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Minutes 1st December 2022

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Minutes of Castor Parish Council Meeting

Held on Thursday 1st December, 2022 at 7.30pm in the Cedar Centre

 

  • PRESENT: Neil Boyce (Chairman), Cllr. Richard Anker, Cllr. William Baxter, Cllr. Steve Davies, Cllr. Fiona Rowlands, Cllr. Jane Greene, Cllr David Shaw, Cllr Dennis Surgeon, Cllr. Terry Young. One member of the public was also in attendance.

 APOLOGIES – None – all Councillors present

 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST –

 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS – We unanimously RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 3rd November, 2022 -. These were duly signed by the chairman.

Proposed Cllr. David Shaw and seconded Cllr. Steve Davies

 Matters arising from the previous minutes. –  

  • Public Forum – no contribution was made
  • PLANNING and associated matters
  1. Joint Community Action Plan (JCAP) – We noted that there were no changes to make or any actions to be taken at this time. The action plan will be reviewed again when we meet with Ailsworth parish council in January 2023.
  1. Neighbourhood Planning (NP) – David Shaw had intended to meet with a member of the planning staff at the city council but had been informed that the officer concerned had left the council and that there was no one available to consider the minor revisions adopted at our previous meeting. Cllr Shaw and the Chairman have a pre- arranged meeting with Adrian Chapman and will add this issue to the matters to be discussed.

 

  1. Status report – we noted the version of the status report updated to show that the application for 14 Peterborough Road was permitted on 14th September

 

  1. Planning applications –
  1. 22/01600/HHFUL – 10 Allotment Lane – We noted that the previous application for the replacement of the Pagoda at this property had been withdrawn – The plans under this reference were of a higher standard. We have no objections to make to this application
  1. Woodlands – Standing Item – We noted the response, to our proposed land swap, from the chair person to Nene Park Trust. We still await a response to our offer to take ownership of the tennis courts. Cllr. David Shaw reported that he and the chairman were to meet with Adrian Chapman of Peterborough City Council on 14th December and will raise both these matters with him at that time.
  • LAND & ALLOTMENTS:
  1. Community Allotment Beds – We asked the Clerk to 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 right to cultivate these beds in the event that they were not cultivated to a high standard. Cllr. Jane Greene undertook to check with the 5 current holders to see that they wished to continue their use
  • HIGHWAYS – we noted the current works being undertaken at the bottom of Loves Hill by Anglian Water (AWA). These works caused a full road closure and we consider the signage to be inadequate and the detour required to be onerous. AWA had undertaken to expedite the work to minimise disruption to residents, but there were no workmen on site after 1.00pm on the day of our meeting. We asked the clerk to write to James Collingridge and Charlotte Palmer to convey our dissatisfaction emphasising the presence of a large care home in the village and the disruption caused over an extended period.
  • Community MATTERS –
  1. Joint Parish Liaison Group (JPLG) – We agreed that there were no actions from the last meeting that required action at this meeting. We confirmed the terms of reference as still relevant to future joint meetings with Ailsworth Parish Councillors.
  1. Langdyke Trust – Nature Recovery Project (NRP) – The Vice chairman reported that Mike Horne is planting hedgerow trees and will provide the Willow trees for the paddock in Splash Lane. As previously agreed we will be using the Milton estates grant to fund bulb purchases. Mike has already planted some bulbs in the Coppice. The main issue remaining is the acquisition of Oaks from Sutton Parish council at a cost in excess of £800, still within the overall budget provision for the project.
  1. Good Neighbours scheme (GNS) – The Chairman reported that four more parish councils had joined the scheme. The Grant for Roving Hubs is split £2500 to cover administration and the balance (£7500) is to be used for food and blankets. Those parish councils making use of the roving hub will have to fund the room hire costs within their village.
  1. Commemorative Tree – Greene has been unable to source a suitable Oak because of the processionary Moth issues and has consulted Sarah Lambert for advice on an alternative. By consensus we agreed to purchase a Copper Beech with a 20 – 30 girth at a reduced price of £980 + £95 delivery for planting in the play area. The Clerk was asked to seek a quote from the city council tree team for planting.
  1. Climate Change Policy – as agreed at our previous meeting Cllr. Shaw has drafted a shorter document, compatible with planning legislation and indicative of that to which the parish council can commit and achieve. He has also undertaken to meet with Andrew Nash and discuss the constraints within which the parish council has to work. The draft policy will then be brought back to our next meeting for formal adoption.
  1. Standing Stones
    1. Water Leak –Cllr Baxter reported that Anglian Water had found one water leak in the 5” asbestos main on the Old A47 at Gunwade Ferry, 80 meters west of the Standing Stones. This is the newest of the leaks, about a year old, flooding the north side of Thornfields, Milton Estates land. The intention is that they will only investigate further the seven-year-old leaks at the Standing Stones and at the Ferry Bridge after the above repairs. The Standing Stones leak will be much easier to trace once repairs are carried out on the one that has been located.
    2. Information Boards – Cllr Baxter reported that he needed assistance in putting text on the photographs to be used on the information boards. Cllr Young has relevant experience and offered to help Cllr Baxter.
  • Governance Matters
  1. Budgetary Control report – The Clerk as Responsible Financial Officer presented a budget control report as at 31st October together with estimated projections for the remainder of the financial year. We noted the report and the projected increase in our reserves because of the receipt of Section 106 monies to be allocated to agreed specific projects
  2. Proposed Cllr. William Baxter Seconded Cllr. David Shaw
  1. Draft Budget 223/24 and subsequent years – The Clerk as Responsible Financial Officer presented a draft budget for our consideration and answered our questions on the suggested amounts against budget heads. Cllr Shaw suggested that the provision for review of the neighbourhood plan in 2024/25 needed to be increased to £1000. WE RESOLVED to peg the precept at the same charge (£81) as for the current year for a Band D property and to budget for Payments of £58,140 and receipts of £39,528, and anticipating withdrawing £18,612 from our accumulated reserves.

