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Annual Parish Meeting April 2008
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28-Apr-2008
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Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 28 April 2008 at 8.00pm
in the Abington Institute.
Present Mr D Soanes (Chair), Mr P. Brunning, Mr J Ellis, Mr R Molekamp, Mr C Nutt, Mrs S Simmons, Mrs J Waring, Mrs Dalton (Clerk),
In attendance Cllr Orgee, Cllr Stone. Ten members of the public attended.
1. Apologies for absence None
2. Minutes of the meeting held on 23 April 2007 Agreed.
3. Matters arising. It was noted that the seat on corner of Church Lane and Church Close had been replaced. The Chairman confirmed that the Parish Council had agreed to replace the brass plate commemorating Lady Cambridge.
4. Chairman’s report - Mr Soanes
Mr Soanes welcomed everyone to the meeting. He opened his report by announcing that he was moving away from the village and would step down as Chairman with effect from the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council at the end of May.
Jean Daunt resigned from the Parish Council in September following many years of service including time as Vice Chairman. He thanked her for her commitment to the Parish Council and to the village and for the support she had given to fellow Parish Councillors. He also thanked Stewart Gilmour who stepped down at the election last May. He welcomed Dick Molekamp and John Ellis to the Parish Council.
Several issues were covered in his report including proposed developments - a wind farm near Linton and an Eco-Town at Hanley Grange; post office closures; Tree Preservation Orders; crime. Road safety on the A1307 was of particular concern not only along the stretch going through the village but along the entire length of this busy major route between Cambridge and Suffolk. The Parish Council was working hard to ensue Local Authorities took action.
The Abingtons are a vibrant community and the Village Institute has become an important hub of activity for local groups. He thanked the Project Group and Institute Committee for all their work to make it so successful. The Parish Council has made donations to local groups including the Abington Forget Me Not Club for bus trips. It was regretted that the Youth Club was no longer active because of difficulties recruiting a leader.
Mr Soanes closed his report by thanking the Parish Councillors and the Clerk for their hard work and commitment during the year.
5. Financial Report – Clerk
The Clerk gave a brief report on the accounts for 2007-08. They had been agreed by the Parish Council and a satisfactory report had been received from the Internal Auditor. The annual return to the Audit Commission had been agreed and was ready to be submitted at the end of May when the statutory inspection period was over.
Financial Report cont…
The year ended with a reserve of £11,437. This was more than expected due to receipt of a grant of £600 from the County Council towards the maintenance of roadside grass verges and some savings. She said that gravel for the footpath between Church Lane and the footbridge to the playing fields would be purchased when the fence had been repaired. She confirmed that a donation had been made to the Parochial Church Council towards the cost of grass cutting in Little Abington churchyard.
6. Reports from Representatives
Planning Mr Brunning
As well as reviewing and making recommendations on planning applications in the village the Parish Council is monitoring progress on proposals for a wind farm at Linton and for an Eco-Town at Hanley Grange.
Institute Management Committee
Mr Soanes reported that the Institute has a working capital of £30,000 . Mrs Brunning has recently taken over as Treasurer. The cafe contributes 21% of the income. There are regular lettings to village groups and other users who are known to the village. Mr Soanes thanked all those who worked so hard to make the Institute successful. He highlighted the need for more volunteers to assist with running the cafe.
Village Maintenance
Mrs Waring reported that the Parish Council was satisfied with the standard of work done by Buchans and they had been awarded the contract for 2008-09. Additional work had been carried out around the village including clearing weeds and overgrowth from the path between Cambridge Road and Bourn Bridge Road. The Millennium Bridge would be repainted as soon as the weather was more clement.
Concerns were raised about the condition of the fence along the Millennium footpath. It was considered to be both dangerous and unsightly. The Clerk confirmed that the landowner has agreed to take action. There was also discussion about the large volume of litter in the village particularly on peripheral roads.
Recreation Ground Committee
Mr Brunning reported on the work of the Committee over the last year. This included repairing the goal mouths, levelling the ground under the play equipment as recommended by RoSPA and clearing scrub to improve the outlook along the riverbank. The latter had been very successful and benches to be placed there are being made locally.
It was regretted that some users do not respect and take care of the area. Damage to the youth shelter happens so frequently that it is no longer being repaired and litter and broken glass are often left there.
