PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
held on Tuesday
19th March 2024
in the Village Hall, High St.
Present: Councillors; G Kirt (Chairman), H. Aylesbury, D. Batty, C Bysshe, S Jackson, R. Joshi-Boparai, D Lane, L. Rossouw, R. Randall, S. Singh, A Staines & the Clerk, Mr J Haste. eighteen members of the public were also present.
The meeting was preceded by a short reception to unveil the Freedoms Honours board attended by former councillors John Holdich OBE, Peter Skinner and Eric Spendelow. The honours board was unveiled by Eric Spendelow who was also invited to cut the cake made for the occasion.
MINUTES OF MEETING
905. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE –NONE ALL PRESENT.
906. MEMBERS DECLARATION OF INTERESTS – No pecuniary interest declared, although the chairman & Vice chairman both declared a friendship with the applicant of the planning application at 18 Welmore Road.
907. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – As there were persons present invited to address the parish council the Chairman agreed to move those matters up the agenda for consideration during the public participation item on the agenda. As follows:
a) National Gas Compressor station – James Tomison and Paul Mountford of National Gas (NG), spoke of the commissioning of the new gas compressors at the Glinton site, one of only 24 in the UK and in the top 3 or 4 in importance to NG. As of the end of February venting should have been completed and will only occur rarely. Councillor Randall reported that the noise levels currently experienced in the village are louder than historically was the case. In particular a whistling sound could be heard indoors in Holmes Road, with windows and doors shut. Paul reported that pipe cladding has been fitted to mitigate noise emitting from the site and testing will occur in the week following our meeting. During testing noise readings will be taken to ensure compliance with the planning consent. James and Paul were invited back to the April meeting to report on the outcome of those 24-hour noise tests.
b) School parking and traffic issues – Rebecca Pressland of the City Council had been invited to discuss the parking issues at school start and finish times. Rebecca undertook to work with the school and conduct a post code survey of pupils to work up some parental options. Other possibilities were to encourage walk to school with pupil incentives.
c) Land in North Fen Road – Dr Subhash Kandikattu new owner; addressed the meeting about land in North Fen Road and the wish to fence off part of the land. Oldrich Hoppe also addressed the parish council and asserted that he had used the footpath for the last 47 years. The Clerk advised that Parish council policy is usually to support the retention and protection of footpaths. In this particular case an application has been made under section 53 and schedule 14 of the Wildlife for a definitive Modification Order. The consultation closes on 15th April. As a parish council we have no definitive knowledge or facts to support or frustrate the application.
d) Planning application 11 North Fen Road – James Lloyd had requested to attend the parish council on the planning application for 11 North Fen Road in particular the intention to make a different access by taking down a portion of the feature wall and rebuilding that wall over the existing access to preserve the street scene. Other features of the application were extensions to the side and rear including roof lights. We viewed the application details on the planning portal and on the basis of the application details before us and the assurances given we indicated our support for the application.
e) Old Village Sign – As a result of our community engagement on the parish council Facebook page a number of competing suggestions had been made to the parish Council, Aimee Neaverson had made a compelling argument for the sign to be refurbished and displayed in the entrance to Scotts Farm. The Chairman of governors of the School, Vince Quarizzo, also addressed the parish council with a proposal to refurbish the sign and erect it on the gable end of the entrance to the school. A further proposal had been put forward by happy Faces at the site of the former Crown Public House. By a majority decision we agreed to accept the proposal by the chairman of governors to the primary school.
f) Academisation of the primary school. We raised with Vince the matter of the press article citing the school as twentieth out of Twenty and we asked if there was a connection between that and the wish to move to academy status, Vince categorically refuted that and referred to the access to increased resources by being part of the diocese academy.
Post meeting note Vince reported that the school was twentieth out of sixty six and the press report was therefore misleading
908. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS – We unanimously RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 16th January 2024
Proposed Cllr. C. Bysshe Seconded Cllr. D Batty
909. MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES (information only) – None
910. PLANNING
a) Status of current planning applications – The Clerk reported that the applications for an air source heat pump installation at 35a Lincoln Road had been approved and the two applications on the agenda added to the report
b) Planning Applications –
i. 24/00208/LBC – 18 Welmore road – Demolish existing boundary wall and rebuild with some changes. We agreed to support this application
ii. 23/00504/HHFUL – 11 North Fen Road – Extensions to side and rear elevations, replacement roof, insertion of rooflights, alterations to access and boundary wall – Covered in the public forum (see above)
c) Neighbourhood Plan (NP)
i. The Chairman reported that there had been 253 responses to the consultation exercise. The results of the consultation had not been completely analysed and would be reported to the April meeting.
ii. Housing Survey The chief executive of Cambridgeshire ACRE had indicated that one of two ACRE Officers would contact the clerk in the next week or two
d) Review of Local List – Parish council had been invited to submit comments during the consultation on the review. Consultation closes on 9th April, prior to our next meeting. Cllr. Randall undertook to review the existing list and confirm that the items submitted previously by the parish council were still included in the list.
