Issue - meetings

Items which in the opinion of the Chairman should be considered at the meeting as matters of urgency.

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

The Chair had decided that the Committee should consider these items as matters of urgency so that the Committee would be apprised of recent events.

The Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste reported on the following items, namely:

(a)    Adverse weather conditions

The damage to the public rights of way network following the recent adverse weather and the work undertaken by the Wardens in both the north and south of the County. Also, that additional funding had been received from central government for the south of the County, by way of Bellwin funding, which was funding paid to local authorities in exceptional circumstances.

(b)    Revenue Budget

Although the Revenue Budget for public rights of way had been reduced by £50,000 for 2018/19, this had been offset by the increase of £6.5m to the Highways 2018/19 budget, where access to revenue funds would be allocated in partnership working with Neighbourhood Highways colleagues to deal with drainage and surface issues caused to and from the public rights of way network.

(c)    South West Coast Path Grant

The Council had just been notified that the amount of the grant received from Natural England would be the same as the previous year and that pressure would continue to be applied in order to achieve a three-year grant programme.

(d)    English Coastal Access Mapping

Natural England was undertaking a mapping exercise of the coastal path from Dartmouth to the Tamar River in the south and from Combe Martin to Welcombe in the north.

Items which in the opinion of the Chairman should be considered at the meeting as matters of urgency.

The Chairman announced that a visit to the Devon Heritage Centre would be arranged for the Autumn, before the November meeting, by way of further training for new Members and the Acting Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure and Development would notify Members of the proposed date in due course.