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Castor Parish Council > Documents > Minutes > Minutes 13th June 2024

Minutes 13th June 2024

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PRESENT: Cllr. Neil Boyce (Chairman), Cllr. Steve Davies, Cllr. Gary Elliott, Cllr. Fiona Rowlands, Cllr. David Shaw, Cllr. Terry Young and the Clerk John Haste. Five members of the public including three from the Climate Change Group were also in attendance.

Minutes of Castor Parish Council Meeting

Held on Thursday 13th June May 2024 at 7.15pm in the Cedar Centre

 APOLOGIES – Richard Anker, William Baxter and Dennis Surgeon all sent apologies prior to the meeting.

 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST –

 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS – We unanimously RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the previous meeting, held on Thursday 9th May 2024 -. These were duly signed by the chairman.

Proposed Cllr. Rowlands and seconded Cllr. Davies

 

  • Matters arising from the previous minutes. –

 

  • Public Forum – No Matters other than Climate change were raised at this juncture in the meeting.

 

The chairman then brought forward item 9(a)(i) on the agenda and allowed the climate change group and Cllr. Young 15 minutes each to put forward their respective views after which it would be open to councillors to debate the information placed before them and decide how to proceed.

 

At the conclusion of the presentations there was general agreement the parish council policy document should exclude any reference to the word emergency, but that there is a lot to commend in the existing document. During the debate it was suggested that the existing document could be subjected to review and the wording changed to be acceptable to a majority if not all councillors.

 

The chairman called for a recorded vote on the proposal that the document be subjected to a review (to be led by Cllr. David Shaw) with a revised document to be brought to the July meeting. The Clerk administered a recorded vote with All councillors accepting the proposal.

 

  • PLANNING and associated matters

 

  1. Peterborough Local Plan (LP) – Shaw reported that the next anticipated formal consultation would be in September. He understood the working group of Officers would meet in July to agree site allocations with a view to reporting to Cabinet in September to finalise the consultative document. Cllr Shaw also drew attention to statistical evidence to show that authorities with the fastest growth in housebuilding had generally declined in disposable income of residents. In the view of Cllr Shaw this statistical evidence challenges the city council aim for growth and the extended end date of the local plan.
  2. Joint Community Action Plan (JCAP) – We noted the current version of the plan and agreed that no actions were required by this parish council at this time, and that this plan will be reviewed at the JPLG meeting to be held on 20th

 Castor Neighbourhood Planning (CNP) – We noted that there had only been one objection to the proposed amendment to the NP Cllr Shaw undertook to finalise the wording and bring the proposed document to the July meeting of the parish council.

  1. Status report – The clerk had circulated with the agenda an up-to-date record of Planning applications. We noted the content of the report and in particular noted that the proposed tree works at 39 Peterborough Road & 1 The Limes had both been permitted.

 Planning applications –

    1. 24/00503/CLP – 10 Sylvester Road – Single Storey Rear extension. The Clerk advised us that CLP application were decided by the planning authority on the basis of planning law and that parish councils are not consulted. We have no comments to make on this application.
  2. 24/00618/LBC & 24/00617/HHFUL– The Bakehouse 6a Peterborough Road – Replacement glass conservatory roof with natural slate, including installation of two rooflights. We considered all the data on the planning portal and concluded that we have no objections to make to the proposal.
  • 23/00600/R3FUL. – The Clerk drew our attention to the primary school fencing being referred to the Planning & Environmental Protection Committee. Cllr. David Shaw undertook to prepare some thoughts, and circulate these to councillors, in preparation for representing the parish council at the committee meeting.
  1. Woodlands – Standing Item – Shaw reported that the planning application by Nene Park Trust is still undecided. We noted the additional material on the planning portal and in particular the removal of the tennis courts and the significant withdrawal of the business plan. We reaffirmed that the latest changes did not change the expressed views of the parish council and asked the Clerk to write to planning confirming our views.

 

  • LAND & ALLOTMENTS:

 

  1. Tweentowns – The chairman reported on a discussion with our solicitor at Buckles. The proposed lease is for a parcel of land smaller than the area of land in the title registered at the land registry. The solicitor has in hand the necessary work required to progress the draft lease.

