Ashburton Town Council

Transcription

1 Ashburton Town Council MINUTES OF THE FULL TOWN COUNCIL HELD ON TUESDAY, 10 MARCH 2015 AT 7.30PM IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF THE TOWN HALL Present: Cllr Daw, Chairman Cllrs Prince, Hyslop, Baker, Khan, Hitchcock, Nutley, Distin, Slater & Posner. Cllr Posner stood in for Mr Germon as acting clerk. In Attendance: Mrs Moore [taking minutes], Cllrs Dennis and Barker, Rev Sherwood, three members of the public and one member of the press. 032/15 Apologies Apologies were received from Cllr Pugh who was unwell and Cllr Brewer who was on holiday. Acceptance of those apologies was proposed by Cllr Distin, seconded by Cllr Prince. All were in favour. 033/15 Public comments/statements A member of the public spoke outlining arguments against the railway proposal, requesting that the Council decline to support the proposals, and continue to maintain the Chuley Road Master plan. A second member of the public spoke against the plan by the St John Ambulance to sell off the Ashburton Ambulance Hall, requesting that the Council support a proposal that The decision to close St John Ambulance Hall, Ashburton on 30 th June be rescinded, and that a Public Consultation with the people of Ashburton be convened directly to establish the future of the property that is a widely used community asset of Ashburton. 034/15 Declaration of Interest Cllr Prince declared a non-prejudicial interest in Planning Application 0057/15 as he was a close neighbour of the site. 035/15 Chairman s Monthly Report On Friday 13th February I attended and witnessed the cutting of the first Sod for the Atrium at South Dartmoor Academy by our M.P Mel Stride. This is a welcome project and hopefully will be producing engineers of the future.

2 On Saturday 14th February Barbara and I attended the Carnival Coffee Morning and with the Portreeve and Bailiff had the enviable task of selecting our Royalty for There were plenty of entrants and the event was well supported. Naturally some had to be disappointed but I hope we made the correct choices. On Saturday 21st February I attended the Friends of St Andrews Church Fayre and also a Coffee morning in aid of McMillan Cancer organised by Naomi Grute one of our Carnival Royalty. Saturday 7th March we attended the Cancer Society Breakfast held at the Town Hall which I m pleased to say was well supported. I d like to congratulate the hard work of the committee and their helpers for what was a great success. 036/15 To Receive the Minutes of the Previous Meeting 11 February Acceptance of the minutes was proposed by Cllr Nutley, seconded by Cllr Prince, all were in favour and the minutes were signed by the Chairman as a true record. 037/15 Matters arising from the Minutes of the Previous Meeting. There were no matters arising. 038/15 Police Report There was no report to hand for the meeting, but the Clerk would forward this once received. 039/15 Planning Committee Chairman s Report Cllr Baker reported that there had been no planning committee meeting as there had been only one application, 0057/15 which had been dealt with under delegated powers. Cllr Baker had discussed the matter with the Deputy Chairman and the Clerk and had circulated a copy of the report to all councillors following which she had recommended rejection and the application had been forwarded to Dartmoor National Park Authority. 076/15 Outdoor Experience. Cllr Prince reported: This application proposes to demolish a number of buildings at the site, effectively clearing it prior to further potential development. I discussed the matter with the applicant by telephone (in Cornwall) at 09:20 on Monday 2nd March and, with permission, re-familiarised myself with the site at 10:00 the same day. Outdoor Experience, a caravan and tent retailer, relocated to Heathfield in October 2014 and the site has stood empty for some months. The buildings in question (a caravan service workshop, retail shop and store) are falling into a poor state of repair. The demolition works are to be carried out by Gilpin Demolition Ltd. of Buckfastleigh. Although there will undoubtedly be some noise associated with this, noisy activities will be limited to 09:00-17:00 daily during the working week only. The application is accompanied by an extensive

