Minutes of the Great Staughton Annual Parish Assemblyheld on 10th April 2014 in the Village Hall

Present: Councillors - Hugh Duberly (HD) (Chairman), Frank Backhouse (FB), Janet Bowen (JB), Bob Jewell (RJ), Will Mumford (WM), Peter Willmer (PW), Anthony Withers (AW), Mervyn Young (MY), Dianne Palmer (Clerk)

Parishioners: Sandra Allen, John Allen, Shirley Askew, Michael Askew, Pat Backhouse, Daniel Backhouse, Laurie Ballinger, John Bashford, Hazel Bell, Howard Chalkley, Rev Judi Clarke, Sue Cowley, KJ Dainty, DR Dainty, Shelagh Doyle, Phil Emery, Margaret Emeleus, Guy Freeman, Dave Gait, Dave Giddings, Susan Giddings, Helen Glanville, Vicky Goldsmith, Roger Harding, Norman Hardy, Mike Keeble, Simon Maylor, Shirley Mockford, Mike Mockford, Audrey Newman, Nick Orchard, Janet Perrett, Dundas Rhind, Tricia Richards, Ivy Sturgeon, Gordon Sturgeon, Ian Taylor, Caroline Taylor, Neil Taylor, Sam Taylor, Harry Taylor, John Wakefield, Barbara Wallis, Elizabeth Walter, Rachel Walter, Graham Westcott and Judy York.

Peter Downes (County Councillor), Jonathan Gray (District Councillor), Sgt Keren Pop (St Neots Police), Frank Mastrandrea (Hunts District Council), and Dean Elsworth (Luminus) were also present.

1. Apologies: Geoff Gilbert, Eileen Gilbert, Olive Hynes, Paddy Hynes, Rachel Donnelly, Jen Able, Valerie Downs, David Palmer, and Claire Matthews.

Chairman’s Address: The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and said what a joy it was to see Great Staughton looking so attractive, expressing thanks to those responsible – John Harrison for maintenance of the grass verges and the Horticultural Society for the daffodil planting. He also thanked the Tree Wardens and everyone who helped with the litter pick, which he understood had collected less rubbish this year.

2. Minutes of the last Parish Assembly Held on 24th April 2013 were agreed as a true record and signed. Proposed by Peter Willmer and seconded by Anthony Withers.

3. Matters ArisingBroadband – Roger Harding gave a report on the recent progress made and said that the roll-out has been brought forward by 6 months and should to take place March to June 2015. HD thanked Roger Harding for all of the work done on behalf of everyone.

4. Parish AccountsPlaying Field – Bob Jewell (RJ) presented the accounts mentioning that although there was an excess of Income over Expenditure of £418.00, without a generous donation of £503.00, together with tax of £126.00 claimed on the donation, the accounts would have shown a loss. The full accounts are on the village website.

RJ said that as a charity the Playing Field has been charged rates that would not be due from a small business. In addition Cambs CC have introduced a charge to charities for waste collection which also would not be due from a small business. As the building is now over 20 years old it is anticipated that general maintenance will be needed soon. Janet Perrett proposed the accounts be accepted and Sandra Allen seconded, carried unanimously.

Parish Charities – HD said that an income from the Parish Charity fields and dividends came to £3,623.00 and a sum of £2,350.00 had been distributed to various education causes within the village. MY proposed the accounts be accepted and PW seconded the motion, carried unanimously.

Village Hall – Helen Glanville presented the audited accounts for 2013 mentioning that there was a surplus of £1,854.00. New bookings had led to an increase in income to £8,659.00 with a reduction in expenses to £6,805.00. Helen expressed her thanks to Kathy Wilson for auditing the accounts. RJ proposed the accounts be accepted and JB seconded the motion, carried unanimously. HD said it was very encouraging that the bookings have increased.

Life Magazine – Helen Glanville presented the audited accounts for 2013 which ended with a surplus of £2,281.00. The cost saving measures had been successful and there had been an increase in

advertising. Helen expressed her thanks to Perry Parish Council and to Great Staughton Parish Council for their financial support. HD thanked the two editors and said that by co-operating with our neighbours a magazine is being produced that we can all be proud of.

HD thanked everyone for presenting the Parish accounts.

5. Reports from County & District Councillors and the PolicePeter Downes (PD) said that it was always a pleasure to attend the Annual Parish Assembly at Great Staughton because it was so well attended. He circulated a comprehensive report prior to the meeting and mentioned that the structure of the County Council had changed following the May 2013 election and no party had overall control.

