MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES
Draft Minutes subject to formal ratification at the next Parish Council Meeting
Minutes of a Parish Council Meeting held on Monday, 27th June 2011 at All Saints’ Community Hall at 7.15pm.
Present: Cllrs. D. Mowatt (Chairman), V. Barrett, I. Bloomfield, R. Gatward, J. Hales,
M. Linnette, A. Mulcock, M. Sherwen, P. Simmonett, C. Stead and M. Townsend.
In attendance: The Clerk, Deputy Clerk, C. Cllr van de Ven, Kirstin Bicknell and 2 members of the public.
114/11 Apologies for absence: Cllr. Wakerley
115/11 Declarations of Interest: Cllr. Hales declared a Personal and Prejudicial Interest in Item 125/11 as his wife is the Deputy Warden. Cllr. Barrett declared a Personal interest in Item 125/11 as she is Chairman of the committee. Cllr. Gatward declared a Personal Interest in Item 124/11 as she is an occasional driver for the scheme.
116/11 Minutes of the meeting held on 23rd May 2011:
With the alteration to Item 16/11 of the word “to” to “too”, it was proposed by Cllr. Sherwen and seconded by Cllr. Hales that the minutes of 23rd May be signed as a true record.
117/11 Matters arising: Item 6/11 (Parish Council Representatives) Cllr. Gatward had spoken to the Chairman of the Governors of the Junior School and informed him that a Councillor was ready to take her place as a Governor. Governors were now Community Governors and as such Parish Councillors are no longer automatically elected. The Clerk is to contact the school and put Cllr. Mulcock’s name forward for consideration as a Community Governor.
Item 24/11(a) (Correspondence) Cllr. Townsend reported that the street name Thatcher Stanford needs an “s” at the end of Stanford.
Item 24/11(b) Cllr. Townsend enquired if the Ranger had checked out the wood section on the wall next to one of the fire doors. Little Hands Nursery had been informed that according to the terms of the lease repairs to external doors and windows were its responsibility. The Clerk was asked to write to Little Hands Nursery to enquiry if the repairs had been carried out.
The Clerk is to make this an agenda item for the next Finance and General Purpose meeting so that the Council can consider how to deal with matters like this in the future.
118/11 To receive the Minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 6th and 20th June 2011:
6th June: There were no comments.
20th June: Cllr. Mulcock enquired as to the reason for the line beside Item 113/11. There was no reason for this but, unfortunately no way had been found to remove this.
Item 113/11 (Urgent matters) to remove the word correspondence and replace with conversation.
[The next items were taken out of sequence]
120/11 To receive the following motion from Cllrs. Hales and Simmonett:
Motion:
The Parish Council does in principle, agree to pursue the notion of providing a Community Hub building in conjunction with Hundred Housing on the police site, provided that cost, design/space and community driven facilities will meet the needs of the community both now and in the future.
Background:
The present owners of the Old Police Station site on the High Street, Melbourn are Hundred Houses, a registered social Landlord (RSL) They have the intention to build a possible large development of affordable homes on the site within the next 12 months.
After discussions between the Parish Council and Hundred Houses, that expressed deep concerns over the extremely important location within the conservation area and the impact that such a development will have upon the street scene and village amenity, Hundred Houses have offered in principle, to relinquish part of the site and build a Multi-use Community Centre/Hub, which the village would purchase and own outright once completed.
This would not be a village hall, as the village already has those adequate facilities. It is envisaged that services such as library, amongst others would be situated there.
It was proposed by Cllr. Sherwen THAT THE PARISH COUNCIL ACCEPTS THE ABOVE MOTION. Seconded by Cllr. Barrett and CARRIED with 9 Votes. Cllrs. Hales and Simmonett did not vote
The Clerk is to write to Hundred House and Iceni Homes, informing them of this proposal.