3 Health & Safety Plan, which includes measures for the removal and disposal of any asbestos which may be discovered, in accordance with national guidelines. Whatever use is made of this site, clearance will be a necessary first step. This proposal does not constrain the form of any future development within the principles of the Chuley Road Master Plan. It will, however, tidy-up a derelict site. I therefore recommend that this application be supported by Ashburton Town Council. Cllr Prince proposed support of this application, this was seconded by Cllr Khan. All in favour. SUPPORT 0079/15 Ashburton Post Office, St Lawrence Lane Cllr Baker reported: This application is to modernise and change the layout of Ashburton Post Office together with change of use of rear extension from A1 to D1,(Library) plus post office sign and a cashpoint to front of the building. I visited and had extensive discussions with the applicant on the afternoon of Thursday 5th March. Applicant is seeking permission to:- a) Remodel the present post office to modernise it to present Post Office requirements for layout and practise. b) Change the use of the rear extension of the post office from kitchen and storage area to library. c) Place a cash point machine to the front of the post office. d) Replace signage for the P.O. with a conservation sign of same size and shape. a) The remodelling of the Post office area includes turning the present counter position 90degrees so it would be returned to its original position to the right of the entrance and adjacent to the front window. This would facilitate ease of access for wheelchairs and buggies to the proposed library at the rear of the building. The proposed counter will no longer be fully enclosed with low glass screens between the customers and staff, however there will be a small secure counter nearest the window and ipso facto nearer the cash point. b) The small kitchen/dining area and storage area behind the post office will be modified to accommodate Ashburton Library. Due to cuts in funding to this Library, at present situated to the rear of the Town Hall, new premises are needed and the Post Office owners, together with D.C.C. and the Friends of Ashburton Library have proposed to move it to the P.O. c) It is proposed to place a cash point in the lower half of the right hand sash window to the front of the P.O. The present window half will be removed and stored and replaced with a stainless steel cash point which the applicant hopes will be as unobtrusive as possible. As our local NatWest Bank will be shortly closing this cashpoint will replace the one available there. d) The present sign outside the P.O. collects water when it rains and the applicant then has to empty it! The applicant wishes to replace the (inconvenient if dual purpose) sign with a conservation sign of the same size and shape.

4 Applicant also proposes to change ceilings, remove and replace some doors, replace strip lighting with pendant fittings and provide level access to and throughout the P.O. all of which will enhance the building and make it more user friendly. These proposals will provide three services within one locality. The library opening hours will be extended, a cash point service that was to be lost to the community will be retained and the P.O. will be more user friendly and accessible to wheelchair users. 0080/15 Ashburton Post Office, St Lawrence Lane Cllr Baker reported: Ashburton Post Office is a Grade 11 listed building within the Ashburton Town Centre Conservation Area. Applicant is seeking to modify the ground floor of this listed building to change the rear portion of the floor into a library, modify the present Post Office accommodated there and place a cash point machine into the bottom sash of one of the two windows at the front of the building. The ground floor of the building has been significantly modified in the past to create the post office space. The significance of this Mid 19th Century building in relation to its listing relates mostly to the front elevation and its contribution to the historic townscape of the Ashburton Conservation area. Internally many of the original features have been undermined by conversion into a post office. The applicant has been in discussion with and taken advice from the DNP Historic Building Officer. The proposed internal modifications are in sympathy with the historic character of the building yet encompass modern safety and security and access requirements e.g. strip lighting replaced with pendant lighting, fibreboard ceilings replaced with plastered ceilings and bottom of the right hand sash window removed yet retained for reinsertion if required in the future. The proposed alterations to the Post Office provide an enhancement of the interior and also seek to make the building safer and more user friendly than previously whilst providing three much needed community services-the library, Post Office and a cash point machine. Whilst the appearance of the right hand window will be radically changed the applicant seeks to preserve the historic aspect by storing the bottom sash window for replacement in the future. This encompassed four applications to remodel the Ashburton Post Office, including a change of use of the rear of the building to accommodate Ashburton Library, to place a cash dispenser at the front of the building, and to replace the signage with one of a similar size but which did not hold water. Details of the application had been circulated to councillors. Although the building was Grade II listed the window which would be removed to

5 accommodate the cash machine would be kept be returned at a future date if necessary. Cllr Baker recommended that these applications be supported, there were no questions, the proposals were seconded by Cllr Distin. All in favour. SUPPORT 0073/15 12 Stonepark Crescent Cllr Khan reported: This application proposes to extend the bungalow out to the side above the existing garage. I visited the site and discussed the matter with the applicant at 13:30 on Friday 6th March Stonepark Crescent is located in a quiet residential area outside of, and not visible to, the Conservation Area. It is a modest sized bungalow believed to have been constructed in the late 1960s. The plans submitted lack fine detail and had no covering Design and Access Statement, however, after discussing the proposal with the applicant some clarity has been gained. Currently, the applicant finds it difficult to use the garage for parking as the access in and out is very steep and so parks his vehicle elsewhere. The proposal is to lower the floor level by 0.5m and slightly increase the footprint of the existing garage and to build a dining area and utility room on top of the garage that will continue through the existing floor levels of the main house, but with a small drop in the roof line to accommodate the neighbours. There is also the addition of velux windows into the roof of the existing bungalow, as well as the extension, that will improve ventilation and light-one of these windows will replace unsightly polycarbonate roofing sheets that are currently present on the side porch. The extension will be built using materials that match the existing building, namely white upvc windows and a rendered finish. Ramped access to the rear of the property has also been included in the plans. None of the new windows will be overlooking adjoining properties and the relocation of the side garage window will, in fact, remove the line of sight to the nearest property at 16 Stonepark Crescent. I visited both of the adjoining neighbours at 15 & 16 Stonepark Crescent who had been in discussion with the applicant throughout the process- neither had any objection. In summary, I believe this to be a sensible, modest improvement to the current building that is in keeping with the surroundings; there have been similar modifications to several of the other properties along the street which has set a precedent. I would therefore recommend that this application be supported, this was seconded by Cllr Baker. All in favour. SUPPORT Appeal

