Minutes of the Meeting of Milton Parish Council
held on Monday 5 June 2000 at 7.30pm in the Community Centre
Present: RLE Waters (chair) RJ Farrington JE Coston R Day
M Ellwood B Jefferson A Lakhani IF May P Mynott
PK Oldham GM Richardson RT Summerfield LC Twinn
The clerk SJ Daniels
1 Apologies for absence DJ Lee HM Smith
266/00 2 New councillor
Council welcomed Barry Jefferson who signed the Declaration of
Acceptance of Office. He was elected to the cemetery, highways,
maintenance and planning committees.
267/00 3 Minutes
The minutes of the meeting of 8 May 2000 were signed as a true
record after an amendment to minute 225/00.
4 Clerk's Report (inc matters arising)
268/00 Incident at The Rowans
The clerk reported an accident caused during grass cutting and the
action taken subsequently.
AGREED to contact Herald Contract Services about speed of their
vehicles and to ensure that children are not put in any
danger during grass cutting; also to confirm contractor's
and Council's public liability" public liability protection.
Maintenance Committee to discuss.
269/00 Crane Industrial Estate
(162/00) Noted that Cecil Instruments were willing to co-ordinate sign and
were awaiting response from Cambs County Council about position of
highway boundary. P Sharp County Council was also investigating
whether road junction priority near Cecil Instruments should be
changed.
270/00 Youth Building Steering Group
(222/00) Noted that PM had agreed to become a member of this steering group.
271/00 Bills
(229/00) Cheque 1755 not yet paid.
AGREED to withold final payment to Cambridge Courts until
satisfactory remedial work carried out.
Cheque 1775 paid - equipment had been received.
272/00 Cemetery Seat
(231/00) AGREED following recommendation of cemetery committee members to
allow family to purchase a metal seat to be installed on
concrete base near hedge in cemetery.
273/00 Land at Landbeach Road
(232/00) Noted the nettles overhanging the footpath had been cut back.
274/00 River Cam
(235/00) Mooring Policy - As the existing mooring policy was considered
satisfactory by RTS and PM no comments had been made.
Graffiti - PKO reported on the amount of graffiti along the tow
path.
AGREED to ask the University to consider how the graffiti could be
cleaned up and to ask the organisers of the University
"bumps" to consider ways of preventing a recurrence.
Letters to be sent also to Cam Conservators and Highways
Agency (graffiti on A14 Bridge over River Cam).
Cam/Granta Valley - Noted that PM had attended an inaugural meeting
of the "Cam and Granta Valley - Beyond the year 2000" Group,
recently formed to protect the river and its environs from
Grantchester to Bottisham Lock. He would continue to represent
Council on this association.
275/00 Multi-Modal Study
(236/00) A summary of the recent "CHUMMS" meeting held was received and
noted.
276/00 Polling Station Chesterton Fen
(257/00) RTS reported that under new regulations the returning officer
intended giving the residents of Chesterton Fen Road the option
of voting by post.
5 Planning
277/00 The Minutes of the meeting of 22 May 2000 were received.
JEC expressed concern that the application by Tesco was a major
application and had not been discussed by full council and proposed
an addition to the comments sent in to SCDC (minute 264/00), namely
that Council should object to the application on the grounds of
increased traffic.
Following a ruling from the chair JEC proposed that Standing Order
35(a) be suspended so that Council could, if agreed, include the
additional comment. Seconded ME.
The motion was not carried - 4 votes in favour, 7 against,
2 abstentions.
The decision of the planning committee as reflected in minute 264/00
therefore was not changed.
Decisions Received
276/00 Mr JF Lindsay - house and garage adjacent 17 High Street -
(212/00) no objections to amendments.
277/00 T Tyrrell 162 The Rowans - extension - approved.
(178/00)
278/00 Mr & Mrs P Grieve 22 Sutton Close - conservatory - approved.
(179/00)
279/00 Milton Parish Council - portable building for youth activities at
(214/00) The Sycamores Recreation Ground - approved.
280/00 Rectory Farm - extension to agricultural building - no objections.
New Applications
281/00 S/0482/00 Bridehall Development St John's Innovation Centre - car
(140/00) parking and landscaping - for information only.
282/00 S/0657/00 Mr & Mrs Selwyn-Smith 6 Butt Lane - extension - for
(216/00) information only.
283/00 S/0798/00 Mr & Ms Hastings 23 Old School Lane - conservatory and
(245/00) re-siting garage - amendment showing accurate dimension of garage
and access.
Refuse on environmental, aesthetic and safety grounds to an asbestos
garage being moved forward. The positioning of the garage would also
impede access to the neighbour at number 25 Old School Lane, reduce
off road parking, thus exacerbating on-road parking problems and
would be unsightly both from the road and from the neighbouring
property.
284/00 S/0876/00 P Garrod 13 Bene't Close - extensions and garage - no
recommendation.
285/00 S/0896/00 The College of West Anglia - chemical store and toilet
block - no recommendation.
286/00 S/0897/00 The College of West Anglia - relocation of dog grooming
parlour.
Refuse as this did not appear to be part of the College's Strategic
Development Plan submitted with applications S/0081 - 0087/99.
Concerned also about the reduced parking area.
287/00 S/0898/00 The College of West Anglia - extension to provide
veterinary surgery - refuse as this does not appear to be part of
the College's Strategic Development Plan submitted with
applications S/0081 - 0087/99.
The proposal would entail moving the veterinary surgery nearer to
the residential area. Concerned that barking dogs could be a problem
to the neighbours.
If the surgery was for public use then increased car parking would
be needed.
The application would appear to be for change of use of the land.
