Parish Council
Minutes of Sticklepath Annual Parish Meeting 2025 – Draft
Draft Minutes of Sticklepath Annual Parish Meeting 13th May 2025
PDF Version of Annual Parish Meeting Minutes 2025
Present
Chair: Cllr Kevin Sales (Sticklepath Parish Council – SPC)
24 Members of the public, including 6 SPC councillors, a West Devon Borough Council councillor and the Parish Clerk.
Welcome
Cllr Derek Moore of Sticklepath Parish Council, explained that the meeting had been called by himself and Cllr Rob Sewell as two councillors, but it was not a Council meeting. He encouraged residents to call next year’s APM in May 2026, and attendees to raise anything that they have concerns about. He introduced Cllr Kevin Sales as Chair.
Minutes
The minutes of the 2024 Annual Parish Meeting held on 22nd May 2024 were approved and signed. There were no matters arising.
Parish Council Report
Cllr Sales presented a summary of the Parish Council’s work.
He thanked Cllr Niki Wooldridge and her helpers for organising a very successful VE Day celebration on 8th May.
He reported that even though the Defibrillator’s warranty had expired, it was still viable. However, funds will soon have to be raised for replacement.
Road Warden Cllr Jacob Powell thanked Josh Scillitoe, Neighbourhood Highways Officer (NHO), for the work he does in the village, and encouraged the public to report potholes. The quick fixes to potholes are not lasting because the resurfacing, which should be every 8 years, has been delayed. A member of the public asked why they do not fill potholes properly with graded stone, and Cllr Powell agreed to liaise with him to take the matter forward to the NHO.
The Council had two new councillors.
Cllr Sales thanked Malcolm Brewer for the plant sales which raised money for the Playing Field.
The Playing Field Committee currently consists of 2 councillors and 3 non-councillors. The safety inspection had found some equipment with medium risk, but it is still safe to use. Storm Darragh blew down a fence and gate, which has been replaced, and the overall condition of the playing field deteriorated, mainly due to moles. The committee are raising £12,000 for replacement equipment and the next 2 fund raising events are a King’s Arms Quiz night with raffle on 25th May and the Open Gardens on 1st June.
Cllr Sales also went through a summary of the Accounts, which is available on the website or by application to the Clerk.
Green Spaces
Cllr Rob Sewell of Sticklepath Parish Council gave a presentation on Sticklepath’s Green Spaces. The full presentation is available on the website, or by application to the Clerk.
Cllr Sewell has done a lot of work to clarify ownership and investigate future ideas.
The spaces included:
- Billy Green – which is now known to be owned by the Parish Council.
- Sticklepath Verges – which are managed for diversity
- Oaktree Green – which is currently mown and owned by West Devon Borough Council.
- Sticklepath Moor – which needs grazing and management and to be adopted by the community.
Cllr Sewell welcomed questions and discussions on the future of all the areas at the end of the meeting.
Housing
Cllr Lynn Daniel of West Devon Borough Council (WDBC) presented a report about Beacon Community Land Trust.
Following a housing needs survey in 2022-23, it was reported that there is a need for 16 homes in the Sticklepath, South Zeal and Belstone villages. Cllr Daniel has overseen the creation of Beacon Community Land Trust to help build affordable housing in the area, which can be managed and developed as social assets in perpetuity. The Land Trust gives local people more control, and the community own the houses, or any other asset such as land or shops which are managed for local benefit. She is currently pursuing the interest from 2 landowners who might consider development in conjunction with the Beacon CLT
Sticklepath Street Project
Cllr Rob Sewell of Sticklepath Parish Council gave a presentation about ways to change the Sticklepath roads to enhance the community. The full presentation is available on the website, or by application to the Clerk.
By subtly changing the road markings and surface, new planting, crossings, and speed limits in and around the village it is hoped that the centre of the village can be reclaimed for the community and active travel (bikers and walkers) rather than cars speeding through. The ideas have already been presented to Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) who are supportive.
A new Parish Council Committee is being formed to take these ideas forward and Cllr Sewell would welcome members for it. He encouraged people to write to the DCC and DNPA with their suggestions.
A member of the public suggested that if the 30 MPH limits were extended further out from the village, cars would have slowed down before they reached the hills, and it would be more effective.
Questions and Answers
Questions from the meeting, both verbal and on paper from the table discussions, have been collated by topic, with the actions to be taken forward.
Abbreviations: SPC – Sticklepath Parish Council, DCC – Devon County Council, DNPA– Dartmoor National Park Authority, CLT – Community Land Trust, WDBC – West Devon Borough Council
| Potholes | |
| Question | Actions/Answers |
| Why aren’t potholes filled properly with graded stone? | Cllr Powell (SPC) will liaise with the questioner to put his point forward to DCC Highways. |
| Report potholes at https://www.devon.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/report-a-problem/report-a-pothole/ | |
| Street Project | |
| Question | Actions/Answers |
| Could the 30 MPH limit be extended outwards? (Several commenters liked this idea) | Cllr Sewell (SPC) will incorporate the idea into the Street Project, and approach DCC Highways. |
| Should there be a crossing in the middle of the village? | The meeting agreed unanimously that they would like a pedestrian crossing in the middle of the village.
