Great Gransden is a parish in Cambridgeshire, in the Huntingdonshire District. This web site includes information about the Parish Council, the village facilities it manages, the date and agenda for the next meetings, the minutes of previous meetings and the policies under which it operates - please see the links below, in the menu bar above, and in the sidebar on the left. (Note: the sidebar might be hidden if you are viewing this device on a mobile device.)
Great Gransden has 9 Parish Councillors
- Andrew Pett, Giles Scott, Jeff Gorton, Nick Ginn, Michael Capps,
Nigel Day and Peter King, who were returned following an uncontested
election in 2018; James Catmur, who was co-opted later that year; and Lisbeth Ricciardi, who was co-opted in 2019.
Your Parish Council always welcomes your questions, comments and suggestions. See our contact page for info on how to get in touch. And you can attend our meetings via Zoom - see below - and join in the Open Forum section of the meeting.
The Parish Council takes care to safeguard the privacy of personal data supplied to us, in whatever form. A copy of our current privacy notice can be viewed on our privacy page. Apart from formatting changes (to improve accessibility) and a change to the contact details in December 2019, the current version was last edited in May 2018, to ensure conformance with the newly-introduced GDPR legislation.
In order to improve accessibility, the site appearance was changed in December 2019, and several pages revamped. A new Accessibility Policy is being developed, and will be announced here when it has been adopted by the Parish Council.
Parish Council meetings
Meetings are normally held in the Reading Rooms. However, to comply with the rules on social distancing - and to allow those who are self-isolating to participate - we are now holding our meetings online. (Previously, meeting had to be held in person, but new Government regulations now permit online meetings.) We are using Zoom (https://zoom.us/), which allows the Councillors and the Parish Clerk to be online together, and also allows interested parties to watch and listen in. During open forum sessions, members of the public will be able to participate: signal your intention to speak, and you will be asked for your input. Apart from the Open Forum, please keep yourself on mute. If you are unable to join us via Zoom but want to contribute to the open forum, please email your comments to the Parish Clerk in advance of the
meeting. (We recommend you sign up with Zoom and experiment before attending your first Parish Council meeting online. You can join a test meeting by visiting https://zoom.us/test.) Join us on Zoom using the meeting ID 313 378 5045 and passcode 941083 The agenda for a PC meeting is published at least 3 clear days in advance. For the regular monthly meetings, the clerk's report is also available to download before the meeting, with a link on the agenda page. Meetings are normally the 1st Monday of each month (unless that is a bank holiday, in which case the meeting is on the 2nd Monday); extra meetings are sometimes held to allow the parish Council to discuss an urgent matter, such as a planning application where we have to give our input before our next scheduled meeting.
Gransden 2020 VisionGreat Gransden is in the process of establishing a Neighbourhood Plan (also known as a Neighbourhood Development Plan), which is an opportunity for the community to have more say in the way the village develops over the next years. The Parish Council has delegated authority to a Steering Group to oversee this work, and there is a separate website giving information about progress, and details of steering group and other meetings - see 2020vision.gransdens.org/, and their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GreatGransdenNDP
What follows is a number of posts containing information that might be of interests to parishioners, along with announcements by the Parish Council. If there are a lot of posts, they may continue onto other pages, with a link to them at the bottom of this page. Old posts about parish council meetings will be moved to the meetings page; other posts will be moved to the old posts archive before being eventually deleted - though if they are very temporary notices, for example about road closures, they may be just deleted once they are no longer of relevance.
(Some posts may contain links to other sites, but the Parish Council has no control over the contents of the referenced sites, nor their privacy and accessibility policies; please exercise reasonable caution when visiting them. Indeed, the owners of those sites may make changes that invalidate the links we have supplied, so please let us know of any problems! Likewise, any attachments to or images or quoted texts (indicated by colour and indentation) within the posts are as supplied to us and are provided here for your convenience, but the Parish Council cannot speak for the accuracy and accessibility of this information.)
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Annual Parish Meeting
The Annual Parish Meeting of Great Gransden Parish Council will be held online on Apr 22, 2021 at &:30pm. Zoom details are: Meeting ID: 313 378 5045 Passcode: 941083https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3133785045?pwd=MFB3UjJ6blZ6UU40ckhGbFNmOVlPZz09The agenda follows, and is also available in PDF form. - as is the financial statement up for consideration in item 7, and the minutes of the last APM (for item 3). Agenda:(Due to COVID, there was no Annual Parish Meeting in 2020) 4. Chairman’s Report. 5. County Councillor Julie Wisson 6. District Councillor Richard West. 7. Financial Statement of income and expenditure last year. 8. The Poor’s Land Charity – report by the Chairman. 9. Parish Council Cemetery – report by Jeff Gorton. 10. Reading Room Management Committee. 11. The Gransdens Sports field and Recreational Association. 12. The Gransdens Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Society. 13. Any other business. |
EAST WEST RAIL CONSULTATION
PC Meeting April 2021
Clerk's call and minutes for the Parish Council meeting on April 12, 2021click here to get a copy of the agenda in PDF form, and the Clerk's notes are available via this link. The minutes can also be downloaded in PDF form, and a copy of the minutes (with layout amended for online reading) follow below.
