DUNKESWELL PARISH COUNCIL
Annual Report 2005-2006
1 The Parish Council Officers appointed at the election of Officers held at the Annual General Meeting of Dunkeswell Parish Council on 9th May, 2005 were as follows;
The Chairman: Mr Geoffrey Sworder
The Vice Chairman: Mr Andy Guest
Planning Committee: Mr Sworder, Mr Charles Sumpter, Mr Andy Guest
Tree Warden: Mr John Barrow
Footpaths Representatives: Mr John Barrow
Transport and Traffic Representative: Mr Andy Guest
Other Councillors with no particular appointment; Mrs Beth Russell, Mr Malcolm Stevens,
Mr Procter, Mr Luscombe.
2 COMMUNITY POLICING - PC Vickery/PCSO Anning
Crime figures for 2004-5 77 crimes 2005-6 reduced to 51 in total broken down as follows:
|
2005-06 |
2004-05 |
Burglary dwelling |
3 |
1 |
Burglary other |
15 |
16 |
Theft of Motor vehicle |
1 |
2 |
Theft from Motor vehicle |
1 |
3 |
Theft other |
8 |
14 |
Criminal damage |
6 |
13 |
Assaults |
3 |
9 |
Obtain property by deception |
1 |
7 |
Public disorder |
1 |
0 |
Drugs related |
3 |
0 |
Drink & drive |
1 |
0 |
Resist Arrest |
1 |
0 |
Dog out of control |
0 |
1 |
Vehicle interference |
0 |
1 |
Unauthorised taking of M/V |
0 |
2 |
Wasting Police time |
2 |
0 |
Use telecom sys to cause alarm |
0 |
1 |
Threat to destroy/damage property |
0 |
1 |
Racially aggravated harassment |
0 |
1 |
Non crime - Domestic |
1 |
3 |
Non crime – Child Protection |
4 |
2 |
TOTAL |
51 |
77 |
The figures above show a decrease in the recorded crime for the year 2005–06 of 29% compared with the previous year.
3 PARISH COUNCILS YEAR
Meetings
The Parish Council have held 12 meetings and 12 planning meetings during the past year (two of which ran concurrently on the same evenings).
Planning
We have made recommendations to the District Council on 63 planning applications and three appeals. These consisted of 12 industrial applications, 13 residential extensions and conservatories, 12 new build or conversions, 5 tree applications, 7 agricultural or tied applications and another 14 larger business/major residential/community facility applications.
A team of three parish councillors visit most of the applicants or sites before giving comment to the rest of the Council at planning meetings, recommendations are then discussed at the full Parish Council meetings on the third Monday of every month. The public are encouraged to attend these meetings should they wish to listen or express their opinions to the Parish Councillors.
Affordable Housing Survey
There will be a questionnaire in the next Parish Magazine which it is hoped everyone will complete, to assist the assessment of need in the parish.
4 YOUTH CLUB – Ann Barratt
Dunkeswell Youth Club
A very big thank you to the Parish Council for their much appreciated support giving the youth club the use of this hall for our weekly meetings.
There are currently over 40 young people on the register of regular members.
The usual attendance is around 28, being an almost equal mix of boys and girls.
The Youth Leader is currently Jo Barratt, she goes to Mongolia in July then plans to go to university in September. The committee have asked Adam Johnson to take over in July when he will be 18.
Adam and Jo, both completed 200 hours as Millennium Volunteers at the youth club.
We haven’t been able to start a new group of volunteers under the Millennium Volunteer scheme as there has been a question mark over the schemes future. Nevertheless without any official recognition we have a core of young volunteer committee members who support the youth leader and turn up to meetings to run the club.
Activities include Table tennis, Badminton, Pool, Card games, Unihock, Rounders and Swing ball. Also “chilling out” enjoying music and the tuck shop. All activities are requested and chosen by the young people. The committee is made up of seven young people, two adults and the leader. One issue they dealt with meant they introduced a new rule saying once members paid to enter, they must stay for the duration of the session as it was difficult organising games if folk were wandering in and out. It also made responsibility issues difficult. This rule has worked through the winter. The summer term has always been the most difficult to organise. Last week was wonderful weather on Thursday evening and the park was full...all credit to the park committee for their hard work keeping that facility going all year. There was a wide range of people using the park... it was a pleasure to see.However unfortunately no one came to Youth Club! In fairness a few committee members did turn up to set up ... but the choice was to enjoy the park and sunshine. It wasn’t much fun sat in an empty hail thinking of all the jobs I could have been doing at home! This is the down side of empowering the young people to make their own choices the up side is watching them grow ... slowly ... into responsible young people.
Several members took on the challenge of making a video last summer about their ideas on a bike track facility. This was shown to the Parish Council, we hope you enjoyed it. A trip to Plymouth is planned. And hopefully the club will continue to flourish. Thank you again for all your support.
The Parish Council are very appreciative to Mrs Barratt for all her work to provide this vital facility.
