Present:

Devon County Council

Councillors Cann, Chugg, Davis, Edgell, Fowler, Greenslade, Haywood and Yabsley

Apology

Councillor Tucker (NDC)

*56 Election of Chairman

On the motion of Councillor Greenslade, seconded by Councillor Cann, Councillor Haywood was elected Chairman for the ensuing year.

*57 Election of Vice-Chairman

On the motion of Councillor Greenslade, seconded by Councillor Edgell, Councillor Chugg was elected Vice-Chairman for the ensuing year.

*58 Minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 22 March 2011 be signed as a correct record.

*59 Urgent Business: Home-Start (Torridge)

(An item taken under Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972).

(The Chairman had decided that the Committee should consider this item as a matter of urgency in view of the difficulties faced by Home-Start (Torridge))

Mr Terry Crisp, Treasurer of Home-Start (Torridge) gave a presentation in which he explained that:

- the role of Home-Start (a charitable organisation) was to support families in social need in local communities across the UK and help parents build better lives for their children, mainly through the use of volunteers

- Home-Start (Torridge) also covered North Devon

- his organisation faced a significant funding shortfall over the next 5 years now that the 3 year grant aid programme by the County Council had ceased even if a current application to the Big Lottery Fund was successful

- 13,000 was needed to enable the organisation to continue in operation between November 2011 and the end of the 2011/12 financial year.

A statement of financial activities for Home-Start (Torridge) for the year ended 31 March 2011 which identified the number of families supported in Torridge and North Devon and set out the project budget for the next 5 years was circulated at the meeting.

Mr Crisp asked the Committee if they could help support his organisation. He responded to queries and comments from members on matters including: what would North Devon lose if Home-Start (Torridge) no longer existed? whether the Torridge Locality (County) Committee had also been approached? was there any duplication with other agencies work, particularly the local Narrowing the Gap project?

During discussion, it was pointed out that while the Committee had no funds of its own which could be used to support Home-Start (Torridge), funding from Locality budgets was a possibility. Alison Boyd, Locality Development Officer, referred to the operating principles for Locality Budgets and indicated that the Budgets could not be used to support salaries or costs that would be incurred over a period of more than one year.

It was MOVED by Councillor Haywood, SECONDED by Councillor Cann and

RESOLVED that it be suggested to Mr Crisp that he should make an approach to individual members of the Committee for a contribution from their Locality Budgets which contained further information on Home-Start s activities/achievements in North Devon.

*60 Youth Services in North Devon

Members discussed the arrangements for the recent official opening of the new Youth Service facility at South Molton which they felt could have been more inclusive. It was noted that the new facility at Chumleigh would be opened on 19 July 2011 and formally handed over in September 2011.

*61 Tarka Trail

The Committee received and noted a presentation on the Tarka Trail 180 mile regional route from Mr Tom Hynes of the North Devon AONB Biosphere Service which covered the following:

- a popular resource - 54,972 bicycles were recorded passing Fremington Quay on the Tarka Trail between January and October 2010

- money well spent - the annual cost of maintaining the 31 miles of Tarka trail cycleway was around 42,000 (excluding bridge costs)

- updating promotional materials

- updating signage/information

- updating the Management Plan

- vegetation management - working with a firewood contractor to coppice sections of woodland along the Trail which reduced future maintenance costs, was good for wildlife and cost the County Council nothing

- use as a social resource

- Life s Journey project.

Tom Hynes then responded to queries and comments from members on matters including: coppicing and the effect on the Trail s character; the need to keep local members informed of developments/activities relating to the Trail; the control of Himalyan Balsam and other invasive plant species and the missing link in the Tarka Trail cycleway.

The Chairman thanked Tom Hynes for an interesting and informative presentation.

It was MOVED by Councillor Haywood, SECONDED by Councillor Edgell and

RESOLVED that the Cabinet be urged to support the completion of the Tarka Trail/National Cycle Network routes between Mortehoe and Knowle as a matter of urgency.