121/11 Work schedule and costing for Pavilion upgrade:
Cllr. Bloomfield said that she was still waiting for some quotes to come in for new lights, hand driers, repairs and decorating.
The cooker was broken so there would be a need to purchase a new cooker.
Appliances would need to be tested on a yearly basis and the consumer unit needed to be upgraded.
Cllr. Mulcock said that the supply to the building needed to be checked to see if it was adequate.
This is to be made an agenda item for the full Parish Council meeting in July when it is hoped that all the quotations will have been received.
122/11 Hiring of Football Pitches:
The Clerk had received an e-mail from Melbourn Football Club requesting the date that the goal posts would be put back so that matches could be resumed. The Clerk is to inform the Football Clubs that the pitch could not be played on until the last week in August. She is also to inform them that pitch fees will be increased by £5 per match for Melbourn teams and £7.50 per match for any other team.
The Clerk had received an e-mail from Craig Ransley enquiring if there was a pitch free for Sunday matches. The Clerk is to inform him that there are already two teams playing on a Sunday morning and to inform him that the pitches are free on Sunday afternoon.
119/11 Unpicked Meadow:
Kirstin Bicknell addressed the meeting. She had produced two hand-outs that she distributed to the meeting. One was the wording for a sign to be placed on the entrance gate as follows:
‘This Park and these artworks are here for peaceful enjoyment therefore please respect the sculptures and preserve them so that they can be appreciated by all who visit the park.
The three artworks in the park are the result of “Unpicked Meadow” a year long public art project led by artist Jo Chapman. The project ran from May 2010 to May 2011 and engaged the local community in new ways of looking at nature through art and poetry. These artworks are the result of that process and reflect the creative contributions of the people of Melbourn.’
The above wording for the sign was agreed to by the Parish Council. Kirstin will check on the size of font for the visually impaired. She also raised the idea placing labels alongside the sculptures and Cllr. Sherwen suggested that these could be fastened under the bolts which hold the sculptures in place.
The second handout was the final Art Project report which outlined activities and summary of the budget. Kirstin said that she would provide a more detailed report if any Councillor would like one.
700 copies of the ‘Unpicked Meadow’ booklet have been printed. The publication explains the project and the contribution of the people of Melbourn. Melbourn Parish Council supported the project with stART. Funding came through South Cambridgeshire District Council public art policy and from Camstead Homes.
Kirstin said that she had enjoyed being involved with the project in which over 1000 people had taken part. This project is being used for Public Art Projects and consultations in other areas, and she has been to speak to Shelford PC, which would like to undertake something similar in their village.
A suitable home is being sought for the Stockbridge Tapestry, which was created during the project.
It had been arranged by the Practical Solution Group that some of the youth carry out carnival activities whilst attending a coffee morning at Vicarage Close Community Centre. They will also parade in Vicarage Close wearing the costumes and masks they have made.
The Youth Club is redecorating part of the school in a graffiti project.
The Artivan is available to support local events and is a resource that can be used free of charge by groups in Melbourn.
For more details of the project please visit www.melbourn.org.uk/publicart.
[The Chairman suspended Standing Orders to allow for public participation at 8.20pm]
[The Chairman resumed Standing Orders at 8.42pm]
123/11 Report from C. Cllr van de Ven:
1. The County Council has announced that it is halting its programme of bus subsidy cuts. Cuts were the most draconian in England and, unlike bus subsidy cuts by other local authorities, done without a basis of research on transport needs. By definition subsidized buses tend to serve isolated and less mobile people – indeed a lifeline for many. A Judicial Review pending and relates specifically to the needs of a disabled person. No decision about next steps will be taken until the next budget is set in 2012.
2. Community transport arrangements for children from outlying areas of Melbourn and the other four villages supporting the new youth club are just about in order. MVC has given permission for its mini-buses to be used without charge, except petrol. CCC which manages insurance have given the go-ahead, and Royston and District Community Transport have five volunteer drivers. There will be a small cost to cover petrol. At the moment details of CRB checked escorts and identifying those children who want the lifts are being worked out and the service should start in September.
