planning work to be done before significant progress can be seen.

• Action on the Community Land Trust project is halted for the moment until the development plans for the old school site become known.

Reports from councillors’ areas of responsibility

• The Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator reported that there had been a significant increase in the number of domestic break-ins in the village. In a least one case, the householder was in at the time of the break-in. We are all reminded to be careful to lock doors and shut windows.

• The recently-purchased defibrillator has been installed in the Telephone Box near Belluno.

• Some of the allotments are in a poor state. The Parish Council hopes to initiate a tidy-up in the new financial year.

• The Council is still in need of more litter-picking volunteers. The Parish Clerk is to investigate acquiring additional equipment and jackets for new volunteers.

• The Arboretum committee have requested a new litter bin near the church. Unfortunately this will be expensive to install and will incur an annual charge. We might be able to re-site a bin nearer the church. It was decided to ask the Arboretum Committee to investigate this.

Highway Issues

• The district councillor informed the Parish Council that an action group has been set up to campaign for a 20mph speed limit on West Town Road. There are precedents for this in other local villages, where there are narrow roads with no pavements.

• Meetings continue to be held with Devon Highways to push for the pedestrian controlled crossing in the centre of the village and for a paved footpath from the lay-by to the bus stop at Half Moon.

• There has been some clearing of vegetation around the bus stops at Half Moon and Langford Bridge. However the footpath up School Hill is badly in need of clearing. This will be a major project and we may have to look for special funding.

• The drains on the back roads have been recently cleared but the general condition of the roads is very poor. It was decided that as this is a multi-parish issue, the Parish Council would try to work for action to be taken through the Raddon Hills group of parishes.

The next meeting of the Parish Council will be on Thursday, March 5 at 7pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend. There will also be a Parish Surgery at the Coffee Morning to be held on Saturday, March 7, in the Parish Hall.

Liz Ouldridge