From Catherine Fox, Parish Clerk:
The
Next Meeting of the Parish Council will be held at 7:30 on Monday 1st
March 2021 via remote conferencing on Zoom (Meeting ID 313 378
5045, Password 941083 or via this link) with Andrew Pett in the chair. Please Note: Due to restrictions currently in place around COVID-19, there will be no physical meeting. Those who wish to comment on any item on the agenda are invited to join the Parish Council via ‘Zoom’. Councillors will not be making decisions about items not on the agenda. Any personal information given will be dealt with in line with the Parish Councils General Privacy Notice, full details of which can be found on the website. Those present (by remote conference) were:
and 6 members of the public . 1. The meeting was opened at 7:30 pm with a silent prayer. 2. Apologies. No apologies were received. 3. Declarations of Interest. There were no declarations of interest. 4. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting held on 1st March 2021 which had been circulated, were approved and will be signed accordingly by the Chairman. 5. OPEN FORUM. The meeting was closed for 16 minutes. District Councillor West expressed his continuing frustrations with HDCs responses to residents regarding Dutton Gardens. In response to concerns raised by residents, the planning authority have decided that the compound lighting is positioned in such a way that it offers no nuisance or pollution. The lighting consists of use of 60w white light and is in line with the number and position confirmed on site which was subject to the written agreement of the local planning authority. Councillor West confirmed that, following difficulties experienced by residents and customers in contacting the district council by telephone, the council is investing in a better technical solution which is expected to go live this week. The Task Finish Flooding Group have met via Zoom with representatives from Anglian Water, Cambridgeshire County Council and the Environmental Agency. These discussions were positive with actions to be agreed on a flooding migration strategy. Four residents wished to make the Parish Council aware of their concerns around the proposed handrail that will run from the “Potton” development to Fox Street. Residents felt that the design was not in keeping with the village; nor was it appropriate for one of the main entrances to the village. It was strongly felt that no other options had been duly considered and that suggested alternatives had not been acknowledged. It was noted that the Parish Council had made previous comment in 2018 around this. Residents wished to know what part the Parish Council could play at this stage. This item will be considered further at item 15.3 on the agenda. 6. Matters Arising 6.1 Neighbourhood Development Plan. The end of grant report is being prepared for the period April 20 – March 21.The amount originally awarded was £5050 but due to COVID restrictions only £300 has been spent on support from Cambridgeshire ACRE. The balance of £4750 will have to be repaid to Locality and then a new application made for the period 2021-22. It is expected that this will allow the plan to be completed through to examination and referendum, aiming for Q4 2021. The NDP Steering Group continue to meet virtually by Zoom, with the next meeting being scheduled for Wednesday 12 May at 7pm. It is hoped that face to face meetings will be able to resume after the planned easing of restrictions in June. The Societies Fair, postponed from last year, is planned for the afternoon of Saturday July 10th in the Reading Room and garden. This will include a display on the NDP and is an opportunity for specific consultations Two more draft sections are available on the NDP website for public comment. Section 3 lists the key issues that have been identified through community engagements. Section 4 expresses an overall vision for Great Gransden into the future, and then defines the objectives that need to be covered by the plan, grouped by theme. Any comments and suggestions would be welcome and residents are strongly encouraged to engage wherever possible. The Rationale for Development Boundary and proposals for the designation of Local Green Spaces has been discussed pending further consultation with landowners who may be affected before finalising the proposals. Finally, in response to consultation comments, further discussions have been held with two possible suppliers of superfast broadband. The steering group will facilitate discussions with residents and businesses but do not plan to make a specific recommendation. 6.2 Update on Meeting with Highways (Meadow Road signage). Councillor King confirmed that he had met with Les Middleton from Highways to discuss the dangers of Meadow Road. Previously, in response to concerns raised by residents, the Parish Council had agreed to fund the installation of new signage on Meadow Road warning motorists of the possibility of pedestrians and horses in the road. Les Middleton had agreed at the site visit that the road was dangerous and would require more substantial safety measures; forwarding his concerns to Matt Staton (road safety partnership development) and also the Accident Investigation Team. Unfortunately, this was not progressed any further with Highways suggesting an LHI Bid application instead. As previous applications have already been made, Councillors did not feel that this was a viable option instead opting to continue to investigate the possibility of installing additional signage as originally requested. Clerk to follow up on this. 6.3 Update on Cemetery Land Transfer. All outstanding paperwork relating to the Transfer had been completed and returned to Adlams by the Parish Council. Once the transfer has been returned by Mr and Mrs Foster duly executed, registration of the title can be finalised. 6.4 Feedback from Community Warden Meeting. Councillor Ricciardi had attended the presentation by Age UK around the possibility of joining a Community Warden Scheme. Little Gransden Parish Council had suggested that due to the costs involved it would be a jointly funded initiative. The details of the scheme are such that one person would be employed for 15 hours per week spending approximately 1 hour with each client and only being able to offer relatively limited support. The overall costs were expected to be in the region of £11,000 per parish. Councillors felt that the costs for the scheme were too high and that it did not offer any extra benefits not currently being met by Bluebell-19. It was agreed that in future, if additional needs were identified, more cost-effective solutions should be investigated. 