GREAT EVERSDEN PARISH MEETING Parish Council
The Great Eversden Annual
Parish Meeting was held in The Village Hall on Monday 8th April 2013 at 8 pm
Mr Clive Dalton, Chairman of the Parish Council, was in the Chair.
Minutes of previous year’s meeting confirmed.
The following reports were received from Representatives.
Recreation Ground
Chairman read a very detailed report on behalf of Mr Blatch. The report
fully outlined the Recreation Ground’s activities for the past year, including
the complete verti-drain of the recreation ground. The improved drainage
ensured that no matches were postponed despite snow and rain! A full
report is available on file.
Village Hall
Mr John White gave a full report on the Village Hall activities over the last
year. There have been a lot of successful fundraising events
including the jumble sale, the Beer Festival and Ceilidh, the Christmas Fayre
and a Race Night with many of the proceeds being split between deserving causes.
Mr White wished to thank all those people involved in the organisation and
running of these events.
Gemma Spencer, has joined the Committee, which now has its maximum membership.
Mr White thanked all of them for their contribution.
Village Hall Bookings: There were approx. 210 bookings in the period 1st April
2012 to 31st March 2013. Private Bookings numbered 44. Regular users
include The Eversden Players, Vital Sparks Keep-Fit and Children’s Group, Table
Tennis Club, 8 O’clock Club, Flower Club, Recreation Ground, Eversden Brass
Band, the Eversden Churches both PCC and Friends
Finances: Total of funds in the period 1st April 2012 to 31st March 2013 is
£10,585.55. This healthy position is due to three main factors.
The first is the carry forward of funds raised in the last two years. The
second is the success of The Eversdens Society including membership. Third
is our own fund raising and hiring raising some £2929. The Nixon
Hall Fund as at 31st March 2012 stood at £8895.14.
A member of the public asked what the Nixon’s Hall Fund was for. Mr White
said that it was specifically for maintenance and repairs to the Village Hall.
Maintenance: The major maintenance expenditure items other than utility
bills and the like were:
Replacement and painting of Kitchen Door
Drain Pipe & Gutter unblocking
Electrical Repairs
The Future
The main hall floor is in need of maintenance work and in August it will be
professionally sanded and sealed. The Hall will be out of use from 1st to
9th August inclusive. The cost is £2750.
Mr White also informed the meeting that he was looking at the possibility of
extending the Hall as there is no storage space and regular users want to store
their items. Mr White explained that the Ely Diocese is happy with the
proposals in principal but is awaiting the PCC’s opinion.
A full report is available on file.
Village Sign Area
Mr Blatch’s report was read by the chairman. The area has been mown
regularly and now extends along the verge up to the footpath opposite Bucks
Lane. The Beech hedge is in good condition and is due for a cut before
spring arrives. The area and seat has spent most of the winter
flooded even though the ditch on the south side of Pound Drift is running well
and not to capacity. Mr Blatch has been in conversation with the Chairman
to ascertain if any drain linking the open ditch on the north side with that on
the south exists or is blocked. If no drain exists they have spoken about
using a mole to install one. If done this should stop the area flooding in
the future. Signs, stones and seat in good condition.
Connexions Bus
A major decision has been taken about whether we can afford to continue with
this valuable facility. The subsidy is being removed in April and unless a
sponsor is found, each visit by the bus will cost £240. The cost for one
financial year is thus £7,200. The Recreation Ground Committee were
prepared to fund-raise but felt it would not be enough and asked if the Parish
Council would fund the full amount.
It was suggested that, as there was goodwill within the Village, donations could
be asked for. It was agreed to discuss this at the next meeting in more
detail.
At present the Parish Council contributes £2,000 to the bus. Margaret
Tebbitt has done wonderful work for two years in running the 100 Club, but feels
that the diminishing returns do not now make the effort worth while. If
the PC were to meet the whole cost, it would add a little over £20.00 per
year to the local rates for a Band D property. The cost per user of the
bus is about £20 per person per visit. The Parish Council would greatly
welcome hearing views of villagers on this subject. For this year it was
agreed to pay £6,000 towards the cost.