6 14/02703/LBC The Cider Press, Goodstone Orchard Remove and replace current internal oil fuelled boiler with an external oil fuelled boiler. Appeal Decision 14/02601/NPA Barn at Four Acres, Caton The appeal is allowed and approved under the provisions of Schedule 2, Part 3, Paragraph MB of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (as amended) For change of use from agricultural building to a dwelling house at Barn at Four Acres, Caton. Ashburton. TQ13 7LH in accordance with the details submitted pursuant to Schedule 2, Part 3, Paragraph MB of the GPDO. Applications withdrawn 0012/15 & 0013/15 26 St Lawrence Lane Conversion of an existing outbuilding to a self-contained annexe NOTED 0023/15 - Little Court, Western Road Alterations and extension to house and erecting of garage - NOTED Grant of conditional consent 14/03691/LBC The Granary, Goodstone Orchard - Retention of elevation changes and external floor layout. - NOTED 0716/14 3 Hurst Court, East Street Renovation to house, create new openings and demolish outbuilding to provide car parking. - NOTED 0711/14 Higher Ausewell Removal of condition 5 from appeal decision notice reference APP/J9497/C11/ To allow continuation of the use of the barn as a single dwelling and the land for residential purposes. - NOTED Correspondence Letter from Dartmoor National Park - Reference: Proposed Tree Works. The Royal British Legion. Notification that DNP has not protected the tree s with a Tree Preservation Order. - NOTED 0040/15 Finance and Town Hall Buildings Committee Report [February 2015] The minutes had been circulated to Councillors, there were no particular. Items to emphasize and Cllr Prince proposed the minutes be adopted, seconded by Cllr Nutley, and all agreed and the minutes were duly adopted. Cllr Posner gave a short report as follows: - Further to the Finance meeting, I entered into discussions with a potential tenant on the basis proposed, namely, a lease for a term certain of five years at

7 an exclusive rental of 700 per month. Regrettably the potential tenant was looking to pay around 400 to 500 per month, and we considered this to be too far from the figure that we were advised was the proper market rent by our Valuer. In any event, we have not as yet received formal notice from DCC of their desire to surrender their lease, though I wouldn t expect them to do so whilst planning and other issues remain outstanding. An informal chat with the Postmaster set a possible completion around mid-june before the Library could take up occupation of the new premises, which clearly impacts on our own plans for letting the vacant space and (assuming dilapidations are agreed and dealt with rapidly) probably means July before we have the space vacant for occupation by a tenant. Nevertheless, the Clerk needs to advertise the availability of the premises in whatever fashion is appropriate at each stage and to incur the reasonable and necessary expenses that may flow from that. The letting will continue to be an agenda item for the Finance Committee each month, but the Clerk requires general authority to act and incur such reasonable expense and take whatever steps are required to let the premises as the same arise rather than delay whilst waiting for the next committee meeting and I propose that we grant him such authority. Cllr Prince believed that was an eminently sensible proposal which he seconded and could be endorsed and all agreed. 0041/15 St John s Ambulance Hall A report following a meeting on the future of St John s Ambulance Hall held on 24 th February prepared by Cllr Baker was circulated to Councillors. The report stated: I attended a meeting at St.John Ambulance Hall on the evening of Tuesday 24th February. There were many people in attendance with three members of the St. John Ambulance Charity attending. The presentation given by these people was to justify and explain the closure and selling off the Hall. Whilst the hall was built by and funded by Ashburtonians but the ownership passed to the St. John s Ambulance. The management of the building was taken out of local control and given to regional control three years ago. It was stated that the numbers of volunteers had decreased and that the Badger unit was closed down in Ashburton due to there not being a trained leader available and that the Hall had been underused since. St John Ambulance has a national strategy of closing underused properties and a regional property plan strategy to reduce property portfolio because the South west is over endowed with 100 premises.