6.5 Update from GSRA Meeting. Councillor Ginn reported on the GSRA AGM held on 31st March 2021. Nancy Kyle has stepped down as Chair following the end of her 4-year term. No replacement had been appointed; instead members of the committee have agreed to Chair the meetings on a rotational basis. Jon Smith has been re-elected as Treasurer and Chris Butterworth will take on the role of Secretary. There have been no further changes to the committee, though new members are always welcomed. The GSRA had given rent holidays to those groups/users of the facilities during the COVID period. Despite this, the committee remains in a healthy financial position; retaining a fund that covers all expected expenditure over a two-year period. This is in addition to the £10,000 ear-marked for the new Tennis Club toilet facilities. Development remains ongoing at the sports field. The condition of the car park is being monitored although the cost of resurfacing is estimated to be around £50,000. Temporary repairs will be done. Finally, the GSRA have agreed to charge anyone using the Sportsfield for commercial purposes. Questions were raised around the charging policy at the MUGA (which is addressed at item 15.4) 6.6 Return to Face-to-face meetings. Revised Government legislation states that face-to-face meetings must resume on the 7th May 2021. This causes some logistical problems for the Parish Council who are still not permitted to meet indoors. In light of this, it was agreed that the next meeting date of Monday 10th May be moved to Tuesday 4th May at 7:30pm so that it can be held via zoom. 7. Financial Statement for March 2021. The sheet filed as Appendix No. 1 had been circulated. The statement was unanimously approved and signed by the Chairman. Councillors also noted the budget review as at the end of March 2021. 8. Payments for approval. The following payments were approved: Proposed Councillor Pett, seconded by Councillor Scott. 1. Clerk’s expenses for March 2021 £33.56 2. SSE – Street Lighting Feb/March 2021 £209.69 3. HMRC - PAYE (period ending 5th May) £55.00 4. CAPALC Affiliation Fee 2021/22 £417.68 (As in previous years, to include Data protection Officer Membership Scheme) 5. Algar Signcraft (Playing field car park sign) £153.60 6. South Cambs DC - Dole Field Rates 2021/22 £154.69 7. Cambridgeshire ACRE Invoice no 7172 £360.00 (Support with NDP) 8. The Mower Shed (Grass Cutting Cemetery - March) £120.00 9. R McIntosh – Garden of Remembrance £7.50 1. DD BT – Broadband Reading Rooms £30.17* (13th April 2021) 2. SO Caretaker Salary – April 2021 £653.78** (28th April 2021) 3. SO Clerk’s Salary – April 2021 £704.45 (28th April 2021) *Increase of £0.18 p/m due to an adjustment to the plan by BT. This increase is determined according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation as announced in January 2021, plus an additional 3.9%. Changes effective 31st March 2021. **Pay amount adjusted to reflect increase in National Living wage to £8.91 p/hr effective 1st April 2021. 9. Review of cemetery charges, contribution towards churchyard maintenance, ‘Roundabout’costs,review of clerk’s core hours. 9.1 Cemetery charges. It was proposed by Councillor Pett, seconded by Councillor Gorton and carried unanimously to keep the charges unchanged so that:-
Charges will continue to be increased by 100% for those residing outside of the village. 9.2 Payment for Churchyard Maintenance. The Parish Council is responsible for this closed churchyard and pays the PCC for maintaining it. The PCC organises volunteers to carry out the work. It was unanimously agreed that the payments for the churchyard should remain at £1,600pa. 9.3 Payment for Old Chapel Graveyard Maintenance. The Parish Council is responsible for this closed burial ground. It was unanimously agreed that the payments made for this should remain at £130pa. 9.4 Contribution to Roundabout Costs. This was last increased in 2016 from £100 to £125. Councillors unanimously agreed that the contribution should be increased to £140. 9.5 Review of Clerk’s Core Hours. At the Clerks request, there will be no changes to the current core hours. 10. Review of Risk Management Policy, asset check and risk assessment. The policy document had been circulated and councillors agreed that no changes were necessary. The Risk assessment forms had also been circulated by the Clerk. Risk assessments will be undertaken prior to the next meeting in May. 11. Review of Internal Control and Appointment of Internal Auditor. Councillors reviewed the internal controls considering them to be adequate and effective taking into account, cheque signing, quarterly verification of bank reconciliations by a council member who is not a cheque signatory, consideration of the internal auditor’s report and any matters raised and reviewing financial regulations. Councillors agreed to appoint LGS Services as internal auditor. Approval was proposed by Councillor Pett, seconded by Councillor Scott and unanimously agreed. 12. Approval of the Annual Governance Statement 2020/21 – Section 1. Councillors considered the Annual Governance Statement in Section 1, page 4 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2020/21. Each of the 9 statements were read out and unanimously approved by councillors, answering yes, to those numbered 1-9. Approval was proposed by Councillor Pett, seconded by Councillor Scott and unanimously agreed. 13. Highways 13.1 There is a pot hole half way up Crow Tree Street. Clerk to report to Highways. 13.2 There is a loose dropped kerb on Middle Street (outside Apple Tree Cottage). Clerk to report to Highways. 13.3 The drain cover on the corner of Fox Street and Caxton Road still remains unstable and is being replaced regularly by residents so that it does not cause injury. The locking mechanism is broken and will need to be replaced completely to ensure a permanent fix. Clerk to contact Highways. 13.4 The grass area at the end of the layby on Middle Street has been damaged, possibly by HGVs. The Parish Council will continue to monitor its condition and may seek to take remedial action in the future. 14. Consultations Councillors noted the EWR second non-statutory consultation (closing date 9th June 2021) Councillors discussed the proposed routes, noting the information on each previously provided. In order to best represent the views of the Parish, it was agreed that a working party should be set up to collate responses from residents. This working group will act within its remit as agreed by the Parish Council to collate the information provided and itemise it into a sensible and cohesive order. A meeting of this working group will be convened at the end of May. Clerk to place notices in the Roundabout, on the notice board, on the website and on Touchbase requesting that all comments from residents be sent to the Parish Council for inclusion by the 4th May 2021. 15. Correspondence 15.1 Request for financial assistance Bluebell-19/Benefice. The Parish Council had received a request from the Bluebell -19 group for financial assistance with printing costs of a new publication for the four villages. The intention is to have a booklet containing some historical information about each parish and then current information. As it is Church led there will be details from Reverend Rachel Blanchflower regarding weddings, funerals, baptisms, etc. There will also be links to a variety of sites, (e.g each Parish Council, sports facilities and clubs, Brownies) As information around the precise costings was not available, Councillors agreed to consider the request again at a future date. 15.2 SLCC Membership Request for Clerk to join SLCC (Society of Local Council Clerks) was unanimously approved. (proposed Councillor Scott, seconded Councillor Pett). There is a £10 joining fee and an annual subscription fee of £144.00 payable by the council. 