LONGSTOWE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Meeting held on 21st May 2026 at 8.15pm
Present: Cllr Mrs Bobbie Coe (Chairperson)
Cllr Will Bevan
Cllr Ben Holland
Cllr Peter White
Sharon Brown (Clerk)
Also present: District Councillor John Jefferies and Chris Morton, Skylark editor.
1 ELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON; DECLARATIONS OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE
Proposed by Councillor Bevan, seconded by Cllr White and unanimously agreed, that Cllr Coe be re-elected chairperson. Cllr Coe duly signed the Acceptance of Office. Councillors also signed Declarations of Office following the uncontested election of 7th May.
2 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
County Councillor Lucy Nethsingha and Parish Councillor Barbara Cooper
3 OPEN FORUM
No items were raised.
4 MEMBERS’ DECLARATION OF INTEREST FOR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA
None received.
5 TO SIGN AND APPROVE MINUTES OF LAST PARISH COUNCIL MEETING & OF THE ANNAUL PARISH MEETING
The Minutes of the last Parish Council Meeting were by proposed by Cllr White, seconded by Cllr Holland and approved.
The Minutes of the Annual Parish meeting were proposed by Cllr Bevan, seconded by Cllr Holland and approved.
6 REPORTS FROM COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS
Cllr Coe welcomed Cllr Jefferies as the new District Councillor.
a) District Councillor John Jefferies noted his thanks to Cllr Tumi Hawkins for her work in the role over the past years and that he would continue taking up any concerns now being brought to him. He noted that the latest East- West Rail consultation would end on 9th June.
7 MATTERS ARISING/TO REPORT FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES (FOR INFORMATION ONLY) TO REPORT THE FOLLOWING
a) Councillor email addresses/ website – update: Cllr Coe noted that Cloud Next had set up the .gov domain and the final set up of email addresses and website updating by Eyelid Productions should be complete in approximately two weeks.
b) MVAS update: Highways has now supplied designs for the location of the MVAS posts. Agreement of the Parish Council to the five post locations, as discussed at the April Parish Council meeting, has been communicated to Highways
c) Accidents crossroads 21/4/2026 and 12/5/26: Two further accidents have been noted.
8 FINANCE
a) Accounts update mid-Apr – noted 2025: Noted.
b) Precept, SCDC – DC £9500.00 : Noted.
c) NALC / CAPALC membership & Data Protection Officer membership 2026-27 £238.83: Agreed.
d) CAS (Community Action Suffolk) insurance cover 1/6/2026 – 31/5/27, including MVAS £466.27 for 1-year. Agreed to obtain the quote for 3-year commitment to insure with CAS.
e) Street lighting electricity quotes from 1/10/2026: Noted, difficulties in obtaining quotes due to impact of Straight of Hormuz issue.
f) Clerk’s Pay and Expenses mid-Apr – mid-May 2026 £290.19, HMRC £60.20: Agreed.
9 TO CONSIDER PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED
26/01617/HFUL – Proposal: Erection of detached single storey outbuilding to front of existing dwelling. Site address: 48 Old North Road Longstowe Cambridgeshire CB23 2UB: Concern was raised about the potential for overload of the unmanaged ditch, with subsequent flooding of homes lower down the hill, due to the additional run-off from the proposed outbuilding, rather than natural infiltration of rainfall into the ground. Agreed, to ask that the District Council attach a condition in respect of rainwater run-off should they be minded to approve the planning application.
10 TO CONSIDER OTHER MATTERS
a) Village Hall update: Cllr White noted that the Village Hall had been used for the large funeral reception. The Summer Fete preparation is also underway and the Village Hall Committee can now take card payments.
11 CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED
A list of correspondence received is printed in the Agenda; details are available from the Clerk.
a) Little Gransden Aerodrome Local Consultative Committee (LGALCC) – Draft Minutes 1st April 2026: Noted.
12 SKYLARK – TO CONSIDER ANY EDITORIAL ISSUES
Final draft for Thursday 28th May, with printing on 29th.
Further items for inclusion in the next (June) Skylark: Thanks to Kate Whyatt for delivering Skylark for many years; Obituary for Stuart Hemmins; Gliding Club – Residents Flying Evening with Caxton; Peter’s article on continued non-delivery of the South Cambs Magazine.
13 DATE OF NEXT MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL: THURSDAY 18TH JUNE, AT 7.15PM, AT LONGSTOWE VILLAGE HALL
Signed by: Date: June 2026
Chairperson