Uplyme Parish Council

A Personal View

Very and possibly just a bit biased

Of the Meeting Held on 12th.March 2003

A full house of councillors this evening. Even the parishioners were out in force with 12 present.

The official business got off to a late start, at 7.47 pm, for not only did we have special constable Andrew Turner and PC Andy Carmichael but also as promised John Steven with his update on Barnes Meadow. Matters Arising The Windfall, Springhead Road mobile home was still present after the 28th February deadline. We now move into the end-game, the district council having issued an enforcement order for it to be removed within 2 months from the above date. If this is not complied with the EDDC will arrange for its removal at the owner's expense! This certainly is a long protracted affair, the district council seems endlessly to repeat itself with its threats. There have been problems with "natural human waste" running down the hillside from the home. Apparently the Environmental Health Officer was not too helpful on this suggesting that if the caravan was not there then natural cow wastes would be there instead! Makes you wonder if this man is in the right job or that he has not read his job description. Planning Peter Burton reported that at the EDDC planning committee the previous evening the Coach Road radio mast application had been refused planning permission. A noticeable sign of relief rose from the gathering. Whilst on the subject of transmitter masts, Mr Burton said that he had recently been on an EDDC workshop on the health aspects of this technology. A government official said that there was no evidence to suggest that living close to a transmitter was a health hazard, at least from radio waves. This is not to suggest that a health risk does not exist from the anxiety produced from the fear of such a hazard. The real danger lies at the other end of the technology with the handsets especially with children's usage . Regarding the mobile home at South Watch, Harcombe (Feb meeting) the district council have written back to the parish council seemingly quite pleased with themselves. The owners of South Watch have been hoist by their own petard for the argument goes something like this, as planning permission was never sought for the caravan it must follow that indeed the caravan is within the curtilage of South Watch. In which case the caravan cannot be sold freehold. Of course any search that a prospective buyer's solicitor makes with the very same council will reveal the situation. Can it be that simple? I have subsequently learnt that on advice from the district council the mobile home has been taken off the market. Finance The Village Design Statement and Village Plan committee badly need some funds to finance their application for the grant that will fund progress with the village plan, you get the situation. They accordingly asked for £100 to tide them over this period. The grant apparently comes via the parish council and it will recoup the advance out of this. Road Closure For five weeks from 17th March the main road through Uplyme will be closed between Crogg Lane and Gore Lane. This is to enable Transco to replace the old gas main. Transco did not consider it their duty or even important out of common courtesy to inform the parish council of these works. They did inform Lyme Regis town council though! They probably thought Uplyme was a suburb of the big city. Peter Burton said that Transco should be informed that UPC should have been contacted on this. Christopher Sellers added that the town council should refer these matters to UPC. Mr Burton felt that the town council continues to badly treat the parish council, referring specifically to the Strawberry Field project. On this subject I believe there has not been a single communication from them on the controversial sports project that will disproportionately affect the people of Uplyme. Resiting of Village School Possible Brian Mason introduced this matter and although he stands to benefit, living close to the present school, of a move from the present location he saw many problems associated with the probable site just north of the village hall. One of his chief concerns was that of safety. As Mrs. Hebden later pointed out 69% of children are taken by car to the school, Mr Mason views the "abandonment" (a term later used by Bob Crabbe referring to how parents on the school run leave their cars) of cars on the main road in close proximity to the filling station and mini-roundabout with horror. He is also concerned that after years of defending the parish development envelope the proposed site would be outside the boundary. Was there a real need for a new school? Admittedly the school is at present over subscribed and we heard stories of families having to send their children to separate schools from each other. Does the catchment zone need reconsidering? At present the school is riding on a high, which does tend to be cyclical for not long ago parents were removing their children as if the school housed the plague, even governors were taking their children away, hardly a vote of confidence. Because of the present status of the school it was attracting many children from Lyme Regis and Axminster.It was suggested that if the admissions policy were changed the present premises could cope. There then followed discussion on whether village schools should be reserved for village children, that the policy of transporting pupils far and wide contrasted with the government philosophy of attempting to reduce journeys. As a first move it was decided that Beryl Denham should write to the governors of the school suggesting that they in turn write to the Devon County Council concerning the suitability of the proposed site regarding traffic matters. Briefly...... A grant of £1,228 has been obtained to help toward the cost of refencing the play ground. This is the maximum grant that could be given and represents 50% of the cost of the work. Mrs Hebden had them in stitches when she informed the council of a recent police meeting that she attended. The sponsorship of the police being the main topic. I don't know if I heard correctly but could it be that companies are being encouraged to make donations to the police in exchange for the privilege of displaying notices on their vehicles to that effect! Where could this end? An enormous tome on waste according to the local plan gave the impression that it was creating more waste than it could possibly alleviate! The free trees were all collected, bar those for one local serial offending celebrity, on the designated day. 480 trees went to 24 parishioners. the official meeting closed at 9.40 pm. Then followed fifteen minutes dedicated to the public forum. Jack Thomas brought up the subject of wild flowers in the churchyard. Over 100 species of wild plant have been identified there. Areas are going to be identified with the intention of encouraging them by reducing strimming to just one cut per year. Sue Brunner was concerned that the flailing of hedges was still going on even though the birds had begun to nest. There followed a discussion as to whether or not they had begun to nest. The answer to this of course is that some have such as the song thrush a favourite hedge nester, a bird that has decreased nationally in recent years and needs all the encouragement that can be given, and flailing in March doesn't achieve this. Someone wanted to know why this was being carried out now. The answer came that if the highways authorities considered that a hedge was a hazard to visibility they issued a notice to the owner that the hedge should be cut within a certain time or a penalty would be served on the offender. This could be a valid excuse in the spring or summer with rampant growth taking place but no grow has taken place in the hedgerows for over 6 months. Why can't they be cut in the winter? I'm afraid that this is one of my hobby horses and I shall indulge myself here. I do have the impression that some hedges are cut several times a year, and often more than once in the dormant season! Why should English farmers, who must be considered amongst some of the most untidy in the world, be so meticulous regarding the appearance of their hedges? It can't be because the regular cutting improves the stock proof level of the hedge for every hedge now has an associated post and wire fence. Could it possibly be that the cutting of hedgerows entitles the farmer to a grant? Hedgerow trees and bushes are extremely resilient to being continually cut back. But look at a recently flailed hedge and you will probably see that the cut goes into the old wood. If this is done year after year and this does seem to be the standard practice the hedge eventually disappears. There are now laws designed to stop the grubbing up of hedgerows, after thousands of miles of hedgerows have disappeared, but the farmer intent on removing a hedge can do it softly softly. An example of what can happen can be seen on the Devon banks dividing the fields on the farmland immediately on leaving Lyme on the Sidmouth road. A few years ago these banks were topped with hedges. then each year these hedges were flailed aggressively cutting into the old wood until we arrived at the present situation of bare banks. No law has been broken but the hedges have gone. Another consequence of cutting into old wood is that the bushes are unable to fruit. Most of the blossom is produced on growth of the previous year. No blossom means no fruiting. When did you last see a hedgerow full of fruit? It follows that there will not be flocks of fieldfares and redwings feeding in the hedges. Over recent years the farm habitat for wildlife has greatly deteriorated this is partly due to the decline of the hedgerow. Because the hedgerows are no longer an essential of keeping stock in there is no need for trimming each year. If perhaps a third of hedgerows were trimmed each year we would see an improvement in farmland habitat and an increase in bio-diversity. Peter Burton brought to our attention the "motorway" track that has been laid from Harcombe Road to access the Hole Common forestry plantation across the county boundary into Dorset. Obviously plans are afoot to carry out a major harvesting programme in the wood. It was announced a few years ago that this wood would be cleared of most of the conifers to leave a very promising mixed woodland, I sincerely hope this plan has not be abandoned. But why such a track which would be quite acceptable if it gave access onto a "A" or "B" category road, but this opens via three new grotesque galvanized metal gates large enough to enable the passage of a juggernaut onto Harcombe Road, a single track winding and undulating lane bordered with mature hedgerows. Is it the Forestry Commission's intention to upgrade Harcombe Road also? The April 2003 meeting will be held on the 9th. Don't forget to make a note in your diary of the parish council's AGM to be held at 7:30 on 24th April. It is hoped that Karime Hassan the new Corporate Director of East Devon District Council will be giving a talk. Police Report Before the official meeting got underway special constable Andrew Turner and PC Andy Carmichael gave us a report of what they have been up to. They have been concentrating their speed trap activities around Uplyme, and have been giving out tickets like confetti. No sooner had they dealt with one offender than another would be trapped. They found the numbers and speeds, up to 53 mph (60 mph on the car's speedo!), appalling. They agree with what the parish council has been saying and which has been falling on deaf ears for years, that something must be done to reduce speeds through the village. Suggestions being installing a permanent speed camera, painting speed limit signs on the road surface and constructing chicanes. In respect of this latter option it must be noted that they failed to detect anyone breaking the speed limit between the mini-roundabout and the Talbot Arms. Is it time to accept the mini-roundabout as serving its purpose? One of their other main concerns is the number of drivers not using seat belts. Checks on parents on the school runs revealed a shocking state of affairs. One car carrying four children had not one seat belt in use. At the moment they are just giving warnings but probably will revert to the option of the stutory fine of £30 if matters do not improve. Break-ins to garages and garden sheds continue and the police are considering a workshop to which parishioners can bring their tools, mowers and other machinery to be post code marked. This overcomes the problem of identifying recovered items. Coordinators for the Neighbourhood Watch Schemes are still urgently required. Just one new volunteer has recently come forward.