15.3 Proposed footpath – Potton Road development. Councillors thanked those residents who had commented during the open forum session. Councillor Scott clarified that, according to the plans, the railings will not run the full length of the footpath; they will only be where there is a retaining wall and therefore a need to protect users from the ditch. The ditches are not owned by Highways but by private landowners meaning that the planning permission has been sanctioned only up to the boundaries. As Highways do not own the land, they would not be responsible for undertaking any suggested works to fill the ditches, or for incorporating piping and culverts to negate the need for a handrail at all. Councillors suggested that the private landowners could seek to unite and approach the developer to raise the question of them completing the works to fill the ditches in if the correct permissions were given. Alternatively, the landowners could request that the developer look to amend the approved plans. Councillors were keen to stress that they would support any actions by landowners. 15.4 Commercial use of the MUGA. Currently, there is ‘no booking’ policy in place meaning that users must compromise to ensure fair usage. The GSRA have taken the decision to charge for commercial usage of the Sports field (eg training bootcamps) Councillors were concerned that in the case of adverse weather, these commercial enterprises may look to move to the MUGA and, as they have paid a fee to the GSRA, would feel that this entitles them to usage of the MUGA – constituting a booking by proxy. Councillors unanimously felt that in order to preserve the ethos of the MUGA and to ensure it remained as a facility available to everyone in the village, commercial use would no longer be permitted. 15.5 Playing Field Car Park pothole. The pot hole at the entrance to the playing field car park has worsened considerably. It was suggested that a temporary solution should be sought. This would include planings being placed in the hole with a binder to ensure that it was robust. As the Sports field Car park is also undergoing temporary repair, Councillor Ginn will make enquiries around the possibility of purchasing a larger amount and splitting the cost so that both car parks can be dealt with. Councillor Capps will also make separate enquiries around contractors and suppliers. 15.6 War Memorial Graves Sign Placement. Following a meeting with the GGPCC, it was unanimously agreed to approve the location of the War Memorial Graves sign as proposed. 16. Planning 16.1 PARISH COUNCIL CONSULTATION – APPLICATION REF. 21/00264/HHFUL. 14. The Next Meeting has been arranged for Tuesday 4th May 2021 at 7:30pm. Raise existing garage roof to 1.5 storey to form an office. Loft conversion to provide additional bedroom and en-suite bathroom. 38 Winchfield Great Gransden Sandy SG19 3AN. Councillors had no objections to the above application, voting unanimously to submit no further comments. 16.2 PARISH COUNCIL CONSULTATION – APPLICATION REF. 20/02610/HHFUL. Erection of 1.2m fencing around boundary. 9 Fox Street Great Gransden Sandy SG19 3AA. Councillors had no objections to the above application, voting unanimously to submit no further comments. The Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Thursday 22nd April at 7:30pm. This meeting closed at 9:28pm. |
Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group Meeting on 31st of March
The next meeting of the Steering Group developing a Neighbourhood Plan for the parish is on Wednesday, 31st of March at 7pm. All are welcome to attend via Zoom; the agenda and Zoom sign-in details can be found on the Steering Group's website. |
PC meeting, March 2021
Agenda for the Parish Council meeting on March 1, 2021click here to get a copy of the agenda in PDF form, and the Clerk's notes are available via this link. You can download a copy of the the minutes.
From Catherine Fox, Parish Clerk:
The
Next Meeting of the Parish Council will be held at 7:30 on Monday 1st
March 2021 via remote conferencing on Zoom (Meeting ID 313 378
5045, Password 941083 or via this link) with Andrew Pett in the chair.
Please Note: Due to restrictions currently in place around COVID-19, there will be no physical meeting. Those who wish to comment on any item on the agenda are invited to join the Parish Council via ‘Zoom’. Councillors will not be making decisions about items not on the agenda. Any personal information given will be dealt with in line with the Parish Councils General Privacy Notice, full details of which can be found on the website. All members of the Council are
hereby summoned to attend for the purposes of considering and resolving
the business to be transacted at the meeting as set out below.
1. Silent Prayer.
2. Apologies for absence.
3. Declarations of Interest. (a) Councillors to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest in any items on the agenda;
(b) Councillors to declare any other interest in any items on the agenda. 4. Minutes. Consideration of the minutes of the meeting on 1st March 2021. 5. Open Forum for 15 minutes to enable members of the public to bring any matters to the attention of the Parish Council. 6. Matters Arising.
7. Tree Survey Review of report from OMC Associates and further action required. 8. Gransden Sports field
and Recreational Association (GSRA). Report from Nick Ginn on the status of the GSRA. (To include future of the committee and to confirm Licence Renewal). 9. Clerk’s Financial Statement. For February 2021 and Budget Review. 10. Cheques for Approval. 11. Highways. Any repairs or maintenance. 12. Correspondence.
13. Planning.
Installation of renewable energy apparatus - photovoltaic (PV)/solar panels for water heating and ground source heat pump for space heating.
22 Little Gransden Lane Great Gransden Sandy SG19 3BA. 14. Next Meeting. Monday 12th April 2021 at 7:30 pm. Annual Parish Meeting: 22nd April 2021 at 7:30pm. |
NDP steering group meeting, February 2021
The NDP steering group held an online meeting on
Wednesday February 24 at 7pm. The agenda and minutes follow. 1. Apologies 2. Declarations of Interest in the agenda of the meeting 3. Minutes of previous meeting of 13 January for approval 4. Open forum - 15 minutes for members of the public to ask questions. 5. Update on actions from previous minutes
7. Village boundary DWP 8. NDP document
10. Next Meeting 11. AOB 1. Apologies Apologies were received from Fiona Coulson and Jostein Kristensen 2. Declarations of Interest in the agenda of the meeting AC declared an official interest as Chair of the Reading Room Committee in the County Broadband item to be discussed under AOB as CB offers free broadband to village halls as part of installation projects to households in rural villages. MD and SB also declared this interest as Trustees of the Reading Room. 3. Minutes of previous meeting of 13 January. The minutes were approved as a correct record. There was no attendance at Open Forum. 5. Update on actions from previous minutes.
JK has confirmed that he will complete the GSHP tasks at the weekend.