 

  1. Other Parish Councillors Observations on Land & Allotment related matters

 

  1. Thorolds Paddock – the Clerk reported that formal notice had been issued to Mr Nelson and that the requisite three months’ notice will end on 16th The chairma asked that the future use of Thorolds Paddock be on the agenda for the July meeting of parish council.

 

  1. Peterborough Road – Loves Hill to the Flyover – The hedges on this stretch of the road are overgrown in parts and restrict pedestrian movements and obscure road signage. We asked the Clerk to write to Highways requesting the issue be addressed.

 

  1. Land behind Benams Close – The chairman had received a report that two Apple Trees had appeared on parish council land – We agreed to ask Mike Horne if they could be removed and replanted elsewhere.

 

  1. Tweentowns Drain behind Benams Close – We were informed that this drain is overgrown and unsightly; we agreed to ask PECT to consider clearing this drain as Pect is already in occupation of the site.

 

  • HIGHWAYS & Public Rights of Way

 

Councillors Observations –

 

  1. Peterborough Road Drainage – Cllr. Shaw reported that although we had requested a three way meeting on site, Peterborough City Council had cleared the drains and we were advised that Anglian Water needed to attend and check for tree roots and other possible damage contributing to the perennial problems.

 

  1. Other Councillors observations – none other than that reported above.

 

  • Community Matters:

 

  1. Climate Change Group report –
    1. Climate Change policy – dealt with as reported under Public Forum elsewhere in these minutes.
    2. To consider joining “the great collaboration” – Further consideration deferred to a later meeting pending the outcome of the review.
  2. Anti-social behaviour – The chairman reported on a productive meeting with Clair George and PCC are exploring the possibility of acquiring deployable CCTV cameras for the exclusive use of rural parishes.
  3. Police Surgery – We noted the proposal to abandon Parish Surgeries & move to Ward surgeries the next surgery being in Marholm in October.
  4. Deployable CCTV – The Chairman reported that the cost and GDPR regulations made further consideration by Castor alone untenable, but see minute 957(b) above.
  5. Joint Parish Liaison Group (JPLG) – We agreed the draft agenda for the meeting to be held in the Cedar Centre at 7.30 pm on 20 June.
  6. Langdyke Trust Nature Recovery Project – Cllr. Rowland s reported on the open day held the previous Saturday. We were also advised that the recent weather had resulted in an overgrown Splash Lane paddock and agreed the need for a cut and collect to be organised by Mike Horne
  7. Standing Stones –
    1. Information board – we noted that this has been installed and thanked Cllr Baxter for his efforts in bringing this matter to a conclusion.

 

  1. Fencing repairs – To note these have been completed by George Bedford and RESOLVED to pay Mr Bedford’s invoice of £310

Proposed Cllr. N Boyce Seconded Cllr. G Elliott

 

  • To receive an update on soil pollution and reseeding – We agreed to leave this in the expert hands of Mike Horne

 

  • Governance Matters

 

  1. Annual Governance & Accountability Return.
    1. Annual Internal Audit report – The Clerk had circulated the report with the agenda and we noted that there are no matters to draw to the attention of the parish council.
    2. Section 2 – Accounting Statement 2023/24 – The Clerk as Responsible Financial Officer presented the detail of the accounting Statement. We noted that this reconciled to the balances held in our bank accounts and we RESOLVED to receive and approve the Statement for submission to the external auditor.

Proposed Cllr. N Boyce Seconded Cllr F Rowlands.

 

  • Public Rights of inspection – We noted that the statutory notice will be published advertising the rights of inspection between Monday 17th June and Friday 26th July

 

  1. Assets of Community Value – The Clerk undertook to follow up the registration of the Royal Oak.

 

  • To receive official announcements – None at the time of our meeting

 

  • Future agenda items –
    • Annual Governance & Accountability return in respect of:
      1. The internal Audit report
      2. The Accounting Statement
    • Assets of Community Value – other site(s)

 

  • Date of Next meeting– scheduled to take place on 4th July to be deferred to 11th July 2024 at 7.00pm because the Cedar Centre is a polling station for the General Election to be held on that date

 

Clerk & RFO 19th June, 2024

 

Meeting Closed at 10.05 pm