Topics on this Page: Windfall, Springhead Road Radio Mast, The Coach Road. South Watch, Harcombe Village Design Statement and Village Plan Uplyme Closed to Through Traffic Resiting of Village School Briefly..... Public Forum..... Wild Flowers in the Churchyard Hedge Flailing Hole Common Access Track Police Report Other UPC Meetings: 8th January 2003 12th February 2003 9th April 2003 14th May 2003 11th June 2003 9th July 2003 13th August 2003 10th September 2003 8th October 2003 12th November 2003 10th December 2003 14th January 2004 With Links to Pre-2003 Meetings 2004 Meetings Other Relevant Pages Strawberry Field Sports Complex Barnes Meadow Development Rhode Hill Gardens Home Page Introduction Page

Disclaimer: This page cannot be guaranteed to be void of mistakes. It is sometimes, in the hall, difficult to hear some of the councillors, for a number are determined not to use the amplification system available. An example of what can happen was at the September meeting when I heard the word "included" as "include" when a letter from John Steven was being read out. This threw an entirely different meaning to the sentence. The interpretation that I came to was so important that I put the news on the website as soon as I could. It was not until I read the Lyme Regis News that I realised how wrong I was. I even more speedily removed the offending story. If you were one of those that read the original then I apologise. If you have any doubts concerning the validity of anything you read please check with the parish clerk. Can I also suggest that you contact the Parish Council and request that the minutes of the meetings are posted on an official Uplyme Parish Council website and that the subject is accordingly added to the agenda of the next meeting.