Minutes of the Meeting held on Thursday 17th October at 7.15pm
Present: Cllr Will Bevan (in the chair)
Cllr Mrs Bobbie Coe
Cllr Barbara Cooper (online, non-voting)
Cllr Ben Holland
Cllr Peter White
Sharon Brown (Clerk)
Also present: Christine Morton, Skylark editor and one member of the public.
OPEN FORUM
a) Milestone: Highways will be contacted again to ask that some bollards be removed from the verge edge and assistance with traffic management be given in order that the milestone can be reinstalled.
b) Flooding – corner of School Lane with A1198: Cllr White has received a response from Highways indicating that a correct repair rather than just jetting the drain, may be scheduled for the future, although no time frame was given.
c) Street light – Rushbrook Close: The street light that is not working will be reported.
d) Bus services: The Parish Council was asked about its input to the plans by the Mayor of CPCA (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority) to increase bus services across the county. Noted that Longstowe has a good proportion of both young people and elderly who would find a regular bus service useful in coming years. Dial-a-ride services were thought to be more realistic due to the small population of the village.
Agreed Information on the CPCA survey to be provided to individuals and around the village and for the Parish Council to respond (see also 57c below).
e) Corporate Plan Consultation, SCDC: This consultation was received on 15th October and only has a 2-week consultation period ending 29th October.
Agreed, the clerk to collate responses from councillors.
50 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
None.
51 MEMBERS’ DECLARATION OF INTEREST FOR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA
None
52 TO SIGN AND APPROVE MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
The Minutes of the last meeting were unanimously approved.
53 REPORTS FROM COUNCILLORS
None
54 MATTERS ARISING/TO REPORT FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES (FOR INFORMATION ONLY) – COUNCIL TO REPORT THE FOLLOWING
None.
55 FINANCE
a) Accounts update – mid-Sept – mid-Oct 2024: Noted.
b) Village Noticeboards – backboard replacement to 2x large boards:
Agreed, to fully cost the purchase of locally cut steel sheets for comparison with ready-made steel backboards.
Agreed, to look into a Community Chest grant application.
c) Clerk’s Pay and Expenses mid-July – mid-September 2024 £209.00 HMRC £30.20: Agreed.
56 TO CONSIDER PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED
None.
57 TO CONSIDER OTHER MATTERS
a) Silos at the Red House: A response has been received from the owners of the Red House. However, this still does not resolve the issue of the two silos without planning permission.
Agreed, Cllr Cooper will write to the owners again to clarify the concerns and request a planning application be made for these two other silos.
b) Village sign repair – update: The sign has now been collected by the repairers and should be ready in about six weeks. Cllr Coe will make further contact with the village Millenium Fund holders to obtain a grant towards the sign repair. Cllr Cooper will complete the Community Chest grant application.
c) Dial-a-ride bus services – update: Bus services in general / lack of services were discussed during the Open Forum. Cllr Coe and Cllr White offered to test the dial-a-ride service situation.
d) Village Hall update: The building upgrade work may may now start in November. There has been a successful BBQ with just over £300 raised.
58 CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED
Correspondence for discussion at the Parish Council meeting; details are available from the Clerk.
a) Bus Franchising Consultation, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority.
Closing date – 20/11/24: Noted that the responses from the village Neighbourhood Plan Survey may be useful in the reply.
Agreed, Cllr Cooper will complete the survey for the Parish Council.
b) Lithium-ion Battery Safety Bill – update: Agreed to write to Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, who is overseeing both the government’s Bill and Lord Redesdale’s, in support of a comprehensive Lithium-ion Battery Safety Bill becoming law.
59 SYKLARK – TO CONSIDER ANY EDITORIAL ISSUES
Approved; a calendar of village events to be put on the first page of Skylark with the full information as usual on the other pages.
60 DATE OF THE NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING: THURSDAY 21ST NOVEMBER, AT 7.15PM, AT LONGSTOWE VILLAGE HALL.
Signed by Date November 2024
Chairperson