PD recommended people to look at the new plans for the A14 upgrade as this work will have an impact on local people. Information will be available at local libraries and the upgrade is still under consultation.

PD expressed concern about the withdrawal of local bus services and also mentioned the changes to the village school. Looking to the future, PD felt that local communities would have to work together to take on more roles previously fulfilled by the District Council and County Council because of the continued constraints on funding. Janet Perrett asked whether the potholes will be repaired. PD said that there are insufficient funds to complete all of the work. He also mentioned that some Parish Councils are increasing their precept in order to put aside money to do this type of work.

RJ asked for a comment on the refuse charges made to charities which are not made to small businesses. PD said that he understood that at present this will continue. HD mentioned that PD has been very helpful in promoting interests of the village. The traffic calming which has taken place was presented to Cambs CC by PW and AW with the support of PD. Roger Harding suggested that traffic will still exceed the 30mph limit once through the chicane. PD also gave his support for the 2014/15 request to ensure that the junction between The Highway and The Causeway is made more obvious and some notification of the school being nearby. The Parish Council has been successful in this application and PD explained that the Highway Improvement Scheme has a theme of road safety. A new proposal has been received to place a traffic mirror opposite Vicarage Walk and this will be discussed at the next Parish Council meeting.

Jonathan Gray (JG) circulated an informative report prior to the meeting. He said that Hunts DC part of Council Tax has been frozen for 2014/15 and they hope to do the same next year. JG mentioned the proposal to build 5,000 new houses between Alconbury and the north west of Huntingdon and consideration is being given as to what use to make of RAF Wyton.. JG also mentioned that a major part of his work was to ensure that Hunts DC offers the best services for the money available and invited people to get in touch with him if they wished to discuss anything related to Hunts DC and his role.

HD thanked the Councillors for their reports and continued support of the Parish Council. A copy of the Councillor’s reports can be obtained from the Clerk

Police Report - Sgt Keren Pope said that she has taken on a role in the Problem Solving Team and has been the representative for Great Staughton since January. Sgt Pope gave a brief report including crime figures for the area which covers Great Staughton and Kimbolton and mentioned that crimes committed in the area were reduced from 130 to 111 during 2013/14.

St Neots District had a reduction of 11.8% which equates to 230 fewer victims of crime. She felt this was a reflection of the hard work of the team. Victim based crime is down by 11%. The Police are hoping to increase the team of PCSOs.

A question was raised from the floor relating to speeding in the village. Sgt Pope felt a Speed Watch team might be beneficial and explained that it would be run by local residents who monitored vehicles with equipment supplied by the Police. Alternatively the camera safety van can be deployed if necessary.

6. Neighbourhood Watch Scheme (NHW)FB reported that there had been a good response to the request to set up a NHW scheme in the village and the steering committee comprised Caroline Taylor, Mike Keeble, John Wakefield and Frank Backhouse. The group had a good relationship with the Police including PCSO Carol Corn who had now retired. PCSO Alan Newman will temporarily replace Carol Corn. It is understood that

several criminal activities have taken place which have not been reported as a crime and FB said that the Police have asked that people report any suspicious behaviour straight away on 101. At present there are 2 coordinators needed and 6 deputies. FB thanked everyone for their support during the last year and HD thanked FB for getting the scheme up and running.7. Village SchoolHazel Bell (Chair of Governors) and Caroline Taylor (Vice Chair of Governors) gave a report on behalf of the school. Mrs Bell said that from January the school has been part of the Diamond Learning Partnership Trust (DLPT) together with the former Overhills School and 3 other schools in St Neots. The school is now called Great Staughton Primary Academy with a pupil roll of approx 86. Mrs Taylor said that, as a small school, they had felt vulnerable and that their purchasing powers were limited. As part of the DLPT the school had more support and could share the purchasing costs to offer better value. The day-to-day running of the school has remained the same and they feel it is very much a community school. HD said that the support of the Parish Council for the school goes without question and the Councillors recognise it as a valuable part of the village community.

8. Affordable Housing for Local PeopleAW gave an overview of the scheme which was originally requested in the Village Plan and was initially discussed 2 years ago. Following meetings with Hunts DC, Cambridgeshire ACRE and Luminus to discuss building housing for people with a local connection such as family or work, Hunts DC agreed that the Parish Charity field could be given Rural Exception status for this purpose even though the land would not normally be given planning permission as it is not considered to be within the village envelope.. The suggestion is for the houses to be on one of the Charity fields as this will reduce the costs and increase the funds available to the Parish Charities.