Proposed Cllr. Steve Davies Seconded Cllr. William Baxter 

  • official announcements & CORRESPONDENCE.
  1. Local List Consultation – Cllr Shaw reported that he had examined the list of those items which the city council proposed to include in the list. We agreed to write in support of the local listing and Cllr Shaw undertook to consider any possible additions and to notify the Clerk by 11th
  1. Tree on School property. Cllr. Shaw reported contacts with the conservation officer and the school head and that the subject remained unresolved. He undertook to pursue the parish council view that the tree should be felled. In this context it should be noted that the parish council have a vigorous programme of tree planting.
  1. Celebrations Committee – The clerk reported receipt of an email enclosing the audited accounts of the Jubilee celebrations and the distributed grants to village organisations. We also noted that some members of the committee were retiring from the working group and that additional volunteers will be needed for future events.
  1. Orton Longueville Parish Council (OLPC) – The chairman reported that OLPC should have 11 councillors and that only 7 remained after both the Clerk and the former chairman resigned without notice, and within two days of each other. Both were bank signatories. The result was that the neighbouring OLPC was a much-depleted parish council unable to process payments until a new bank mandate was completed with their bank. The chairman had agreed to be co-opted to OLPC to assist the parish council. Our Clerk had agreed to provide interim Clerk cover for basic functions, for up to three months, whilst the parish council recruited a permanent Clerk.

OLPC had requested assistance from our parish council to pay bills, including community grants to voluntary bodies in Orton dependent on OLPC for funding. OLPC undertook to re-imburse our parish council immediately the revised bank mandate is in place. On consideration of the requested assistance some councillors had reservations and on a majority vote of four votes in favour, to two against and with three abstentions we agreed to accede to the request of OLPC.

(Post meeting note). – Cooperative Bank have received the revised bank mandate for OLPC and have agreed to honour cheques whilst progressing the online facility for new signatories. The agreed assistance may not be required beyond paying the Clerk through our payroll system for the additional hours and being reimbursed by OLPC)

 Future Agenda Items

    1. Review of Cricket Club Lease
  • Date of next meeting – revised from 5th to 12th January 2023 – Apologies notified in advance for the revised date from Cllrs Greene and Surgeon
  • There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 9.55pm.

Clerk & RFO 6th December, 2022

 

Approved by Castor Parish Council
Signature of Chairman

of approving meeting:

   12th January, 2023