Minutes of a meeting of Gt

Minutes of a meeting of Gt. & Lt. Parish = Council held in=20 the village hall on Monday, 26^th January 2009 at 7.30 = p.m.

Present:- Cllrs. Gardiner (in the Chair) Brearley,=20 Cartwright, Dibblee, Erskine, Murgatroyd and Scott, together with the = Financial=20 Officer, Clerk, Dist.Cllr. Guest. County Cllr. McCraith (who arrived = late to the=20 meeting) and two members of the public.

1 Apologies for absence were received from = Dist.Cllr.=20 Barrett.

2 Confirmation of Minutes. The Minutes of the = meeting=20 held on 15^th December were taken as read, confirmed and = signed.

3 Matters arising

The Clerk confirmed that Mrs. Dawn Crow had kindly = agreed to=20 be Webmaster for the Parish Council.

Cllr. Dibblee reported that the Youth Club worker = would be=20 visiting the Club for 2 hours shortly =96 which would be very helpful to = the=20 Committee.

She also mentioned that she had been in touch with = Chrishall=20 Parish Council regarding their experience with the use of a = defibrillator. =20 Apparently it had been successful although there were drawbacks attached = to its=20 use and availability and also in obtaining enough volunteers to operate = the=20 equipment =96 although it had been improved and was easier to use. = Cllr.=20 Diblee would ask Chrishall to make=20 a = =20 recommendation to us. The Financial Officer advised that no money = had been=20 budgeted for a=20 defibrillator = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; &nbs= p;=20 ACTION: R.D..

Cllr. Dibblee also referred to correspondence = relating to=20 possible changes in South Cambs. Housing policy. Dist.Cllr. = Guest=20 explained the position and confirmed that tenants were fully informed = and their=20 interests taken into account.

The question of dog fouling throughout the village = was again=20 referred to and the Clerk reiterated that South Cambs. D.C. had already = turned=20 down a request for another waste disposal unit in Heydon Road unless the = Parish=20 Council was prepared to pay for its supply, installation and = servicing.

The Clerk reported that Mr. Tim Harvey=92s hedge = along Hall=20 Lane had still not been cut back and the Clerk would write to him again = advising=20 him that this work must be done as a matter of=20 urgency. = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; =20 ACTION: Clerk

30mph sign outside the new development. The = Highways=20 Dept. confirmed that the sign would be moved as requested, the cost = being met by=20 Raglan Housing.

Cllr. Murgatroyd reported that Raglan Housing had = done their=20 first inspection and were very satisfied.

Replacement of bus shelter roof tile. Cllr. = Murgatroyd would=20 arrange for this to be=20 replaced. &nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; &nbs= p; =20 ACTION: J.M.

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4 Parish Clerk Recruitment. The Chairman reported = that at=20 least 5 people had applied for the position and had been requested to = provide=20 C.V=92s. He proposed that a sub committee of Cllrs. Murgatroyd and = Erskine=20 together with himself be appointed to interview possible applicants and = they=20 would then seek total agreement by the Parish Council and proceed with a = recruitment programme.

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5. Gritting Schedule

The Chairman was pleased to report that Mr. Oakman = (Highways)=20 had now agreed to include May Street and Little Chishill on their Winter = Maintenance policy =96 but will have to review the situation during the=20 summer.

6. Footpaths =96 Update

=A3600 was held in Reserve on this account. = In view of=20 the amount of work carried out by Lorraine and Peter Brand, it was = agreed that=20 the Clerk send them a letter of thanks.

Chalky Walk was in a bad condition but the Chairman = was=20 pleased to say that a temporary surface had been put down which had made = some=20 improvement and Andrew Stimson (Parish Paths Liaison Officer) would = visit the=20 site and investigate the situation. Mr. & Mrs. Brand are going to = put up=20 signage.

7. Status of Planning Applications

Application from. Mrs. S.E. Dreary =96 14 Colts = Croft =96=20 refused.

Application from Bridgefoot Farm Kennels =96 Flint = Cross =96=20 refused.

Application from Mr. P. Wiseman had gone to = Appeal. We=20 would be advised of the result.

8. Financial Matters

Notice board for Little Chishill. Four = quotations had=20 been obtained and on a proposal by the Chairman it was unanimously = agreed that=20 Mr. O. Davies=92 quotation be accepted. Cllr. Erskine would liaise with = the Clerk=20 regarding siting of the board.

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Correspondence from South Cambs. D.C. regarding = funds being=20 available from Cambridgeshire Community Chest were handed to Cllr. = Dibblee.

