Meeting Minutes: 28th November 2019

KIMBOLTON & STONELY PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES of the Council meeting held at 7 p.m. on Thursday 28 November 2019 at the Youth & Community Room, Mandeville Hall, Thrapston Rd., Kimbolton.

PRESENT  Councillors P Seabrook (in the Chair); K Hutchinson; Mrs D Hellett; R Gooderham; Mrs R Lloyd; Ms S Mugglestone; Mrs J Stainer; Mrs E Milne and L Farrer.

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

170/19  APOLOGIES were received from Councillor D Poole.

171/19  PUBLIC FORUM  The Chairman welcomed Douglas Johnson of National Grid, together with Gary Adams of Costain and members of Stow Longa Parish Council, who also have an interest in vehicle movements to and from the Gas Venting Station.

Mr Adams apologised for the failure of drivers to follow the approved route and for the mess that was being made to the verges where the HCV’s encroached upon them.  He said that he would put up signage but that it was difficult to deal with drivers as often the contracts were sub-let and then sub-let again and again to different companies.   Whilst contracts were let to legitimate companies it was often not them who were doing the work and that is when the damage to verges and passing points was occurring..

The Chairman asked whether there was an undertaking given to the County Council that remedial works would be undertaken.   He was told that such work will be carried out but that now is not the right time of the year to be making permanent repairs.  That will be in the spring.

It is likely that the works will be finished in October 2020.

The Chairman thanked Messrs Johnson and Adams for their time in attending and they then left the meeting.

Members of the public present expressed their wish that the Council funded Blueline Security for patrols throughout the Parish, recovering such funding from the Council Tax precept and similar wishes had been expressed in email correspondence.

It was explained that if the sum required was, indeed, £3.75 per household per month then this would cost this parish about £28,000, or half our present precept.   However, in a letter from Blueline it was stated that a sum of £1 per household per month is what would be required and this would equate to around £7200 per annum.     It was not clear what level of service was being offered for either of those sums though, but Blueline did make it clear that they were not seeking funding by local councils – this is something that was being pushed for by some residents.

This matter is an agenda item and the discussion will be continued later.

172/19  DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

Councillor Mrs Hellett declared her ongoing interest in the matter of Mulberry Cottage stables.

173/19  COUNTY COUNCILLOR    Councillor Gardener said that the A14 will be opening between Ellington and Cambridge Services on Monday 9 December, and that will enable the removal of the Huntingdon flyover to be commenced.

He had reported to Highways the flooding problems at Hellett’s corner and in Hatchet Lane.

174/19  RESIGNATION.  The Clerk reported upon the resignation of Councillor Mrs Stephanie Hawkes for personal reasons.      The Chairman said he regretted that she is leaving and expressed his thanks for her service to this Council over the past 10 years.

The Clerk said that, providing no 10 electors demand a poll, Council will be able to fill the vacancy by co-option after 14 days.

175/19  MINUTES of the Council meeting held on 31 October 2019 were read, approved and signed as a true record of that meeting. 

176/19  MATTERS ARISING

• Neighbourhood Watch.   The Clerk reported that Rural Watch meets again next week.
• Hearse House repairs   The Clerk said that as yet he had been unable to find anyone willing to quote for the work.    Councillor Farrer asked for the specification to be sent to him .
• CCTV The cameras and recording device have been installed and the installation reported to the ICO.   A sim is awaited to enable remote viewing.
• Website.   Confirmation has been received that the free websites will not provide the information that we require to be available.  It does seem that the set-up cost will be between £500 and £750 and the ongoing annual charges tend to reflect the initial amount paid.   A proposal will be brought forward shortly.
• Christmas Decorations.   Councillor Farrer said that he has new battery-powered lights which have timers and the trees will be arriving next Sunday morning.  He asked for the assistance of members in preparing and putting up the trees.
• Churchyard Cobbles.   A specification for the work is awaited from Councillor Farrer and in the meantime the area with the worst surface has been coned off.
• Pound Lane Working Party.   No further meeting as yet.
• Twinning   A letter has been sent to the Mayor of Fernie to enquire whether there is any interest in a formal twinning arrangement and a reply is awaited.

177/19  BLUELINE SECURITY

            The discussion as to whether or not to fund Blueline continued.  It was noted that a number of residents were very keen that this should happen, but of course no approach has been made to residents in general.   There is a perception amongst some that crime has increased locally, but figures for the past 3 years show little change overall, though unfortunately Stonely had been targeted for burglaries.   A poll could be an option, though an expensive one, but it was thought better initially to find out exactly what service could be expected for what cost and to do this it was proposed by Councillor Gooderham, seconded by Councillor Mrs Lloyd and unanimously agreed to refer this to a Working Party comprising Councillors Farrer; Mrs Milne; Hutchinson; Gooderham and the Chairman and that this would meet at Councillor Mrs Milne’s home at 7.30pm on Thursday 5 December.

                   Councillor Gray joined the meeting

178/19    PLANNING MATTERS.

• Applications  

19/02201  Station Rd Kimbolton – removal of BT phone box.