Frank Mastrandrea, Housing Office at Hunts DC, said that his primary role is to help local councils deliver affordable housing. However, a need has to be shown and the survey/questionnaire circulated last year showed a need for 8 affordable housing units. The initial plans brought to the meeting shows 10 units as there is a possibility that 2 units may be sold to subsidise the costs of building affordable houses. Mr Mastrandrea invited people to let him know via the Clerk/Parish Councillors if they were aware of any other people with connection to the village who may not have taken part in the survey so that their views can be incorporated.

Dean Elsworth, Luminus, produced concept plans on display at the meeting and pointed out that these are open to change. The plans include 2 flats, 2 bungalows and 6 semi-detached properties of 2 and 3 bedrooms. The public footpath will be maintained and a community orchard sits to the rear of the site. All properties have gardens and parking. A copy of the plans is available from the Clerk. Once agreement is achieved, Mr Elsworth will produce a detailed plan with costs.

Guy Freeman expressed his objection to the development as he felt more revenue from the sale of the land could be achieved for the Parish Charities and that this plan was not maximising a village asset. AW said that the Charities field secured their funds from rent which was approximately £100 per annum and that the intention was to increase the funds available. HD said that the Trustees of the Parish Charities have a responsibility to ensure that the land is used for the benefit of the village. If they were not satisfied as to the feasibility of the scheme they would not go ahead with the scheme. At present there is overwhelming support for the scheme and the point was reiterated that there would not be any opportunity to build houses on the land other than for affordable housing.

Neil Taylor asked whether neighbours would be consulted. Mr Elsworth mentioned that this scheme is only at the concept stage and would ultimately go to full planning where people would have the opportunity to voice their views. Concerns were also expressed about the speed limit in the area and would the 30mph sign be moved? It was expected that this would form part of the planning process.

Janet Perrett asked how to ensure that the houses were retained for people with a connection to the village. Mr Mastrandrea said that tenants would not be able to completely buy the properties but would purchase a percentage and that Rural Exception sites have to be retained for the village in question. RJ asked Mr Elsworth what the time frame would be and he responded that, once given approval, he would be able to produce more detailed plans. HD thanked Frank Mastrandrea and Dean Elsworth for their work so far and for attending the meeting.

9. Highway Improvement Funding ApplicationDiscussed under item 5, paragraph 4.

10. Highway Warden’s ReportRJ said that the white lining had been done and several new trees have been planted along The Highway.

11. Changes to Street LightingJB pointed out that the plans for the new street lighting were displayed at the back of the room and asked anyone had any comments or questions to let the Parish Council know. Feedback can be given to Balfour Beatty until 2nd May. Roger Harding asked whether the plans were on schedule and PD was uncertain. However he recommended that people gave feedback in advance in order so they obtained the changes they felt necessary. He also said that although there would be an overall reduction in street lights on side roads the new lamps are whiter and, if a light is sited close to a house, residents may want to ask for baffling so that sleep is not disturbed.

12. Parish MattersHD drew attention to the A5 leaflets distributed prior to the meeting which gave information about the Clubs and Societies in the village. He also requested, as the Post Office is going to close at the end of April, any suggestions for an alternative.

Rev Judi Clarke mentioned that, in addition to Great Staughton, she now served Hail Weston and Little Staughton which had been without a priest for 13 years.

RJ mentioned his concern about the reduced bus services as Cambs CC is cutting down the amount of money given to subsidise bus routes in rural areas. He is attending meetings in an attempt to maintain some service to the village. HD reminded people of the HACT charity which is available for a door-to-door service.

Ian Taylor asked whether the quite distinctive ridge and furrow areas in the field south of The Highway could be conserved? Norman Hardy had contacted the Council but had not been able to make any progress. HD suggested that this be brought forward at the next Parish Council meeting.

AW raised the issue of dog fouling and HD requested that if someone sees the culprits that they do not ignore the problem.

RJ said that the web site has links to all of the organisations in the village. Please email any news items or dates of events to go on the website to bjewel12@hotmail.com. The website address is www.greatstaughton.com

HD reminded everyone that, prior to each Parish Council meeting, there is a Resident’s Forum which gives villagers the opportunity to raise matters of concern. He thanked everyone for their attendance and participation and paid tribute to the work of the Parish Clerk.

The meeting closed at 9.10pm.