ICKLETON PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the meeting held on
Wednesday 18 March 2009 at 7.30 pm in the Meeting Room, Ickleton Village Hall.
Present: Robin
Driver (Chairman), Jane Hurst, Lewis Duke, Tim Pavelin, Terry Sadler, Sheila
Birch, Liz Goddard, Mark Stone-Wigg, Jocelyn Flitton (Parish Clerk) and Pam
Fearn (Ickleton Village Hall)
038/09 Apologies
for absence: Peter Wombwell, John
Williams (District Councillor) and Timothy Stone (County Councillor)
039/09 To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 18
March 2009: The minutes were approved
and signed by the Chairman.
040/09 Adjournment
for questions from members of the public: None
053/06 Land
Registry Village Hall Lease Lewis Duke explained that the Village Hall Committee
is drawing up a new Trust Deed for the village hall. Members of the Village Hall Management Committee held a meeting
with Philip Peacock of Cambridgeshire Acre to discuss various options. A trust deed requires Holding Trustees and
Management Committee Trustees. It is
preferable to have a statutory body as the Holding Trustee rather than
individuals. A statutory body can be
the Charity Commission, a local authority (SCDC) or a Parish Council. The Village Hall Management Committee would
prefer the Parish Council to act as Holding Trustee as it has local knowledge
and own the site that the hall was built on.
Holding Trustees take no part in the management of the hall. The Clerk will circulate a copy of the draft
Trust Deed for consideration by the Councillors before the next meeting, when
this item will again be on the Agenda. Action: Clerk
028/07 Tennis
Courts
Nothing further had been heard from Mr D Human.
Action: Clerk
014/08 Mill
Lane Crossing
A letter had been received from Mr Andrew Lansley CBE MP. This item will now be taken off the Agenda.
201/08 Shop
Sign (Cllr Williams) see note in Cllr Williams report.
Action: Cllr Williams
205/08
Interaction with Businesses within the village A draft list of
businesses was circulated for consideration and any additions/alterations
should be e-mailed to the Clerk.
Further discussion will be had at the next meeting. Action: All
009/09
Potholes An e-mail had been received from Mike Cooper (CCC Highways) saying
he had ordered the pothole repairs to be completed as soon as possible,
although they had been almost overwhelmed with pothole reports! The public report the majority of potholes,
but they have full time Inspectors who inspect every road in Cambridgeshire on
a routine basis. The classification of
the road determines the frequency of these inspections. Their SWAT teams also patrol and repair
potholes on sight.
026/09
Gritting of roads and grit bins Nothing further had been heard from Cllr Stone
regarding local farmers gritting certain roads within the village. The cost of purchasing bins for grit was
felt to be too high to consider at the moment. Action: Cllr Stone
Hanley Grange letter Terry Sadler reported
that the consultation period had now been extended until the end of April and
he would circulate a draft letter shortly. Action: TS
031/09
Speedwatch The names of the three volunteers had been sent to Cambridgeshire
Police.
032/09
Footpaths Parish Path Partnership (P3) Applications for 2009/2010 inc.
183/08 Byway Signs The forms had been completed and returned to CCC, together with
photographs of the Byway signs that they requested.
034/09
Freedom of Information Act Terry Sadler had looked at the information and
proposed that we adopt the ICOs model scheme.
The Councillors agreed to this.
Terry Sadler will do some more work on this and contact the Clerk.
Action: TS/Clerk
Appendix
I - District Council
Appendix
II - County Council
044/09 Correspondence received:
SCDC - Ickleton Cemetery Non-Domestic Rate
Bill. Action: Clerk
SCDC
(A Holly) - Standards Committee
SCDC
(L Hayward) - Housing Futures DVD/ Formal Offer
Document
SCDC - North West Cambridge Area Action
Plan DVD
SCDC
(G Jones) - Local Development Framework DVD
SCDC - New Proof of Concept round announced
by EEDA
SCDC - Council Housing leaflet
CCC
(A Dunsdon) - Contact Centre Telephone Number
Changes
CCC
(S Wade) - Results of tendered service
consultation (Buses) + response D Lilley
CCC - Your
Cambridgeshire magazine
CPALC - Power
of Wellbeing/Affiliation Fees/Spring Bulletin
RoSPA - Notification of inspection of Play
Area
A
Lansley CBE MP - Copy of correspondence re. Hexcel
Imp.
