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Bottisham Parish Council Minutes |
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On this page are the Minutes of Bottisham Parish Council |
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BOTTISHAM
PARISH COUNCIL 1/03 Minutes
of Council Meeting held in the Village College - 13th January
2003 Present
- Councillors Astill, Boal, Bryant, Laister, McCartney, Rayment, O’Dell,
Tilley and Walker. Cllr Tilley chaired the meeting. Councillors James
Fitch and Valerie Leake attended later in the meeting and 2 residents
also attended. 1. Apologies. Cllr
Buchanan (due to change of
meeting date). 2. Minutes of the
meeting of 2nd December were agreed and signed after amendment.
Item 5 penultimate line in first paragraph should read “FBU” not
“NFU” Committee
reports - Planning 2b.
“Cllr Laister may attend the site meeting on 4th December” was
deleted and 4c. “may” was
replaced by “will”. Committee
reports - Cemetery 3ii. quotations for new footpaths were “exclusive
of VAT” not “inclusive” and item 3vi. “and minor coppicing”
was inserted after the “removal of brambles” 3. Matters Arising A.
St Peters Field. Eastern
Tree Surgery will
work on the trees in Bell Road near the site. Houses will be
ready for occupation later this month. Those in part ownership will be
released at the end of February. The Clerk will write commending the
quality of the development and requesting that the footpath and grass
verges in Bell Road be re-instated. B.
Highway Matters a. David Groom, Highways Division confirmed that the remaining
High St. to the former White Swan is to be included in the budget
proposals for 2003/2004. The large
holes at the eastern end of Beechwood Ave will be repaired soon. b. Mr Vane, responsible for traffic management (East) considers
that there is no justification in moving the bus stop at the eastern end
of Beechwood Ave. C. PC Hurry continues
to monitor the parking situation at the Primary School. D.
Cllr Buchanan will report on the number of commemorative jubilee mugs
still available at the next meeting. E. The new Agreement for the Children’s Play area at the
Primary School is being prepared. F. The report on all the applications for the Jointly Funded
Minor Improvement Schemes for 2003/2004 ( we were unsuccessful) will be
closely considered before a further application is made. It was
recognised that we had been fortunate in not having had a fatal injury
accident in Bottisham but we should be prepared to be more aggressive in
our application. G. Mr Carlton and Mr James left the meeting whilst a decision
was made on the appointment of a co-opted Councillor. Mr E Clark of 45
Tunbridge Lane was the only applicant , his application letter was
commended and he will be invited to serve.
H.
The Cabinet recommended on 7th January that
Bottisham Public Library should be closed. A final decision will
be made on 28th January and the Clerk will write again to Cllr Lucas.
Cllr McCartney reported that the College Warden was keen to continue
with a public borrowing facility. The Council were unanimous in offering
support and Cllrs McCartney and Tilley invited others to join them in a
meeting to discuss ways and means to facilitate this. Cllr Fitch
reported that there was an excellent response from the public (154
individual letters, 1200 signatures for the local petition and high
attendance at protest meetings.) There had been good coverage in the
media of all the efforts. A
meeting is being arranged to discuss the way forward by our Councillors,
Peter Hains and Mike Hosking, Head of Libraries and Information for the
end of January and the Council will also be represented. Funding will be
required - if the mobile library scheme is not used in Bottisham we
should be recompensed. Large print books purchased with the S137 payment of £1000
made to the Community Library on 3rd April 1995 should be returned. It
was suggested that the Parish Council could take control of the project
with help from volunteers. I.
It was agreed that the seat on the Triangle should remain at its present
site but that it would be reviewed if there were continuing litter
problems. 4.
Chairman’s Report Councillor
Tilley reported on the ECDC 2003/2004 Budget meeting which he and Cllr
Laister attended. Details given of expenditure were good and electors
were positively encouraged to provide ideas on reducing costs. Although
expenditure will increase by 12%, by using some current reserves and
with government grants the proposed increase for 2003/2004 would be 5%.
A copy of the Best Value Performance Plan 2002 is to be requested. During
2002 the Parish Council’s relationship with the District and County
Councils and our local Cllrs had become strained due to differences of
opinion on planning matters. We were
also concerned over increased spending and desired to ensure that
Bottisham obtained fair treatment and value for money from the services
provided. We recognise that
we need to co-operate with others and will seek to do so in 2003. We are
however unable to compromise our responsibilities or objectives 5.
