Annual Parish Council Minutes: 11th May 2015
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 11th MAY 2015 IN THE 2015 VILLAGE HALL AT 8 PM
Present: Mr Dinsdale, Mrs Glasse, Mrs Handley, Mr Prince, Mrs Pritchard, Ms O’Callaghan, Mrs Spencer and, in the Chair, Mr Tebbit.
Apologies Received: Mr Dalton and Mrs Hoar.
Election of Officers
Mr Tebbit was proposed by Mrs Handley and seconded by Mr Prince. Voting was unanimous in re-electing Mr Tebbit as Chair. Mr Tebbit thanked the Council for their vote of confidence.
Mr Tebbit proposed Mrs Handley to continue as Vice Chairman. This was seconded by Mrs Glasse and the Council voted unanimously to re-electing Mrs Handley.
It was resolved that the Clerk would to continue as Responsible Financial Officer.
Mr Tebbit proposed Mr Richford continue as our Internal Auditor and this was seconded by Mr Dinsdale. It was resolved that the Clerk would write to Mr Richford expressing our thanks.
Election of Representatives
It was resolved that the following would be representatives for the coming year:
Village Hall Mrs Gemma Spencer
Parochial Church Council Mrs Alison Pritchard
Recreation Ground Ms Kieran O’Callaghan
Village Sign Mr Derek Blatch
Footpaths Mr Clive Dalton
Approve Minutes of Last Meeting
Mrs Pritchard questioned whether the inclusion of comments, that occurred after the meeting, wre appropriate. The Clerk indicated that she was seeking clarification on this point and the minutes would remain as draft until confirmation had been sought.
Mr Prince asked for Item 7, bullet point nine to be amended to read “The annexe over ….. should read “leased” not “leaded”.
Chairman’s Report
It has been a busy and interesting year. This time last year we discussed joining with other Parish Councils to get the infrastructure built in terms of road transport and flood protection if Bourn Airfield is to be developed for housing. Later during the year we joined Stop BAD and pledged £350.00 to the fund.
From the floor, Mrs Webster told us about the training for speedwatch, and Ms O’Callaghan along with Mr Woods were planning to organise a race night fundraising evening to pay for the new notice board in memory of John White.
Overgrown hedges have been a feature throughout the year. Some work has been done by volunteers to improve the surface of foot paths 26, 19 and 13. We still have a few planings left and footpaths generally in both villages need attention including 14 in Great Eversden.
You will remember many of us were looking forward to competing in the first Cambridge Triathlon later disapointingly cancelled due to high bacteria counts in the Cam! We were promised Fibre Broadband by September; what’s more it did arrive, and only 2 years late. Our Emergency action plans equipment list still needs a generator.
I think we were all amazed at the amount of roadside rubbish we collected a few weeks ago thanks to the volunteers, it was a great success.
The Bike Bus project commenced and Councillor Kindersley reminded us that although the 75 Service bus no longer calls we do have Demand Responsive Transport. This was tested quite recently by Mrs Spencer and it works.
The Parish Council agreed to accept Section 106 money for local amenities deriving from the development in Wimpole Road amounting to about £5000.00.
Councillor Kindersley alerted us to the apparent deficit in the 5year housing supply planned by SCDC. The result might be more developments locally of which the old Cemex plant at Barrington is the largest with 225 homes planned.
From the floor Miss Sach asked that the success of “Eversden Remembers” evening on 1st November, commemorating the lives lost in WW1 be recorded in the Parish Council minutes.
In October the plans for the affordable homes on OSP148 were discussed. They were approved. It was requested that there should be extra parking provision, low level lighting and no red brick boundary wall.
Other planning applications received during the year include 18 High St Little, (Workshop to living annex and garage), 45 Wimpole Rd Gt. (Alterations and Dormer windows), 29 Lowfields, rear extension. All were approved with comments. The three new houses development at 23 High Street, Little Eversden, is currently under consideration by SCDC and was not supported by the Parish Council.
The Parish Council was notified in January that we would have “The right to bid as a community ” for The Hoops and Watlands ( Public space and New Orchard) off Bucks Lane if they were to come onto the open market.
Flooding in Wimpole Road remains a potential problem and there is ongoing dialog with the Water and Flood Asset Team at Cambridgeshire County Council to find a solution. The request to the owners by Cambridgeshire County Council and the Parish Council to clear and restore the roadside ditch before last winter seems to have been ignored. A further complaint was received by a resident this spring and I am in correspondence at present with the Council to meet them again to see what steps can be taken.
£175.00 was raised from the waste Electrical collection, a second collection will take place in August.
Some more good news, the speed restriction on the A603 is in place, grateful thanks to all who helped, including Harlton Parish Council and especially to Mr Dinsdale. Our contribution to the cost is £197.28.
I would like to mention the Connections Bus which continues to provide a youth service to our young people. It is good to note that at both Parish Annual meetings our support for the project was endorsed.
The Village Sign will be cleaned and repainted shortly, and in this 70th year from the end of the War we plan to restore the Memorial at St. Marys.
I am pleased that our precept has remained the same this year. The Clerk has managed to secure a large saving in our insurance premium which will go a long way to paying for any unbudgeted items.
I would like to thank Mrs Handley and all of you for your support help, hard work and counsel during the year. Councillors who sit on Village committees keep us informed about what is going on in our busy community, and thanks also to Cllr. Kindersley whose regular attendance and reports are much appreciated by all of us.
For two years now at each Parish Council meeting we have 10 minutes for the public to comment and bring up items for future action and discussion – and they have. We still welcome comments from the floor (through the chair), when time allows during our decision making. The public of our villages have never been so well informed or so easily able to get their views aired. It has been, I believe, a great success.