War Museum - New Public Relations Manager/
Minutes Liaison Committee
Cambs.
Acre - Village of the Year competition/
Fieldwork magazine/Comm. Action
R
Radford - Stop
Linton Wind Farm
Froglife - Build a wildlife pond
SSExpansion - Letter of thanks for donation
Cllr
T Stone - Hanley
Grange consultation reply
E
Culling - Gt
Chesterford PC potholes & 30 mph Speed Limit
J
Marshall - Copy of
letter re. planning application S/0106/09/F
Cambs
LAF - Notice re. forthcoming meetings
COPE - Newsletter No. 53
Clerks
& Council - Magazine March 09
Stds
Board - Leaflet
February 09
NALC - LCR magazine
Glasdons - Catalogues
Correspondence
sent:
Cambs.
Police - Speedwatch
D
Fraser - Flooding
CCC - Street
Lighting Maintenance & Energy charges
C
Frankau - Contract
work
Speed
Survey - Safety Camera survey
P
Lilley - Tree
quotations
045/09 Planning
application(s) received from SCDC:
Declarations of Interest to be declared. Lewis Duke declared an
interest in S/0106/09/F
S/0038/09/F Removal of Condition 9 of Planning Permission
S/1626/08/F 13 Birds Close - Mr S James No Recommendation
S/2025/08/F - Erection of Gate 6 Butchers Hill Mrs L Frost AMENDMENT
Gatepost design & slight relocation of access gate and door furniture
information supplied. Information only.
Lewis Duke left the meeting.
S/0106/09/F Erection of Grain Store, Re-positioning of
Polytunnels & Glasshouses Grange Road - RAGT Seeds Ltd.- Refuse. The Parish Council had previously requested
that the height of the grain store be reduced from 9.5 metres to 8.1m, the same
height of the existing barn. This point had not been taken into consideration
in this planning application
Lewis Duke rejoined the meeting.
S/0196/09/F Extensions 64 Abbey Street Mr Simon Day
Approve Action: Clerk(2)
Planning application(s) granted
by SCDC:
S/2025/08/F Erection of Gate 6 Butchers Hill Mrs L Frost
Planning application(s) refused
by SCDC:
S/2151/08/F Dwelling at land to the Northwest of 9-17 Grange Road Rowe Build & Dev. Ltd.
046/09 Reports
from Councillors:
Terry Sadler reported that he had been exchanging e-mails with
Cllr Stone asking for an update on the Highways Minor Improvement Scheme.
Mr Sadler asked if the Parish Council were giving a
view on the proposed Linton Wind Farms.
The Chairman said it was up to individuals to make representations and
not the Parish Council.
Mr Sadler would also like Cllr Williams to explain
what his interest/intentions are regarding the field in Back Lane.
Sheila Birch reported that the notices for protected roadside
verges have now been installed.
Mark Stone-Wigg reported that in the Play Area, one Monkey
bar rung went missing, but it has now been replaced.
047/09 Finance (Bank Balances) including
payments to:
CPALC - £195.03 (Affiliation Fees) Harts
- £70.98 (Icene) NALC
- £13.50 (Subscription)
R Coulson - £150.00 (Watering trees) Wrights - £312.56 (Servicing Countax
C600H)
Payments Received:
J Day & Son - £114.00 (Erection of 2
Headstones) S M Barber-Lomax - £57.00
(Purchase of burial plot)
Financial year end 31/03/09 Approval Clerks 3
months salary + PAYE paid up to and including 31/03/09. The Parish Council approved the payment to
the Clerk.
Action: Clerk
Bank Balances
Community Account - £24.33 (excluding Clerks salary)
Business Base Rate Tracker Account - £6,130.96
The sum of £900 will be transferred to the Community
Account
Risk Assessment:
A draft updating the Risk Assessment was circulated. Councillors were asked to send any suggestions/amendments to the Clerk. This document would be discussed again at the next meeting.
Action: LD/Clerk
(c)
Summer Sizzler 5 September 2009 A request for permission to hold the
Summer Sizzler in the Recreation Ground on 5 September 2009 was agreed. Action: Clerk
049/09 Cemetery -
·
Chapel Condition to be kept under Review/ Rabbits - nothing further to add
·
Trees in Cemetery this item was still outstanding.
