Oakington and Westwick Parish Council
MINUTES of meeting of the Parish Council held on 10th OCTOBER 2011 at the Sports Pavilion, Queens Way, Oakington at 7.30pm
Mr D Reeves (Chairman), Mrs J Grove, Mr L Navarro, Mr J Bailey, Mrs A Christie, Dr G Butlin, Coun S Edwards (SCDC & PC), Coun L Harford (SCDC) the Clerk and 5 members of the public.
146.1 Coun D Jenkins (CCC), Coun S Gymer (CCC), Mrs J Mowatt.
147.1 The Minutes of the meeting of 12th September 2011 were approved and then signed by the Chairman.
148.1 None.
149.1 Tree branches are obscuring traffic light in Longstanton Road. One traffic light needs to be re-aligned.
149.2 A resident expressed frustration at lack of progress on allotments.
149.3 Mill Road resident had not received a response from CCC Highways re flooding complaint.
149.4 Ground vegetation needs to be cut back alongside Station Road ditch.
Written report circulated prior to meeting.
150.1. No additional matters raised.
Written report circulated prior to meeting.
151.1 Coun Harford offered to take forward complaints received about non-delivery of Northstowe consultation leaflets to some households. The Chairman had already complained to SCDC, Gallagher Estates and HCA. Suggested that when consultation on formal planning application takes places, the Parish Council should deliver the notices to each house.
151.2 Concern expressed by Chairman that rents paid by housing association/SCDC tenants are likely to increase from 50% to 80% of commercial private rents.
152.1 Item Ref 132.1 Allotments – CCC had now offered a one-acre plot on land near Mansell Farm on a lease basis. Proposed by Chairman to accept the offer of land at Mansell Farm. Seconded by Coun Grove. All agreed.
Noted that an allotment association would need to be formed.
The Chairman had met with Paul Kitson HCA to discuss a drainage issue in Station Road, historic rights of way, the old airfield boundary fence and positioning of potential allotment sites in the future.
152.2 Item Ref 132.2 Airfield Road – request for funding for traffic calming measures under jointly funded scheme had been submitted.
152.3 Item Ref 132.3 Tomato Farm trees – Coun Harford offered to speak to her contact in Highways dept about non-compliance. Agreed that if no progress is made, CCC should be asked to proceed to legal action against the owner.
152.4 Item Ref 132.4 Yellow Lines, Longstanton Road– concern expressed that cost of advertising would be £800. The lines themselves would be approx £100. Agreed Chairman should complain to MP re the huge cost of advertising in local press.
Proposed by Coun Bailey that a formal application is submitted for yellow lines in Longstanton Road. Seconded by Chairman. All agreed
152.5 Item Ref 132.6 Emergency Planning – no response to date from Community Association.
152.6 Item Ref 132.7 Spinney, Church View – the Chairman showed the meeting a plan of Mill Road indicating that until 1957 the highway extended from the current road to a Corn Mill where it terminated and became a bridleway which continued to Longstanton St Michael.
These sections were stopped off by Statutory Instrument in 1957.
152.7 Item Ref 132.8 Broadband Speeds – it had been reported in the local press that BT would be ‘upgrading’ the Histon exchange by autumn 2012. The Clerk will contact BT for clarification.
152.8 Item Ref 138.1 Textile/Shoe & Media Recycling Banks – both recycling banks are to be located on the bottom right car park space next to cemetery hedge.
Clare Chapman, Play Area Committee was invited to address the meeting.
153.1. Plans – detailed plans produced by 3 companies were shown to the meeting. Plus a map of the Rec showing proposed location.
Coun Christie and Clare Chapman outlined the reasons the Play Area Committee had selected Kompan as the preferred contractor.
Noted that the children consulted had preferred the Kompan design and had expressed keen interest in having a zip wire.
153.2 Quotes - The following quotes had been circulated prior to the meeting:
Sutcliffe Play Ltd - £85119.57 + VAT
Kompan Ltd - £120,363.36 + VAT
Wicksteed Leisure Ltd - £128,446.00 + VAT
Kompan had subsequently offered to reduce their price to £94,000 + VAT provided an order is placed before end of November 2011. The play area would be installed in the first quarter of 2012.
Agreed that a scoring criteria/weighting would be circulated prior to the November meeting so that a decision could be made on which quote to accept.
153.3 Funding – approx £80,000 to date. Agreed to consider underwriting the remaining £14,000 at November meeting pending outcome of Amey Cespa grant application. Noted that VAT could be recovered on the project as it is a non-business activity.
154.1 Noted that the benches donated in memory of Rifleman Fentiman had been installed near the tennis courts and outside pavilion.
154.2 Noted that bricks in pillars at front of the building are loose. The Clerk will report to Pavilion Committee.
155.1 The Chairman had circulated the parish plan toolkit supplied by Cambs ACRE.
After some discussion, agreed this should be progressed.
Coun Butlin kindly offered to help initiate the process. Suggested first plan of action should be to hold a public village planning meeting with a view to forming a parish plan committee made up of interested parties within the community.