As I said in the first line of my report, it has been a busy year and a very demanding one. Our Clerk has kept us informed, receiving, sending and passing on, the correspondence. She prepares the accounts, drafts the budget, attends on our behalf most of the SCDC Parish Council Liaison meetings, posts notices, organises our agendas and meetings, responds to planning applications, and of course takes our minutes. That has been, at times this year, a difficult task to say the least with lots extra going on. I am sure Mrs Easey does not realise how much her patience, professionalism, competence and skill are admired and valued by all and in particular, by Mrs Handley and I. Thank you Karen.
Open Forum for Public Participation
Miss Sach informed the meeting that the existing hedgerow to the west of Lowfields from Owl End to Kilker’s Cottage is extremely overgrown. The Clerk will write to the owner and ask them to cut it back.
Mr Hutchinson asked if there were any progress on the hedges at Finch’s Field. Mr Tebbit informed the meeting that owner had agreed to cut the box hedge within the next couple of week as this was a road safety issue. The Beech hedge, which is over the path by at least 1ft, will be left to the autumn.
Mr Farnell asked that the calendar webpage on the Eversden website be handed to the Parish Clerk for management.
Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest received
Matters Arising
War Memorial Restoration
The Clerk reported that the pre-application had been accepted by the War Memorial Trust and we should receive a response in 8-10 weeks.
Village Sign
We are currently awaiting a timescale from Harry Stebbing’s to remove the sign.
Speedwatch
At the April meeting it was resolved that the Parish Council would make a decision on the purchase of speedwatch signs to secure to additional street furniture.
Following discussion Mrs Pritchard proposed that we purchase 2 signs. 5 members of the Council were in favour, 1 against and 2 abstained. However, with further discussion Mrs Pritchard withdrew her proposal. Mrs Handley said as they were endorsed by Community Speed Watch she would like again to propose we purchase the signs. 5 members of the Council were in favour, 1 against and 2 abstained.
Road Sweeping
The Clerk reported that mechanical sweeping is carried out in April, June, August, October, December and February. Member of the Parish Council did not think that sweeping was carried out in April and the Clerk will confirm with SCDC.
Transparency in Accordance with Standing Orders
Mrs Pritchard proposed the following resolution.
“Unless specifically addressed to the Chairman as Private and Confidential, all correspondence to and from the Parish Council, should be addressed and responded to by the Clerk, including that relating to representations and decisions made by the Parish Council.”
Mrs Pritchard explained that the resolution was so that individuals did not act on their own initiative and it protected the Council as a whole. Mrs Spencer pointed out that our Parish Council letterhead stated that all correspondence should be via the Clerk. Mr Dinsdale questioned the resolution. He said that sending all correspondence via the Clerk during his liaison over the A603 with Highways Agency would not have been feasible and, during discussions a resolution had been passed for him to act our the Council’s behalf.
Mrs Handley, used 23 High Street, Little Eversden, as an example when the Clerk’s request to SCDC for a site meeting had resulted in direct contact and discussion between the Chair and the Planning Officer The Council believed that the resolution was already in place and therefore no vote needed.
Finance
Payment agreed for:
J Sutton – Telephone Box Cleaning £60.00 POA 1957 s.51
Clerks Salary & Expenses £427.06 LGA 1972 s.112(2)
Clerks Salary (Nov-Jan)** £433.17 LGA 1972 s.112(2)
**This item has already been paid, however was unminuted at the time.
In order for the Parish Council to set their precept accurately it was requested that the Clerk write to Tailcorn; the Recreation Ground Committee; the Village Hall Committee and the Allotments asking for their most recent published accounts in November.
The Accounting Statements for the Parish Council were read by the Clerk and agreed. The Accounts for 2013/2014 were approved for submission to the External Auditor.
Planning
S/0920/15/FL: Rear of 11 Finch’s Field, Little Eversden, Cambridge, CB23 1HG.
The Recommendation of the Parish Council is to REFUSE the application based on the following comments:
- The proposed development would amount to overdevelopment of this backland plot, the density of the footprint and bulk leaving little amenity space for the new property.
- This proposed property would have no natural street frontage and there is only one access from the street (dropped kerb) which would have to be shared between Nos 11, 11a (new property) and No 10, causing much disturbance with vehicles, entering and exiting.
- No vehicular access is shown designated to the proposed property itself, so how would Emergency Services have access to it?
- However double gates are shown on the plan which could allow for vehicular access to the proposed house. If these gates were used then the privacy and amenity space of the neighbours to the rear of their home at No 10 would be detrimentally affected, as the permeable block paving is shown in very close proximity to the boundary fence with No 10.
- The proposed building is also shown very close to boundary fence with No 10.
- There is a greater density of development on and around the site, in that No 13 is shown as one property when in fact it is 13 and 13a.
- The location plan is out of date, as it does not reflect the existing size of No 10.
- Where the car parking for 2 cars is shown designated for the new development, there is existing parking for No 11, how can there be 4 spaces in this small area?
- There is concern that there would be noise and disturbance and great difficulty with vehicular access in the coming and going for lorries and cars in the restricted area shown, affecting the neighbours detrimentally and the quiet cul-de-sac in general.
Correspondence
There was no additional correspondence.
Councillors Report
There were no Councillor reports given.
Date of Next Meeting
Monday 1st June and Monday 15th June, Planning, if required at 8 pm.
Full Parish Council Meeting Monday 29th June at 8 pm.
The Chair closed the meeting at 9:20 pm.