Action: PW
·
Burial plot in Old Cemetery A letter had been received from R Skeates Funeral
Directors saying that in the opinion of their gravedigger the grave space
appears to be empty. The Clerk will
write to Mr and Mrs Wombwell allocating the space but will not be asking for
payment as due to the period of time elapsed, no one can say/prove if payment
had previously been made.
Action: Clerk
·
An
application from J Day & Son (on behalf of D. Lilley) had been received for
the erection of two headstones. No
objections were raised.
·
Maintenance inspection Jane Hurst had carried out an inspection. Two headstones were found to be wobbly in
the old Cemetery. Peter Wombwell will
be asked to lay these down respectively.
Some broken vases, which could be dangerous, were found on the Plumb
grave. The Clerk to make contact with
the family to ask if these could be removed. Action: Clerk
050/09 Churchyard Date for working party
Nothing further had been heard from the Churchwardens.
051/09
Vandalism - Village Hall and tree in Play Area
The Parish Council were disappointed and concerned
that 10 windows in the village hall had been deliberately smashed. Pam Fearn said the windows would be replaced
in the next few days. The Plane tree,
which had been planted in the Play Area, at considerable cost, had had some of
its lower branches snapped off. Gerry
Birch has said he will tidy up the end of the branches that have been
snapped. The Councillors deplore this
type of vandalism, and would ask parishioners to be vigilant.
052/09 Duxford
Airfield Management Liaison Committee Future Format
Lewis Duke reported that the museum want to review
the Friends of Duxford card, due to lack of revenue. After discussion, the Councillors agreed that they would like to
see it continue and if possible for the museum to do more for the local
population.
053/09 Flooding
/ Meeting with Wellcome Trust 20 March 2009:
Sheila Birch and Terry Sadler will discuss flooding
when they meet with Wellcome Trust on Friday.
The Clerk was asked to contact the Clerk at Gt Chesterford to see if she
had heard any more from Phil Hunt at Uttlesford District Council. A letter
written by Mr and Mrs J Bristow, was passed to the Chairman following the
request that it is published in Icene.
The Chairman will speak to the Editors of Icene and add a small comment
after the letter.
Action: Clerk
054/09 Adjournment
for questions by members of the public:
None
055/09 Dates:
AGM/Parish
Council 20 May 2009.
Annual Parish Meeting 27 May 2009. The Chairman asked for suggestions for a
Speaker. It was agreed that Lewis Duke
would ask Richard Summers of RAGT Seeds if he would like to speak at the
meeting.
056/09 Date and
time of next meeting - 15 April 2009 at
7.30pm
There being no further business the meeting closed
at 9.15 pm.
Chairman
Date
Appendix I
For Ickleton Parish Council for March 2009
Report from John Williams, District Councillor
Signage
for Village shop
Contact with Highways department officer
preceded my letter in January. Followed up twice but no action yet to visit the
village to look. Ongoing.
Planning:
Land behind Grange Road
Terry has reported this.
Officers favoured, but Committee refused
the application 5 : 8 : 1, with the linear character of the village still the
main reason.
Whittlesford side of Duxford ward:
The Red Lion:
Approved 10 : 4 : 0, against Conservation dept
and officers' recommendation, and with my support and that of
Whittlesford and Duxford PCs. In spite of Mrs Roberts vociferous dislike of
the hotel design, other members found it acceptable, and not too overbearing on
the listed buildings. Arguments favouring were that the economic shot in the arm
would actually help the conservation of these (the chapel and Red Lion building
itself), given the clear commitment demonstrated by the applicants. Also the
economic benefit per se.
Land behind Station Road: Officers recommended
approval. I supported with the agreement to take on board some of the concerns
of Duxford PC. Approved 11 : 3 : 0.
Land behind Back Lane
Any progress?
Appendix II County
Councillors Report
Report
for Ickleton Parish
Council
18th March 2009
State of the roads
Most of the potholes caused by the icy weather have now been mended.
County Highways have been extremely busy responding to people's messages.
There are still a few potholes left to be filled and I would urge anyone to
report them on 0345 0451360. Mike Cooper is back next Monday.
You may have seen that extensive patching is being organized for the Sawston
Roundabout.
Hanley Grange
Consultation on the Sustainability Assessment of Hanley Grange and the
Draft Planning Policy Statement for Eco-towns has now been extended to 30th
April. I have sent a copy of my reply to all local parish councils. The
County will be responding and I would encourage anyone who has not already done
so to send in a response.