The suggestions were circulated by DWP. Action: All to volunteer to lead on one of the ideas and submit postings to Elaine Boyd. ALL. Action: DWP to send the 2019 village quiz to JB. 6. Local Green Spaces. DWP requested more justification for the proposed LGSs. It was felt that the Riddy was the only one that was rather light on justification. Two other sites were mentioned but these cannot be included until the landowners have been consulted and have agreed. In some cases there was insufficient evidenced public support. If members feel strongly about other sites, they need to email their support and justification to DWP. The corner of Fox Street and West Street was felt to justify inclusion. Action: Emails to DWP about other sites that justify inclusion as LGSs with evidence. ALL 7. Village boundary. DWP explained that the justification for the village boundary is a new proposal rather than starting from the old boundary. The two industrial estates will be outside the boundary unless HDC insists otherwise. Ownership of Sand Road Industrial Estate still not known. Action: All to endeavour to find this out from friends etc. ALL Action: DWP, ND, AC to meet again to finalise the proposal and the map and initiate conversations with owners of certain properties on the boundary. 8. NDP document Sections still to complete are: Local Green Spaces; village boundary, a separate extract from the policies of the community action plans in a table; photographs, formatting. Does there need to be more on Views? Action: ND to complete the formatting. 9. Consultation. The Societies Fair should be feasible in late June/early July. It was agreed that it should be outside as far as possible and could therefore take place at the Reading Room. Action: Provisional bookings to be made for the Reading Room and the village marquee SB Confirmed that the dates of 26 June and 3 July have been provisionally booked. Action: ND to put the supporting documents on the website. Action: The draft document to be presented at the April Parish Council meeting. 10. AOB – County Broadband. JB briefed the group on his discussion with CB and advised that it was worth looking into further. Key questions are: to what extent would customers be locked in and the rental costs. Action: JB, ND and DWP to organise a forum discussion with CB. 11. Next Meeting Wednesday 31 March via Zoom |
PC meeting, February 2021
Agenda for the Parish Council meeting on February 1, 2021click here to get a copy of the agenda in PDF form, and the Clerk's notes are available via this link. The minutes follow the agenda, and you can download a copy in PDF form.
From Catherine Fox, Parish Clerk:
The
Next Meeting of the Parish Council will be held at 7:30 on Monday 1st
February 2021 via remote conferencing on Zoom (Meeting ID 313 378
5045, Password 941083 or via this link) with Andrew Pett in the chair.
Please Note: Due to restrictions currently in place around COVID-19, there will be no physical meeting. Those who wish to comment on any item on the agenda are invited to join the Parish Council via ‘Zoom’. Councillors will not be making decisions about items not on the agenda. Any personal information given will be dealt with in line with the Parish Councils General Privacy Notice, full details of which can be found on the website. All members of the Council are
hereby summoned to attend for the purposes of considering and resolving
the business to be transacted at the meeting as set out below.
1. Silent Prayer.
2. Apologies for absence.
3. Declarations of Interest. (a) Councillors to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest in any items on the agenda;
(b) Councillors to declare any other interest in any items on the agenda. 4. Minutes. Consideration of the minutes of the meeting on 4th January 2021. 5. Open Forum for 15 minutes to enable members of the public to bring any matters to the attention of the Parish Council. 6. Matters Arising.
7. Grass Cutting Contracts. Renewal of Cemetery contract. 8. Sports Field Licence Renewal. 9. Clerk’s Financial Statement. For January 2020 and Budget Review. 10. Cheques for Approval. 11. Highways. Any repairs or maintenance needed. 12. Correspondence.
Minutes of the Parish Meeting held on 1st February 2021By remote conference Those present were:
and 2 members of the public
1. The meeting was opened at 7:30 pm with a silent prayer. 2. Apologies. No apologies were received. 3. Declarations of Interest. There were no declarations of interest. 4. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting held on 4th January 2021 which had been circulated, were approved and will be signed accordingly by the Chairman. 5. OPEN FORUM. The meeting was closed for 18 minutes. Councillor West informed the meeting that after the widespread flooding of the local area over the Christmas period, the Overview and Scrutiny Flooding Task and Finish Group had met on the 27th January. Work had begun on the review of flooding across the district and the associated responsibilities of all local authorities. There will be four meetings which will take into account additional evidence including witness accounts. This will then form the basis on which recommendations will be made to mitigate the impact of flooding after heavy rain in the future.
As District Councillor, Cllr West had also been assisting Cllr Pett in responding to a resident’s concern over the removal of the asbestos roof sheets from the garages at the bottom of Mandene Gardens. Cllr West confirmed that he had tried to contact Jim Finney but had yet to receive a response. Given the nature of the issue, Cllr West will continue to press for a response and appropriate action to be taken to ensure that any works possibly involving the removal of asbestos are conducted in line with proper procedures. County Councillor Wisson confirmed that there would be a meeting to confirm the budget on 9th February 2021. This budget will be tight as Covid pressures have contributed to a difficult year. It is hoped that the libraries and recycling centres will be able to remain open; although the pressure on the system is significant. Currently it is anticipated that the Local and Mayoral elections in May will go ahead as planned. David Prest spoke on behalf of the Tennis Club. The club are currently looking at undertaking substantial renovation works to resurface three courts and replace the wooden fencing around the edges. The total cost of the works is likely to be in the region of £40,000. Funding of £30,000 is available from the Amey Community Funding Scheme, with the additional amounts to be met by the Tennis Club itself. So that the expression of interest form to the Amey Community Fund can be completed, a letter is required from the Parish Council in support of the renovation and improvement initiative. Councillors unanimously agreed to provide a letter which could be used. Clerk and Chair to liase with the Tennis Club to ensure that all points are addressed. In addition to this, the Tennis Club also have plans to install a water supply to the clubhouse. This will enable the installation of running water as well as a toilet, kitchen and a cess pit. There are various external funding opportunities available which the Tennis Club will explore. The Parish Council noted these plans and will look again when further detail is available. 6. Matters Arising 6.1 Neighbourhood Development Plan Councillor Pett reported that the NDP Steering Group had last met on the 6th January 2020. As Chair of the NDP Steering Group, David Prest gave a short report to the Parish Council.
