19 December 2006

Last updated: Monday, 18 December 2006, 11:19 PM

Members Present:

I. Storr (Chairman) T. Bhachu
M. Farmer R. Grenfell
G. Atkinson
A Freeman

Also present:
L. Howells(Clerk to the Parish Council)

1 Apologies for absence were received from G. Chamberlain (Vice Chairman), R Lewis-Smith and J Stewart

2 Minutes of Meetings held 28th November 2006 were agreed as a true and accurate minute with one amendment.

3 Open session (meeting officially closes for, and reopens after this session)
a) Mr Faruq – Commercial Building Fire on St Neots Rd
Mr Faruq kindly updated the meeting on the situation of the commercial fire at St Neots Rd in the capacity of Owner/Manager of the property. He explained a change submitted to SCDC before the fire, which was to provide a small accommodation unit for the Chinese family who were to take over the restaurant and open it as a Chinese. Ian Storr, HPC Chairman, explained that HPC can comment on planning matters but the final decision rests with SCDC.
It was asked what, if anything, HPC would like to see in the redeveloped unit. It was agreed that food take away/restaurant is a very good village amenity. Mr Faruq commented that he is open to suggestions from anyone wishing to take on a long lease. HPC gave their support to Mr Faruq in his endeavour to get the building back up and running, the issue of car parking was mentioned as a consideration during the planning of the redevelopment.
At present the fire is being officially investigated but arson is suspected.

4 Matters arising from previous minutes (for information only)

Police update in Correspondence 6 (E)

Car Park Cambridge Road. The residents of Grenadier Walk (with car parking allocated in this Car Park) have been written to concerning removing the damaged woodwork and broken down fencing adjacent to the car park between the two shops on Cambridge Road. If no communication from residents is received then the fence will be removed in the New Year.

PARC update. On December 9th the quiz took place and the young people made £32.83 profit. It was asked if there could be an account held by the Parish Council in which this money could be placed. It was agreed that this money can be paid into the HPC bank account and be accessed by the joint parish council signatories. It is not expected that there will be many transactions.

5 Other Matters:
A) Playground Inspections & update
St Mary’s play park has no major issues save for a couple of sticks in the tunnel that are difficult to get at.
SCDC has been contacted and their letter regarding further work on the skate park is awaited. The skate park has been cleared and some tree branches have been placed in the gap that makes access to the school attractive. All the fence repairs have been made to Egremont Play Park. Grenadier Walk and Worcester Avenue had no faults found except the slabs at Grenadier which will be removed to make a grassed area.

B) Maintenance
The bus shelter on St Neots Road has been taken away to make the area safer for all users. The bus company has been contacted concerning the incident. Liaison with the insurers is in hand.

The fence repairs adjacent to 124 Limes Road have been completed by Mr Purse. This area is now complete as the ‘No Ball Games by over 10yr olds’ has been installed at the front.

A white van burnt out at the Cambridge Road Car Park has been reported to police.

C) Saxon Place – LEAP
Following discussion with David Rush SCDC, it was agreed to draft a letter to Taylor Woodrow(TW) to establish the position of HPC with respect to the section 106 agreement and the storm cell. This letter has been agreed by all and was sent to TW on 18th December 2006. Copies have been sent to SCDC and Mike Fox. Mr Tucker viewed the draft but did not add anything prior to sending. The letter was sent from Mills & Reeve. Appendix 1.

D) Budget 07/08
The current financial position was presented to the meeting. At present in this financial year up until end of November 2006 HPC has spent 53.90% of this year’s budget. Outstanding are some large items such as grass cutting, grounds maintenance, and street lighting which are charged annually.
It was requested that quotes be sought for the safety surfaces on the two remaining pieces of equipment at Egremont Road play. The quotes on the Egremont car park improvements are awaited.

It was agreed that The Chairman, Vice Chairman and Responsible Financial Officer are to meet before the next meeting to produce and circulate a draft budget that will be an agenda item for the January meeting, when it will be necessary to determine the precept amount for Hardwick Parish Council for 07/08.

6 Correspondence:
A) Police Update
A letter was sent to Inspector Ormerod as requested at the November meeting with a copy of the letter of complaint, the following response was received from Chris Burns Histon and Cambourne neighbourhood Sgt:

For your PC meeting on the 23rd Jan, Sue Envill who is your dedicated PCSO will change her duties and attend.