5 FOOTPATHS AND BRIDLEWAYS/TREE WARDEN
Improvements continue, and those who use the paths will notice several major projects this year, Mr Barrow is very grateful to Mr Howard for all his work. The Parish Council hope to enter in to discussions with the view to taking over certain tree issues from the District Council in the forthcoming year.
6 PLANNING - Application for new facilities Dunkeswell Kart racing circuit
There is still insufficient information for planners to make any decision on this controversial application. This is largely due to the District Council requesting a more detailed traffic impact assessment. This application is for a large building on two floors of bars, shops, restaurants, offices and living accommodation. Current permissions are for motor sports Saturday and Sunday afternoons, go kart practices on any Saturday and races on nine days per annum. In addition permission already exists for seven day a week leisure karting, this does not form part of any current application. The new facilities will have workshops for formula three cars, racing mini motos and other weekend events. Noise remains a primary issue for many surrounding residents and a noise barrier has been installed, however the noise has not reduced. The acoustic consultant employed by Sheldon Residents group has poured scorn on the applicants predicted noise levels. Mr Sworder has met with the Highways department, who will be concerned if traffic rises beyond 5% (current levels predicted by the applicant are at 16.5%). The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty partnership have made a formal objection, that this application will not enhance or conserve the AONB, nor is the traffic increase acceptable. The CAA have lodged a formal objection on the grounds that the building intrudes on to the flight path of an existing registered runway. The Parish Council obviously have a duty to inform the public and work with the authorities, but is not in a position to form a residents group, only relay residents feelings.
Our District Councillor Mrs Marcelle Boote is Chairman of the planning committee and has been advised that she has a prejudicial interest having worked for Nigel Mansell over four years ago. As Mrs Boote cannot represent us, Cllr David Key is representing the parishes in her place.
7 NEW SPORTS FIELD/CHURCHILL PLAYGROUND/NEW CENTURY PARK
Dunkeswell Childrens’ Play and Leisure Group manage the playgrounds in the parish and are part funded by the parish council, with additional funds raised through events and grants. £5000 has been granted towards improvements to the Churchill Playground.
The sports ground is to be donated to the parish by Mr Throgmorton, the plans are now at the land registry office, a grant of £10,000 has been given towards this from an anonymous trust fund.
The Churchill Playground awaits new barriers, as one was stolen. Grass cutting this year will be inclusive of collection and closer cut, which will improve the surface. The £5000 grant will replace the play bark with a new safety surface. The DP&LG were thanked for their work again this year
The hall has run smoothly this year, with particular thanks to the youth club for always leaving it so tidy. It is hoped that the issue of a new hall would be soon resolved. Mr Russell suggested that tennis courts could be put on the new sportsfield, then the hall could be placed on the old dilapidated tennis courts.
The hall is now completely refitted and is well managed, there are many functions and a new barbeque has recently been purchased.
10 HIGHWAYS AND TRAFFIC/LITTER PICKING
After the speed watch success a traffic survey was carried out, this is now being assessed and a meeting with Highways on engineered solutions is awaited. A mobile camera will still attend periodically as it has been assessed that between 25-30% of traffic would be eligible for a ticket (more than 50% exceeded the speed limit overall).
11 FINANCE
There is little to report other than our usual spending pattern, there was a grant given towards the running of the community access computer at the Highfield Fish Plaice by Devon County Council and the parish accounts closed for the year retaining a buffer amount sensible for the size of the precept. (The precept remains unchanged for the forthcoming year).
Financial support was given to the Community Hall in order to keep it from closure and donations were made to several local charities which benefit our community as follows:
Under Section 137 Local Government Act 1972
Devon Youth Association £15
Blackdown Support Group £50
Honiton Library Advice/Info Centre £50
Honiton Ring and Ride £25
ED Citizens Advice Bureau £50
Devon Victim Support £50
Tracey Bell
Clerk to Dunkeswell Parish Council
12th June 2006
Contact details for your parish council are as follows:
GEOFFREY SWORDER – CHAIRMAN
Meadowbank, Dunkeswell, Devon EX14 4QJ
01404 891623
g.n.sworder@googlemail.com
JOHN BARROW (TREE WARDEN AND LENGTHSMAN CONTACT) - VICE CHAIRMAN
Marylea, Dunkeswell EX14 4RQ
01404 891676
VANETTA KEITCH
3 Highfield Road, Dunkeswell EX14 4XY
01404 891830
BETH RUSSELL
6 Rhodedendron Close, Dunkeswell EX14 4UT
01404 891531
MALCOLM STEVENS
Connetts Farm, Dunkeswell EX14 4QZ
01404 891684
CHARLES SUMPTER
Hunters Cottage, Dunkeswell EX14 4QZ
01404 891684
BRENDAN PROCTER
Devon and Somerset Flight training School, Dunkeswell Airfield EX14 4LG
01404 891643
ANDREW LUSCOMBE
Highwood Farm, Dunkeswell EX14 4QJ
01404 891612
TRACEY BELL (Clerk)
The Old Kennels, Stentwood EX14 4RW
01823 681138
info@theoldkennels.co.uk