8 Michael Eaves stated that the closure and sale was published 12 months ago and the community was informed then. When audience members questioned the speakers the three main points raised were;- 1) What has happened to the deposit account monies of approx. 20,000 handed over from the Ashburton branch to regional headquarters and ostensibly now absorbed into their coffers? The response was that they did not know. 2) It was stated that the St.John Ambulance Society received only 900 income from Ashburton hall yet last year paid out 5,000 in maintenance costs. This was greeted with astonishment especially as figures were produced to show that the income had been 1,800. No figures were shown to solve the problem as to how the upkeep had cost so much other than a possible explanation was given that it was the cost of a check for asbestos in the building and Legionnaires disease testing of the water. 3) When queried as to how they had consulted the wider community about the closure and sale of the hall the reply was that it was a St.John Ambulance matter and the members were consulted. Yet many of the audience members, despite being members had no knowledge of this. 4) It was stated that the Hall would be closed and sold off at the end of June of this year. The attendees and myself were much disappointed by the lack of explanation for this closure and I perceived that the St.John Ambulance had come to the meeting ill prepared ( no accounts ) and with a decision already made as to the closure of the Hall without previously showing their intentions to the wider community within Ashburton. The only way forward that I can see is for a group to be formed to put forward the St.John Ambulance hall to be registered as a community asset and attempt to raise the funds for purchase of the Hall. Cllr Prince expressed the opinion that the St John Ambulance Brigade was acting in a high-handed manner with no thought for the local community. Cllr Prince proposed that the Clerk write to the St John Ambulance Brigade requesting more details of their plans and proposals for the Hall. Seconded by Cllr Khan and all agreed. RECOMMEND: CLERK TO CONTACT ST JOHN HEADQUARTERS 0042/15 Devon County Council Report Cllr Barker confirmed that Devon County Council was unable to give notice re surrender of the Library until they had more information regarding the plans for moving the Library into the Post Office. Cllr Barker also advised that the Town Council could register the St John Ambulance Hall as a Community Asset thus delaying any sale for six months. The County Council had passed a 1.9% increase in Council Tax for the

9 coming year. In response to Cllr Daw, Cllr Barker advised that it was not planned to withdraw Ashburton s local bus, and that DCC would continue with the widespread consultation and ongoing negotiations with Stagecoach. 0043/15 District Council Report Cllr Dennis reported that the PV Gulley sucker had come into Ashburton and drains were being cleared. 0044/15 Councillors reports on attendance at sub-committees and meetings of Other organisations. Cllr Prince read his report, circulated to councillors, regarding his attendance at the Friends of Ashburton Railway meeting held on 28 th February Since that meeting Cllr Prince had received a letter from Buckfastleigh Town Council confirming their support for the proposal to retain the railway as part of the Chuley Road Master Plan. There were no questions. The report stated: At 18:30 on Saturday 28th February I attended a meeting of the Friends of Ashburton Railway in St. Lawrence Chapel. Also present were Cllrs. Hitchcock, Baker and Nutley. A total of 96 people came, according to the sign-in sheet provided at the door. The main part of the meeting consisted of a presentation by David Sheppard on the Friends plans for the railway: these have clearly developed from those presented to the Town Council a short time ago. This was a very competent and well-structured briefing, with numerous illustrated examples of success in other places and an emphasis upon the heritage benefits. It was reported that the Friends of Ashburton Railway now has a membership of over 300 although it had begun work late. This late start was attributed to the railway interest not having been contacted for its views on heritage issues during the early stages of the Master Plan consultation process; however, it is difficult to see how this could have been addressed as consultation was open to all and the Friends of Ashburton Railway did not exist as an organisation at that point. He then outlined the three-stage process that is envisaged, starting with the station building itself, and emphasised that the Friends plans are broadly compatible with the Chuley Road Master Plan, except in two significant areas: The Master Plan proposes a convenience store on the site of the present Chuley Road Garage: this site would be needed as a part of the station. The Friends plan requires that some of the houses proposed on the Tucker s Country Store site be moved across the River Ashburn away from the line of the railway.

