UNAPPROVED MINUTES
Minutes of a Parish Council Meeting held on Monday, 28th September at Vicarage Close Community Centre at 7.15pm.
Present: Cllrs. D. Mowatt (Chairman), V. Barrett, I. Bloomfield, A. Brett, R. Gatward,
J. Guest, J. Hales, M. Linnette, J. Robson, M. Sherwen, C. Stead, and
M. Townsend.
In attendance: The Clerk, C. Cllr. van de Ven, Kirstin Bicknell and one member of the public.
Before the meeting commenced, Kirstin Bicknell presented the two glass tiles designed by Cllrs. Barrett and Gatward. She explained that the 50 celebration at the Village College had been very well received. She also advised that there is to be an Art Mash group starting with the members of the Youth Club after half term.
283/09 Apologies for absence: Cllr. R. Wakerley
284/09 Declarations of Interest: Cllr. Gatward declared a Personal interest in Item 287/09. Cllr. Townsend declared a Personal and Prejudicial interest in Item 287/09.
285/09 Minutes of the meeting held on 24th August 2009:
It was proposed by Cllr. Gatward and seconded by Cllr. Hales that the minutes of 24th August 2009 be signed as a true record.
286/09 Matters arising:
Item 230/09 (Parish Plan) Cllr. Robson informed the meeting that Mr John Travis will come along to next months meeting to introduce himself. Cllr. Robson asked that Mr. Travis be allowed to speak before the meeting commenced.
Item 223/09 (f) (Correspondence) The Clerk was asked to check if she had booked the places on this course.
Item 223/09 (b) (Correspondence) Cllr. Barrett questioned whether or not it was a member of traffic division who was to be invited to the meeting. Cllr. Mowatt said that it was. The Clerk is now to contact the Police requesting that a member of traffic division attend the meeting.
287/09 Minutes of the Planning Committee:
7th September: There were no comments on this meeting.
[At this point in the meeting Cllr. Townsend left the room having declared a Personal and Prejudicial interest in the next item]
21st September:
There were concerns expressed over the written comments made at the Planning Meeting with regard to the application for the Primary School and there are to be amendments to these comments.
[Cllr. Townsend rejoined the meeting]
288/09 Financial Report as at 31st August: Noted
289/09 Cheques to be signed: See attached pdf file Cheque list for Sept 09
The Clerk recommended the transfer of £20,500 from the Business No Notice Account to the Current Account
The Clerk recommended the transfer of £30.40 from the Magazine Account to the Business No Notice Account.
The Clerk recommended the Transfer of £71, 584.80 from the Current Account to the 14 Day Account.
It was proposed by Cllr. Stead that the cheques be approved and signed, seconded by Cllr. Townsend and carried.
[As the time was approaching 8.00pm the Chairman suspended Standing Orders to allow for Public Participation]
[The member of the public present was asked if he wished to speak but he declined to offer. Standing Orders were resumed at 8.05pm]
290/09 Correspondence:
(a) (a) SCDC – CIEH Level 3 Award in Health and Safety in the Workplace. Noted
(b) Letter from Andrew Lansley CBE MP with a copy letter from Microsoft – Microsoft software donations for charities in your constituency. Noted
(c) Victim Support – request for a contribution towards on-going development of its work. The Clerk is to write informing Victim Support Group that the Council only supports village charities.
(d) Melbourn Primary School PFTA – Request to erect a sign on The Cross.
The Council gave its permission and asked that the sign be removed in time for Remembrance Day.
(e) Letter from Andrew Lansley CBE MP – enclosing document outlining the changes to ticketing hours at Meldreth Station.
The Clerk is to write saying that the Council are satisfied and that it is pleased that Saturday opening hours have been retained. It feels however that the situation will need to be monitored as there is a growing demand for personal service at Meldreth Station.
(f) Letter from Meldreth Parish Council – Yellow Lines at Station Road. Noted
(g) Letter from Commune de La Roche-Chalais – Twinning.
The Clerk is to write and inform the Chairman of Commune de La Roche-Chalais that Melbourn Parish Council will continue to consider this matter and it thanks the Council for its patience. She is also to say that at the present time Melbourn are carrying out a Village Plan and that the views of the residents are being sought on the matter of twinning.