The DNPA agree that there should be a crossing because of the Tarka Trail crossing the road. A visually impaired resident would particularly welcome this. More walkers would also increase tourism. Cllr Daniel has also been campaigning for an active travel path to Okehampton. |
| Should there be a 20 MPH speed limit? | The meeting agreed unanimously that they would like a 20 MPH speed limit. |
| Have you considered a mini-roundabout at the junction with Skaigh Lane – to slow traffic down? (Two different groups raised this idea). | This will be added to discussions for the Street Project Committee. It would be more expensive than the surface painting ideas, and Sticklepath would need to fund it, as Highways have no budget for street improvements. |
| Make Willey Lane one way at the top, with entry only by the shop and exit via Oak Tree Park. | SPC tried to take this idea forward, but DCC Highways department were not considering it. The whole cost would need to be undertaken by SPC, which would be beyond their budget. |
| Billy Green | |
| Question | Actions/Answers |
| Billy Green is registered as a Village Green and SPC own it, but it is not registered with the Land Registry. Although it is unlikely that anybody else would want to claim it, should SPC register it? | 13 people at the meeting voted in favour of registering it, nobody thought it was a bad idea.
SPC will take forward the process of registering the land, which will probably incur costs. A written response asked if the legal work might be done pro bono by a lawyer with knowledge of law for land ownership. |
| What are the benefits of Land Registry? | If anybody were to challenge the ownership, then registration would protect it. |
| Should DCC adopt the Taw River bridge? | SPC have been working to establish a right of way to the bridge, so that DCC could adopt it and maintain it, as it probably only has ten years left. If the National Trust agreed to a Permissive Path over the ‘Burial Ground Path’ then the right of way would be complete. SPC will contact the Burial Ground Trustees to enlist their help as the path also needs to be established to their ground. |
| Cattle Attacks | |
| Question | Actions/Answers |
| Can something be done about the Cattle Attacks? | Steve Matthews, Voluntary Warden for DNPA, explained that the DNPA and Commoners were working with the Health & Safety Executive to come up with a plan, which will be publicised soon. It is thought that the 6 attacks in this area last year, mainly in Taw Marsh were from a particular herd of aggressive cows. Signs and notices have been displayed (some people thought they could be bigger). Walkers should be vigilant for cows with calves and keep dogs on leads.
Near misses and incidents should be reported to the Killer Cows website https://killercows.co.uk/page/ |
| Finch Foundry | |
| Question | Actions/Answers |
| Can the National Trust please return the hub? | This was agreed by NT at the previous APM, Cllr Moore will follow this up |
| Housing | |
| Question | Actions/Answers |
| Would the Council be involved in the Community Land Trust? | SPC discussed forming the CLT but decided it was beyond their resources. Cllr Daniel stepped in to start it and expanded this to the Beacon area as this reflected both demand and the feasibility of any scheme within CLT regulations. SPC have asked to be kept informed with progress. WDBC housing department are advising and may supply grants towards it. The CLT itself will determine the rules for who may buy/rent the houses. |
| Do we really need more housing, there’s enough in Okehampton. | Some people have expressed a wish to remain within the Sticklepath Community. There is not enough affordable housing for rent in West Devon, and WDBC have declared a housing emergency. SPC will continue to monitor the situation to reflect concerns of over-development |
| The occupants of future ‘affordable’ housing, should be encouraged to move when finance permits into open market housing (like the old system in Council houses). | The CLT will find out whether this is allowed by law in the rules of a CLT and give it consideration. |
| Sticklepath Moor | |
| Question | Actions/Answers |
| Two commenters liked the idea of ‘Sticklepath Moor Nature Reserve’. | SPC will seriously consider this idea and will consider developing a committee to include interested residents. |
| We have to be able to find the commoners. How to do? | Cllr Sewell will be contacting the Dartmoor Commoners Council and South Tawton Commoners to see if they have any information. An appeal in the Beacon raised a lead to one of the commoners. SPC will continue to publicise. Cllr Moore will liaise with DNPA for information in their archives relating to a previous agreement between them, SPC and the relevant Commoners. |
| Playing Field | |
| Question | Actions/Answers |
| Are the playing field committee going to have a village day to help raise funds for equipment this year? | The previous organisers stepped down after many years of hard work, it would need somebody new to step forward, but SPC and the committee will seriously consider it. |
| Bonfires | |
| Question | Actions/Answers |
| Are there rules about bonfires, is there a clean air act? | A resident raised concerns about smoke from day-time garden bonfires and swaling. SPC to consider any action that can be taken. |
| Ladywell Pipe | |
| Question | Actions/Answers |
| We want it to run again! | SPC will research what would be involved to get it running again. |