Annual Parish Meeting Minutes – Monday 14th May 2018
FULL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING ON MONDAY 14th MAY 2018 AT 8 PM IN THE PAVILION
Present: Mrs Handley, Mr Watterson, Mrs Handley, Mr Dalton, Ms O’Callaghan, Mrs Mallows, Mr Dinsdale and in the Chair, initially, Mr Prince.
1. Election of Officers
As Mr Prince had not been elected following the recent Parish Council elections, Mrs Handley proposed Mr Dalton, this was seconded by Mr Dinsdale. Mr Dalton was voted in unanimously and took the Chair. Mr Dalton thanked Mr Prince as outgoing Chair.
There were no other proposals for Vice Chair and Mr Dinsdale was unanimously voted as Vice Chairman. It was resolved that both the Chair and Vice Chair would sign the Acceptance of Office at the next Full Parish Council meeting.
It was resolved that the Clerk would continue as Responsible Financial Officer.
The Clerk informed the meeting that Mr Tony Richford was content to stand as Internal Auditor for 2017/2018.
2. Election of Representatives
It was resolved that the following would be representatives for the coming year:
Village Hall Mr Clive Dalton
Recreation Ground Mrs Sue Glasse
Village Sign Mr Derek Blatch
Footpaths Mr Clive Dalton
Parochial The Clerk will clarify with Rev Fraser that Mr Nicholson can act as PCC representative.
3. Approve Minutes of the meeting 16th April 2018; Planning of 30th April and Extraordinary on 30th April 2018
Mrs Glasse proposed that the meetings of 16th April be accepted, this was seconded by Mr Watterson. Mr Dinsdale and Ms O’Callaghan abstained as they were absent. Both the Planning and Extraordinary meeting were approved as accurate and correct.
4. Open Forum for Public Participation (10 minutes)
Mr Nicholson asked if the Clerk could chase Royal Mail.
5. There were no Declarations of interest.
6. Matters Arising & Clerks Report
a. Village Pumps
b. Trees & Ditches on the Recreation Ground
The Clerk will follow up both these items.
7. Accounts for 2017/2018 for Approval
The Clerk circulated the Accounting Statements; Bank Reconciliation; Year End and Variances for 2017/2018 as approved by the Internal Auditor. Electronic copies will be sent to all Councillors following the meeting. The Accounts for 2017/2018 were approved for submission to the External Auditor.
The Clerk reported that in line with the Transparency Code all documents will be on the website.
8. Planning
S/1076/18/VC
16 Harlton Road, Little Eversden, Cambridge, CB23 1HB
Mr Adam Swallow
Variation of Condition 2 (approved plans) of planning permission S/1331/17/FL (for demolition of existing 3 bedroom dwelling and erection of two detached replacement dwellings.
Following discussion it was RESOLVED to object with the following comments:
- The windows – were accepted on the understanding they remained frosted;
- The development is disproportionate to neighbouring properties in the road. We would strongly request a planning condition would be imposed to prevent subsequent development of two stories in event of single storey being granted.
- Excessive Garage height and request it be moved back from road.
- Unanimously agreed to request it be sent to Planning Committee on the grounds that the bulk of the development it disproportionate to neighbouring properties.
9. Finance
Cambridgeshire County Council £204.88 PCA 1857 s.3
CAPALC Affiliation Fee £273.95 LGA 11972 s.142(I)
Both payments were approved for payment.
10. Correspondence. There was no further correspondence other than that already circulated.
11. District Councillor Report – Aidan van de Weyer
Elections
In the District Council elections on 3 May, I was re-elected as the councillor for the new Barrington ward. Turnout in the ward was a very respectably 46.57%.
The new ward includes the villages of Orwell, Wimpole and Barrington as well as the Eversden.
The overall political balance of the Council was completely reversed. Previously, the Conservative group had a large majority, but now the Liberal Democrat group has 30 of the 45 seats.
The new administration will officially take over at the Council AGM on 23 May. The Liberal Democrat group leader, Bridget Smith, will become the Leader of the Council. It has already been announced that I will sit on the Greater Cambridge Partnership Executive Board. The other responsibilities will be announced at the AGM.
The Local Plan
The final report from the Inspector on our Local Plan is expected imminently, but who knows what that actually means. It is now well over 4 years since we submitted the Local Plan for inspection and we have become used to long and uncertain waits for the next stage.
Provided that it is positive, the final report will allow us to rely on the spatial allocation policies, in particular the village frameworks. Until then, we are still in the limbo caused by the lack of a 5-year housing land supply. Developers are still putting in applications and appealing them when the get rejected, putting huge strain on the planning service. Appeals have to be judged on planning policy as it is, so some speculative sites are being passed.
The incoming Leader of the Council will shortly be writing to Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to ask for a resolution to this dire situation.
Greater Cambridge Partnership
Progress on the two large and controversial GCP projects on this side of Cambridge – the Cambourne busway and the Hauxton Park and Ride – were suspended in the run up to the elections, leaving the decisions in the lap of the new Board (i.e., me!). I am still getting up to speed with the issues, but we campaigned in the election against the off-road route of the Cambourne busway and I have re-iterated this stance since the election.
The Mayor seems to be attempting to take over the powers and funds of the Greater Cambridge Partnership so that we can fully control all large-scale transport projects in the County, which will undoubtedly be to the detriment of the residents of Cambridge and South Cambs as his focus is on other parts of the county. The Mayor has already subsumed the Local Enterprise Partnership into his organisation.
Economic Commission Report
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Economic Commission has published its interim report, available at www.cpier.org.uk. It recognises the inequality and the housing crisis that recent rapid growth has brought. It also says that the Greater Cambridge area is a separate economic sub-region from the rest of the county and that growth here cannot easily be spread to other areas.
Developments elsewhere in the ward
After several months of quiet, both the large new housing developments (both given permission under the 5-year supply loophole) are moving forward again.
The Cemex cement factory has been bought by Redrow, which is also building most of Hauxton Meadows, another complex former industrial site. Redrow has put in the application to demolish the factory and will be submitting their detailed plans in a month or two. The level of engagement with the community from Redrow has been very encouraging.
There is also now a developer for the 49 houses on Hurdleditch Road in Orwell, called Croudace. Myself and the Parish Council have only just made contact with them to start exploring some of the issues that need resolving as part of the detailed planning application
12. Next meetings: Monday 4th June, Planning if required and Monday 18th June, Full Parish Council.
