Minutes of the Meeting of Milton Parish Council
held on Monday 4th October 1999 at 7pm in the Community Centre
Present: RLE Waters (chair) RJ Farrington
JE Coston (part - also attending Landbeach PC)
R Day M Ellwood A Lakhani IF May PK Oldham JM Palmer
GM Richardson HM Smith RT Summerfield LC Twinn
and the clerk SJ Daniels
1 Apologies for absence DJ Lee CF Taylor
426/99 2 Travellers Chesterton Fen
Mr D Hussell and J Belcham SCDC Planning Officers attended, as
part of a consultation process, to outline the problems posed by
travellers in Chesterton Fen and possible ways of dealing with
these problems.
There were four illegal sites in Chesterton Fen. SCDC had the
following options:
1. To try, through the courts, to have the travellers on the
illegal sites between the road and the river removed. A
judge would be more likely to give permission to have them
moved if there were somewhere else for them to go to.
2. To leave them alone and do nothing.
3. To try to move the travellers to a site allocated for use
as a scrapyard on the western side of Chesterton Fen Road
(away from the river).
It was understood that the City Council was unlikely to object to
option 3.
A wide divergence of views was expressed.
It was AGREED to support SCDC in moving the travellers from the
illegal sites to the "scrapyard" site or other legal alternatives
only if SCDC had a firm plan to prevent reoccupation of the illegal
sites. Carried 10 votes in favour with 2 against.
427/99 3 Minutes
The minutes of the meeting of 6 September 1999 were approved and
signed as a true record.
4 Clerk's Report (inc matters arising)
428/99 Minor Highways Improvements
(299/99) The clerk: to bid for funding for 2000/2001 for a "pinch
point" in Ely Road.
Noted that MPC would pay 60p per elector.
429/99 Impact
(244/99) HMS reported that the bursar of IVC intended holding an
Extraordinary General Meeting to wind up Impact.
430/99 New Footpath Coles Road Recreation Ground
(303/99) An application for the new footpath had been submitted.
Planning fee had been met by cheque 1567 - see minute 270/99.
431/99 Land Purchase
(304/99) A meeting of the working party was arranged for 25 October.
432/99 Street Naming Crane Industrial Estate
(372/99) Noted that none of the industrial units had numbers visible on
their buildings. The clerk was asking Mrs Duncan SCDC for advice.
433/99 Allotments' Pump
(373/99) ME reported that the pump was now working.
434/99 Disposal of waste bins
(374/99) Histon & Impington Recreation Ground Committee had expressed an
interest - final decision to be made at November meeting.
435/99 Haling way - Fen Road to Baits Bite Lock
(376/99) The Conservators had no funds to resurface the "road". and were
responsible only for maintaining the halingway as a footpath. The
Conservators had no objection if MPC could provide assistance.
The clerk: to investigate further.
436/99 Community Care
(395/99) Committee were due to meet 18 October at 8.30pm to discuss
warden's contract.
437/99 Play Areas
(400/99) Wicksteed's inspector has looked at the damaged equipment and
has apologised. He admitted that he had failed to notice the
rotten wood. The clerk: to ask for Wicksteed's comments in
writing. Wicksteed had quoted £20 per site inspection = total
of £120 (inc 2 recreation ground sites) not £25 as reported in
minute 80/99 [confirmed minute 101/99].
AGREED to discuss at November meeting as J Gray (MCC) was obtaining
City Council quote also.
The ROSPA booklet (cheque 1624) provided a checklist for play
committee members doing inspections.
438/99 Development at Waterbeach
(404/99) Mr Martin had not been invited to this meeting because of more
urgent business.
He would be invited to later meeting - possibly November.
439/99 Youth
A memo from J Gray (as requested by DJL) outlining possible
help from the (423/99) Cambridge Association of Youth Clubs was
received. Council gave the Youth Committee and the chairman
authority to pursue alternative detached workers (see
also min 322/99).
440/99 Fax Machine
Although the fax machine had been repaired during the summer the
intermittent fault had reappeared.
AGREED to buy a replacement plain paper machine at a cost of
approximately £180.
441/99 Cemetery
A request for a flat stone surface on a grave flush with the grass
had been received.
AGREED that headstones only should be allowed.
Carried - 6 votes in favour, 3 against and 2 abstentions.
442/99 Finance
Fixed Deposit matured 9/8/99
£120000 reinvested for 6 months @ 5%
Balance of £26052.73 (to be used for basketball court) invested
for 2 months @ 4.56% - due to mature 11/10/99 - to be reinvested
for 1 month.