Most of the plan is written, however face to face consultations have been prohibited under Covid restrictions. There is both a Facebook page and a website page dedicated to the NDP which councillors and parishioners are encouraged to join and engage with. This is currently acting as a means of informal consultation. A draft version of the first part of the plan is currently on the website, the second part will be uploaded in the next 7-10 days. The NDP had applied for a grant with Locality which was awarded. Unfortunately, as consultations were unable to go ahead, this will need to be repaid at the end of the financial year and a new funding application submitted. As part of the Community Action Plan and in an effort to achieve a net zero carbon balance, the NDP Steering Group are looking at Ground Source Heat Pump systems for within the village. There is public money available for feasibility studies as a village-wide initiative, or as a smaller group or even individual properties. There is a broad scope of options available that will help pull ideas around this together in a more structured way. The next meeting of the NDP Steering Group will be held on 24th February 2021. 6.2 East West Rail Conference. Councillor Catmur had attended the East West Rail Conference. No specific information was provided at this virtual meeting which covered more generic details of the plan.
7. Grass Cutting Contracts Councillors considered two quotations for grass cutting at the Cemetery and Garden of remembrance. After due consideration and having taken into account recommendations from neighbouring parishes and overall costs, Councillors unanimously agreed to accept the quotation from The Mower Shed for the 2021 season. (Proposed Councillor Pett and seconded by Councillor Scott)
8. Sports Field Licence Renewal. The licence for the sports field between the Parish Council and the GSRA is due to expire in March 2021.The original licence is dated 1990 but was varied in 1993 where it was extended for 28 years.
The Parish Council unanimously agreed to extend the agreement by a further 25 years, subject to agreement by the GSRA. (Proposed by Councillor Pett and seconded by Councillor Gorton) Clerk to draft a revised version of the Deed of Variation agreement to reflect new dates. 9. Financial Statement for January 2021. The sheet filed as Appendix No. 1 had been circulated. The statement was unanimously approved and signed by the Chairman. Councillors also noted the budget review as at the end of January 2021.
10. Payments for approval. The following payments were approved:
Proposed Councillor Pett, seconded by Councillor Scott.
Automated Payments payable February 2021
11. Highways 11.1 There is a pothole developing next to the Windmill. Clerk has previously reported this to Highways but will do so again. 11.2 The pot hole has worsened considerably on Middle Street near to Little Lane. This has previously been reported to Highways. Clerk to report again. 11.3 A large and potentially very dangerous pothole has developed on Meadow Road outside Gransden Hall. Clerk to report to Highways. 11.4 The Sewer Cover outside Old Barn Farm on Meadow Road appears to be collapsing and will need attention. Clerk to report. 11.5 Animals digging are causing an issue on Hardwick Road. Clerk to report. 11.6 Councillors noted that, despite being cleared by volunteers, the drains on Waresley Road need to be cleared professionally to stop the road from flooding. 12. Correspondence 12.1 The Parish Council has sought to preserve the Elm Trees on Church Street for a prolonged period of time. However, it has become apparent that they are at the end of their lives and are no longer viable. Permission will need to be obtained from HDC for their removal, with the stumps to be killed and ground down; possibly to be removed completely in the next couple of years or so. Councillors noted the report from Mr and Mrs Kokelaar on the Elm Trees and wished to thank them for their cooperation and support. At the time of the meeting, the report from OMC Associates (commissioned by the Parish Council) was not yet available. However, once it has been received, the Clerk will approach HDC for permission to remove with supporting evidence taken from both sources. This course of action was proposed by Councillor Pett, seconded by Councillor Scott and unanimously agreed. 12.2 Councillors noted the proposed location for the EWR station at Cambourne but will make no formal comment. 12.3 Planning enforcement at HDC had confirmed that the finished floor levels of the Sand Road development are in line with the approved scheme. Therefore, no breach of planning control has been confirmed. The Parish Council await the detailed explanation of how this conclusion was reached. 12.4 Councillors noted the Notification of Foxton Neighbourhood Plan – Resuming submission of public consultation period (12th Jan – 23rd Feb 2021) 12.5 Several residents had contacted the Parish Council to raise concerns over the increased number of mole hills in the cemetery. Councillor Gorton confirmed that over the past 25 years there have always been moles at the cemetery site. This is due to soil there which is sandy, moist and well-drained. It is felt that, as in previous years, the situation will resolve itself in the springtime and therefore at this time no further action will be taken. 12.6 Councillors noted correspondence from residents who were concerned about speeding traffic along Meadow Road. This has been discussed previously. Unfortunately, changes to the speed limit are not supported by the local constabulary despite numerous requests. Councillors agreed that speeding motorists pose a real threat to horses and also to pedestrians who are forced to walk in the road due to a lack of footpath. The Parish Council agreed to approach Highways for the relevant permissions to place appropriate signage. It was also agreed that the Parish Council would fund the cost of the signs and any installation costs. (Proposed by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Pett and unanimously agreed). Clerk to contact Highways. 12.7 Huntingdonshire Local Highway Improvement Panel Meeting. The panel meeting to discuss the LHI Bid will take place on 24th February at 10.45am. Councillors discussed the feasibility study that had been provided prior to this meeting considering all factors that may prohibit its success Notably, the total cost of the initiative had been flagged at being over the £10,000 Cambridgeshire County Council contribution limit. This was partly due to a built-in contingency amount. In light of the importance of speed reduction measures and safety within the village, Councillors agreed that they would be prepared to increase the Parish Council’s contribution if necessary, to effectively guarantee the contingency amount and therefore secure the LHI Funding. This was proposed by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Pett and unanimously carried. Due to his work on the original bid application, it was agreed that if possible, Councillor Scott would attend the meeting on behalf of the Parish Council. 13. Planning 13.1. PARISH COUNCIL CONSULTATION – APPLICATION REF. 20/02199/FUL Repair works to external boundary wall, piers and railings