    It was proposed by Councillor Gooderham, seconded by Councillor Mrs Hellett and agreed by 6 votes in favour with 2 abstentions to recommend approval of the removal.

19/00449  34 High St Kimbolton – retrospective change of use shop to office

    It was proposed by Councillor Mrs Hellett, seconded by Councillor Ms Mugglestone and agreed to recommend approval by 6 votes in favour with 1 abstention.

• Ongoing Matters.     Mulberry Cottage stables.  No report.
• Local Plan.   Councillor Hutchinson said that he thought yesterday’s meeting quite informative.  The Local Plan has now been adopted and there is a 5 year supply of housing available.  Certainty in planning decisions is more likely and Huntingdonshire District Council is now in a strong position.

                                  Councillor Gardener left the meeting.

179/19    REPORTS

Allotments.   Councillor Mrs Hellett presented her allotments report.  Little has changed and the unused plots still await strimming.       The Clerk will write to those whose plots are not being cultivated.

Open Space maintenance.  Councillor Mrs Stainer asked whose responsibility it is to cut the grass on the open space in Aragon Place, as this has to be cut by the residents.   The Clerk said that it was not Parish Council land and could only assume that it had been handed to the principal authority or simply left by the developers when the houses were built. 

Mandeville Hall.  Councillor Mrs Lloyd said the hall was being decorated on 1 December.  She said the Childrens’ Christmas Party was this year being sponsored by Beacon Finance, who were paying for the entertainer.           Batteries for the solar power have been chosen.

Councillor Farrer said that the car park had been blocked off on Remembrance Sunday because of a private event in the hall and this had caused a lot of annoyance amongst residents who had needed to move their cars for the parade and been unable to park there.      Parking at the hall is becoming quite a problem and it was agreed to place this on the agenda for the next meeting.

Kimbolton Trust.  The Chairman reported upon a recent meeting at which the new Vicar was introduced to Trustees.

Kimbolton School Governors.   Councillor Mrs Hellett said that the AGM takes place tomorrow and that the School is doing very well.

180/19  DISTRICT COUNCILLOR  

Councillor Gray said that HDC’s Leader had resigned and is standing down.  The Deputy Leader is likely to become Leader and he is Ryan Fuller who represents St Ives West ward.  There will be a new Cabinet.      The Scheme of Delegation proposed has been abandoned and applications will continue to be referred as necessary to Development Management Committee.

The Council is busy budgeting and expects its budget to increase by about £300,000 to an £18million budget.

181/19  FLOODING  The Chairman said that with climate change, the village could become more vulnerable to flooding.   A lot of the flood arches are totally overgrown or blocked with rubbish and he thought an approach to the Environment Agency would be appropriate, asking them to consider restricting the water flow at the Butts bridge.

182/19  CORRESPONDENCE

• The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Minerals and Waste Local Plan Consultation had been circulated and was noted.
• The Clerk reported having attended the Cambridgeshire Parish and Town Councils conference in Huntingdon and had been asked whether this Council would sign up to the “Against Scams Partnership”.    There is no cost and the advantage would be a sharing of information regarding scams which are currently being used.  It was agreed to take part.

183/19  ACCOUNTS

a)The following were proposed and approved for payment –

Came & Co              Insurance premium                   1994.87 no VAT

Fishers                    Groundsman sundries                   10.44 inc   “

Anglian Water          Allotment water                             83.87  no   “

SLCC                       Annual subscription                    286.00 no VAT

Mick George Ltd        Skip hire                                    201.60 inc   “

K & M Lighting          Streetlight maintenance             125.48   “    “

D Eades                     November work                         358.02 no   “

Payroll costs              PAYE, NIC                               2186.36  “    “

184/19  BUDGET 2020/21 

The Clerk had prepared copies of estimated income & expenditure to the current year end, together with actual income & expenditure for the first half year and had presented his idea of income and costs for the new year, subject of course, to Council’s decisions regarding any projects etc.          These were noted and accepted as forming the basis for the next year.

185/19  PRECEPT 2020/21

Based upon the above figures it was proposed and unanimously agreed to increase the precept by 2% for 2020/21. 

186/19  HIGH STREET CAR PARKING  Nothing to report.

187/19  MEMBERS’ POINTS OF INFORMATION.

Councillor Gooderham referred to the disruption to the road at Tollfield and was told that this had been reported, and he said that there is a lot of inconsiderate parking and even mothers loading their small child into their cars from the road side of the car, not the pavement side.

He agreed that parking for the Mandeville Hall had become a real problem.

Councillor Mrs Lloyd said that a plant was growing out of the cemetery wall at The Leys.

Councillor Ms Mugglestone said she thought the Remembrance Parade was excellent and was pleased to see the crowds who came to watch these days.

Councillor Mrs Hellett asked about the post box at the top of Old Ford Lane, which had disappeared.

Councillor Mrs Stainer said that Royal British Legion wished to put a permanent outline of a soldier at the war memorial .

188/19  DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next normal meeting of Council will be held on Thursday 19 December 2019, commencing at 7pm in the Youth and Community Room at the Mandeville Hall.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2230 hours.