THE February 4 zoom meeting of Newton St Cyres Parish Council was attended by nine Councillors, the Parish Clerk, the Devon County Councillor (Margaret Squires) and four members of the public.

James Anstee (Devon County Council Road Safety Officer) attended the open session at the beginning of the meeting.

Road Safety and the A377

James Anstee kindly agreed to attend this council meeting to discuss the Parish’s concerns about traffic on the A377.

Residents have seen an increase in both the number and speed of cars passing through the Parish over recent years, probably due to housing developments in Crediton and beyond, and this is causing an increasing number of safety issues in the Parish.

Cllr Enright said that while we were very appreciative that a pedestrian-controlled crossing will soon be installed in the centre of the village, this will not solve all of our problems.

For some time now, the residents of Half Moon have been telling us about safety issues concerning their access to the nearby layby where many of them have to park their cars.

To reach the layby, they must walk along a grass verge, which in the past has been overgrown and is currently slippery and muddy. There is a risk of falling and the verge is unsuitable for pushchairs and children.

Some residents have found it preferable to walk along the road. The construction of a paved path here has been tied to development at Hanlon’s Brewery. However, this development has been, at best, delayed and may not happen.

Half Moon residents are in urgent need of the paved path. James Anstee agreed to investigate the matter to see if the construction of a path could be facilitated somehow.

Another problem concerns the speed of traffic as it enters the village near Tytheing Close/Sand Down Lane. Residents must cross the road to use the buses, and access the rest of the village, as there is no footpath on the Tytheing Close side.

However, the quantity and speed of traffic make this difficult and dangerous. Some residents have been abused by road users as they try to cross. Recently a police officer was able to confirm residents’ views that a significant number of vehicles are exceeding the speed limit at this point in the village. The Parish Council would like to see more action taken on speeding vehicles, and for a crossing of some sort to be constructed by Tytheing Close.

James Anstee was able to describe what is already being done as regards speed surveys and offered to share some more of the data he had collected. We are hopeful that he will be able to attend the Annual Parish Meeting in April with some of this data.

Other Road Related Issues

Cllr Squires, our Devon County Councillor, described how the Covid pandemic has made it hard for her to chase up Highways issues with County Council staff. However, she promised to act on our list of outstanding issues where she can.

A resident of Godolphin Close has complained that private cars are being left parked in the slip road between the old Post Office and the bus stop. This makes access for larger vehicles such as the recycling and rubbish collections difficult if not impossible. Another member of the public said that access for large vehicles was a problem for Tytheing Close too.

At the old Post Office, the problem seems to be people leaving their vehicles in order to catch the bus. The Council decided that, in the first instance, the Parish Clerk should write to the Highways department to see if we can have limited waiting signs erected here. Elsewhere, we would ask residents to understand the problems larger vehicles have in accessing, and so providing services to, all the houses in the village.

Devon County Council

Cllr Squires reported that the County Council budget is currently being prepared. At least partly in consequence of the Covid pandemic and therefore an increased demand for social and childcare services, the budget will have to rise. This will mean a rise in council tax too. In addition, lower priority departments, such as Highways, are likely to see their budgets squeezed.

The County Council elections in May are still scheduled to go ahead, although there will be some changes to how they are conducted. Cllr Squires reported that there will be little or no door-to-door canvassing. Parishioners are reminded that they can request a postal vote if they do not wish to attend a polling station.

The funding for a replacement bench for the village green has been passed to the Parish Council, and we are currently selecting a suitable design.

Planning

An application has been submitted for the change of a carport to a garage in Kingfisher Close. The Council decided to make no comment on this application.

It was noted that some objections to the development of the nursing home at Langford have now been received from local residents. However, the Parish Council has already submitted its view so felt unable to make further comment.

An application to cut back some trees protected by tree preservation orders at the Church of St Cyr and St Julitta was turned down.

Other Parish Issues

Emergency PPE equipment has now been bought and installed at both the Rec. and the Parish Hall.

The residents of Kingfisher Close have requested a salt bin. The Parish Clerk will investigate if a grant can be obtained to buy one.

A broadband survey has been designed and tested. However, it was decided to delay the full roll-out of the survey. This will allow us to see what will be available under the new government scheme due to be launched in March and to see the impact of Devon County Council awarding a contract for broadband services to Airband.

It has been suggested that the profile of our village could be enhanced by describing it as "the Gateway to Mid Devon". Cllr Cashmore volunteered to work with the Church group to see what this would entail beyond a new village sign.

The next meeting of the Parish Council will be by Zoom on Thursday, March 4 at 7pm. Should any member of the public wish to attend, they should contact the chairman of the Council, Jim Enright, on: [email protected] before 6pm on the day of the meeting. Alternatively, if members of the public want issues to be raised in Council meetings, they can contact Councillors in the usual way.

Liz Ouldridge