Gransden Hall 21 Meadow Road Great Gransden SG19 3BD Councillors unanimously voted to recommend ‘Approval’ on the grounds that there was no reason to object to the planned repair works. 13.2. County Planning, Minerals and Waste Cambridgeshire County Council Consultation on Our Local Validation List Requirements
Councillors noted the documentation but will make no formal comment. 13.3 Councillors noted the placement of shipping containers on the filled in ditch at the edge of the Sand Road Industrial Estate. The Next Meeting has been arranged for Monday 1st March 2021 at 7:30pm This meeting closed at 8:59pm. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NDP steering group meeting, Jan 2021
The NDP steering group are holding an online meeting on Wednesday January 13 at 7pm. Anyone can attend via Zoom, the joining details are: 1. Apologies 2. Declarations of Interest in items on the agenda of the meeting 3. Minutes of previous meeting of 09 December for approval 4. Open forum - 15 minutes for members of the public to ask questions. 5. Update on actions from previous minutes
6. NDP document
7. COVID timetable delays 8. Next Meeting 9. AOB |
PC meeting, January 2021
Agenda for the Parish Council meeting on January 4, 2021click here to get a copy of the agenda in PDF form, and the Clerk's notes are available via this link. The minutes follow the agenda, or you can click here to download a copy in PDF form. From Catherine Fox, Parish Clerk: The
Next Meeting of the Parish Council will be held at 7:30 on Monday 4th January 2021 via remote conferencing on Zoom (Meeting ID 313 378
5045, Password 941083 or via this link) with Andrew Pett in the chair. Please Note: Due to restrictions currently in place around COVID-19, there will be no physical meeting. Those who wish to comment on any item on the agenda are invited to join the Parish Council via ‘Zoom’. Councillors will not be making decisions about items not on the agenda. Any personal information given will be dealt with in line with the Parish Councils General Privacy Notice, full details of which can be found on the website. All members of the Council are
hereby summoned to attend for the purposes of considering and resolving
the business to be transacted at the meeting as set out below. 1. Silent Prayer. 2. Apologies for absence. 3. Declarations of Interest. (a) Councillors to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest in any items on the agenda; (b) Councillors to declare any other interest in any items on the agenda. 4. Minutes. Consideration of the minutes of the meeting on 7th December 2020. 5. Open Forum for 15 minutes to enable members of the public to bring any matters to the attention of the Parish Council. 6. Matters Arising. 1. Neighbourhood Plan – report and update from Councillor Pett. 2. Entrance to the Park from Little Lane - Update. 3. Update on Windows and Doors – 18 Fox Street. 7. Cambridgeshire Acre. Renewal of membership. 8. Replacement LED Lantern – Crow Tree Street. 9. Risk Register Updates – Councillor J Catmur. 10. Multi-Use Games Area. To consider the cost/appointment of maintenance contractor. 11. Sportsfield Grass Cutting. To consider the Parish Council’s financial contribution. 12. Clerk’s Financial Statement. For December 2020 and Budget Review. 13. Cheques/Payments for Approval. 14. Highways. Any repairs or maintenance needed. 15. Correspondence. 1. Roadworks & events bulletin 1st - 15th January 2021. 16. Planning. 1. PARISH COUNCIL CONSULTATION – APPLICATION REF. 20/02383/HHFUL: Proposed Greenhouse, hardstanding and re-siting of fence. 3C Fox Street, Great Gransden, Sandy, SG19 3AA. 17. Next Meeting. Monday, 1st February 2021 at 7:30 pm. (these are to be considered draft until formally approved at a PC meeting - see home page) Those present were:
1. The meeting was opened at 7:30 pm with a silent prayer. 2. Apologies. Apologies were received from County Councillor Julie Wisson 3. Declarations of Interest. There were no declarations of interest. 4. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting held on 7th December 2020 which had been circulated, were approved and will be signed accordingly by the Chairman. 5. OPEN FORUM. The meeting was closed for 4 minutes. Councillor West informed the meeting that after the widespread flooding of the local area over the Christmas period, the Managing Director Joanne Lancaster had begun to set up local conferences for the purpose of bringing together key local representatives. The proposed attendees will be Chairmen and Clerks of Parishes that were affected, along with County and District Councillors and representatives of emergency planning agencies. These meetings will be held virtually and locations to be looked at will be those adversely affected by the flooding. Councillor West commented that possible challenges for 2021 continue to include the Sand Road Development, the East West Rail Project and the A428. Consultations around the London Luton Airport Arrival Routes remain ongoing. Councillor West confirmed that, on a positive note, HDC have been awarded future High Street funds for St Neots. This will mean that the town will attract new amenities that can then be utilised by village residents. 6. Matters Arising 6.1 Neighbourhood Development Plan Councillor Pett reported that the NDP Steering Group had last met on the 9th December 2020. This meeting was a working meeting, looking at the development boundary proposal. Using the HDC criteria, the document had been reviewed again. The next meeting is scheduled for the 13th January and will also be a working meeting. It is hoped that following this, the draft will be finalised and will be then sent to Rachel Hogger and then ultimately submitted to HDC. Councillors queried the timescales around this and asked when the draft would be viewable by the Parish Council. Councillor Pett informed the meeting that once the draft had been returned from Rachel Hogger, it would first go to the Steering Group for review before being presented to the Parish Council prior to its submission to HDC. Timescales for this should be February/March. 6.2 Entrance to the Park from Little Lane The entrance to the park from Little Lane remains treacherous. The increase in footfall has meant that grass at the edges of the concrete steps has worn away becoming slippery. The Parish Council agreed to purchase and install plastic grass protector around the affected area. To ensure that delivery is not impacted by the current pandemic, and that work to install it can begin while the school remains closed, it was agreed that this should be sourced via Amazon. Councillor King and Councillor Capps to liaise with Clerk to organise purchase and installation. 