THE March meeting of Newton St Cyres Parish Council, held on Thursday, March 6, was attended by four Councillors, the Parish Clerk, and two Mid Devon District Councillors.

Local Government Reform

The Parish Council has recently had some information on Local Government Reform (LGR). LGR is a national scheme that will streamline local government and devolve new powers to the local areas. Devon is part of phase two of this process. This means that the target date for making the final decision on the structure of the new authority is summer 2026, with the introduction of the new authority/authorities in spring 2028. Devon County Council and Mid Devon District Council will no longer exist in their current form. However, the final structure is not yet set. Several different formats have been put forward by the various councils involved. Parish Councils, like our own will continue to exist and may even have a more important role.

Planning

Councillors Steve Keable from Mid Devon and Graeme Barnell, the Parish Council lead on planning, updated us on the Mid Devon Local Plan. This plan, amongst other things, sets targets for house building across the district. Mid Devon District Council (MDDC) was in the process of making a new plan before the election last year. Since the election, much larger annual housing targets have been set. MDDC is revising the plan in line with the new targets. The date for finalising the plan is now December 2027. There will be a chance for public consultation in Spring 2027.

The Parish Council was in the process of developing a Neighbourhood Plan. This is an official document. MDDC would need to take it into account of when developing their Local Plan. It is a way of making our views and needs known in an official way. Much good work has been done by a group of volunteers. Sadly, the work has come to a halt as there is no one available to complete the task. The Parish Council reluctantly agreed to no longer pursue the plan. We thank everyone who has contributed and will try to make the outcome of the work known on a more unofficial level. One aspect we decided to follow up is the designation of areas of green space within the Parish. If you are interested in knowing more about this, please contact the Council.

Devon County Council Elections

There will be elections for Devon County Council Elections in May. Our County Councillor, Margaret Squires, will be retiring after many years of service. The Parish Council thanks her for all the hard work she has done for us.

Other Parish Council Matters

• The Council decided to demolish the existing bus shelter at Half Moon. After consultation with local residents, it was decided to try to replace it, funds permitting, with a more suitable structure, at a more suitable location.

• There may be grants available for making repairs to footpaths. Councillor Graeme Barnell will arrange a meeting with Devon County Council and Footpath Warden to see what can be done.

• A quote has been received for removal of the dead elms in the hedgerows at the allotments. We accepted the quote and authorised the work to be done. Councillor Donna Harris is meeting with John Quicke to determine what is to be done with the wood.

• Two quotes for grass-cutting around the village have been received. The cheaper one has been accepted.

• After some debate, it was decided not to issue the annual report in the current format. Councillor Liz Ouldridge will investigate other possibilities.

• Councillor Liz Ouldridge reported on Community Resilience. She is currently updating the snow warden scheme in preparation for winter 2025/26. She also reported on discussions about a broken drain at Smallbrook. Hopefully, this will be repaired soon.

• Councillor Jocelyne Rimbon-Whittaker reported that a suitable location for the Volunteers’ Tea Party has been found. A target date has been set for some time in June.

• Councillor Graeme Barnell reported that grants may now be available for people with poor broadband speeds to enable some improvements to be made. Councillor Liz Ouldridge will follow up this to try to get information to the relevant parishioners.

• A new noticeboard has been erected in Sweetham, near the Beer Engine. The Parish Council thank Will and Vikki from The Beer Engine for their generous funding that enabled us to replace the old board.

The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held in the Parish Hall on Thursday, April 3 at 7pm. Members of the public are welcome. Alternatively, if members of the public wish issues to be raised in council meetings, they can contact councillors in the usual way. There is also a Parish Surgery at the Coffee Mornings held on the second Saturday of the month in the Parish Hall.

Cllr Liz Ouldridge