*62 Waste Disposal and Waste Planning in North Devon (Minute *49/22 March 2011

The Committee received a report by the Head of Planning, Transportation Environment (PTE/11/4 - text only | pdf PTE/11/4) on waste management in North Devon which was presented by Mr George Marshall from the County Council s strategic planning team and Ms Annette Dentith from the County Council s waste management team. The report had been submitted in response to the Committee s request at its last meeting for further information on future waste disposal needs in North Devon and how to meet them. .

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Annette Dentith gave an overview of the current waste situation in North Devon, explaining how much municipal waste was currently generated in the District, how much was recycled and where the majority of waste was disposed of. She indicated that most of the waste left over after recycling was sent to Deep Moor Landfill in Torridge, but that in future there might be a need to consider alternative options such as Energy from Waste as landfill capacity was used up and as the cost of landfill increased.

George Marshall explained the current waste planning policy framework for Devon and the current site allocations in North Devon and went on to illustrate how the waste planning policy framework was evolving through the development of a new policy document - the Waste Core Strategy - which would eventually replace the current Waste Local Plan. A consultation was underway on the potential pattern and distribution of future waste facilities which would have implications for the potential identification of sites in North Devon. Further consultations on a draft strategy would be held in 2012.

The Waste Disposal Authority and the Waste Planning Authority would work together to ensure that the Waste Core Strategy developed appropriately to provide a suitable planning framework for future waste proposals.

The report and presentation were noted.

*63 North Devon County Committee Locality Budget 2010/11 Outturn and Spend to Date for 2011/12

The Committee considered a report by the County Community Strategy Officer (CX/11/48 - text onlyCX/11/48):

- drawing attention to the Locality Budget outturn for 2010/11 (Appendix 1);

- setting out recent Locality Budget spending approvals and the budget position at 20 June 2011 (Appendix 2).

Appendix 1 identified the total spend by members in 2010/11, highlighted the value of the match funding secured and showed the number of community based projects to benefit from Locality Budget funding.

Further to Paragraph 3 (New Spending Proposals), it was reported that the proposed funding for the Laston Green Community Garden Project was 1500.

Alison Boyd, Locality Development Officer, referred to the Cabinet s recent decision to set aside additional funding of 300,000 from the 2010/11 budget outturn to be shared between the eight Locality (County) Committees to spend at their discretion for the benefit of their communities ( County Discretionary Fund ). The funding would be distributed in proportion to the number on their electoral rolls. Members asked for clarification as to whether the additional funding could be allocated for use by individual members in the same manner as the Locality Budget, which was their preferred option.

It was MOVED by Councillor Haywood, SECONDED by Councillor Edgell and

RESOLVED

(a) that the position regarding the outturn for 2010/11 be noted;

(b) that approval for the spending proposals set out in the report, including those agreed by the Chairman/Vice-Chairman since the last meeting, be confirmed;

(c) that the following additional new spending proposal be approved:

Organisation/Nature of Project Name of Councillor Amount of Funding

West Buckland Community Councillor Yabsley 400

Festival

(d) that the current budget position for 2011/12 be noted.

*64 Devon Special Olympics

This item was withdrawn as Councillor Mrs Suzanne Haywood and Mrs Jeanette Kemlo who were due to give an update were unable to attend.

*65 Member Development Steering Group

The Minutes of the meeting held on 31 March 2011 were noted.

*66 County Council s Forward Plan

The Forward Plan was noted.

*67 Future Meetings

(a) Dates

The Committee noted the following:

Next Meeting:

25 October 2011

Subsequent Meeting:

20 March 2012

(both Tuesday mornings, after the HATOC)

(b) Work Plan/Items Identified for Future Discussion

Update on North Devon Youth Services

Report on Respite Care (Young Carers)

Update on Property Rationalisation

Locality Working

*DENOTES DELEGATED MATTER WITH POWER TO ACT

The meeting started at 11.10am and finished at 12.35pm. The Minutes of the North Devon Locality (County) Committee are published on the County Council s Website at:-