Churches & Civic Committee
Wednesday March 1st at 19:00
Minutes
Present: Cllrs Alexander (Chairman), Mrs Riddle, Tuplin, Mynott, Laxton, Tony Stefanelli (St Benedict’s) and Mrs Liz Coates (Methodist)
- Apologies for absence – None
- Minutes of the last meeting on 5th October 2016 had been approved by full Council and were noted.
- There were no matters arising that were not on the agenda.
- There were no declarations of interest for items on the agenda and nobody was intending to record the meeting.
- Feast Parade.
- The Chairman reported on what appeared to have been a good meeting, on behalf of Sawtry Parish Council, with the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Coles, in mid-January. The Deputy appeared well versed in matters and expressed his surprise at what had happened and that Police support was not forthcoming and promised to establish why.
- No feedback had been received so, in the absence of the Clerk, the Chairman contacted the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office to establish what progress had been made.
- The PA, Sarah Morgan, said that the Deputy had been active and that Inspector Paul Rogerson should be contacted regarding proposals.
- The Chairman had then contacted Inspector Paul Rogerson who very politely explained that because of the cuts they no longer had the resources to support community events and that PCSOs did not have the delegated powers to marshal traffic.
- He suggested that the only way to proceed would be
- to appoint a traffic management company and to have some local people trained to act as marshals
- and to submit the proposals and risk assessments to the Huntingdonshire SAG for approval
- The committee felt that such proposals would be exceptionally expensive for the 10 minutes or so that the parade took to get to the church and that, again, the timescale would not allow the event to take place.
- Bearing in mind the notes above the committee, very reluctantly, decided that the parade should not be held again this year and that without the parade the service would risk having a very poor attendance, as last year, and that the service should not be held either.
- There was no report from the Carol Services working group and they did not plan to meet until September.
- Reports from Church representatives
- St Benedict’s
- They will be taking part in “The Stations of the Cross”
- Achieved second to the Cricket Club in the village quiz
- Take communion to three residents of Hill View on a regular basis
- Father Jeffrey (Downie) has settled in well despite his travelling problems.
- Methodist
- The building project is proceeding with the installation of the new heating system to be completed by the end of the summer to facilitate a warmer winter.
- Weekly meetings through Lent on a Tuesday
- 7th August commencement for Holiday Club and they hope for a favourable reaction to a grant application.
- All Saints – no report
- Review of Cemeteries
- Delia reported that of the trees planted on 18th February some were planted in All Saints and some more Alders in St Andrews.
- World War 1 Commemorations.
- The Chairman had met with Rev Donald and looked at the dates submitted by the British Legion.
- Rev Donald replied to the British Legion “Alex and I met up last week to discuss the suggested dates for commemorations in 2017 contained in Carol’s email of 7th December. I’m afraid most of the proposed dates would not work within the existing commitments of the church calendar, so we agree that we would suggest the following:30th April, 18th June,12th November (Remembrance Sunday). As before, we would hold the first part our service on the first two of these dates around the war memorial, starting at 10.30am, and then move into the church building for the rest of the service. Remembrance Sunday is obviously different altogether.”
- The Chairman of the British Legion, Billy Corner, has confirmed that the dates are acceptable.
- The dates agreed and those to be commemorated are as follows
30th April
Pte William Rowell. 17th March 1917
Pte Bertram David Haynes 19th April 1917
Pte James Stapleton 19th April 1917
Pte William Wright 3rd May 1917
Pte Archie Rowell 13th May 1917
18th June
Pte Arthur J Clarke 7th June 1917
Pte John Paddison 31st July 1917
12th November Remembrance Sunday
Pte Herbert Parker 3rd November 1917
Pte James Jackson 22nd November 1917
Act L Cpl Alfred Payne 1st December 1917
Pte Walter Hodson 30th December 1917
- Future Projects – there were none
- Financial Report – there was no report
- Notices and correspondence – there were none
- Date of next meeting – May 3rd @ 19:00 - noted