3. Library Access Point – I will be asking Foxton Parish Council if they are still intending to provide the library donation they indicated they would several months ago, helping with a library stall at Shepreth fair next week.
4. Practical Solutions Group has been postponed till July 12. A social event is taking taking place that week at Vicarage Close, organized by MVC. Regina Lawrence is our new MVC staff rep.
5. MVC students will be litter picking Meldreth Station in advance of the station birthday party July 9th. A huge amount of work has gone into the garden which is now in place to enjoy, including much help from Melbourn Allotment Association. We are developing watering rota for each platform, again with help from Melbourn. We are expecting good publicity for the 9th and will be using the occasion to develop stronger leverage on our campaigning points.
Cllr. Gatward asked C. Cllr van de Ven that as it is a special occasion would she please remind the Railway Company of the original station name of Meldreth and Melbourn. C. Cllr van de Ven said she had been trying to get the name changed and had raised this at the 3 monthly meetings with Railway Connect.
C. Cllr van de Ven asked if the Parish Council would like to sponsor a flower tub. The Council agreed to this.
Cllr. Stead said an article could be put in the Railway News with regards to trying to the get the station name changed.
[Cllr. Stead left the meeting at this point the time being 9.00pm]
124/11 Donation to Royston and District Community Transport:
It was proposed by Cllr Townsend that A DONATION OF £400, WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN PRECEPTED FOR, BE DONATED TO ROYSTON AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY TRANSPORT. Seconded by Cllr. Bloomfield and CARRIED with 9 votes and one abstention.
125/11 Donation to Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme under Section 137 rules:
[Cllrs. Barrett and Hales, having declared an interest in the item below for reasons stated in Item 115/11, left the room]
It was proposed by Cllr. Simmonett that A DONATION OF £6,500 BE GIVEN TO MELBOURN MOBILE WARDEN SCHEME UNDER SECTION 137 RULES. Seconded by Cllr. Bloomfield and CARRIED.
Cllr. Sherwen said that he would like to see a quarterly report from the scheme.
Cllr. Mowatt said it was a model scheme that was to be admired.
[Cllrs. Barrett and Hales returned to the meeting]
126/11 Quotation for work to 4 sites:
- 1. It was proposed by Cllr. Sherwen THAT THE QUOTATION RECEIVED FROM HERTS & CAMBS GROUND MAINTENANCE FOR THE CUTTING OF THE HEDGE ON ROYSTON ROAD PRICED AT £270+VAT BE ACCEPTED. Seconded by Cllr. Townsend and CARRIED.
- 2. It was proposed by Cllr. Barrett THAT THE QUOTATION RECEIVED FROM HERTS AND CAMBS GROUND MAINTENANCE FROM THE CUTTING OF THE HEDGE ON CAMBRIDGE ROAD PRICED AT £340+VAT BE ACCEPTED. Seconded by Cllr. Gatward and CARRIED.
- 3. It was proposed by Cllr. Simmonett THAT THE QUOTATION RECEIVED FROM HERTS AND CAMBS GROUND MAINTENANCE FOR THE REMOVAL OF 10 SHRUBS FROM THE SITE AT 83 HIGH STREET PRICED AT £170+VAT BE ACCEPTED. Seconded by Cllr. Bloomfield and CARRIED.
- 4. The quotation received from Herts and Cambs Ground Maintenance for work to the verge on Royston Road is to go to the next Conservation Committee meeting for discussion.
127/11 Financial Report as at 31st May: Noted
128/11 Cheques to be signed:
<Click to view Cheque List>
The Clerk recommended the transfer of £17,700 from the Business No Notice Account to the Current Account.
The Clerk recommended the transfer of £2,005.20 from the Magazine Account to the Business No Notice Account.