911. COMMUNITY MATTERS
a) Cemetery Vandalism – noted no new reports in the last two weeks.
b) Rural Policing surgery 12th April – 3pm-5pm. We agreed to publicise this event widely and to encourage residents to meet the police officers at the surgery and to vice their concerns, including the issues of vandalism and matters raised at this meeting.
c) Events – GlintonFest24 incorporating D-Day 80 Commemoration – The chairman reported that arrangements were proceeding well.
d) Ashburn Close Play Area – The Clerk reported that Adrian Chapman at the city council was on the case. We agreed to wait for a response from Adrian with a report back to the next meeting.
e) Playing Field – Strimmer protection – Cllr. Randall informed the meeting that the material needed had now arrived from China and that he would now make arrangements to have this fitted with the assistance of the chairman
f) Climate Change – The chairman had previously circulated the notes of the most recent meeting of this action group.
g) Engagement with Peakirk Parish Council – Sally Ann Jackson and Judy Staines had been collaborating on Biodiversity and would both be invited to the next meeting of the Climate Change action group.
h) Biodiversity issues – We were informed that the grass at the Glinton Triangle had been cut and that expense had been incurred in using specialist equipment used by the contractor for Langdyke trust and for the movement of the concrete block to gain access. We RESOLVED to pay the Glinton share of the Trusts invoice amounting to £257.50
Proposed Cllr. Kirt Seconded Cllrs Bysshe & Randall
i) Village Hall working Group – We agreed to defer further consideration to the next meeting by which time results of the consultation exercise would be known.
j) Community Engagement – Cllr. Jackson reported on the continued growth of both the parish council page and the events Facebook pages.
k) Defibrillator –
a) Cllr Randall reported on the results on monitoring the internal temperature of both newly installed defibrillators. The results of both pieces of monitoring equipment were almost identical. The results indicated that both were within the prescribed temperature ranges but Cllr. Randall considered further insulation might be prudent. We were informed that the equipment in Welmore road had been deployed three times this week.
l) Existing Village Sign. This had been considered at the public forum and would be entrusted to the school for refurbishment and display.
912. REPORTS – Standing item – None at this meeting, but councillors were informed of a meeting of the Parish Liaison group to be held on Zoom at 6.30 on Thursday of this week and all councillors able to attend. The Clerk was asked to circulate the link to all councillors.
913. GOVERNANCE MATTERS
a) Flexmail – conversion had gone well with few issues remaining. Cllr Jackson had an issue with the Facebook email address and agreed to forward details to the clerk in order for a support ticket to be raised.
b) Tree Safety Report – WE RESOLVED to accept the quote from East Midlands Tree Services to carry out the survey for the parish council.
Proposed Cllr. Kirt seconded Cllr. L Rossouw
c) New Village Sign, Cllr Randall reported that this may be delivered as early as June this year. We also acknowledged with grateful thanks the grant of £2308 from the Community Leadership Fund towards the cost of the sign, courtesy of our ward councillor Peter Hiller.
914. OFFICIAL NOTICES AND CORRESPONDENCE –
a) Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, Section 53 & Schedule 14 – Application for a definitive Map Modification Order – This matter had been dealt with in the public forum.
915. HIGHWAYS & other issues within the village –
a) School run Parking issues – also dealt with in the public forum
b) North Fen Road Verges – being cut up by parking – request for posts – we agreed to support the request of residents at the northern end of NFR
c) Cllr. Kirt again raised the issue of worsening pot holes in the High Street
916. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS –
a) Signage – Plaques, information boards and Village Pump.
b) Grant funding – recruiting a fund raiser
c) New Village Sign – updates (as and when available)
d) At April meeting need to consider the style and timing of the Annual Parish Meeting and Annual Parish Council meetings to be held in May, 2024
917. Date of Next Meeting – The next scheduled meeting of the parish council is to be held on Tuesday 16th April 2024 at 7.15pm in the Village Hall.
The Chairman closed the meeting at 9.26pm.
Clerk/Proper Officer,
23rd March 2024