Wednesday
|
Members present: Councillors: |
Mrs D Morison Mr D Charge Mr D Coulson Mrs S Hyde Mr R Rowlands Mrs A Webb |
Miss C Westgarth (Chairman) Mr A Hollick Dr J McCabe Dr H Roscoe Mr D Ellis Dr C Chambers |
In attendance: Mrs G Stoehr (Clerk) and 4 members of the public including Mr Harvey(4.4).
The proposal by Mrs Morison, seconded by Mrs Hyde that Miss
The proposal by Mrs Morison, seconded by Miss Westgarth, that Dr
Janet McCabe be elected as Vice-Chair was carried unanimously.
Terms of Reference - Comberton Parish Council Planning Committee (The Planning Committee for short) is delegated:
· To consider and determine, on the Parish Council's behalf, all matters relating to residential planning and development control in the parish (up to 2 dwellings per plot and all associated planning applications e.g. walls, extensions etc).
· To consider and make recommendation on all matters in the adjacent parishes having impact on Comberton parish and to make recommendation to the Parish Council.
· To hold public meetings to gauge residents' views as appropriate
· To respond to communications relating to planning matters.
· To consider and respond to all matters relating to previous applications (e.g. amendments, enforcements, appeals etc).
· To discuss all matters relating to planning matters with officers at the local authorities.
· To attend and represent the Parish Council at SCDC Development Control Committee meetings.
· To consider all matters relating to the conservation area and to make recommendation to the Parish Council.
· To consider and draw up a draft village design statement and to make recommendation for its adoption to the Parish Council.
· To consider all matters relating to commercial applications and other non-residential development within the village and to make recommendation to the Parish Council.
·
To consider all matters
relating to development of 3 plus dwellings and to make recommendation for the
approval or otherwise to the parish council and where appropriate make
recommendation for the terms of any S
· To consider any recommendation by the Tree Group and/or Tree Warden on tree applications within the conservation area and to respond to the District Council.
· To consider all matters relating to any landscape or character assessment and to make recommendation.
The Planning Committee:
· Must have due regard to the Parish Council's Standing Orders at all times. In particular that meetings must be held in a public place, properly convened and decisions clearly minuted. It must act as a corporate body.
· Must respond to any direction given by the Parish Council.
· Membership shall be seven members with a quorum of three. These members shall be Miss Westgarth, Mrs Morison, Mr Charge, Dr Roscoe, Mr Bailey, Dr Chambers and Mrs Webb.
· Should elect from amongst its members every six months a Chairman who is authorised to sign all agenda, correspondence and planning responses during their term of office.
· May set up sub groups (working parties) that may meet informally to discuss aspects of the Planning Committee's work and to prepare recommendations for the Committee’s consideration. The working parties may contain persons not on the Parish Council.
· May invite individuals, groups and organisations and/or officials to attend its meetings as appropriate and public participation at the meetings is at the Committee’s discretion.
·
May seek free advice or
information from the District or County Councils and/or other body to enable it
to understand or carry out its duties more effectively or to bring
recommendation to the Parish Council if there is a cost implication to the
Parish Council.
Terms of Reference:
· Brief: A group to consider and respond to new ideas and initiatives and to make recommendations to full council for its consideration.
· Administrative matters: No formal agenda, minutes or meeting room required etc as group not committee
· Financial matters: Delegated to arrange and spend the Community Events budget annually in conjunction with the Clerk.
· Membership: all members to be invited to attend and participate. Miss Westgarth and Mr Hollick (convenors) and Mr D Ellis and Mr D Coulson.
The Focus Group
· Must have due regard for the Parish Council’s Standing Orders.
·
May seek advice or information
from the District or County Councils and/or other body to enable it to understand
or carry out its duties more effectively.
·
Should liaise with other Parish
Council committees as appropriate.
Terms
of Reference:
· Brief: A group to consider and monitor all matters relating to trees and hedging in the public areas of the parish and on land owned or managed by the Parish Council.
The Group is asked to:
- Monitor all trees owned by the Parish
Council as detailed in the Tree Survey report dated January 200
- To consider all matters relating to trees in private ownership where they impact on the public areas and to make recommendation to the appropriate authority.
- Consider all tree applications for work within a conservation area and to make recommendation to the Planning Committee for a response.
- Consider all implications relating to trees
and hedging as part of planning applications and S
· Administrative matters: No formal agenda, minutes or meeting room required etc as a working party not a committee
· Financial matters: The Clerk and Mrs Morison are delegated to spend the budget allocated each year for tree maintenance having due regard for the Council’s standing and financial orders.
· Membership: Mrs Morison, Mrs Winney, Mr Robert Cook (Tree Warden) It was agreed to ask Mrs Winney and Mr Cook if they would be willing to accept the nomination to continue on the group. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman, as detailed in Standing Orders, are ex-officio on the Group.
