Meeting Minutes: 25th July 2019

KIMBOLTON & STONELY PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES of the Council meeting held at 7 p.m. on Thursday 25 July 2019 at the Youth & Community Room, Mandeville Hall, Thrapston Rd., Kimbolton.

PRESENT  Councillors K Hutchinson (in the Chair); Mrs D Hellett; D Poole; Mrs R Lloyd; Mrs S Hawkes; Ms S Mugglestone; R Gooderham and L Farrer.

IN ATTENDANCE  County Councillor I Gardener; District Councillor J Gray; C L Thatcher, Clerk to the Council and three members of the public.

105/19  APOLOGIES were received from Councillors P Seabrook; Mrs E Milne and Mrs J Stainer..

106/19  PUBLIC FORUM  A resident said how difficult it could be to safely cross Thrapston Rd, especially with children and asked for a pedestrian crossing to be provided.  She said there had been several ‘near misses’.

The Chairman explained that this Council has been trying to get the County Council to agree to providing a crossing there for years without success, but is continuing to push.

Councillor Farrer joined the meeting.

Councillor Farrer said that a temporary crossing had been provided in Riseley and wondered if that would be possible.     Councillor Gardener said that he would investigate.

107/19  DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

Councillor Mrs Hellett declared her ongoing interest in the matter of Mulberry Cottage stables and Councillor Poole declared an interest (though non-pecuniary) in the matter of the former Barclays Bank. 

108/19  COUNTY COUNCILLOR

Councillor Gardener said that the 150 bus service was now operated by Dews Coaches and to the same timetable as before.

There is an open session of the combined Peterborough and Cambridgeshire Authority to be held in Peterborough on Saturday 7 September 2019.

A complaint has been received about flooding in Hatchet Lane and the Highways Engineer is coming out a week tomorrow (Friday 2 August) at 2pm.

Since the last meeting Councillor Gardener has chased up various matters reported to him, including fencing, signage and grass cutting.

The County Council has a campaign underway to recruit children’s social workers.

There is a recycling summer challenge for children called ‘Space for Change’.

The works on the A14 are in advance of the schedule and it is expected that the section between Ellington and Cambridge Services will be open before Christmas.

109/19  MINUTES of the Council meeting held on 27 June 2019 were read, approved and signed as a true record of that meeting.

110/19  MATTERS ARISING

• Neighbourhood Watch.    No report.
• Hearse House repairs   Nothing yet received from the Panning Department.
• CCTV.  The Clerk said that he has circulated the residents of George House and that end of the High St, advising them of the intention to erect CCTV cameras in that area and giving them the opportunity to object, should they wish to do so.  No responses have been received.

The Clerk said that it could be difficult to gain access to the location of the recording device, should that be necessary, when the school was closed at weekends or during holidays and he proposed that remote monitoring be included.  This was supported by ProTec who said that this would make things easier for them should adjustments be needed. The additional cost would be £450.    However, Councillor Mrs Hellett said that there is always someone available on the school site and she thought remote access unnecessary.

The Clerk also said that he had spoken with the Bursar who had no objection to the siting of cameras or recorder or to our use of their electricity, but asked that we provide an additional camera to cover the Lewis Hall area for the school.    To do this, and assuming it was on the same pole, the extra cost would also be £450.

Councillor Ms Mugglestone drew attention to the data protection requirements and thought that this would not be possible.

• Walkabout took place and the major points related to, firstly, the Stonely bus shelter, which it was noted, is leaning. Councillor Farrer said that he had inspected it and he confirmed that it had moved and he considered that it should either be demolished or enclosed and thereby strengthened. It was agreed that it should be removed as soon as possible. Councillor Farrer agreed to do so.

Secondly, some members were not happy at the idea of creating a wild flower meadow on Halls Meadow and it was agreed to place this on the agenda for next month’s meeting, for discussion.

Councillor Gooderham joined the meeting.

• Christmas Decorations.   The Working Party has not yet met and this will remain an agenda item.
• Stonely Bus Shelter see above
• Risk Management Working Party has not yet met and this will remain an agenda item.
• Pound Lane Working Party.  The proposal for a pavilion was discussed again and Councillor Gooderham thought that it should be kept simple, with changing rooms and a bar.   It was pointed out that we are not even sure that both the Football and Cricket Clubs still wish to participate and there seemed little point in proceeding without first confirming their position.

