KSPC
KIMBOLTON & STONELY PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES of the Council meeting held at 7 p.m. on Thursday 27 April 2017 at the Youth & Community Room, Mandeville Hall, Thrapston Rd., Kimbolton.
PRESENT Councillors P Seabrook (in the Chair);K Hutchinson; Mrs R Lloyd; Mrs D Hellett; Mrs S Hawkes; Mrs E Milne; Mrs J Stainer; R Gooderham & L Farrer.
IN ATTENDANCE District Councillor J Gray & C L Thatcher, Clerk to the Council.
45/17 APOLOGIES were received from Councillors C Ayrton & Ms S Mugglestone.
46/17 PUBLIC FORUM was not used.
47/17 DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS. Councillor Mrs Hellett declared a personal interest in the item relating to Mulberry Cottage stables and the London Road planning matter.
48/17 COUNTY COUNCILLOR was not present
49/17 MINUTES of the Council meeting held on the 30 March 2017 were read, approved and signed as a true record of that meeting, subject to minute 36/17 a) being amended to show that it was Councillor Mrs Hellett who presented the allotments report.
50/17 MATTERS ARISING.
a) Neighbourhood Watch – The Chairman said that he now received Countryside Watch reports via WhatsApp.
b) Car Parking in High St – there was a discussion on the need or otherwise of action to be taken re car parking, Councillor Mrs Lloyd citing the practice at Oundle, where the principal authority provides Civil Enforcement officers.
Councillor Farrer joined the meeting.
c) Playpark tiles. The Clerk said that he had not heard from the contractor who promised to inspect the tiles and give a price for cleaning. Councillor Mrs Hellett said that she had tested the wet tiles for slipperiness and did not find them to be slippery. She thought perhaps it only occurred when the tree dropped resin.
d) Fitness Equipment installation. The Clerk looked at the fitness equipment at Brampton and photographed the signage is in use there, which is simply plastic signs stuck onto the equipment. It was agreed to ask Multisigns if they are able to produce such signs.
e) Pound Lane. The Clerk produced a draft agreement and this was amended and it was proposed by Councillor Gooderham, seconded by Councillor Mrs Hellett that the Agreement as amended be issued to the Football Club.
f) Barclays Bank closure. The Clerk reported having a completed petition against closure which bears 1014 signatures. It was thought doubtful, nevertheless, that Barclays will re-consider, though there has been an offer to replace the ATM providing suitable premises can be found. The Clerk said that no better premises exist than the present bank premises and he had, as Council instructed, applied to have those premises scheduled as being a Community Asset. The decision on this will be known on 10 May. Should we be successful, he wondered whether Council might consider trying to buy the premises and, in conjunction with Barclays or another bank, operate a ‘community bank’. These days all that is necessary is a banking hall with telling machines that will accept cash and cheques and, if Barclays are willing to service an ATM, then they could well service automatic telling machines. Should the Post Office be available, then the premises could also be a community Post Office.
Members thought the idea could be workable and authorised the Clerk to write to Jonathan Gray and tell him of the idea, in the hope that he and HDC might be able to help achieve it.
g) Hearse House. The Clerk said that the insurer’s Loss Adjuster would be inspecting the premises next Tuesday.
51/17 PLANNING MATTERS
a) Applications The following were considered-
17/00694 & 17/00833LBC re 25 Thrapston Rd – single storey rear extension.
It was proposed by Councillor Hutchinson, seconded by Councillor Mrs Hawkes and agreed to recommend refusal as being too big; inappropriate for a listed building and because of the effect on neighbours. There was 1 abstention.
b) Ongoing Matters.
Mulberry Cottage. Enforcement Officer has said alteration internally needed to make suitable for horses.
Wornditch Farm. Enforcement Officer has asked this Council to state which building it is felt does not have approval. A plan was discussed and the building pointed out.
Duchess Walk lagoon – This has now been fenced and it has been decided that it does need planning approval, though nothing has happened as yet. The District Councillor will follow this up.
Councillor Jonathan Gray joined the meeting.
Stonely House, Main Rd Stonely – development is taking place, but the sheds within the curtilage of the listed building have been removed, apparently without permission. The Clerk will advise the Enforcement Officer.
52/17 REPORTS
a) Allotments. Councillors Mrs Lloyd and Mrs Hellett presented the allotments report . Generally good, but 3 plots need to remove rubbish.
Once again the padlock on the pedestrian gate has disappeared so another will have to be purchased.
Footpaths. Councillor Mrs Stainer said that a complaint had been received about the width of footpaths to the south of the village.
Playgrounds. Councillor Mrs Hellett asked when the RoSPA inspection was due. She commented that the bench in the playpark has been painted but as it has not first been sanded down the paint will soon flake off. She said that the gate to Mandeville Hall needs sanding in case of splinters.