The timing of the visit to The Eversdens of the Connexions Bus has recently been
changed from 7 to 9 pm to 4 to 6 pm. We have agreed to try this timing for
the first term to ascertain numbers, however we do have a get-out clause if
necessary.
A member of the public asked why attendees are not charged and what benefit the
children get from the bus that they cannot get at home and school. It was
stated that the Bus Organisers were very clear that there should not be a
charge.
Ms O’Callaghan expressed her concern that the change of timing was too early in
the day and this may cause problems later in the evening.
Comberton Village College
Mrs Handley gave a full report on the College over the last year.
The very good news is that Stephen Munday, the principal, was awarded a CBE in
the New Years Honours List. This is a very welcome recognition of a remarkable
career.
Her report covered the recent ’outstanding’ Ofsted report and, predominantly the
College’s size and impact on the recent GSCE results last summer.
Mrs Handley also spoke of the ongoing development and staffing of Cambourne
Village College, due to open as part of the Comberton Academy Trust in September
2013. A full report is available from the Clerk.
Meridian School, Comberton
Glennis Virgo, Headteacher, sent the following report read by the chairman.
Several changes at Meridian this year! We have two new members of the
teaching staff – both have settled brilliantly and are giving the children very
good learning experiences. We are also delighted to have a new
after-school and breakfast club on the premises run by Cambridge Kidsclub and
which is proving popular and is a great addition to our school.
Allotments
Laura Hobbs sent the following report, read by the Clerk.
The allotments have continued well this year, despite the very challenging
growing conditions due to the weather. We are all hoping for more benevolent
conditions this year!
We have 11 plot holders, and 12 plots under varying degrees of cultivation. Cash
reserves are at around the £1000 mark, and there are several capital projects
which we may wish to work towards.
New plot holders are always welcome - please contact Laura Hobbs or any of the
existing plot holders.
Parish Council
The chairman informed the meeting that all Parish Council business had been
reported in Tail Corn and that it was not proposed to repeat it here.
District Council
Cllr Page was not present at the meeting but had forwarded a report. This
will be circulated via Eversden on-line and a full report is available on file
from the Clerk.
County Council
Cllr Kindersley gave the following report
A14
We wrote last month about South Cambs having to pay money into the pot for the
new A14 Toll road - incidentally the project is identical to that binned by the
Government EXCEPT in the way it is to be funded. We have been contacted by
several residents who are incensed that both the District and the County have
agreed they will put Council Tax funds into the rebuild of a national - in fact
a European - road. Can you please contact us if you feel strongly about this? We
feel a grumpy campaign coming on. . .
Buses
Work continues to develop a way of replacing the subsidised bus services with an
alternative that will deliver more people to more places more often. The County
Council assuring us that services will remain until there is a viable
alternative in place. If you anxious about this please get in touch directly -
there is a certain amount of misinformation being circulated. . .
Northstowe
Although the planning application for the first phase of 1,500 homes at has been
agreed it is only now that discussions about the development of infrastructure
and the money to pay for it is being addressed and needless to say what is
required is being cut moment by moment such that now the developers will have to
pay 50% of what was originally envisaged. So the lessons learnt at Bar Hill and
Cambourne have effectively been binned.
Cemex
Cemex held a two day Open Day at the Quarry in April, which was well attended by
residents keen to see how large the site is and what is currently there. It was
a pleasure to meet some senior Cemex people and explain why it is that
Barrington in particular and this area in general is so against any kind of
residential development. It was also great to see the enthusiasm of the
Bassingbourn Ski Centre staff for possible relocation to the quarry if Defence
Estates proceeds with the plan it has for ending every use of the Barracks site.
Cllr Kindersley thanked the Parish Council for their ongoing support.
Any Other Business
The subject of Chancel Repair Liability in Great Eversden was raised under AOB
and it was asked that the item be added to the agenda of Parish Council meeting
on Monday 15th April.
Written reports are submitted on file.