Minutes of the Meeting held on Thursday 18th December 2025 at 7.15pm
Present:
Cllr Mrs Bobbie Coe (Chairperson)
Cllr Will Bevan
Cllr Ben Holland
Cllr Peter White
Also present: Christine Morton, Skylark editor.
72 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
District Councillor Tumi Hawkins.
73 OPEN FORUM
No items were raised.
74 MEMBERS’ DECLARATION OF INTEREST for items on the agenda
None.
75 TO SIGN AND APPROVE MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
The Minutes of the last Parish Council Meeting were proposed by Cllr Bevan, seconded by Cllr Holland and approved.
76 REPORTS FROM County and District COUNCILLORS
None received,
77 MATTERS ARISING/TO REPORT FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES (FOR INFORMATION ONLY) – COUNCIL TO REPORT THE FOLLOWING
Traffic accidents in Longstowe:
– 23/11/2025 – about 5am, a Tesco lorry went on to the verge at the bollards by the Home Farm entrance, then traversed the road and crashed into the entrance and fence of Wayside. One bollard was crushed and considerable damage done to the entrance of Wayside.
Cllr Bevan noted that ever since the last resurfacing of the road the camber there is an adverse camber at this location, which causes heavier vehicles to veer towards the verge. The heavy farm vehicles all have to pay particular attention at this section of road due to this adverse camber problem.
It was noted that there were no such accidents before the resurfacing.
Agreed, write to Highways on the matter of the adverse camber problem, copying the concern to both the County and District councillors.
– 11/12/2025 – report from a resident – Near accident at the crossroads
… I was “Stationary at Fox Road indicating and waiting to turn right on to A1198. Car on my left also stationary. Gap in traffic so I pulled out turning right. So did car on my left also turning right. Car then alongside me and turned off left into Longstowe. Not able to get reg no.”
78 FINANCE
a) Accounts update – mid-Nov – mid-Dec 2025 previously circulated: Noted.
Noted that the Reading Room Trust Fund Monies have been moved from the current account to the deposit savings account.
b) Clerk’s Pay and Expenses – mid-Nov – mid-Dec 2025 £183.09 and HMRC £43.80: Agreed.
79 TO CONSIDER PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED
None.
80 TO CONSIDER OTHER MATTERS
a) LHI 2025-26 update:
Report of meeting with Highways:
ai) Type of MVAS: solar or battery were discussed.
15/12/25 – the Clerk confirmed to Highways that Longstowe requests a battery operated MVAS.
Reasoning for this request:
ELAN (the MVAS supplier) has confirmed (phone call and email 15/12/25) that as we wish to move the MVAS around, the battery operated unit is the one to choose. (Any solar panel would have to be located 3 metres above ground and although also movable I doubt we will be climbing up such a high step ladder!) ELAN also confirmed that as some monitoring will be adjacent to and between woodlands, the solar panels will not function well in such positions.
aii) Locations and Number Locations of Monitoring Posts:
Notes from the meeting with the LHI liaison officer:
– Apparently, Highways focuses on monitoring in 30 /40 mph zones so this is where post locations likely to be approved.
– Apparently posts for 10 locations are unlikely to be provided, perhaps only 2 or 4.
Possible post locations (Appendix 1 – Map) were discussed by councillors.
LPC could possibly purchase further posts itself, (and install them on the edge of residents’ properties – no Highways approval needed) or request Highways approval for additional locations – but installations costs also additional).
Agreed, the two priority locations are either side if the crossroads and on the B1046 at the south end of the village in the 40mph zone.
Agreed, to request Highways for the two priority locations as a minimum, but also to request discussion with technical staff on all suggested locations, in order to make an informed decision.
b) Councillor email addresses / website – options research update: Cllr Coe confirmed that this was ongoing.
c) Dates for Parish Council Meetings 2026/27: Agreed, to continue meeting on the third Thursday of the month with no meeting in Agust.
d) Village Hall update: Quotes are still awaited for a replacement heater and light in gents toilets. Events confirmed for 2026: Fundraising for the Village Hall: 14th March Quiz; 27th June Fete. There has also been an anonymous donation to the Village Hall of £200.
81 CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED
A list of correspondence for discussion at the Parish Council meeting is printed in the Agenda; details are available from the Clerk:
a) SCDC – Free commemorative tree and plaque as part of COVID-19 Day of Reflection. Noted, there had been no-one in Longstowe lost to Covid. Noted, that Longstowe already had a number of flowering trees around the church and that this was thought sufficient.
b) Forwarded by RELAS – Consultation on the airspace change process, CAA 25/9 to 18/12/2025.
Agreed the Clerk to respond including on the point of lack of information about the consultation.
c) CCC – RECAP Resource and Waste Strategy and RECAP Design Guide Consultation – 1/12/2025 to 26/1/2026.: Agreed to consider at the January 2026 meeting.
d) GCCP – Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan consultation – responses by 5pm on Friday 30/1/2026: Agreed to consider at the January 2026 meeting.
82 SYKLARK – TO CONSIDER ANY EDITORIAL ISSUES
To be included the next issue of Skylark:
i) Agreed, to move towards online and emailing of Skylark to residents. Noted. Skylark is always available on the Parish Council website.
ii) Agreed, the residents would be asked whether they wished to receive a paper copy of Skylark. The question would be put in bold in Skylark and also a leaflet put through everyone’s letter boxes. Agreed, Skylark would continue to be printed and delivered to those that requested this format.
iii) Agreed, to write to the volunteer Skylark deliverer for Fox Road and north Old North Road concerning the proposed changes and concerning the outlying houses on this delivery route.
83 DATE OF THE NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING: THURSDAY 15TH JANUARY 2026 AT 7.15PM, AT LONGSTOWE VILLAGE HALL.
Signed by Date December 2025
Chair
APPENDIX 1: LONGSTOWE – PROPOSED MVAS LOCATIONS FOR POSTS
(see pdf link for map)