Reports of County and District Councillors. Cllr
Fitch reported on County matters. The
Audit Commission had rated Cambridgeshire as a ‘good authority ‘
together with 53 other Councils. We just missed the excellent rating by
1 point. It was noted that sickness levels resulting in short staffing
needed to be addressed. Questionnaires concerning 2003/2004 Budget
proposals had been issued to Cllrs and public meetings are to be held to
discuss budget options. Whilst the Area Cost Adjustment anomaly has
disappeared we have still seen our income reduced this current year by
£10m. This amount should be paid to the County Council within the next
2 years. The closure of the Bottisham Public Library had been dealt with
at 3 H above. Cllr
Fitch queried the number of
signature of those supporting the Parish Council’s
letter to ECDC relating to the planning application 02/00294/FUL
for 44 Lode Road. (see council minutes of the 4th November item 4c). He had counted signatures on letters supplied to him by Nigel McCurdy - these amounted to 450. It
was explained that the Chairman of the Parish Council counted signatures
on receipt and letters were sent in batches to John Hill the Chief
Executive of ECDC. No copies were retained locally and therefore we are
unable to check this claim. Cllr Fitch and Parish Cllrs agreed that the
number of people who signed the letter was in any event significant. Cllr Leake’s District Council report circulated with the minutes gave details of the new Green Waste Collection Scheme, an excellent “end of term” report from District Audit and an “above average” Housing Strategy report. Nigel McCurdy has moved from ECDC to Forest Heath and David Archer has taken the opportunity to re-organise the Development Services Section. Three new young development officers will shortly start employment. 6. CORRESPONDENCE` 1.
ACRE Request for 2003
Subscription of £25 Parish
Plans Newsletter and copy of Harvest Magazine for January/February 2.
CALC. December
Bulletin - circulated with agenda. NALC
- Summary and commentary from Somerset Association of Local Councils
regarding proposed Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003 Details
of courses Election Special for Clerks 15th and 26th March
Correct Way to Archive Parish Council Records for Clerks 10th May
Workshop for Burial Procedures 8th February 3.
CCC Questionnaire
on budget proposals for 2003/2004. circulated to Cllrs on receipt. Questionnaire
on Cambridge Core Traffic Scheme Stage 3 - Silver Street 4.
Government Department Correspondence Standards
Board Bulletin December Comprehensive
Performance Assessment Letter Dec. Results for County Council Questionnaire
from Go East for Renewable Energy and The Planning System. was returned
- not able to complete as insufficient background knowledge. 5
ECDC Details
of Health Forum Meeting 6th Feb at Ely. Poster to be displayed. East
Cambridgeshire Twinning Association Newsletter Information
on election procedures. Polling date 1st May 2003. ECDC
Best Value Performance Plan 2002. Website available. Hard copy to be
requested. Details
of Councillors Committees and Meeting dates for 2003 Decision
Lists for :-
Personnel Committee
29th August
Strategic Development Committee
26th November
Planning Committee
4th December
Council Meeting
17th December
Policy and Resources Committee
18th December Agendas
for meetings now out of date. 6.
Additional post Histon
Police December Newsletter
8 reported crimes in Bottisham Histon
Police January Newsletter
2
reported crimes in Bottisham Confirmation
of third and final year of Contract with Eastern Contracting for
maintenance of Public Lighting Parish
Path Partnership Bulletin 2002 Care
Network Newsletter December 2002. Cambridge
and Peterborough Fire Authority Annual Report 2001/2002 Hereward
Housing Newsletter December 2002 Christmas
Greetings from Burwell Print Centre and Countryside Agency Cambridgeshire/
Peterborough Joint Waste Strategy Document printed November 2002 and
relevant until 2005 Healthy
Living East Cambridgeshire Newsletter December 20002 Cambridge
Preservation for Rural England - Planning Application Skills Workshop Local
Council Review - January 2003 Clerks
and Councils Direct January magazine with Suppliers Guide and Yearbook. 7. Committee
reports A.
Planning 1.
Planning Decisions made since
last Council meeting. a. 02/00928/FUL - Land rear of 23 Pound Close - three bedroomed
dwelling fronting onto Jenyns Close. Approved b. 01/00653/FUL - Former A1303 Service Station Newmarket Rd -
amendment - revised layout and design of proposed replacement
workshop/office building. Refused. b. 02/00885/FUL - Cremgah Lode Road
- demolition of bungalow and building of 2 four bedroomed houses.
Refused. 2
Planning applications sent to ECDC with the following comments :- a.
02/01139/02 - 1 Rowley Gardens - proposed porch - no objection b. 02/01196/FUL - 34 Bell Road - two storey extension - no
objection. Noted that damage to cycle path or verges should be repaired. 3.
Other matters a. Application made by Pete Johnstone to ECDC for a Tree
Preservation Order on a group of trees at 42 Bell Road. 02/00973/OUT
outline planning approval given for 6 dwellings b. Landscaping plans for St Peters Field seen and
approved. c. Letter from ECDC to be discussed before end of April.
Additional affordable housing schemes needed in the District urgently. B. Environment
Cllr
Boal reported that: 1.