As to the letter from the Czyloks I am sorry that these problems have been received and will ask the Community Team to take a very positive approach to dealing with issues within this area. We already conduct highly visible patrols and have seized alcohol and dealt with youths in the area yet we will see about upping the ante.

For your information, I have looked through all of our records for reports from Hardwick over the period 1/10-8/12 and can advise you of the following concerns relating to ASB; Incidents reported: 5, those being:
13/10 Bramley Rd Fireworks being thrown, no ages of those involved. Could be youths or adults.
1/11 Limes Rd informant’s house 'egged'
1/11 St Neots Rd Youths in the bus shelter, noisy.
17/11 Limes Rd. Adults in the school play area, possibly youths
26/11 Limes Rd Bottle thrown into informant’s garden.
Crimes 10/10 Ellison lane. Bricks prised out of a wall.

Bearing in mind the size of your village and the time period, the reports which we have received do not amount to what might be perceived a 'problem'. However, I am aware that residents do under report incidents so would expect the real figure to be higher.

I would ask that residents contact us on 0845 456 4564 to report local incidents when they actually happen rather than believing that someone else will do it. This might then give a real reflection of problems in the area.

B) Allianz Cornhill
The Claim form has been received for the bus shelter accident which needs to be processed and a claim passed on to the bus company insurers.

C) Mills & Reeve Draft Statutory Declaration
This relates to the Land to the North of St Mary’s Church, Main Street, Hardwick. It was agreed that Ian Storr will be the Councillor who will sign and swear the declaration. The previous banks and solicitors of HPC will be contacted. These are Yorkshire Bank and Ginn & Co.
It was agreed that Ian Storr will speak to Martin Hay checking that there are no deeds and any further background information.

D) CCC Temporary Signs for Community/Charity Events
The new policy is shown in full below with the changes shown in bold:
Staff will exercise discretion when temporary signs are erected within villages or within a neighbourhood of towns or cities, for a community or charity event, provided that they do not cause hazard, are erected well away from junctions and accesses so as not to impede visibility or the passage of any highway user. Signs should not exceed 0.5 sq mtrs in area, should not be erected for more than 7 days before the event or remain in place for more than 48 hours afterwards. The signs should be erected within the village or town/city neighbourhood where the event is taking place. Normally, no more than 3 signs should be erected per event.

E) Village Warden Scheme Questionnaire
A decision on whether there is sufficient interest for this scheme to progress will be made in the New Year. Questionnaires were made available to Councillors. Tejinder Bhachu took some of the survey questionnaires which he will make available to residents who may have a need who visit the shop/PO.

F) SCDC – section 106 mutual exchanges and section 106 restrictions
noted.

7 Correspondence Table Review:

A) SCDC Christmas Waste
B) HPC – Grenadier Walk residents
C) Cambridgeshire Police – Local Policing Summary

8 Planning:
A) C/11/40/042 tree work 84 Main Street
no comment
B) S/2126/06/F M Swinhoe
land to R/O 16 East Drive Caldecote – stables & ménage
no recommendation – gate to open inwards
C) S/2201/06/F Hundred Houses Society – Balancing Pond off Main Street
no recommendation
D) S/2287/06/F Mr & Mrs R Crane
Asplins Farm Outbuilding conversion
no recommendation

9 Account presented and agreed for approval for Payment:

A) £651.93 Clerk’s salary Dec
B) £120.52 J Dyer village cleaner Dec
C) £400.00 Victoire Press
D) £70.00 Lawson Tree
E) £1442.90 Mills & Reeve
F) £193.88 Algar Signcraft
G) £425.00 Young Lives
H) £41.18 Admin expenses, BT, post, travel
I) £204.56 LGPS
J) £10.00 J Humphries
K) £970.83 Inland Revenue
L) £411.25 Purse Landscapes

10 Income received:
A) 105.83 NSIB
B) 790.90 Hardwick Happenings Magazine
C) 48.93 bank interest

11 Any Other Business – (Councillors & Clerk comment for future discussion)

1) Richard Grenfell reported that the bus stop on St Neots Road has been changed and situated further along St Neots Rd from the lay-by.

2) Grace Atkinson was thanked for her hospitality in providing Xmas mince pies and sausage rolls at the meeting.

12 The meeting closed at 21.25hrs. Date and Time of the next meeting of Hardwick Parish Council is to be Tuesday 23rd January 2007 at 7.45pm in the Community Room, Hardwick Community Primary School, Limes Rd, Hardwick