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Castor Parish Council > Documents > Minutes > Minutes 12th January, 2023

Minutes 12th January, 2023

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Minutes of Castor Parish Council Meeting

Held on Thursday 12th January, 2023 at 7.30pm in the Cedar Centre

 

 

  • PRESENT: Neil Boyce (Chairman), Cllr. William Baxter, Cllr. Steve Davies, Cllr. Fiona Rowlands, Cllr. Jane Greene, Cllr David Shaw, Cllr. Terry Young. Two members of the public were also in attendance.

 

  • APOLOGIES Dennis Surgeon had previously given advance apologies as being absent from Peterborough at the date of this meeting. Apologies from Cllr. Richard Anker absent through work commitment.

 

  • DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST –

 

  • MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS – We unanimously RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the previous meeting, held on Thursday 1st December, 2022 -. These were duly signed by the chairman.

Proposed Cllr. Fiona Rowlands and seconded Cllr. Steve Davies

 

  • Matters arising from the previous minutes. –

 

  • Public Forum – The applicant of a planning application was present to be available if the parish council had any questions.

 

  • PLANNING and associated matters

 

  1. Joint Community Action Plan (JCAP) – John Hodder suggested that the content of he JCAP would be reviewed at the forthcoming joint meeting with Ailsworth Parish Council. Cllr. Shaw informed the meeting that he would be absent on the suggested date for that meeting and we agreed to request that the meeting be deferred indefinitely unless an urgent matter arose.

 

  1. Neighbourhood Planning (NP) – David Shaw reported on a meeting with Adrian Chapman, attended by himself and the chairman. There are no planning staff currently available to consider neighbourhood plans and it appeared that the Planning Authority would wish to review the local plan before considering any further neighbourhood plans. There were further discussions on the lack of planning staff to undertake, what in the opinion of this parish council, are some basic planning functions. Cllr. Shaw undertook to further conversation with Planning Officers to address our concerns and to try to progress our minor revision.

 

  1. Status report – we noted the latest version of the status report and noted that 5a Church Hill had been permitted but not reported to the previous meeting.

 

  1. Planning applications –

 

  1. 22/01708/LBC – 4 Polls Yard – Cllr. Shaw advised us that this is a Listed Building application, not a planning application, as such our observations have to be limited to those planning consideration applicable to the appearance of the planned changes, excluding other material planning considerations. We noted that all the proposed changes are within the curtilage of the property and not greatly visible from the public highway. Whilst not predetermining any application for any future planning permission, we have no objections to make to this Listed Building Application.

 

  1. 22/01794/CTR – 4 The Green – We considered this application and noted that the tree is not highly visible from the highway, being in the garden behind buildings, and we have no material planning observations to make to the application.

 

 

 

 

  1. Woodlands – Standing Item –
    1. Cllr. Shaw reported on a meeting with Adrian Chapman and the deputy Council Leader, Steve Allen, at which the potential for a land swap, proposed by this parish council had again been raised. No conclusion had been reached but the offer was still on the table for consideration.
    2. We still await a response to the interest expressed by this parish council in the Tennis Courts and Bowling Green.
  • The Clerk reported on an email from Paul Ingle and we noted that the anticipated Planning application for the Care Home extension had been submitted on 21st December. We noted that it had yet to be validated by the planning authority but we expected it to be so in the next few days. When validated, we consider that it would be appropriate to extend an invitation to residents to allow the application to be explained in detail so that we might take account of the views of residents when considering our response as statutory consultees.

 

  • LAND & ALLOTMENTS:

 

  1. Community Allotment Beds – The Clerk will review the shortened version of the allotment agreement used for these raised beds and to include a clause that allowed us to give notice to terminate the holders and undertook to send the revised version to Cllr. Greene and to a new tenant for signature and return.

 

  1. Cllr. Baxter reported a further tree had fallen and damaged the Ferryfields fence. The Clerk was asked to inform James Collingridge of the City Council for the fence to be repaired at the city council expense.

 

  • HIGHWAYS – The chairman reported on some work carried out in the parish and there were no new items brought to the attention of the parish council. Cllr. Baxter and the chairman agreed to collect all the redundant road signs on the Saturday following this meeting and to arrange for their disposal.