(h) Cambridge Acre – Impact Report 2008/09. Noted
(i) Letter from Maureen Wren – New Road Cemetery.
The Clerk is to write to Maureen explaining that the Council’s rules for New Road Cemetery state that all graves must be grassed over after a period of time.
(j) E-mail from Sebastian Grant – Skatepark
The Clerk is to e-mail Sebastian and inform him that this matter will be dealt with at a Play Areas, Recreation and Youth meeting on the 12th October. She is also to invite him to attend so that he may put forward his request in person.
(k) E-mail and attached Minutes of the twinning Committee of La Roche, Chalais.
This matter was dealt with under item (g)
(l) Letter from Andrew Lansley CBE MP – Broadband speeds.
The Clerk is to pass on this letter to the Melbourn Magazine.
(m) Two e-mails from Dr. Benfield – inadequate and ill-located signs at the high Street end of Little Lane.
The Clerk will inform Dr. Benfield that this matter is to be dealt with by the Highways and Rural Footpaths Committee.
(n) Cambridge Water Company – Burst main in Russet Way, Melbourn
(o) Letter from Consumer Council for Water – Complaint against Cambridge Water. Noted.
(p) Letter from Cllr. Janice Guest – Tendering her resignation from the Council.
Cllr. Mowatt said he was very sad to see Cllr. Guest leave the Council but he understood that her health must come first.
(q) No further correspondence was received.
291/09 Report from County Cllr. Susan van de Ven:
1. School Crossing Patrol in front of Melbourn Primary School: An assessment has been completed by Andy Swallowe and the evidence gathered does not meet the necessary criteria. He advises that rather than cross at the junction of Mortlock Street and Orchard Road, children should cross at the narrowest point in Mortlock Street directly in front of the school, where the traffic calming measures are in place.
School Crossing Patrol at High Street and the Moor: This post is still advertised. Pay is for ten hours per week while the actual duty time is only a little over five hours; four weeks paid holiday. Please help spread the word.
2. Melbourn Village College: I will be spending an hour on Tuesday afternoons with students at an after-school journalism club to help develop their skills and pleasure in writing, and to use writing as a medium of better communication with the wider community. The SCDC funded Arts Development Officer who is based at the College has helped to set up the programme. The Melbourn Village website manager is helping to set up a webpage for student writing under the village umbrella.
3. I’ve had a regular flow of local concerns about the prohibitive cost of young peoples’ bus and train fares to Cambridge. I will be asking the Children and Young People’s Services scrutiny committee for a review of post-16 transport, in relation to access to education and jobs.
4. Safeguarding Children: An OFSTED inspection of County children’s services has just completed and there will be an opportunity this week to question officers about the inspection. The inspection has focussed mostly on children’s social services, and If you have any issues you’d like raised please let me know.
5. The parish council asked me about the possibility of lowering the speed limit at the Frog End/A10 junction. Unfortunately this junction has as you probably know fallen off the top ten accident remedial scheme list and has no realistic chance of funding from that particular pot. I’ve queried other possibilities with Highways. The A road speed limit review has now been completed and they may have some proposed action on this junction.
6. Richard Preston would like to arrange an initial meeting to discuss Melbourn’s possible willingness to pilot a 20mph scheme. I don’t have the details of how such a scheme would work but feel there is nothing to lose by meeting with him to discuss.
7. Rail: My meeting with County Highways and Infrastructure and First Capital Connect Managing Director has been postponed by FCC to November 4. Railfuture East Anglia has contributed some good ideas for discussion. Main area will be on areas where County and FCC could be cooperating on behalf of local rail access.
8. Cambridge Library opens tomorrow. I attended a preview opening and it looks fantastic. The Library service had a large budget for new books and the stock includes 100,000 books.
[C. Cllr. van de Ven left the meeting at this point the time being 9.30pm]
292/09 Cemetery and Churchyard Inspection Record:
Cllr. Mowatt reported that New Road Cemetery was much improved by the recent grass cutting.
Cllr. Gatward had not as yet carried out the cemetery inspection.
293/09 New Road Cemetery:
Cllr. Sherwen would like to set up a Working Party to deal with the return of the Saxon Remains and all that will be involved in this task.