Terms of reference:
·
To
progress the Council's previous decision that a recreation ground trust should
be set up
·
To
progress the draft trust document with all parties mentioned therein and bring
recommendations to the Parish Council at the appropriate times.
Terms of reference
· To continue to review transport section of the Comberton Parish Plan and to make recommendation for implementation of projects to the Parish Council indicating clearly any anticipated costs.
· Administrative matters: No formal agenda, minutes or meeting room required etc as a working party not a committee
· Membership: Dr Roscoe, Mr Charge, Mrs Hyde and Mrs Morison.
The Group:
· Must have due regard for the Parish Council’s Standing Orders.
·
May seek advice or information
from the District or County Councils and/or other body to enable it to
understand or carry out its duties more effectively.
·
Should liaise with other Parish
Council committees as appropriate.
1.3.7
Flooding issues, watercourses and ditches
Group
Terms of reference
· To continue to review the condition of all watercourses, ditches, drains etc in the parish and to make recommendation, were appropriate, to the Parish Council.
· Administrative matters: No formal agenda, minutes or meeting room required etc as a working party not a committee
· Membership: Mr Hollick and Mrs Hyde.
The Group:
· Must have due regard for the Parish Council’s Standing Orders.
·
May seek advice or information
from the District or County Councils, Environment Agency, Anglian Water and/or
other body to enable it to understand or carry out its duties more effectively.
Representation on outside bodies
The members named below are asked to research and attend meetings relating to their area of representation and to report regularly to the Parish Council. Members are also asked to make clear recommendation for action to the Parish Council as and when appropriate. Members should have due regard for the Parish Council’s Standing Orders at all times.
It was noted that
there had been a lack of information from Countryside Watch recently and to
contact the area co-ordinator.
·
To
monitor all public rights of way in the parish
·
To
draw up annually a proposal for improvement and maintenance for public rights
of way in the village
·
To
apply for in conjunction with the Clerk, the annual County Council's parish
paths grant
·
Must
have due regard for the Parish Council’s Standing Orders.
·
May
seek advice or information from the District or County Councils and/or other
body to enable it to understand or carry out its duties more effectively.
·
Should
liaise with other Parish Council committees as appropriate
It was
noted that a recent review had taken place and that all deeds and land
conveyances were with the Solicitor pending the land registration process which
had already been agreed.
The
Standing Orders[2] were
reviewed and no changes were proposed.
The
Parish Council reviewed the requirements of the scheme and agreed to keep this
under review so that following the elections in 2007 the Parish Council could
then decide if it wanted to apply for quality council status. It was noted that
the Council already had most of the requirements in place. The electoral
mandate criteria would be determined at the May 2007 elections. It was agreed
to have a standing item titled 'Comments and Observations from members of the
public' on the agenda to allow parishioners and members of the public to raise matters with the Council. It was
noted that if not on the agenda some matters raised would be have to be
discussed at the next meeting.
2. To approve apologies
for absence and declarations of interest
2.0.
2.0.2 Declarations of interest were received as follows:
Item 4.4 Dr
Chambers – lives adjacent to recreation ground and
3. To approve the
minutes of the meeting on
On a proposition by Miss
Westgarth, seconded by Mrs Morison the minutes of the meeting were approved as
a true record and signed by the Chairman after the following amendment:
·
Delete the last paragraph of 3.2 after 'SCDC had
adopted.'
On a proposition by Miss Westgarth, seconded
by Mrs Morison the Confidential minutes of the meeting on
·
Mr
D Ellis is to be added to the name of attendees.
4. Matters arising or
carried forward from the meeting including
4.
4.2 Clerk’s
terms and conditions of service annual review
On a proposal by the Chairman it
was agreed to carry forward items: 4.
4.3 (3.4) Cricket Club boundary meeting with CCC
Miss Westgarth reported on the site meeting that
she and the Clerk had attended with David Lines and Claire O'Neil of
Cambridgeshire County Council(CCC) and Tim Saunders of Comberton Cricket Club
to discuss the Cricket Club's concerns regarding the safer routes to school
path.
The Parish Council agreed that the path which had
now been installed was not in the same position as discussed at a previous site
meeting when Mr Lines had blamed the Parish Council for installing the youth
shelter in the path's proposed route and thus delaying the other aspects of the
scheme. The path, which Mr Lines now claimed was in accordance with the
planning application, was not affected by the youth shelter and thus the delays
had been CCC's. Also there were issues with the surfacing at the sides of the
path and also the lack of advance notice of the installation. The Cricket Club
also had issues with the path as it had shortened the boundary and the health
and safety of the players.
It was agreed to try to resolve this by writing to
CCC:
·
Seeking an apology to both the Parish Council and
the Cricket Club for the problems to date.
·
Asking CCC to install the outstanding aspects of
the scheme not installed as a result of their own delays.
·
Seeking seed funding for the Cricket Club towards a
grant application, towards the relocation of one or two wickets.
·
Support the Cricket Club in any grant application
it made to move the wicket.