It was proposed by Cllr. Townsend that the cheques be approved and signed, seconded by Cllr. Bloomfield and Carried.
The Clerk is to send a letter to the Chairman of the History Group, Mr. Colin Limming informing him that the seat has been purchased and can be viewed at the Parish Office. The Parish Council would like to receive the wording from the History Group for the plaque which is to be placed on the seat.
129/11 Correspondence:
(a) E-mail from Linda Browne – South Cambridgeshire Community Pride and Village Hero Awards. Noted
(b) CCC – Street Lighting PFI Project – Cambridgeshire.
To be placed on the Highways and Rural Footpaths agenda.
(c) E-mail from Cllrs. Hales and Simmonett – background to the proposed motion at Item 120/11.
This is to form part of the minutes
(d) There was no further correspondence received.
[As the time was approaching 10.00pm it was proposed by Cllr. Townsend and seconded by Cllr. Hales that the meeting continue until 10.15]
130/11 Cemetery & Churchyard Inspection Report:
Cllr. Gatward had only inspected New Road Cemetery so far. She felt that there was a need for some urgent work to be carried out. She had asked the Clerk to contact Herts & Cambs Ground Maintenance to arrange for the flower beds to be weeded.
She also felt that the seats needed to be oiled. This matter is to be put on the agenda of the next Cemetery Committee meeting.
131/11 New Road Cemetery:
Cllr. Sherwen reported that the progress with the gates was as per schedule.
132/11 Village Car Park:
Cllr. Sherwen reported on the meeting held with Huck Partnership last Thursday when the final version was confirmed. Costing of this is to be confirmed with the contractors. This will then go for approval at the meeting in July of the Finance and General Purpose Committee. Cllr. Sherwen reported that the proposed work is expected to be well within budget.
JK Drainage is to be contacted and asked to look at the drain in the car park to see why the water does not drain away. Cllr. Mulcock would like to be present when JK Drainage does the inspection.
[As the time was approaching 10.15pm it was proposed by Cllr. Townsend and seconded by Cllr. Hales that the meeting continue until 10.30]
Cllr. Mulcock asked for a plan showing spot heights. Huck Partnership is to produce one.
It is planned to have a third light in the car park which will be a placed in the centre of the car park.
Cllr. Gatward wanted reassurance with regard to the angle of the footpath onto the High Street.
Cllr. Hales asked the Clerk to contact Cambridge Water and request that it identify the water supply to the rear of the bus shelter and see if it is still live.
133/11 BMX Trails:
Cllr. Barrett said that the CRB forms are coming back. The Secretary of the BMX Trails Club has talked to the bank with regards to opening an account.
The web site and logo are done – www.grinnelhillbmx.xo.uk Information will be put up when they go live. Security measures are to be installed in the next few weeks. The Insurance Company is to be contacted when the CRB forms are all returned.
134/11 Village Plan:
Cllr. Sherwen said that all the Councillors should have received a copy of the plan. The Implementation Team will take on the responsibility for the various projects recommended by the Parish Plan.
A discussion took place with regards to the formation of the Implementation Team and its position with regards to governance of expenditure.
Cllr. Mowatt expected the Implementation Team to come to the Parish Council with expenditure proposals in the future. The Parish Council was unable to formally accept the Village Plan, as the time had reached 10.30pm and the meeting had to close.
The following items were not dealt with due to lack of time.
135/11 Neighbourhood Panel:
136/11 Committee Reports:
(a) Finance and General Purposes
(b) Cemetery
(c) Conservation
(d) Any Urgent reports from Committee Chairmen
137/11 Urgent Matters:
The Chairman closed the meeting at 10.30pm
Addendum to the Full Parish Council meeting of 27th June 2011
A member of the public addressed the meeting concerning the development of the Police site. He was concerned when reading the Planning minutes of 20th June that developments had taken place of which he had not been informed. He was assured that these were only developments within the Council and that the residents would be kept informed of any developments with the site at all times.