Present

Devon County Council

Councillors Bowden, Channon, Diviani, Hone, B Hughes, S Hughes, Knight, Moulding, Randall Johnson and Wragg

East Devon District Council

Councillors Bailey and Coppell

Apologies

Devon County Councillor Wright

East Devon District Councillor Stott

*28 Election of Chairman

RESOLVED that Councillor Knight be elected Chairman for the ensuing year.

*29 Election of Vice-Chairman

RESOLVED that Councillor Randall Johnson be elected Vice-Chairman for the ensuing year.

*30 Minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2015 be signed as a correct record.

*31 Community Self-Help in Uplyme

The Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment and Councillor Turner, Uplyme Parish Council, reported on the success of the Pathfinder Community Flood Resilience Project and Community Self-Help Scheme in the Parish of Uplyme.

The Pathfinder Project, funded by DEFRA, identified Devon as one of thirteen pilot areas across England to improve communities overall resilience in relation to flooding, focusing on the capacity of communities to respond, cope and recover during and after flood events.

The main driver of the project was the Community Emergency Plan, developed by specially employed consultants and modified by each community. The project also supported flood risk awareness activities, trained volunteers in flood related health and safety risks, provided a flood resilience equipment grant and local flood warning systems (river level and rain gauges).

The final report was due to be published in September, coinciding with the culmination of the project. A Community Resilience Forum was being set up to provide support for communities who wish to continue with the flooding resilience work and to encourage peer to peer support between parishes, with the first Community Flood Forum Event being held on the 10 November.

A development, training and support event had also been arranged for County and District Councillors on 28 September at County Hall, Exeter.

Challenges faced and achievements of the Community Self-Help Scheme in Uplyme, included:

the identification of volunteers with the necessary machinery and or skills to carry out flood prevention and response work;

the installation of gravel traps and flood gates;

setting up a road gritting regime;

the employment of a parish legnthsman, in partnership with Axmouth, Combpyne/Rousdon and Sidmouth Town Councils;

difficulties around funding and booking onto Chapter 8 training for lengthsman;

the need for more volunteers to take part in the self-help scheme;

the development of the Parish Plan.

Members discussed the impact on community self-helps schemes of the restrictions of the Parishes Together Funding, which did not allow for projects to be funded for over 12 months.

Members also suggested that it could be helpful if a register of Chapter 8 qualified persons could be created and shared between Parish and Town Councils.

*32 Council/Cabinet Forward Plan and Scrutiny Work

The Committee noted the Cabinet s Forward Plan and the Scrutiny Work Programme which were also available at:

http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/councildemocracy/decision_making/cabinet_committee/forward_plan.htm

https://new.devon.gov.uk/democracy/committee-meetings/scrutiny-committees/scrutiny-work-programme/

The Chairman of the People s Scrutiny Committee encouraged all Members, as Corporate Parents, to attend one of the Care Leavers training sessions, taking place on 6 and 25 August in Exeter and on 10 September in Barnstaple.

*DENOTES DELEGATED MATTER WITH POWER TO ACT

The meeting started at 11.10 am and finished at 12 noon

The Minutes of the East Devon County Committee are published on the County Council s Website at:-