6.3 Update on Windows and Doors – 18 Fox Street Councillors noted the recommendation from Kathy Render for discharge of conditions following receipt of revised drawings. Once formal discharge on the planning portal has been granted, new quotations for works required will be obtained. The specifications required have substantially changed since the submission of the initial drawings and it was agreed that previous quotes would now not apply. Councillors wished to pass on their sincere thanks to Jason Dixon for his help in providing the drawings required to secure discharge of conditions. 7. Cambridgeshire Acre Membership Renewal It was unanimously agreed to renew the Parish Councils membership of Cambridgeshire Acre at a cost of £57 for the year. This was proposed by Councillor Pett and seconded by Councillor Capps. 8. Replacement LED Lantern Crow Tree Street Councillors unanimously approved the quotation provided by Balfour Beatty for £462.07 ex VAT. (Proposed by Councillor Pett, seconded Councillor Gorton) All replacements are LED for longer life and better efficiency. In future, as more of the older lamps in the village fail, they will also be upgraded. 9. Risk Register Updates Councillors noted the updates to the Risk Register previously circulated by Councillor Catmur, in particular changes around the internet provision in the village and the financial viability of HDC/CCC. Tilted balance had also been re-added as a relevant risk. It was noted that although the threat of tilted balance had for the moment receded, it remained a serious risk. This risk though lessened by the adoption of the NDP, is not removed entirely. 10. Multi-Use Games Area Councillors considered the quotations provided from Sportsafe UK and ROSPA for the annual inspections of the play equipment. It was agreed that as the MUGA does not have any equipment, it does not need to be included. The quotes were comparable, but it was unanimously agreed that taking into account recommendations from neighbouring parishes, ROSPA should be asked to do the inspections. This was proposed by Councillor King and seconded by Cllr Ginn. Due to ROSPA’s timetable of inspections, this means that the next one will be done in May/June. 11. Sportsfield Grass Cutting The Parish council and the GSRA agreed that the standard of cut at the Sportsfield had been high. As the existing contractor, Buchans Landscapes and Grounds Maintenance were asked to re-tender for the 2021 season on the same specifications as for the 2020 season. Councillors unanimously agreed to accept the quotation of £2392.25 ex VAT. This was proposed by Councillor Ginn and seconded by Councillor Capps. It was noted that in order to properly monitor the cost of the grass cutting and to help manage the budget, Buchans should be asked to notify the Parish Council in advance of any cuts being done that may result in expenditure over budget. Buchans will be informed that payment will only be made for additional cuts if the Parish Council are notified in advance This was unanimously agreed. Clerk to specify this when accepting the quotation. 12. Financial Statement for December 2020. The sheet filed as Appendix No. 1 had been circulated. The statement was unanimously approved and signed by the Chairman. Councillors also noted the budget review as at the end of December 2020. The meeting paused for 11 minutes at 8pm to hear the Prime Ministers National Address around the pandemic. 13. Payments for approval. The following payments were approved: Proposed Councillor Pett, seconded by Councillor Scott. 1 Clerk’s expenses for December 2020 £30.46 2. Phil Reed
Plumbing and Heating £120.00 3. Phil Reed
Plumbing and Heating £185.00 4. ICO Data Protection Renewal Fee £40.00 5. Cambridgeshire ACRE Annual renewal Fee £57.00 6. HMRC - PAYE (period ending 5th Feb) £136.00 7. Mr R McIntosh – Garden of Remembrance (Dec) £7.50 Automated Payments payable January 2021 1. DD BT – Broadband Reading Rooms £29.99 2. SO Clerk’s Salary – December
2020 £574.60 3. SO Caretaker Salary – January
2021 £544.16 14. Highways 14.1 There is a pothole developing next to the Windmill. Clerk to report to Highways. 14.2 The left-hand side of Mill Road (on the approach to the Windmill from Great Gransden) continues to deteriorate with parts now subsiding and falling away. Clerk to report to Highways. 14.3 A pot hole has developed on Middle Street near to Little Lane. Clerk to report to Highways. 14.4 Councillors discussed the responsibility for public footpaths, in particular the one that runs from Sand Road to Bourn which has become almost impassable. Unfortunately, this path is a sunken footpath which is on the lowest part of the land and therefore is liable to flood with water coming from the fields. In this instance, it was agreed that no reasonable action can be taken to mitigate this. 14.5 Cllr Pett confirmed that he had written to Ian Winfield of Highways to thank him for his help in getting the drainage problems within the village resolved. 15. Correspondence 15.1 Councillors noted the Roadworks and Events Bulletin for the 1st – 15th January 2021. 16. Planning 16.1 PARISH COUNCIL CONSULTATION – APPLICATION REF. 20/02383/HHFUL Proposed Greenhouse, hardstanding and re-siting of fence 3C Fox Street Great Gransden Sandy SG19 3AA Councillor Scott raised the point that the original plans for the house had been altered to move the building away from the conservation area, and that therefore any building inside the area now may be viewed as contradictory. A hardstanding as proposed may be better suited to directly in front of the house itself – therefore not impacting the conservation area at all. On balance, it was noted that the revision of the plans was to move the buildings further from the conservation area and did not apply to hard standings. Any works that create additional off-road parking therefore removing congestion on the public roads would have a positive impact for many. After discussion, it was proposed that the Parish Council recommend ‘Approval’ on the grounds that there were no reasonable grounds to object. This was proposed by Councillor Ricciardi and seconded by Councillor Capps with 6 votes in favour and 3 abstentions. 16.2 The
results of the official written report requested from Hayfield by HDC in
relation to FFL (Final Floor Levels) of some of the new houses being built in
Sand Road is still outstanding.
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Audit of accounts, 2019-2020
In preparation for our annual audit, the Parish Council published our Annual Governance and Accounting Statements for 2019-20. You can also download a document describing your rights to inspect and comment on the accounts. Our accounts have now been audited, and accepted without comment. You can download a copy of the external auditor certificate and also the notice of conclusion of audit. |
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