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The Clerk advised re cheques paid since last = meeting as=20 follows:- Berforts South East (Newsletter) =A355; Bus shelter light = =A38.46 and=20 Archant Herts (Crow advert. =A379.21)

Cllr. Erskine mentioned that it may be necessary to = increase=20 cost of printing the monthly Newsletter to =A390. This extra expense of = 50% not=20 budgeted for.

9. To Discuss =93Speedwatch=94

Cllr. Scott reported on a meeting he had attended = on=20 5^th January and circulated an illustration of South Cambs. = New=20 equipment which would appear to prove more successful in monitoring cars = which=20 exceeded the speed limit. There would be a training meeting for a = group of=20 volunteers and the equipment could be shared with other=20 parishes. &nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; =20 ACTION T.S

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10. Street Monitoring

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Cllr. Scott drew attention to the overgrown hedge = along a=20 stretch of footpath on Heydon Road which obliged pedestrians to use the = road. It=20 was agreed that the Clerk advise the owners to cut it back without = delay,=20 especially as it involved an important road sign. Other Cllrs. would = give the=20 matter of monitoring their attention and report at the next = meeting.

Monitoring had been organised as follows: - Cllr. = Murgatroyd=20 (May Street), Cllr. Cartwright (New Road) Cllr. Dibblee (Hall Lane), = Cllr.Scott=20 (Heydon Road) and Cllr. Brearley (Barley Road)

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11. Correspondence

A letter from South Cambs. D.C. re =93Works to the = village lock=20 up=94 would be dealt with by Cllr. Murgatroyd. The Financial Officer = reminded=20 Cllrs. That the matter had been put on hold and no money=20 allocated. &nb= sp; &nbs= p; = ;=20 ACTION:=20 J.M. &nb= sp; &nbs= p; =20

A letter re Neighbourhood Watch Annual Conference = on Saturday=20 31^st January 9.45 at Huntingdon, was reported to the = meeting.

12. Any Other Business

Cllr. Brearley reported an incident of vandalism by = the bus=20 shelter and spoke to the parents of one of the boys involved. = Unfortunately his=20 visit had been treated with derision =96 however Cllr. Dibblee agreed to = arrange=20 for the Youth Club Committee to have a word with their members. = Cllr.=20 Scott felt that such wanton vandalism should be reported to the police = in=20 future, although some reluctance to this action was=20 expressed. &nb= sp; &nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; =20 ACTION: R.D.

A member of the public who was present at the = meeting drew=20 attention to what he regarded as the abuse of the Planning = Department=92s=20 conditions placed on the rabbit sanctuary. Cars were still being = parked in=20 the Close and in front of tenants=92 garages; there was an increase in = the number=20 of rats attracted to the sanctuary and it was felt that a very = close eye=20 should be kept on the situation. Dist.Cllr. Guest agreed to = approach the=20 Environmental Health Officer to check on the running of the = sanctuary. The=20 Chairman suggested that the tenants make a note of the abuses taking = place so=20 that the Parish Council could inform the Planning Department = officially.

Cllr. Dibblee advised that a resident had spoken to = her about=20 horse riders who emerged on to the B.1039 adjacent the windmill from a=20 footpath, (not a bridle way) which he regarded as a dangerous=20 manoeuvre. Mr. Law could be approached about making a bridle way = entrance=20 on to his land. (Later the Chairman spoke to Mr. & Mrs. Brand = and they=20 agreed to prosecute the matter).

Mrs. Jean Wiseman had reported block drains from = Hall Farm to=20 the Essex border on the B.1039 and the Clerk was instructed to email Mr. = Mike=20 Cooper (Highways) about blocked drains throughout the whole=20 village. = ; = =20 ACTION: Clerk

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Cllr. Scott that he understood that the present = tenancy of=20 Lynchetts Farm would shortly expire and it would be an opportunity to = approach=20 the new tenant with a view to the chalk pit being converted into a = wildlife=20 haven under the custodianship of the

Parish Council The Parish Council was very = interested in this=20 idea which could only be an improvement to this neglected area and Cllr. = Scott=20 agreed to approach the subject to the Agents at the Open Day on = 3^rd=20 February. However, there would be costs involved regarding insurance and = maintenance.

13 Date of next meeting

After a short discussion it was agreed that the = next meeting=20 of the Parish Council be held on Monday, 9^th March.

There being no further business, the Chairman = declared the=20 meeting closed.