There was some discussion about the use of the hard surface for tennis and the location of the nets. Mr Brunning said that the Recreation Ground Committee was considering the possibility of installing an equipment store nearby.
Police
Mrs Simmons represents the Parish Council on thre Neighbourhood Forum. Their quarterly meetings where priorities for action are jointly agreed are well attended by representatives from Parish Councils and local. Two Community Safety Officers and a Neighbourhood Policing Constable cover the Abingtons and they make daily patrols. She recommended E cops www.cambs.police.uk/signup/ecops a website for regular updates and information.
Crime in the Abingtons is increasing. Reported crimes include theft, anti-social behaviour and possession of cannabis. Distraction burglaries targeted on vulnerable members of the community in Church Close have been of particular concern and as a result Church Close has been designated as a No Cold-Calling Zone.
7. Report from South Cambridgeshire District Councillor - Cllr Orgee.
Cllr Orgee paid tribute to Chris Tulitt who had died earlier in the year for his contribution to the village including the Recreation Ground and fund-raising for the Institute.
His report covered his role on the Standards Committee and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, actions and progress made by the Council to address the concerns raised in last year's governance inspection, financial constraints, changes to flight paths and their impact on local communities, safety on the A1307 and local developments such as proposals for a wind farm at Linton and an Eco town at Hanley Grange. He confirmed that kerbside plastics recycling would start in autumn.
8. Report from Cambridgeshire County Councillor - Cllr Stone.
Cllr Stone’s report covered the need to improve joint working and planning between public sector agencies and the importance of effective public engagement in decision-making including Parish Councils. The County Council has a new Chief Executive and a new Leader will be elected soon. He noted that Cllr Orgee chairs the County Council.
Financial constraints mean there are few opportunities for service development,
The County Council scored highly on the annual inspection by the Audit Commission and has won awards for the new waste management facilities north of Cambridge.
He acknowledged that urgent action is required to address safety on the A1307 but this will need to be prioritised against any others across the county. Cllr Stone is involved in developing a joint action group with 12 Parish Councils to oppose the proposed Eco town at Hanley Grange and he urged the Parish Council and local residents to get involved.
9. Open Discussion
A1307.
There was strong feeling about safety and the increasing the number of accidents and the risk of tragedy. It was felt that that the Local Authority did not appear to be treating the matter as a high priority. There was frustration that the impact of developments in Suffolk and Haverhill on communities in South Cambridgeshire had not been considered in planning decisions.
A1307 cont…
Possible solutions put forward were:
· moving the bus-stop
· removing the pedestrian refuge and replacing it with a pelican crossing
· building a roundabout at the top of the High Street
· reducing the speed limit
· speed cameras and effective speed limit enforcement
It was agreed the view of all residents in the Abingtons should be surveyed.
Allotments
Interest in allotments is growing. An Abington Allotment Group has been set up: Sally Simmons represents Little Abington Parish Council. It is proving hard to find sites that landowners are willing to sell. A field near the river was discussed however price, flood risk, distance from Great Abington and access were felt to be disadvantages.
Litter
The volume of litter is growing. Clearing it seems to be a losing battle. It was regretted that not everyone takes pride in the village but much of the problem is outside the control of residents. Fourwentways is a major problem. It was felt that SCDC was not fulfilling its obligations. The Parish Council is looking into the use of Litter Abatement Orders and the duty of businesses in the vicinity to clear up litter.
Proposed Wind Farm at Linton
The planning decision on the application for a wind farm at West Wratting is being appealed. The outcome may influence decisions on plans for Linton. Cllr Orgee emphasised the importance of getting involved and influencing decision-making. He said the Planning Officer's report on the application at West Wratting was a useful source of information. The Chairman confirmed that the Parish Council had not received any planning applications related to this development.
Proposed Eco Town at Hanley Grange.
The Parish Council will attend action group meetings. The costs need to be clarified.
It was agreed this is a project that will need fund-raising as well as support from the local community. An effective awareness-raising campaign was required.
Volunteers for the action group should be sought from the community. It was suggested that a survey would be a useful method of gauging views and gathering support for any opposition campaigns on both the Wind Farm and Hanley Grange developments.
10. Any Other Business
None
The meeting closed at 22.35
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Unapproved
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