Uplyme Parish Council
A Personal View
Very and possibly just a bit biased
Of the Meeting Held on 10th October 2001
The second Wednesday in each month
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John Steven said he had not much to report as everything was "going to plan". If the loss of more formally protected trees, including the imminent felling of the mature sycamore near the sales office, and the almost certain extermination of the dormice colony was part of his plans, then yes, but many of those present did not agree. So what promised to be a few minutes of platitudes turned into one of the longest pre-official meeting sessions, in fact it was not until 7:45 that the official business got underway. Tony Cook waving the glossy brochure produced by the developer before planing permission was obtained, proclaimed it now a farce. From page six on "The Environment" he cited "All healthy trees will be retained and the site layout has been amended to safeguard them". He suggested that it should now read "All healthy trees have been amended to safeguard the site layout". He brought to everybody's attention that three dormice have recently been killed by cats in surrounding gardens and suggested that the population was now non-existent. In support of this I quoted from a letter to myself from Dr Chanin, the developer's expert adviser on the dormice population that, "Next summer will be a low point and breeding success might be reduced but from the following year the food supply will begin to increase again" I maintained that the low point will be of a zero population. Mr Cook continued by referring to the section under "Water Reeds" that states "Sedges currently found in several places on the site are to be carefully relocated to a new location around the village pond" As the village pond will no longer be a feature on the site we can say goodbye to the sedges. The village pond was amongst various features that the developer had promised the parish council when he twisted them around his little finger. Other inducements that have gone by the wayside are the boule pitch and a gazebo. We are gradually seeing these promises broken. If I were a member of the parish council I would be extremely annoyed and would insist on a public apology.
Parish Council VacancyThree candidates for the one vacant position have come forward. As nobody has requested an election it will be the responsibility of the parish councillors to choose the new member. To facilitate this the parish councillors are to meet the candidates in the village hall committee room.It was announced that planning permission had been granted for this controversial development. Conditions included that the facilities are only to be used by the residents of the holiday lets, this should not add to the traffic using the narrow access road. The parish council had recommended rejection of this application especially as the chief planning officer Mr Poad had said at the site meeting that under the new status, that AONB are now on the same footing as National Parks regarding planning, the application must be rejected. The parish council wrote to the planning department explaining their disappointment on the decision. EDDC replied giving the reasons for accepting the application, the most important apparently being that the second application was an improvement on the original. Hardly a reason for acceptance. Planning permission was granted for the demolition of the filling station and the erection of houses on the site.
Action on this field for Beryl Denham is meeting an official from EDDC to walk the road.
Road ClosureDue to work connected with Barnes Meadow the main road in the vicinity will be closed for 30th and 31st October.
The circumstances that led to the felling of this tree were fully discussed. The subject was also raised in the open forum.
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