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Outside Bodies
Mandeville Hall Councillor Mrs Lloyd said that there is no meeting until 24 May, but meetings were now held in the middle of the day, which is difficult for her. Councillor Hutchinson thanked Councillor Mrs Lloyd for getting agreement for Council to use the Youth Hall.
Councillor Mrs Lloyd said that the Hall Committee wished to change the name of the Youth and Community Hall to, simply, the Community Hall, but it was agreed that this should not be done as the money raised to build this hall was provided expressly towards a youth facility.
Kimbolton Parochial Charities. Councillor Hutchinson said that a meeting is to be held on 12 May.
Kimbolton School Governors. Councillor Mrs Hawkes said that her term of office has come to an end and nominations will be required. She will not be standing again.
53/17 CORRESPONDENCE
a) Fire Service Integrated Risk Management Plan. This document was available for consultation and it was noted that it refers to an average time to get to an incident anywhere in Cambridgeshire as being 10 minutes. This, it is felt, is unrealistic. No doubt in Cambridge City, where there is a full time fire service staff this can be done, but in more rural areas such as ours, where we have retained staff – and who may not always be available for duty – the elapsed time is going to be more like 20 minutes. It was agreed to make this point.
Councillor Gooderham left the meeting
b) Channel 4 TV Village of the Year competition. Councillor Mrs Hellett will look at the requirements and report back.
c) Speeding in Park Lane. Mr Lee’s correspondence was noted and police will be reminded that this is still a problem.
d) An application to erect a headstone to commemorate Sharon and Phillip Osborne was approved.
e) East Anglian Air Ambulance project was noted.
f) Agreed not to take out CAPALC membership.
54/17 HIGH ST CCTV
The Chairman introduced this item, saying that there are concerns about the amount of heavy goods vehicles now using the B645 and that a CCTV system that will recognise number plates could help to stop them, particularly when the A14 is realigned through Buckden.
It was also pointed out that there was a recent burglary on a High St property and CCTV could be useful in detecting offenders. It was agreed to investigate and seek quotes for installing cameras and the Clerk said he has applied for funding from the A14 Highways Fund.
55/17 VENUE
The Chairman asked whether members were happy to change to the Youth Hall on a permanent basis and all agreed that they were.
56/17 ACCOUNTS
a) The following were proposed by Councillor Mrs Hawkes, seconded by Councillor Mrs Hellett and approved for payment-
K & M Lighting Streetlight maintenance £119.48 inc VAT
D Eades April work £479.40 no “
Payroll costs Pay, NIC & PAYE April £2006.23 “ “
E-ON streetlight power £2104.97 inc “
W T Saunders Spraying weedkiller £117.60 “ “
CGM Group Grass cutting £1085.13 “ “
b) Accounts 2016/2017
The Clerk presented the accounts for the past year and invited questions. It was proposed by Councillor Mrs Stainer, seconded by Councillor Mrs Milne and agreed to accept the accounts.
c) Annual Governance Statement was read by the Chairman and completed and signed by him and the Clerk.
d) The Annual Return was presented to the meeting and signed by the Chairman and the Clerk.
57/17 DISTRICT COUNCILLOR
Councillor Gray said that the route for the new A428 had now been approved. It was the ‘orange’ route, the one nearest to the present road.
He has continued to update the Clerk on planning enforcement matters.
A new Enterprise Zone in St Neots is being promoted.
County Council and Elected Mayor elections will take place next Thursday 4 May.
The District Council is discussing the disposal of 12 parcels of land which are surplus to requirements and which may be used for affordable housing.
Councillor Gray left the meeting.
58/17 IT WAS RESOLVED to exclude the Press and public from the next item in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960.
59/17 CEMETERY EXTENSION
The Clerk said that he had hoped to have a further quote by now but it had not been received. It was therefore agreed to defer this until the next meeting.
60/17 MEMBERS’ POINTS OF INFORMATION
Councillor Mrs Hawkes said that a new drop post was required at Station Rd and the milestone on the B660 is in need of paint.
Councillor Mrs Hellett said that Budgens still park their customers’ cars at the Mandeville Hall.
Councillor Mrs Stainer asked about grass cutting in Aragon Place and the fence in Carnaby. She also thought that reflective posts were needed along the road in Park Lane, where the ditch is very near to the road edge. She complained that a note of items for discussion in her absence had not been dealt with at the last meeting, but was assured that they had been raised even though they were not mentioned in the minutes.
Councillor Mrs Lloyd said that car parking in Newtown is becoming a problem.
61/17 NEXT MEETING
The next normal meeting of Council will take place at the Youth Room at the Mandeville Hall Kimbolton on Thursday 25 May 2017, commencing at 7pm.
There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2153 hours.