The Regional Spatial Strategy Review consultation continues. This could have an
impact on Tesco's introduction of Hanley Grange as a "normal" town. I
attended the meeting of the Joint Cambridgeshire Regional Spatial Strategy
Review Panel (CReSSP) on 6th March and shall attend the next one on 7th April,
when the Joint Action Group will address CreSSP. I may well do so as
well.
Meanwhile on 24th February I attended and Economic Workshop about the Regional
Spatial Strategy. That should help inform the County Council's work on
the Cambridgeshire Development Study. There was a good exchange of views but no
single trend.
The County is scheduled to have the Cambridgeshire Development Study ready for
20th March. So it isn't entirely clear why CReSSP continues to meet and
the next Economic Workshop will meet again on 27th March in Wisbech. I intend
to be there, too.
Transport Innovation Fund
There have now been several open
meetings of the Cambridgeshire Transport Commission, which has been set up to
examine the County's bid for £465 million or so of government funding to
improve transport in and around Cambridge.
I went to the first one on 4th March at which evidence was given by the
Government Office for the East of England, the East of England Regional
Assembly, Cambridgeshire Horizons and the officers of Cambridgeshire County
Council.
Some of the background information was fairly stark:
* 45% more traffic is expected on the
strategic road network by 2021.
* Cambridgeshire's population is
expected to grow by a third between 2006 and 2031 to reach 800,000.
* The cost of congestion, currently estimated at £1 bn will double by 2021.
* After construction of Chesterton Station, due for completion by the end of
2016, there is about £80 million left for transport schemes costed at about £1 bn.
* By 2021 there will be 20,350 more morning peak trips into and within
Cambridge (on a base thought to be in the region of 90,000, though that was not
clear).
* That will bring an 84% increase in junction delays, a 30% increase in
distance travelled and a 40% increase in travel time.
* 40% of greenhouse gases are caused by transport.
* Only demand management will bring about a reduction in private car traffic in
and around Cambridge. That conclusion was also reached by consultants
working for the Economic Forum.
Main lines of enquiry were:
* whether, in view of the economic crisis, the projected growth in and
around Cambridge would actually take place. Current plans show there will
be 30,000 more jobs than houses in Cambridge. The response was that although
the rate of growth is likely to slow in early years, it will certainly take
place at some time - and probably by 2031.
* whether the proposed £500 million to be spent on TIF is just an attempt by
government to paper over gaping holes in the amount Cambridgeshire really needs
to finance infrastructure for growth. The costs are estimated at £4 bn,
of which £2 bn is for transport. Within the city a contribution of £500
million will still leave a gap of £760 million.
* why increases in traffic are inevitable when over the past few years,
blocking off the centre of the city centre and successful Park & Ride
services have actually reduced traffic. The response was that these are
once only initiatives and cannot be repeated.
The elephant in the room was exactly what £500 million can buy. It
appeared that the County had not done an adequate job in showing what the
carrot could be and therefore everyone is fixated on the stick. This will
be rectified.
At the second meeting on 10th March, Dick Jarvis, the Chairman of the
Cambridgeshire branch of the Federation of Small Businesses said that a
congestion charge could save a plumber £2,500 a year as he does more plumbing
and spends less time in traffic jams. Commission member Professor Tony
Travis pointed out that based on wasting 6.2 hours a week and an hourly rate of
£25, the figure was more like £7,500. Dick Jarvis admitted that his
members didn't really understand the implications of the charge.
You can find out all about the Cambridgeshire Transport Commission on its
website www.cambstransportcommission.co.uk
Frogge Street
I have visited Frogge Street and delivered a letter
to residents. I have had the street swept to stop gravel being projected
onto houses and Highways will partially resurface the road from within the
squeeze point to the speed limit sign in the new financial year starting on 1st
April. An application will be made to have the whole length resurfaced in
the financial year beginning 1st April 2010.
Stars
Cambridgeshire has been awarded three stars (out of four) for its overall
operations. This is the last year in which the Audit Commission will
judge local authorities in this way. Next year sees the introduction of
Comprehensive Area Assessment when all local public services will be judged on
the combined benefits they deliver. That will include police, NHS, county
and district councils.
The county's Trading Standards have received a Beacon Award from the Department
for Communities and Local Government. That is a local authority
Oscar. I can confirm that Trading Standards are excellent.
Finally the County Council has achieved the Customer Service Excellence
Standard for its Highway services.
If only they had more money to do the job!