288/00 S/0907/00 PI Research Milton Hall - siting of two portakabins for
office/laboratory use - refuse unless a condition be imposed that
the new entrance from Ely Road be completed first to alleviate the
traffic problems in Church Lane.
The consent should be for 12 months only.
289/00 S/0979/00 RP Kent 15 Landbeach Road - addition of pitched roof to
flat roof extension - approve.
290/00 S/0985/00 P Garner - land adjacent 21 Landbeach Road - house - no
recommendation.
291/00 6 Milton Parish Council's Policy for Affordable Housing
AGREED to defer till July. RTS and JEC to find out County and
District definitions and policies.
292/00 7 Draft Regional Planning Comments
(228/00) AGREED to send in comments about
- Policy 7 Housing Provision
- Policy 21 Location of Housing and related development
- Policy 22 Scale of Development
- Policy 25 New Settlement
[detailed responses appended below]
Thanks to PKO for coordinating.
293/00 8 Draft Waste Local Plan
AGREED to ask that Council's comments about Draft Waste Local Plan
be deferred until mid September and to ask for four copies
of the Plan.
Noted that the application by Donarbon had been approved.
PKO suggested that a Standing Committee be formed to look at
strategic issues such as Regional Planning, Structure Plan etc. To
be discussed at July meeting.
294/00 9 Notice of Audit and Resolution to Approve Accounts 1999/2000
Audit was set for 14 June. As copies of the accounts had not been
fully circulated the resolution to approve the accounts would be
considered at July meeting.
295/00 10 Land Purchase
(248/00) AGREED under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 to
exclude members of the public because of the confidential
nature of the business (Standing Order 66 - 9.50pm).
The meeting reopened at 10.05pm with 13 members + clerk present.
296/00 11 Sheltered Housing Update and opening Ceremony
Some residents had moved in. The footpath issue had not yet been
resolved.
AGREED that opening ceremony should be performed by chairmen of CHS,
SCDC and MPC with the oldest resident. RLEW to negotiate
exact details.
297/00 12 Bills for Payment and Money Received
AGREED to confirm payments of cheques 1804 & 1805 (noted that SCDC
required extra planning application fee cheque 1805 for
youth building).
To authorise payments of cheques 1806 to 1822.
298/00 13 Crime Update
Crime statistics were circulated. Out of 19 reported crimes for
May 9 occurred at Tesco. RLEW had met with the manager of Tesco.
The company considered Milton a low risk category and would not
therefore fund further anti crime strategies.
RLEW hoped to attend a presentation on CCTV on 28 June.
The next Police Local Consultation Meeting was also on 28 June.
299/00 14 County Councillor's report
Verge - Norman Industrial Estate
Complaints had been received again about car parking and sales on
verge. The clerk would contact firms and PC Shulver.
Bus Timetable
JEC had organised a meeting at Landbeach Village Hall for 15 June at
7.30pm. Concern was expressed about lack of consultation over the
changes to the bus timetable. The clerk would write to County
Council about this issue.
Land for Sale - Milton Fen
JEC circulated details of 19 acres of land for sale. It was
considered too far away from the village to be worth buying. The
clerk would make further inquiries with Cheffins Estate Agents.
300/00 15 District Councillor's report - nothing further to report.
301/00 16 Correspondence Received
Village View - accounts
Resident - concerning 20mph zone near school
(to highways committee)
South Cambs Primary care Group - Bulletin
Countryside Agency - Parish Paths Partnership
CPRE - Cambridgeshire Voice Spring 2000
17 Dates of next meetings
Youth Building Steering Group 13 June
Planning 19 June
Council 3 July
The meeting ended at 10.40pm
Milton Parish Council has the following comments to make about this document.
We continue to question the figure of 4000 new homes per year in Cambridgeshire and especially the suggestion that this should be viewed as a minimum. The current boom in the Cambridge sub-region may not be sustained. Many Cambridge high tech companies are currently riding on the back of the e-commerce bubble which is now showing signs of bursting. We doubt whether the same growth rates we've seen will continue.
Section 3.2 of the Regional Planning Guidance, in defining "A Vision for East Anglia" says development should occur in a framework where "the environment is protected and enhanced and the _distinctiveness_ of each locality is maintained".
This is reflected in policy 11, which calls for the protection and enhancement of local identity and distinctiveness and policy 20 which calls for planning to protect the environmental quality of the area surrounding the city.
We in Milton feel strongly that we have an identity distinct from the city and for this reason we applaud the vision defined in 3.2 and the principles set out in policies 11 and 20.
We feel that the priority outlined in priority 21 contradicts both the vision and these policies. In particular option (ii), development on the periphery of Cambridge would do untold damage to our village and the other necklace villages around the city, destroying their village character as they as they become just part of the city. For this reason we believe that options (iv) and (v) should be the second priority and third priorities and (ii) should be the last.
This calls for 70% of new housing in Cambridgeshire to happen in the Cambridge sub-region. This ignores the potential for strong growth within Peterborough and the demand for growth in other market towns in the north of the county. We believe this policy is misguided and that we should be aiming to encourage growth in other areas of the county in order that some of the benefits of the booming economy of the Cambridge sub-region can be shared by other parts of the county and country.
We note that this policy calls for the use of "previously developed land" and to avoid the loss of high quality agricultural land. It's clear that the two main targets for this are the airfields of Oakington and Waterbeach. It does seem to us that these sites, most of the area of which consist of meadow land uncultivated for over fifty years along with lakes and wooded areas and is likely to have far higher bio-diversity both in terms of flora and fauna than intensively farmed green field sites and we would suggest that if these sites are developed as new settlement then priority be given to safeguarding special areas within the sites (eg siting parks, wild areas etc where there is something worth conserving).