156.1 The Chairman outlined the criteria. Noted that quite a few are already met. However, there are some areas of development need including website, communication via regular newsletters/weblog and assessment/evaluation of training needs.
Coun Harford will send the Clerk more information on the SCDC website hosting service and costs and details of the SPEP Facebook/Twitter/Wordpress training session.
Agreed to gradually work towards QS by 2014 when electoral mandate criteria should be met.
157.1 Coun Edwards had sought advice from Rob Mungovan, SCDC Ecology Officer and subsequently applied for and received £480 Community Chest funding for 24 trees.
After some discussion, it was agreed Coun Edwards should form a working party of interested people to meet with ecology officer with a view to starting planting towards the end of the year on former scout hut site.
Coun Christie will arrange a meeting with football club regarding plans for football pitches to ensure there is no clash between proposed play area/community orchard sites.
158.1 Coun Navarro reported that Connections run youth clubs without the bus in some areas.
He stated this could possibly reduce the cost to the Council by approx 50% per annum.
However, he had visited the Bus last week and the workers were not keen to progress this.
Noted that the young people enjoy facilities on the bus that the pavilion would be able to offer such as PS3, Broadband etc.
Agreed to continue to support financially.
159.1 Agreed in principle to buy Jubilee mugs for each child on school role at Oakington Primary School, subject to headteacher’s approval. Coun Christie will consult with Sally Daggianti.
Coun Edwards reported that Histon & Impington Jubilee Committee is arranging an ‘Its a Knockout’ for the Jubilee weekend and had requested Oakington submits a team.
Agreed to consult Community Association about some sort of joint celebration e.g. street party or play area official opening event.
160.1 Neither CCC nor SCDC own the land on which the village sign stands.
Agreed that Chairman should submit an application to register it as a village green to ensure it is protected from future development/non-recreational activity.
The Chairman offered to plant a hornbeam in replacement for the tree which blew down recently.
161.1 Couns Grove & Mowatt had attended the training session run by CCC. However, the volunteer commitment appears to be much more onerous than originally indicated. Agreed to discuss more fully at November meeting.
(Emails circulated prior to meeting.)
CCC, Passenger Transport – consultation on review of decision to remove subsidised bus service funding.
Histon Panel meeting – Tues 11 October at IVC
COPE newsletter Oct 11
Ed Durrant, SCDC – Northstowe Parish Forum site visits, 21 Oct
SCDC – Minutes Standards Committee, 14 September
Connections Bus AGM – 25 Oct – Coun Navarro to attend
Ian Greasley, CCC Area Traffic – requests for direction signs to Post Office and garden centre café.
Ed Durrant, SCDC – Scoping Opinion for Northstowe Phase 1
Camilla Haggett, CCC Rights of Way/Access – new public bridleway No.10 linking Gun’s Lane & Cottenham Road to BR4.
CCC – Budget consultation
SCDC – LDF Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment – Publication list of sites.
IVC – Academy conversion – update meeting 18 Oct
Paul Quigley, SCDC – Proposed changes to footway lighting maintenance arrangements
Coun Harford, SCDC Oct report
Michael Williamson – CPALC District Committee
CPALC – AGM – 3 Dec
CPALC – training schedule
CRIF event - 18 Oct
Cambs ACRE news Oct
Bar Hill PC – request for financial contribution towards running costs of Bar Hill library. Declined.
Gallagher/HCA – Northstowe Public Consultation 2011
SCDC –Northstowe Parish Forum meeting 7th Sept – draft minutes & copy presentation.
CCC – Budget Consultation Workshop invitation – 12th Oct
163.1 To consider new application for tree works in Conservation Area – 47-53 Station Road, Ref C/11/40/074 – no objections.
163.2 Decisions
V Brasnett, land adj 64 Water Lane Ref S/1576/11 – erection of dwelling – refused by virtue of its siting, height and design would seriously harm the amenities of the neighbour at No.64 Water Lane.
164.1 Approval of outstanding accounts as follows:
Balfour Beatty – street lighting maintenance contract 11/12 360.90
SLCC – Working With Your Council – course pack 95.00
Moore Stephens – annual return 10/11 – external audit 487.20
Brookfield Groundcare - grass cutting Sept -£600.00 + hedge work,
Stocks Green - £276.00 876.00
Munro Building Services – annual service of Pavilion boiler and water
heater (+ service of 4 extra valves in addition
to quote) 852.00
T Leadley – Pavilion caretaker salary 1.9.11-30.9.11 180.00
L Lawrence – Clerk’s salary 13.9.11 -10.10.11 – 547.52
Telephone allowance - £30.00
Travel expenses - £1.80 579.32
HMRC – Clerk’s PAYE, employee and employer NI contribs 166.60
Direct Debits
British Gas Business – Pavilion Gas 1.8.11-31.8.11 64.47
British Gas Business – Pavilion Electricity 1.8.11-31.8.11 83.61
BT – Pavilion phone 1.9.11-30.11.11 53.96
3799.06
Proposed by Coun Grove and seconded by Coun Christie that these bills be paid.
Agreed.
The meeting closed at 9.30pm.
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