Cllrs. Hales, Stead and Townsend were interested in joining the Working Party. A date and time for the first meeting is as yet to be finalised.
294/09 Further Developments to Village Car Park:
The legal matter of the lease is in the hands of the Solicitors.
Cllr. Mowatt said there was a need to be thinking about the cost involved in the landscaping of the car park.
295/09 Update on BMX Trails:
Cllrs. Barrett, Guest and Hardingham are waiting for a date to be given from SCDC for a meeting with the Planning department to discuss planning issues for the site.
296/09 ASB High Street Panel:
C. Cllr. van de Ven gave the following report –
A first meeting was held on September 4th and it was agreed that we will meet monthly, usually the first Tuesday of the month, with an assessment after one year of our impact and progress. The meeting was well attended by 12 people including residents, parish councillors, district councillor, County Youth Worker, SCDC Licensing officer, SCDC community safety officer, Inspector Savage, and myself. We agreed on the name of the group- “Melbourn Anti-Social Behaviour Problem Solving Group”. Our principle aim during this initial meeting was to establish terms of reference, which will be formally agreed at our meeting on October 6th. We also took stock of reports received from around the village and noted the importance of perspectives on local manifestations as well as the bigger picture. We agreed on the importance of using formal structures to collect information, assess problems, propose and implement solutions. Any recommendations for action will be brought to the parish council. I will report to the PC on a monthly basis. Minutes of meetings will be available.
Cllr. Bloomfield reported that she had arranged for the flashing lights to be turned on starting on Monday. It is hoped that this measure will help to slow down the traffic as it approached the junction of High Street and Norgetts lane.
Cllr. Guest reported that it may be possible to get a pedestrian crossing installed further away from the junction.
297/09 Village Plan:
Cllr. Robson reported that there are now 12 members on the steering committee with ages that range from 20 to 80 years.
At the last meeting, a member of Swavesey Parish Council talked to the group on their experiences involved with the carrying out of a village plan.
There has been a good response to the “drop boxes” round the village with around 200 responses. Around 30% of these respondents registered an interest in helping out with the work.
298/09 Neighbourhood Panel:
The next meeting is to be held at the Melbourn Village College on the 20th October. This meeting follows the Open Meeting to discuss the Proposed yellow lines on Station Road.
299/09 Committees:
(a) Highways and Rural Footpaths:
Cllr. Stead reported that he had a meeting planned with Mr Barnes in October to discuss the possibility of the Traction Engine Rally being held in Melbourn.
(b) Conservation: The Clerk reported that the Elm Tree in All Saint’s Church yard by the kissing gate on Station Road was dying. This tree has already lost two limbs and the Council decided that it should be removed at an approximate cost of £600.
Cllr. Gatward reported that she was to meet with the Vicar and Church Warden to discuss the Yew Tree by the Chancel window. She will also inform the Vicar of the decision to take down the Elm tree.
The Clerk is to contact Mr. Colin Limming and request that the money given as a prize for one of the categories in The Village of the Year Competition and offered to the Council be used for a seat in Stockbridge Meadows Riverside Park.
Item 268/09 (Village Allotments) Cllr. Hardingham questioned who was supposed to be the link person between the allotments and the Council. At a previous meeting he had been asked to liaise with the allotment holders. Cllr. Hardingham is still to be the liaison link with the allotment holders and the Clerk will deal with the Allotment Association.
(c) Urgent reports from Committee Chairmen: There were no urgent reports.
300/09 Future Meetings.
(a) 5th October – Planning + Cemetery (to discuss New Road Cemetery gates)
(b) 12th October – Play Areas, Recreation and Youth + Cemetery
(c) 19th October – Planning + informal meeting with Chris Jackson, Chief Executive of Hundred Houses Society
(d) 26th October – Parish Council
301/09 Urgent Matters.
It was suggested that due to the room at Vicarage Close now having to be shared with the newly formed Bridge Club, the Council should look for new premises to hold its monthly meetings. Cllr. Gatward was asked to check if All Saints’ Community Hall was free on a Monday evening.
Cllr. Guest reported that SCDC were holding a Scrutiny and Overview meeting at Vicarage Close Community Centre on Thursday 1st October commencing at 5.30pm. She asked that all Councillors consider attending this meeting if possible.