10 It was not made clear how these conflicts are to be overcome, although it was implied that, when the Friends present their plans to the Dartmoor National Park, they would seek to incorporate these provisions within the Master Plan. At one point it was stated that the Friends plans are supported by Ashburton Town Council and a slide within the presentation showed a logo of Ashburton Town Council and the Town Crest. I was obliged to point out that this was too strong: Ashburton Town Council has expressed interest in the plans and would like to know more but does not support them as such at this point. The correction was graciously acknowledged. After the briefing there was a short opportunity to ask questions. One trader pointed out that the late intervention of the Friends of Ashburton Railway causes increased uncertainty about the future of businesses in the affected area. David Sheppard acknowledged this and reiterated that, although the Friends were a late arrival in the process, they would make every effort to keep all stakeholders fully informed, hence the present meeting. Another trader questioned the given figures for the potential economic benefits to the town. In reply, it was stated that the projections were based upon experiences at other heritage railways in England and a more detailed breakdown of how the figures were arrived at would be made available in due course. One questioner spoke at some length on the engineering difficulties of connecting the line from Peartree Cross to Buckfastleigh, given the risk of flooding, the major bridge-works that would be required and the possibly prohibitive expense. The point was made that other developments might be put on hold, amended or blighted for an extended period in order to facilitate a heritage project that may never fully come to fruition through lack of funds. While there was no substantive answer to this point, it was reiterated that similar difficulties have been overcome elsewhere (e.g. the Bluebell Line). Two questioners spoke in favour of the plans. One questioner enquired into the present financial state of the Friends of Ashburton Railway. David Sheppard declined to answer, stating that the matter was commercially sensitive. It was notable how few questions there were: there was none of the heated debate that has been seen at some other meetings concerning development of the Chuley Road area; but it is not possible to say whether this is because there was a broad consensus in favour, or if it was because the meeting was attended primarily by those already sympathetic to the Friends plans. I chaired the meeting of the Bank Youth Project Management Committee at 17:30 on Monday 9th March 2105 in the absence of Peter Brewer.

11 It is largely business as usual at the BYP, but there are two specific highlights to report. First I am pleased that a donation of 514 has been received from the Ashburton Masonic Lodge. Second, as we near the end of the financial year it is clear that the BYP is on course to break even, helped in no small part by the continuing support of a large number of local organizations and charities such as the one just reported. The Big Lottery Fund and the Ashburton Cookery School remain our principal supporters but, in a national climate where there is increasing demands upon funders, organizations such as the BYP are necessarily more reliant upon their local communities and it is clear that Ashburton is a caring and supportive town, for which many thanks. Concern was again raised at the meeting about the future of the former Youth Club building in Stapledon Lane. It is understood that the building was left in trust for the benefit of the young people of Ashburton yet is standing idle and is in some disrepair. It was agreed that the remaining trustees and stakeholders would be approached to seek a way ahead. It was noted that the former Youth Club building in Stapledon Lane was in a poor state of repair and a way forward would continue to be sought. He requested that the Clerk enquire of the Trustees as to the current position. The next meeting will on Monday 13th April and I shall attend on behalf of Ashburton Town Council. Cllr Hitchcock reported that he had attended a number of meetings regarding the proposals to merge Torbay and South Devon Health Care in an integrated care plan. The meetings were supported by Torbay NHS and their Care organisations but there did not appear to be any input from Devon County Council. Cllr Hitchcock would continue to attend meetings and report back to the Council. There were no other reports. 0045/15 Correspondence In the absence of the Town Clerk who was unwell, there was no correspondence available although it was noted that a grant towards the War Memorial had been agreed in the sum of 3,000. Cllr Prince noted that it was understood a request for support from the Friends of Ashburton Railway had been received, but whilst the Council was in the course of considering the Chuley Road Master Plan it seemed premature to consider supporting the Railway Plan without further discussion. Cllr Khan agreed noting that it was important to canvass opinion in Ashburton before any decision was made. Cllr Distin believed that the railway site needed to be considered in the Chuley Road Master Plan and that it seemed to him that returning the line to Ashburton was not really a viable option.

12 0046/15 Matters raised by councillors for information only or possible Inclusion on a future agenda. Cllr Daw advised that as the next Tuesday meeting would include the Lottery Panel meeting, followed by the Finance Meeting and followed in turn by a Part II meeting, it would commence at 7.15 pm instead of 7.30pm Cllr Baker requested that the question of St John s Ambulance Hall being Registered as a Community Asset be placed on the Agenda for the next General Purpose meeting. All agreed Cllr Nutley noted that the press representative from the MDA would shortly be moving to Wales, and thanked him for his attendance at the Council meetings. Cllr Nutley advised councillors putting themselves forward for re-election at the forthcoming elections that he was a nominated officer to sign forms. Cllr Distin noted that following the closure of the Nat West Bank in Ashburton Lloyds Bank was to reduce its opening hours to 10am to 3pm and questioned whether this was a prelude to closure of the branch. It was agreed to add this item to the agenda of next General Purpose meeting of the council. There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.30pm. Chairman