Minutes of the Meeting held on Thursday 27th March at 7.15pm
Present: Cllr Barbara Cooper (chairperson)
Cllr Ben Holland
Cllr Mrs Bobbie Coe
Cllr Peter White
Sharon Brown (Clerk)
Also present: Cllr Tumi Hawkins, Cllr Mark Howell, CCC, prospective CCC Councillor, Christine
Morton, Skylark Editor and one resident.
OPEN FORUM
Matters raised by a resident:
Milestone: Concern that Highways has not agreed to put back the milestone. Noted, that the
milestone is thought to be a Grade II Listed Historic Monument.
Fly-tipping at junction of Byway with the B1046 – Little Gransden Road: Noted that this had been reported to South Cambs DC a month ago but had not been removed. Cllr Hawkins agreed to pursue the matter.
107 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Cllr Will Bevan, LPC.
108 MEMBERS’ DECLARATION OF INTEREST FOR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA
None
109 TO SIGN AND APPROVE MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
The Minutes of the last Parish Council meeting on 20th February were proposed by Cllr White
seconded by Cllr Coe and unanimously approved.
The Minutes of the last Parish Council meeting on 20th February were proposed by Cllr Coe
seconded by Cllr Holland and unanimously approved.
110 REPORTS FROM COUNCILLORS
Cllr Tumi Hawkins highlighted:
a) Unitary Authorities government consultation with County and District Councils. SCDC has responded with a general reply and now has until the Autumn to hold further discussion with neighbouring councils and to propose option(s).
b) Housing land supply in South Cambs District: With the new government targets (Dec 2024), housing supply in Sth Cambs District dipped to 4.6 yrs. However, developers are able to bring forward sites that already have planning permission, therefore achieving the quota for a 5-year housing supply.
c) TIGER Bus: confirmed that bus passes can be used.
d) EV chargers: grants for EV chargers in public areas.
Cllr Mark Howell highlighted:
a) Unitary Authorities government consultation with County and District Councils: Noted that there were only two realistic options one of which is South Cambs and Cambridge City forming one unitary area and other Districts in another. Also noted that various matters are managed differently by District Councils including council housing and working time practices.
b) Learning Disability Framework, CCC and the Health Authority: This partnership has been disbanded as the Health Authority was unable to provide its share of the funding.
c) Cllr Howell also gave the news that he would be standing down as a District Councillor in Cambourne at the May 2025 election. He introduced prospective Conservative District Councillor for the ward, Dr. Shrobona Bhattacharya.
Cllr Cooper on behalf of the Parish Council welcomed Dr. Bhattacharya, thanking her for her visit to the meeting and further, thanked Cllr Howell for his assistance to the Parish Council over the past years.
111 MATTERS ARISING/TO REPORT FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES (FOR INFORMATION ONLY) – COUNCIL TO REPORT THE FOLLOWING
None.
112 FINANCE
a) Accounts update – mid-Feb – mid-March 2025: Noted.
b) Community Chest Grant (village sign & noticeboard back-boards) DC £ £1,493.50. Noted.
c) Clerk’s Pay and Expenses mid-Feb – mid-March 2025 £244.46, HMRC £55.88. Agreed.
d) Appointment of the Internal Auditor 2024/25. Appointment of C Hemmins. Agreed.
113 TO CONSIDER PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED
Ref. 25/00907/S73 Land North Of Davids Lodge Old North Road Bourn Cambridgeshire CB23 2TZ.
S73 to vary condition 3 (Approved plans) of outline planning permission 23/02752/OUT (Outline application for the erection of up to 5 No. self-build dwellings with some matters reserved except for access off Fox Road) Addition of design code and plot passports:
Noted, that there are issues with the height of the land having been raised when the access road was constructed.
Noted that the understorey has been cleared from the TPO Woodland.
Agreed that a response be made to this planning application noting concern about the above
issues and that planning permission only be given approval subject to appropriate resolutions of
the above issues and that these matters are also dealt with adequately in any site ‘Design Code
and Plot Passports produced. Agreed, Cllr Cooper to respond.
114 TO CONSIDER OTHER MATTERS
a) Flyers for VE Day and Village Fete: Agreed, Cllr Coe and Skylark Editor, Chris Morton to liase on producing fliers for these the events.
b) Milestone: Noted that an email has been sent to the Head of Highways with the concern that reinstatement of the northern milestone has not been agreed. A resident noted that he understood that the milestone had Grade II Historic England Listing. Cllr Howell agreed to look into the matter with Highways.
c) Street lighting – new bill calculation arrangements: Noted, the forthcoming change to half hourly billing, notified by the electricity supplier. Noted, that the problem of two standing charges still needed to be resolved.
d) Policies – Data Privacy Notice review 2025: Update unanimously approved.
115 CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED
Correspondence for discussion at the Parish Council meeting; details are available from the Clerk.
Noted the agreement from a resident for a potential 20mph zone for the village. Also noted the wish to have a fund for the future maintenance of the village sign.
116 SYKLARK – TO CONSIDER ANY EDITORIAL ISSUES
Copy for the June Skylark to be with the Editor the first week in May. Items to include: Neighbourhood Plan update, Town Lands Trust information.
117 DATE OF THE NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING FOLLOWING THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING: THURSDAY 17TH APRIL 2025, AT 7.15PM, AT LONGSTOWE VILLAGE HALL.
Agreed to invite reports and / or presentations from the Village Hall Committee, the Sports Club, Longstowe History Society, the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group, the Town Lands Trust and the Footpaths Warden, as well as the report from the Parish Council.
Signed by Date April 2025
Chairperson