 

  • Community MATTERS –

 

  1. Joint Parish Liaison Group (JPLG) – We agreed the draft items on the agenda but as indicated earlier in these minutes Cllr. Shaw indicated his inability to attend the planned meeting on the 26th Given the emphasis on planning issues and the neighbourhood plans in particular we suggest postponing a meeting until Cllr. Shaw had obtained further clarification from Jim Newton at the City Council.

 

  1. Langdyke Trust – Nature Recovery Project (NRP) – The Vice chairman reported that Mike Horne is still providing some guidance and assistance despite having left the employ of PECT. The vice charman also indicated that she was hopeful of attending the event at Sacrewell on 25th We also discussed how best to express our gratitude to Mike for his assistance above and beyond expectations.

 

  1. Good Neighbours scheme (GNS) – The Chairman reported there remained a need to recruit volunteers to staff warm hubs if the parish is to be included in the rota for the rural warm Hub programme being organised through GNS.

 

  1. Commemorative Tree – Greene reported on the imminent delivery of a Copper Beech to be planted in the area of the allotments and we unanimously RESOLVED to accept the quotation from J D Gardening and Landscaping Ltd of £250 + VAT obtained via recommendation of Barcham Trees the supplier of the Copper Beech.

`Proposed Cllr. Boyce Seconded Cllr. Young

 

  1. Operation Golden Orb – King Charles II Coronation celebrations – We unanimously agreed to the formation of a parish council endorsed working group to take forward the celebrations and asked the clerk to agree terms of reference with a member of the group, and also asked the clerk to liaise with our insurers to confirm that our present policy would cover our public liability and also cover the volunteers whilst assisting the group. The chairman asked the Clerk to include on the next agenda, the purchase of commemorative mugs for children at the primary school and to write to the clerk of Ailsworth Parish Council inviting APC to jointly share the cost.

 

  1. Climate Change Policy – Shaw reported on a meeting with Andrew Nash to agree a shortened version of a climate change policy for adoption by this a parish council. The revised version will be brought to a future meeting for our consideration.

 

 

  1. Standing Stones
    1. Water Leak –Cllr Baxter reported that Anglian Water again visited the site and carried out further tests and concluded that the water was not mains water emanating from any leak. Water is clearly coming from some source and Cllr. Baxter agreed to monitor the site.
    2. Information Boards – Cllr Baxter reported that he had met with the designer of the information boards and good progress had been made.

 

  • Governance Matters

 

  1. 2023/24 Budget – The Clerk reported confirmation from the city Council of receipt of the completed forms for the precept and grants.

 

  1. Interim Clerk Assistance to Orton Longueville Parish Council (OLPC) – The Clerk reported that OLPC would be agreeing a process to recruit a permanent Clerk. Meanwhile he continued to provide support, being paid through this parish council payroll, for full reimbursement by OLPC when their change of bank signatories has been processed and the online banking facility became available.

 

  • official announcements & CORRESPONDENCE.

 

  1. Allotments for Exercise and recreation Charity – The Clerk reported on an email from the charity commission requiring completion of a return. He sought clarification of the need for this charity and we agreed that the clerk should submit a Nil return to bring the status of the charity up to date.

 

  1. A47 Dualling Wansford and Sutton – The Clerk reported on a consultative email. On consideration these works are outside the parish council boundary and we have no observations to be made other than seeking assurance that the village will not be used as an alternative through route and residents’ access to the village not be cut off.

 

  1. Bus Review – The Clerk reported on a consultative exercise being conducted by the Cambridge and Peterborough combined authority a new Bus strategy. We asked for details to be put on the Facebook so that all our resident have the opportunity to respond.

 

  1. Advance Notice of a football tournament – on woodlands Outdoor playing field site. Cllr Shaw undertook to prepare some thoughts for the parish council to convey to the football club organising the event and we considered it may be appropriate for someone from the club to be asked to attend a meeting of the parish council.

 

 

  • Future Agenda Items
    1. Review of Cricket Club Lease
    2. Armed Forces Covenant
  • Swim Run event 2023

 

  • Date of next meeting – revised from 1st to 6th February 2023 – to possibly accommodate inviting residents to receive details of the care home planning application and any further information on the Woodlands site overall.

Clerk & RFO 6th December, 2022