Catch up on the updates from our February meeting

• The state of the roads continues to be a significant issue. The Parish Council and residents have continued to report issues and make representations to Devon County Council, particularly in relation to the A38. Some repairs have taken place, before the full resurfacing scheme sometime this year, although DCC cannot yet confirm when this will be. We continue to track the multitude of issues impacting our area and regularly liaise with DCC so they are aware of the unique challenges posed for our community by potholes, flooding and other roads issues. A Highways report can be found in the minutes.
• Councillors are currently walking all the public footpaths in the parish to check for issues and secure funding from DCC for their upkeep. As always, if you do spot a problem with a public footpath, please report to DCC via their website and/or let Cllr Tsara Smith know.
• The Council will assume responsibility for the defibrillators in the parish. Our thanks go to the residents who have been taking care of them up to now.
• Our new volunteer process is now in place, where we get in touch with our list of local volunteers if there is a small suitable task or event to get involved with – things like litter picking, small repairs, tidying up local spaces, etc. If you would be interested in joining the list, contact Tsara on cllr.tsara.smith@burlescombeparishcouncil.gov.uk.
• A consultation is now open about Local Government Reorganisation. The Council will review the options and put in a response based on what they feel will best represent local people. Residents are encouraged to review the options and respond to the consultation too. More information in this news article.
• A professional tree survey has been completed along the Old Railway Line and works undertaken to address the urgent issues that were identified.
• Cllrs continue to attend Quarry Liaison meetings, where local councils and community groups meet with Holcim to discuss quarry operations, environmental issues, highway matters, traffic, and planning. A key topic currently is the delay to relocating the asphalt plant. The Council continues to apply pressure to encourage the move to happen.
• Cllrs also met with Holcim biodiversity experts to understand their activities on this topic. It was an informative session that will help the council continue to grow its knowledge of managing green spaces, particularly the Old Railway Line. The Council is grateful to Holcim for giving their time and expertise. As a result of the session, we are applying to the Holcim UK Wildlife Enhancement Fund to request support for ecological surveys on the Old Railway Line.
• We will soon be starting an email newsletter, which we will use to send key updates to residents. You can be among the first to sign up here https://zcmp.eu/nheY. Councillors will be delivering postcards around the Parish to make sure anyone who wants to sign up is aware.

Full minutes on the meeting page.