Minutes of the Great Staughton Parish Council Meeting held on 4 July 2019 – 7.30pm in the Village Pavilion
Present: R Jewell (BJ) H Glanville (HG) D Moore (DM) N Yates (NY) A Gilbert (AG) J Bowen (JB) W Mumford (WM) L Goody (LG) Ian Gardener (IG) Darren Tysoe (DT). J Russel (JR) (clerk).
1. Apologies for absence – Giles Brittain (GB)
2. Residents’ Forum – RF in attendance but had nothing to raise.
3. Minutes of the meeting held on 16 May 2019– The minutes were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.
4. Matters arising:
Ditches – WM reported that the pipe had been delivered and he will carry out this work as soon as he is able.
Timebank – BJ will discuss the scheme and potential grant application with HWPC and Perry PC.
Green Lane potholes – some have been repaired but DM will chase CCC about the others. IG will ask Joseph Hudson at CCC to look at this as well as other issues in the village as he is due to visit soon.
Broken Fence Beachampstead Road – matter is completed.
Bollards Green Close – it was reported that a tractor has been seen in the area and this road is not built to take this sort of traffic. It was also reported that the vehicle was unlicensed and JB will speak to the owners. The situation will be monitored and any vehicles using that road will be reported to the police.
Ridge and Furrow fields – we still await a response from HDC to our enquiry. Clerk will email again and cc DT.
Streetlight outside school – the school have agreed to fix this. But JR will chase as it is still not fixed.
Red House Hedge – this has now been trimmed back.
PC Website – village information is on the website, but the content is only as good as is provided. Dianne Palmer is doing a great job in keeping it up to date with the information that is given to her. The PC has a legal obligation to post agendas and minutes as the website update was funded by a Transparency Fund Grant. The PC is trying to make the website as interactive as possible and hopes villagers will subscribe to receive updates.
Dogs on leads signs – JB spoke to HDC and the whole area is covered by a PSPO. Environmental Health are going to put signs up in GS. If anybody sees dogs on the playing field, they are encouraged to note down the times/dates etc and report this to environmental health at HDC who will speak to the offenders. They will receive two warning letters but will be prosecuted if their behaviour persists. This will be advertised in Life, the website and Facebook. There is a bye-law preventing dogs on the playing field which carries a £200 fine.
Tree pruning/tree wardens – one of the tree wardens has requested that a tree survey is carried out in the village to see which ones need pruning, the PC did not believe this expense was necessary however as David Hoenig had been asked to trim back some trees and if any of the ones in question were on Highway land then CCC is responsible.
5. Attendance at other meetings – HG attended a very useful planning meeting at HDC.
6. Planning – Applications: Land West Of 69 The Highway Great Staughton (ref 19/00452/PIP) – the PC has requested conditions to ease the parking problems in the village.
7. Highways – Speed Limits in The Town – LHI Bid to be sent to CCC by 4 August 2019. Comments on the current bid to be sent to DM within the next 10 days and suggest sites for speed warning lights. Parking in Beachampstead – BJ put a notice in Life and Facebook not much further that the PC can do. People need to be more community minded. Hedges – Little Thatch –CCC will visit the property when next in the village, who will charge the resident if they have to cut the hedge. Footpath – DM reported that there had been a complaint regarding herbicide being sprayed on the footpath to Perry which runs at the back of the village. Clerk will raise this issue with CCC to see what is allowed. There is also a footpath which is unwalkable that needs reporting to Mr Days and CH Brown. Clerk will contact them.
8. Report from District/County Councillors – DT – he wanted to reassure the PC that HDC were taking the affordable housing scheme very seriously as it was seen as a flagship project. HDC have agreed to mediate and it is hoped that they can be involved in future meetings.
IG – one of the local bus services is subject to retendering. The HACT ST Neots – Tilbrook service will cease at the end of July. The PC were not told about this by CCC which is very concerning as many residents rely on that service. The Combined Authority is taking over all public transport. IG said he would investigate and report back to the clerk as soon as he can.
9. Correspondence – SENT Ashley Smith – 69 The Highway Development A Withers – PC website Bradgate – grass cutting K Wilson – internal audit Conservation team – Ridge and furrow field
RECEIVED Ashley Smith – 69 The Highway A Withers -PC website Robert Gray – Blocked drain The Town
10. Cashbook, Cheques in and out –
Income: £0
Expenditure: – £2659.26 Clerk Salary – £245.18 Red Shoes accounting – £43.20 Kathy Wilson – £180.00 HMRC – 183.80 CH Brown – £378.22 Balfour Beatty – £483.48 Anthony Collins – £900.00 Clerk salary – £245.38
Balance in Community Account £19003.66 Balance in Tracker Account. £18,506.81
Cashbook was reviewed and approved. The PC also need to pay invoices from CCC for the last two LHI Bid contributions. These have only just been invoiced by CCC and are for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 bids totalling £7366.90.
11. Affordable Housing – RJ provided an update. The meeting with Chorus went well. Issues have been identified, some of which have been resolved or near resolved. They have not agreed a way forward in relation to the land valuation, but discussions are moving forward.
12. Report from: Village Hall Committee – have an issue with rising damp. There has been an Engineer’s report which has cost £350. Repairs could be cheaper than originally thought but here has been difficulty in obtaining quotes. Playing Field Committee – Gala Day preparations are going well. Neighbourhood Watch – no report Speed Watch – no report. Life Magazine – clerk is to write to Perry PC to find people to deliver the magazine in Perry.
13. Parish Matters – AG reported a fallen tree which is on the BT line. This needs removing and clerk has spoken to the landowner. This needs removing asap to prevent any damage to the highway.
Meeting closed at 9.10pm.
Dates of meetings for 2019: 21 November.