Present: Councillors - Will Sutton (Chair), Jill Bliss (Vice-Chair), Nigel Russell, Alison Small, Fred Yeulett (CCC) and Mac Cotterell (FDC) and Stephen Cowell (Clerk), Rosie Cooke (Fenland Links) and 7 members of the public.

1.      Welcome and Apologies

Cllr. Sutton thanked everyone for attending. Apologies from Councillors Jacky Wincote, Wesley Poole and Phil Webb and PC Julie Coales were received and accepted.

2.      Signing of Minutes

The minutes of the Council meeting of the 14^th July were accepted as a true record and signed by the Chair.

3.      Disclosure and Declarations of Interests

Cllr. Bliss declared and interest in payment 8-3.

4.      Update on action points from previous meeting

The Clerk reported that all action points have been actioned and that he has received a quote to clean the Wet Pour areas of the Play Parks and to remove graffiti from the Sports Pavilion.

5.      Public Adjournment

Following the Post Offices Closure Update that was provided before the Council meeting further discussion was held regarding what action has already been taken and what could be included in letters of protest. Councillor Yeulett said that the additional information received during the discussion will be helpful in both the Post Office Change Network Group and the Fenland District Council responses.

The Clerk was requested to include the address for letters of protest to be sent to to be posted on the Notice Board.

Some information was requested regarding the Sewage Plant timescales. It was confirmed that the Council will receive a copy of the planning application. Building is expected to start in the autumn if the planning application goes through the planning process smoothly and that each household wanting to connect will have its own pipe work. Prior to building starting there will be an Open Meeting run by Anglian Water.

6.      Police Update

PC Coales reported, via e-mail, that there has been a lot of thefts from vehicles and of catalytic converters from 4x4s.

Cllr. Sutton reported that he had attended the last Safer Neighbourhood Panel meeting at Parson Drove and was a little disappointed in the Panel’s operation in that they appeared to want to move on to the next problem before resolving earlier issues.

Cllr. Sutton also reminded people that there should report all concerns rather than rely on others to report them.

7.      Correspondence Received

In addition to the correspondence notified to the Parish Councillors via the Council Mailbag the Clerk highlighted the following items of correspondence received since the mailbag was issued:

·         A request for a donation from the Fenland Volunteer Centre has been received. The Clerk was asked to formally put the request on next month’s agenda.

·         ACRE AGM information.

·         The COPE newsletter.

·         A letter from the Drainage Board regarding Damboards.

·         Following receipt of an e-mail from a resident regarding the incomplete state of The Croft the meeting was told that Cllr. Sutton has written to Malcolm Moss MP. A response has been received from Malcolm Moss who is following the problem up with FDC. Cllr. Cotterell and Cllr. Yeulett also reported that they have been in discussion with officers at FDC regarding the problems.

Cllr. Sutton asked the Clerk to send him a copy of the Fenland District Council policy on Wind Turbines.

8.      Finance

It was resolved that all the following items should be paid;

1. Clerk’s Salary £178.74
2. Office Costs £3.24 (Postage)
3. The Heron £40.00
4. IJB Gardening Services £184.30
5. Upwell Internal Drainage Board £140.94

9.      Planning Applications

It was agreed to support application F/YR08/0650/F – erection of a steel framed building for storage/warehousing at High Lots Farm, Padgett’s Road (Fenland Leisure products) as it good to see growth in local companies.

It was agreed to support application F/YR08/0605/F – erection of an agricultural grain store at Low Corner Farm, March Riverside for the same reason as above.

The update regarding the Anglian Water Authority Treatment Plant was covered in the Public Adjournment.

Application F/YR08/0690/F, received after the Agenda was issued but that needs a response before the next planned Council Meeting, was discussed. It was agreed to support the application as is was only a minor change to a previously supported application.

10.  Rental Land

It was resolved to clear the dykes surrounding the 4 acre field adjacent to the Recreation Ground to aid better drainage for that area of the village subject to the agreement of other adjacent landowners. The Clerk to write to adjacent landowners prior to obtaining quotes for the work.

It was resolved to install better drainage to the 4 acre field subject to the work mentioned in the earlier resolution being completed.

The Clerk informed the Council that 4 sealed bids have been received from people wishing to rent the 11 acre Christchurch Field and that the bids would be opened by the Clerk and Cllr. Small after this meeting and that all parties would be informed of the outcome.

11.  Parish Plan

Councillor Yeulett reported that he has asked the Fenland Strategic Partnership to report to him on progress they have made to include Parish Plans within their plans. The Clerk was asked to mail Cllr. Yeulett a copy of the Parish Plan Action Plan.

Putting a bid into Fenland Links for a new Village Sign was discussed.

The Clerk was asked to contact Mike Mullholland to obtain a copy of a picture of the Village Sign so it could be used when getting a quote for a new sign.

12.  Village Concerns

The following subjects were discussed:

·         Blocked drain in the village especially Church Road and Crown Avenue.

·         The state of road side posts and rails near Euximoor Bridge.

·         New kerbing on Green Lane adjacent to the new house.

The Clerk to report to/raise with Cambs County Council Highways.

·         Rubbish Bins in the Play Parks are full, Cllr. Sutton offered to empty them and the Clerk was asked to write to FDC to ask if they could empty them when they empty the bin on the edge of the playing field.

·         Cllr. Small brought a copy of a stencil used in Yorkshire that is used to mark pavements to remind dog owners to clean up when dogs foul the path. The Clerk was asked to discuss the use of a similar stencil in Cambridgeshire with FDC’s Environmental Health team.

The Chair closed the meeting at 8.50pm

11th August 2008

14th July 2008