Cllr Astill reported that the kissing gate is to be exchanged for a
larger model to allow for pushchairs to pass through. The Prospect Trust
cleared 30m of the Bendyshe footpath in October and an invoice is
awaited. A wall adjoining the path has fallen blocking the High Street
entrance. Warning notices have been displayed and John Cooper Paths
Officer informed. Cllr Astill is preparing the 2002 report and the 2003
claim. 2. The purchase of CCTV equipment for the centre of the village
will not be pursued as funding is not available. 3
The Prospect Trust has planted the remaining bulbs. An invoice has been
received. 4. Cllrs Buchanan and Fitch will report at the next meeting on
the decision of the College Governors concerning the possibility of
siting swings on the College campus. 5. Uneven dropped kerbs in Lode Road will be repaired as and
when funds allow the Clerk will ask Andrew Tipple (Eastern Highways)
if funding for this is available from another specialised budget.
6.
Cllr Astill will talk to John Cooper about the path from Cedar Walk to
the High St. 7.
There has been no response to requests for another litter picker. 8. Repairs to the path in Vineyard Walk damaged by a Cleanaway
lorry will be done as funds permit. 9. The blocked drains outside 2-8 High St. have been cleared
once and Andrew Tipple will continue to monitor the situation. 10.
Park Estate (Bottisham) Residents Society Ltd have requested funding for
grass cutting on the Estate. The Society has been asked to provide a
plan of the areas concerned and details of ownership of the land. C.
Cemetery Cllr Laister reported that :- i.
The cemetery/bowling green hedge is being cleared before the holly and
yew trees can be planted. Cllrs were asked to help with this work. Cllrs
Laister and McCartney are to attend a course on tree and hedgerow
planting. ii.
A sum of £3000 has been set aside for the provision of tarmac footpaths
to the Porch and South door of Holy Trinity Church
and across the west entrance when building work within the Church
is completed. iii.
Cllr Bryant has suggested that land bordering the A1303 between The
Smokery and the copse owned by the Newman family could be used as a
green cemetery. The
committee will consider this suggestion. vi.
Stephen Hayden Arboriculturist Consultant’s
survey of trees within the cemetery and churchyard has been
received and will be
considered before the next meeting. Estimates have been requested for
necessary work to the large sycamore tree in the Church yard. v. A budget has been prepared for 2003/2004. vi.
A new sign re dog fouling in the churchyard has been made and
installed.. vii.
Mr Bugg has cleared, tidied and carried out some coppicing work in the
old cemetery. viii.
A request that grave 191 in the old cemetery last used in February 1919
be re-opened to allow burial of the deceased’s son
was agreed. The grave is to be dug by hand to reduce disturbance
to nearby graves. The Clerk had taken advice from the Association of
Burial Authorities on the relevant regulations and procedures. D.
Finance Cllr
McCartney reported ; 1.
The recommended budget for 2003/2004 was discussed. It was noted that
Election Expenses had not been included and that there was no provision
for costs likely to be incurred in setting up a Community Library. The
Environment budget has been reduced and a separate cemetery budget
started. A Precept of £19000 (as 2002/2003) was proposed by Cllr Laister, seconded by Cllr
Boal and unanimously approved. Cllr Walker commended the committee on
the efficient and detailed way the budget had been prepared. It was
noted that the average of parish precepts for other villages showed an
increase of 14%. 2.
The adoption of the Financial Regulations was proposed by Cllr Tilley,
seconded by Cllr O’Dell and approved unanimously 3.
Unaudited accounts for the year to 31st March 2003 together with audited
accounts to 31st March 2002 will be circulated at the Annual Meeting to
be held on Thursday 10th April 8. Notified business. 1.
Cllrs Boal and McCartney with advice from Cllr Walker will consider ways
of presenting an improved Village of the Year entry for 2003. The Clerk
will provide them with copies of the details submitted in 2002. 2.
The Clerk will write to Anglian Water following continued drainage
problems in Lode Rd and Beechwood Ave. 3. A tree has been mysteriously planted opposite 63 Jenyns Close
replacing a tree blown down recently and subsequently removed 9.
Accounts The
following cheques were signed Haydens
- Tree Surgery
329.00 signed 9/12/02 CCC
Bottisham Village College room hire 2/9 - 2/12
97.50 signed 9/12/02 TXU
Energi - monthly account
8.61 signed 9/12/02 S
F Overton - Salary 246.00 S
F Overton - Petty Cash for payment to litter pickers
40.00 Mr
Bugg - clearing and tidying
old cemetery
280.00 Byron
Engraving - replacement dog fouling sign
43.59 Bottisham
Parochial Church Council - Floodlighting 2002
205.79 The
Prospects Trust - Bulb Planting
152.00 CCC
Bottisham Village College - photocopying 1/11 - 4/12/02
66.13 Cllr
Laister - re imbursement for bonemeal for tree planting
14.34 Cambridgeshire
ACRE - 2003 subscription
25.00 Anglian
Water - Church and Burial Ground 9.72 CCC
Bottisham Village College - photocopying - 5/12/02-7/1/03
4.39 10.
Next Meeting Monday
3rd February 2003
7.30pm
Round Room at Bottisham Village College |
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