Councillor Hutchinson said that another meeting needs to be set up soon

• Grass cutting of footpaths.  The correspondence between the County Council and the Chairman was reported and discussed.

111/19    PLANNING MATTERS.

• Applications  – none received.
• Ongoing Matters.     Mulberry Cottage stables.  No report.
• Former Barclays Bank CIL – the correspondence between the property owner and HDC was received and it was noted than no CIL payment would be required for the proposed work.

112/19    REPORTS

Allotments.  Councillor Mrs Hellett provided her monthly report on the allotments.  Some plots were in great need of improvement whilst others were excellent.  The Clerk will write to the tenant of 27 and A advising him that his tenancy will be terminated unless improvement is made.

It was suggested that plots B and 19 be taken out of service as allotments and just cleared, together with the surrounding areas and the Clerk to tell the Grounds Staff to do this and to prioritise hedge cutting when possible.

Councillor Mrs Hellett said that the water butt is leaking and needs uprighting. 

Playgrounds.   Councillor Mrs Hellett also provided her report on the playgrounds.  Our efforts to find someone to undertake ‘handyman’ work had failed so far, so Councillor Farrer said he would try to help.

Cemetery.  A bough of the Cedar Tree had broken and needed attention.  The Grounds Staff have taped off the area but a tree surgeon is needed.  The Clerk will arrange.

Cemetery Cottage.  The Clerk advised receipt of a recommendation by the letting agents that the rent of the Cottage be increased to £800 pcm.     After some discussion, it was agreed to set the new rent at £795 pcm.

Councillor Gardener left the meeting.

Outside Bodies.

Kimbolton Trust.    No meeting.

Kimbolton School.  The new portakabin has been installed and work has started at the Prep School.

Mandeville Hall.  Councillor Mrs Hellett said that she had been asked that the weeds in the car park be sprayed and the hedge trimmed.

113/19  CORRESPONDENCE

• Letters from Park Lane residents objecting to traffic proposals noted.
• Letter from resident requesting pedestrian crossing on Thrapston Rd dealt with earlier.
• A request from MAGPAS for a donation.  It was proposed by Councillor Ms Mugglestone, seconded by Councillor Mrs Hellett and agreed to donate £100.
• Notification that Dews Coaches will succeed HACT on 150 route.
• Copy of letter sent by resident to Cambs County re flooding in Hatchet Lane noted.
• Consultation opened on polling districts and polling places review.
• Letter from a resident regarding noise from speeding motorcycles.

114/19  ACCOUNTS

a)The following were proposed and approved for payment –

CGM Group Ltd                   Grass cutting                                    1044.55 inc VAT

Arthur Ibbett                     Safety boots etc                                       64.06   “     “

Grafton Projects                Cartridges                                               81.00   “     “

Fishers                               Groundsman sundries                            10.83  “     “

D Eades                             July work                                              559.98 no   “

Payroll costs                      Pay, PAYE & NIC                               2186.36   “     “

MAGPAS                           Donation                                               100.00   “     “

115/19  DISTRICT COUNCILLOR Councillor Gray said that HDC continued its policy of purchasing commercial property and had recently bought a distribution warehouse in Wakefield.

The Council is restructuring its senior staff and will have less heads of Service.

Their external audit was not completed by the end of June as planned, due to Ernst & Young having a shortage of auditors.

The Council had featured twice in the Daily Mail as having the worst collection rate for business rates, but this was untrue due to a revaluation and the suggestion that an 80 year old woman had been driven into poverty was also false.

Jonathan Djanogly MP had been in touch regarding a ‘near miss’ on the B645, which was almost a head-on collision.

116/19  HIGH STREET CAR PARKING  Nothing to report.

117/19  MEMBERS’ POINTS OF INFORMATION.

Councillor Ms Mugglestone said that the cobbles in the churchyard were lethal when wet and should be replaced.  It was agreed to place this on the agenda.

Councillor Mrs Hellett said that the 30mph signs in Park Lane and Stow Rd were obscured by vegetation.

She also said that grass is encroaching on The Leys footpath and the ditch at Pound Lane needs cleaning out and wondered what the cost is likely to be of cutting the grass alongside the field at Pound Lane.

118/19  DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next normal meeting of Council will be held on Thursday 29 August 2019, commencing at 7pm in the Youth and Community Room at the Mandeville Hall.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2120 hours.