Commuted Fixed Deposit matured 13/9/99
£105000 reinvested for 3 months @ 5.01%
Balance of £5707.61 transferred into Flexible Savings
(commuted account)
As there was a possibility of interest rates rising the chairman
of Finance and the clerk discussed whether to opt for 6 months
@ 5.33% or 1 month @ 4.88%. It was decided to go for the middle
ground. Due to mature 13/12/99.
5 Planning
443/99 The Minutes of the meeting of 20 September 1999 were received
and noted.
444/99 Application by PG Shenton
(412/99) A letter of objection had been received. RJF had viewed the site
from the objectors' house and felt that there was no justification
in changing the planning committee's decision. Noted that the
Planning Officers were recommending approval.
445/99 Appeal - siting of three caravans Chesterton Fen Road - by Mrs L Gaskin.
(279/99) The clerk: to send letter supporting SCDC's stance to the
Department of the Environment.
Decisions Received - none
New Applications - none
6 Maintenance Committee Minutes
446/99 The Minutes of the Maintenance meeting of 27 September 1999 were
(419/99) received and noted.
Noted that Mr Nicholls would charge £10 per hour.
AGREED to accept the recommendations therein.
447/99 7 Quotations for cemetery path/roadway
(319/99) Proposed and seconded that using powers under The local Authorities'
Cemeteries Order 1977 (No 204) Council should proceed with 3m wide
path.
An amendment was proposed and seconded that the path should be 1.5m
wide. The amendment was lost on the casting vote of the chairman -
6 votes to 5.
AGREED to proceed with 3m wide path - carried by 7 votes in favour,
3 against and 1 abstention.
448/99 8 MCC Update
AGREED to fund replacement play house for Coles Road Recreation
Ground at £9193.22 from 'sheltered housing' money - carried by 7
votes in favour, 2 against and 2 abstentions.
AGREED to fund repairs to honeycombe whirl at The Sycamores
Recreation Ground at £1346 from reserves - 10 votes in favour and
1 abstention.
The above were agreed because MPC had handed over these pieces of
equipment in a poor state of repair. Future repairs and
replacements should be met by MCC.
Agenda for joint meeting 13 October
Financial Agreement
Lighting on Recreation Ground
Millennium Arrangements
Vandalism
Village Fayre
It was agreed that as many of the MCC members were also parish
councillors future joint meetings should take place once a year.
449/99 9 Sheltered Housing Update
(398/99) Nothing to report.
450/99 10 Bills for Payment and Money Received
CONFIRMED cheques already paid:
cheque 1618 - 1620 and No '2' Account cheque 52.
AGREED to authorise payment of cheques 1621 to 1640.
[Payment of £20 to British Legion for wreath cheque 1633 agreed
by 10 votes and 1 abstention].
451/99 11 Crime Update
Crime statistics were circulated - an increase in reported crime
was noted.
452/99 12 County Councillor's report
Gas Smell in Village
RJF had contacted East Waste about the recent gas smells which
(it would appear) did not emanate from the landfill site.
The clerk: to contact AWA and Transco for comments.
453/99 13 District Councillor's report
(388/99) Day Nursery Science Park
The Officers were recommending refusal as the building would take
away open space. RTS would recommend approval to SCDC planning
Committee as the open space benefited users of the Science Park
only and these users had shown that they were in favour of the
scheme.
(387/99) Hospice
The Section 106 Draft Agreement was prepared and took into account
Council's concerns.
(143/99) Waggon & Horses Public Entertainments Licence
AGREED to recommend that, as there had been no problems recently,
the Waggon & Horses be treated on an equal footing with the other
public houses in the village.
454/99 14 Correspondence
CALC Bulletin & Best Kept Village results - recommendation to
put Councillors names and addresses on the notice board - agreed.
CALC - South Cambs AGM 6 October
- County AGM 23 October
Cambs ACRE - notice of AGM 7 October
Cambridge Transport Plan
P Nuttall - sketch plan of proposed golf practice centre. Noted
that Mr Nuttall was considering suggesting a swap of land with
the College of West Anglia.
Cartwrights solicitors - transfer of licence Tesco
Local Councils Liaison Committee - minutes
15 Dates of next meetings:-
Local Agenda 21 Consultation Workshop 11 October 7.30pm at MCC
Public Meeting A10 12 October 7.30pm at Waterbeach
Planning 18 October 7.00pm
Community Care 18 October 8.30pm
MCC Joint 13 October 7.30pm
Land Purchase 25 October
Finance 27 October 7.30pm
The meeting ended at 9.56pm.