4.4 Request for access to the rear of
Dr Chambers having
declared a prejudicial interest earlier in the meeting left the meeting whilst
this matter was being discussed.
The following were all noted and considered:
·
A letter from Mr Harvey dated
·
Letters of objection including one petition from
residents from Green End and
·
An e-mail dated 2 May from National
Association of Local Council (NALC) offering advice on procedure and matters to
be taken into account when considering the request for access[6]
·
Information on public open space and access on to
recreation grounds[7]
On a proposition by Miss Westgarth, seconded by Mrs
Morison the Parish Council unanimously refused the application for access to
the rear of
·
Safety of users of the Recreation Ground.
·
Practical difficulties to do with the gate and
access.
·
So as not to prejudice the amenity of a quiet rural
lane.
·
Not to prejudice the proposed land purchase
adjacent to the recreation ground.
Dr C Chambers re-joined the
meeting.
4.5 Concessionary fares
Copies
of correspondence between Alan Lansley MP and the Minister are to be
circulated.
5.
None received.
6. Parish Plan
Nothing
further to report.
7. Finance
7.
The financial report was received
and considered and checked by a member against the invoices and statements. On
a proposition by Mr Hollick, seconded by Miss Westgarth it was agreed
that the payments as listed in the financial report should be paid.
|
SCDC |
Rates |
£ |
|
Allianz Cornhill |
Insurance policy |
£ |
|
Connections Bus Project |
Youth bus |
£675.00 |
|
BT |
Telephone bill |
£ |
|
CALC |
Affiliation fee |
£529.24 |
|
Open Spaces Society |
Affiliation fee |
£30.00 |
|
Five Star |
|
£94.00 |
|
LG Stoehr |
Salary |
£ |
|
LGS Services |
Admin support |
£834.8 |
|
A Marsh |
|
£60.00 |
|
Powergen |
Electricity |
£ |
|
Cambs & Peterboro' Fire Authority |
Electricity |
£84.00 |
The
following were noted:
·
On a proposition by Dr Roscoe, seconded by Miss Westgarth it was agreed to setting up a standing order
and or direct debit to cover the routine pavilion phone bill which is required
for the fire alarm service.
·
Further to the last meeting a Vacuum
was purchased from Tesco at a cost of approximately £25.
·
MD Landscapes have picked up the
memorial site cutting at no additional cost and the pond area at £
·
Mr Gristwood has returned his keys and
jacket. It was agreed that he should
also be asked to return the ‘pond key’.
·
Mr Coulson be appointed to monitor the
pond levels and use the key to release water from the pond when necessary.
·
The Parish Council has randomly been
selected to have an intermediate audit again this year. However as both the income and expenditure is
over £
·
The internal audit will take place on
Friday 9 June.
7.2
To approve the accounts for FY ending 2006
and complete the annual return and statement of assurance
On a proposition by Dr Roscoe, seconded by Miss
Westgarth the accounts were approved by resolution of Comberton Parish Council
and the statements in section 2 of the annual return were all answered ‘Yes’.
The Chairman signed sections
8. To receive reports
and consider recommendations contained in the reports
8.
The
planning report[9] was taken as read.
8.2 Village Hall representative and Steering Group
representatives
Mr Hollick
reported on the building progress and it was noted that the cladding is currently
being put on.
Dr McCabe asked if the Parish Council would be
willing to use the tea room for its meeting and explained the Trustees proposal
to allow the Old Village Hall meeting room to be used by the Commercial
Centre. It was agreed that further
information on both these matters would need to be supplied for example the
size and person capacity of the room before the Parish Council could consider
this further.
8.3 Audit Review of SCDC
Mrs
Webb reported on the Audit Commission's review of the Planning and Development
Services meeting that she, and the Clerk had both attended.
9. To consider matters
arising out of correspondence/communications received including
9.
An e-mail dated 27 April 2006 from Dr B Burton[10]
regarding the Trustees proposed bridging loan was considered. On a
proposition by Dr Chambers, seconded by Dr Roscoe it was agreed that Comberton
Parish Council acknowledged the Comberton Village Institute Trust's application
for a charity bank bridging loan of £45,000 and a charity bank term loan of
£25,000.
9.2 RoSPA recreation ground report
To be circulated to the recreation
ground group for consideration.
4.
4.2 Clerk’s
terms and conditions of service annual review
At 9.30pm on a proposition by the Chairman, carried unopposed, in accordance with S
The Clerk was invited to remain for the discussion on the proposed extension to the recreation ground.
The meeting was reopened at
There was no further business and
the meeting closed at
Signed ……………………………………. .Chairman
…………………date
[1] Letter dated 23/4/06 from Dr A J Hosking, 60 Green End re: Herrings Lands Charity enclosing proposals
[2] Comberton parish Council's Standing Orders
[3] Quality Council Overview
[4] Letter from Mr Harvey dated
[5] Letters of objection including one petition
from residents from Green End and
[6] Advice from National Association of Local
Council (NALC) re: