Minutes of the Sawtry Parish Council meeting held on February 14th 2018

Present: Cllrs Riddle, Tuplin, Custance, Whittaker, Ashley, Alexander, Mynott, Gadsby, Mulcrone, County Cllr Bywater (for agenda 2618 only), 1 member of the public.

22/18 / Apologies For Absence – Cllrs Laxton, Parkes, Scott, District Cllr Tysoe
23/18 / To Sign And Approve Minutes Dated January 10th 2018 – approved, signed by Cllr Riddle
24/18 / Matters Arising From Previous Minutes (for information only)
25/18 / Members’ Declaration Of Interest for items on the Agenda:
Item 30/18 – invoice 223 – Cllr Whittaker
Public forum – meeting suspended.
The member of the public was a representative from the Sawtry Youth Project and gave the council some background information on agenda item 33/18.
26/18 / To Receive Reports From Representatives Of Outside Bodies
Sawtry Internal Drainage Board – Cllrs Riddle, Custance, Tuplin, Laxton - Cllr Custance reported that SIDB and the Middle Leve Commissioners had met had with Persimmon Homes to discuss the problems with the attenuation pond. Persimmon accepted that it was their responsibility until it is handed over to a management company. They agreed that the pond would be cleared out by the end of March. A resident has planted trees in the maintenance strip, Persimmon will be dealing with this.
District Council – Cllr Tysoe – not present
District Council – Cllr Tuplin – nothing to report
County Council – Cllr Bywater:
The Full Council proposed a council tax increase of 2.99% to protect vital services. The government are being challenged on the funding formula to address imbalances across the country
A meeting has been arranged for March 21st at Stilton to discuss with BT the problems with broadband. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
Cllr Bywater left the meeting.
27/18 / To Receive The Chairman’s Report:
An invitation has been accepted to be on the judging panel for the Carnival Court.
To Receive And In So Far As Required, Ratify Recommendations Contained In The Minutes Of The Following Committees (attached to this Agenda as listed)
Amenities / No meeting
Community / No meeting
Finance and General Purposes / No meeting
Planning / January 24th – approved – appendix 1
February 14th – approved – appendix 2
28/18 / To Report Any Changes To Committee Membership – none
29/18 / Financial Report – noted
1.To note summary of Receipts and Payments as at December 31st 2017
2.To note bank reconciliation at December 31st2017
3. HDC confirmation of approval of precept request - £145,917. Based on the tax base for the area equating to 1871 Band D properties, the Band D charge is £77.99.
30/18 / To Approve Payment And Signing Of Cheques:
Payments approved, cheques signed by Cllrs Custance and Tuplin
Cllr Whittaker left the room.
Cheque
No / Invoice No / Budget Heading / To / Amount / NET / VAT
306493 / 222 / Office Expenses / Grafton Projects Ltd / 31.24 / 27.97 / 3.27
306494 / 223 / Councillor Training – travel expenses / Mr D Whittaker / 81.00 / 81.00 / 0.00
306495 / 224 / Refuse collection / Huntingdonshire District Council / 12.00 / 12.00 / 0.00
306496 / 225 / Village Maintenance / Trade UK Account / 17.87 / 14.90 / 2.97
306497 / 226 / Office Expenses / Viking / 183.84 / 162.53 / 21.31
306498 / 227 / Parish Van Fuel / Maritime Transport Ltd / 46.70 / 38.92 / 7.78
306499 / 228 / Donation from Carol Service / Huntingdon Rotary Club / 30.00 / 30.00 / 0.00
306500 / 229 / Donation to foodbank from Carol Service and village fireworks / CARESCO / 102.00 / 102.00 / 0.00
306501 / 230 / St Andrews Cemetery maintenance / AYR Nurseries and Landscapes / 40.80 / 34.00 / 6.80
306502 / 231 / Property Maintenance / S G Electrical Services / 36.00 / 30.00 / 6.00
306503 / 232 / Property Maintenance / Peterborough Boiler Services Ltd / 165.60 / 138.00 / 27.60
306504 / 233 / Subscription – Clerk and Councils Direct / CommuniCorp / 12.00 / 12.00 / 0.00
306505 / 234 / Chairman’s Allowance / Greystones / 150.00 / 150.00 / 0.00
TOTAL / 909.05 / 833.32 / 75.73
31/18 / Cllr Whittaker returned to the room.
Direct Debit Payments – noted
Salaries and Wages for 5 members of staff – £4273.17 – payment to be supervised by Cllr Riddle
CCC Pension Fund – Pension Contributions – £1841.13
HMRC – Tax & NI Payments – £1365.94
HDC – St Andrews Rates - £69
Eclipse Internet - £17.94 (£14.95 net)
32/18 / Request to use car park for non-Parish Council business – the Clerk was requested to respond that parking is for customers only. Signage is being introduced to clarify ownership and use of the car park.
33/18 / Sawtry Youth Project update and request for the Parish Council to consider a land rental agreement – referred to the Community Committee on March 7th.
34/18 / Facebook – update from Cllr Whittaker – 1 item added regarding the updating of the Police website and reporting of non-emergency situations.
Correspondence – noted :
For Information:
  1. National Lobby Day – opportunity for local councils to form stronger relationships with their MPs
  2. From Banijay – request re TV show looking at villages being nominated for the funding of arts projects in the community
  3. CAPALC (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Association of Local Council Clerks) Extraordinary General Meeting – March 22nd
  4. CAPALC – Buckingham Palace garden party – successful nominees
  5. Invitation to Buttons and Bows Pre-School grand opening – February 21st
Newsletters:
  1. CAPALC bulletins – January and February 2018
  2. LCPAS Legal News and Update – 19 & 25 January 2018
  3. A P Partnership – Winter 2017
  4. Clerks and Councils Direct – January 2018
  5. Wicksteed – 100 years of play – archive front page
  6. Local Council’s Update – Jan/Feb 2018

35/18 / To Resolve that the press and public be excluded from the meeting because the business to be transacted contains sensitive information.
The member of the public left the meeting.
36/18 /
  1. To consider response from Solicitor regarding emails received – response noted. Emails to continue to be forwarded to solicitor for information/response.
  1. To consider response to persistent emails covering the same subject a number of times – members of the public to be advised that they can attend meetings and speak to items on the agenda
  1. To note correspondence received from Monitoring Officer, HDC – noted that complaint procedure carried out correctly.
  1. To note appointment of additional Assistant Clerk – employment to commence on February 19th

37/18 / Next Meeting – March 14th 2018 at 7.30pm

Appendix 1 – Minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on January 24th 2018

Present: Cllrs Riddle, Alexander, Whittaker, Parkes, Custance, Laxton and District Cllr Tuplin.

There were no members of the public present.

Cllr Riddle chaired the meeting in the absence of Cllr Scott.

1 / APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE / Cllr Scott
2 / MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING / January 10th – approved
3 / MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES (for information only)
Item 5.4 – additional houses at St Andrews Way – District Cllr Tuplin advised that the District Council Development Management Panel had refused the application.
Item 8 – Cllr Alexander reported that a resident of Green End Road had reported resent flooding issues to Anglian Water who had visited the site and recorded the flooding. They also recorded historical flooding on the site.
Item 8.3 – Cllr Laxton advised that he had been contacted by Cambridgeshire County Council flooding team, in his role as contact for Sawtry Internal Drainage Board, regarding the flooding at the new houses built adjacent to the Old Mill, Gidding Road. Cllr Laxton referred them to Anglian Water.
4 / MEMBERS ‘DECLARATION OF INTEREST for Agenda items:
Cllr Custance – item 5.2 – applicant is a neighbour.
5 / PLANNING APPLICATIONS (can be viewed online at
5.1 18/00069/HHFUL – 11 Tinkers Lane – proposed single storey extension to domestic dwelling to accommodate dining room and family room extension – recommend approval. It is a reasonable development for the site.
5.2 18/00023/HHFUL – 13 Papyrus Way – single storey front and side extension and single storey garage – recommend approval. It is a reasonable development for the site.
6 / PLANNING DECISIONS – none
7 / From Cambs CC re proposal to make an order to extend the 30mph restriction on Gidding Road by 291m west of its junction with Deerpark Road – it was agreed to approve this as it coincides with the new development. Recommend that it is extended 200m beyond the edge of the development to allow for vehicles to be down to 30mph before they reach it. Also request a speed reduction priority junction the same as that when entering the village via Green End Road. Streetlights to be installed along the length of the 30mph limit.
8 / To agree response to HDC Consultation on the Local Plan – it was agreed that comments have been given in the past, some of which have been included in the latest plan, some have not. The Parish Council are pleased to see the plan move forward in it’s current state.
Dist Cllr Tuplin advised that the District Council had decided that any application for a one property development that is recommended refusal by the Parish Council and supported by the officer will not go to the Development Panel. District Councillors will have the discretion to ask for items in this situation to go to Development Panel.
9 / NEXT MEETING / February 14th 2018 at 7.00pm – apologies in advance from Cllr Laxton.

Appendix 2 – Minutes of a Planning Meeting Held on February 14th 2018

Present: Cllrs Riddle, Tuplin, Whittaker, Custance, Alexander, Mynott, Dist Cllr Tuplin

In the absence of Cllr Scott, Cllr Riddle chaired the meeting.

1 / APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE / Cllrs Laxton, Parkes, Scott
2 / MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING / January 24th – approved.
3 / MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES (for information only)
Item 7 – Cllr Alexander raised concerns that other areas of the village should also be re-signed due to developments. He will report to the next meeting.
4 / MEMBERS ‘DECLARATION OF INTEREST for Agenda items:
Item 7.4 – Cllr Riddle neighbour of correspondent.
5 / PLANNING APPLICATIONS (can be viewed online at
5.1 18/00202/HHFUL – 3 Aversley Road – new single storey extension to rear of property
Recommend approval – no objections received from neighbours, a reasonable development.
6 / PLANNING DECISIONS:
None
7 / NOTICES & CORRESPONDENCE – noted:
7.1 Cambs CC – update on planned works to narrow Green End Road – expected to be completed by the end of the financial year.
7.2 Cambs CC – notice of temporary closure of footpaths 23 and 26 (between Rowell Way and Bullock Road and Mill View and footpath 23 respectively)
7.3 HDC – Allocation of house numbers – Haynes Close (S Andrews Way)
7.4 From resident re repeated road works and traffic lights at the junction of Fen Lane/St Andrews Way – request for Parish Council to raise with District Council.
Clerk to respond that it is a County Council matter as they are the only authority that can apply planning conditions.
7.5 Cambs CC – Flood report – Land adjacent to Gidding Road – noted. It is positive that the various organisations are working together and hope the on-going actions resolve the problems.
The Clerk advised that correspondence had been received from residents of Ewings Wood reporting on-going flooding issues. Referred to next meeting.
8 / NEXT MEETING / February 28th 2017 at 7.00pm