A meeting of Croydon Parish Council was held on Wednesday 17 January 2007 in the Reading Room at 8.00pm.

 

Apologies:     

 

Present:    Mr Wheeler, Mr Martin, Mrs Straw, Mrs Hurst, Mr Hancock, Mr Sole, County and District Councillor Kindersley, the Clerk and 2 members of the public. 

 

Minutes:  of the last meeting, previously circulated, were agreed and signed.

 

Matters Arising:

Cemetery:  The Clerk has spoken with both Planning and Hedging departments.  The subsidised hedging pack from SCDC may not be used to divide the churchyard extension from the remaining glebe land.   After some discussion, it was recommended that the preferred fence should be a post and 2 rail design, with a gate or some sort of access in it to allow Mr Sole to keep the grass cut in the unused section.  The Environment Agency requires two months to answer the application sent by Mr Sole and Mr Martin.

Website:  Mr Wheeler, who has set up and run the village website for nearly a year, is a little disappointed with the lack of use it is getting.  Mrs Straw pointed out that it was one of the requests from the parishioners on the village questionnaire.  It was agreed to keep it going and, perhaps, raise the topic at the AGM in April.

Pegasus Crossing:  A request for a Pegasus crossing (for horse and rider) on Lower Road has been turned down.

 

Village Matters:

Bins:  Clerk circulated a newspaper cutting regarding fortnightly collection of bins at Redditch in Worcestershire.  The Council there has suggested that “Odour Eaters” be used to stop the smell from the bin!!  It seems we are not alone with our bin problem.

Round Your Way:  No reply received from the Planning Department - Clerk will ring to chase them.

Collapsing Road:  Clerk has e-mailed Dennis Vacher at CCC Highways to report the subsidence, with a view to getting it reinstated.  No reply received as yet.

 

Correspondence:

Housing in South Cambs:   A copy letter of Andrew Lansley’s to Yvette Cooper, Minister for Housing and Planning was received.  He is suggesting that the £10 million currently taken from housing income should be allocated to build affordable homes for people who currently cannot afford to buy houses where they grew up.  Council felt it was a good idea.

Fire Authority Budget:  Possibly a 4% increase required to meet rising costs.

CPRE:  Planning workshop on 17 March 2007 offered.  There is a councillor currently on the council who has already attended one of there workshops, so it was felt to be unnecessary to send anyone else,

CCC Budget Consultation:  Questionnaires distributed to councillors - please make sure you complete and return it!

 

Planning: 

Crail:  Council received a letter from Mr and Mrs Ralph, who live next door to the new development at Crail and are directly affected by it.  There are many points it in that SCDC Planning department needs to address.  Mr Hancock had prepared a proposed response from council, and it was agreed to send this letter with an amended final paragraph and copy of Mr and Mrs Ralph’s letter, to the Complaints Administrator at SCDC with a copy to Cllr Kindersley.  A reply by council’s next meeting, 21 February, has been requested.

 

 

Finance:

Precept:   A letter from the Chairman of the Hall Trustees requesting a grant of £1250 for vital works, plus a permanent annual precept of £1000 for the Hall was read out.  Council discussed the request and the many improvements that have been made.  It was agreed that a grant will be made to the Hall, but whether or not to precept will be decided annually.

Following circulation of the accounts position for councillors it was decided to precept as below:-

                        Insurance                                £  475

                        Rent                                        £  200

                        Clerk                                        £1200

                        Audit                                        £    80

                        Subs                                        £    75

                        Cemetery/Village                     £  500

                       

Clerk to send a request to SCDC for a precept of £2530-00.    After discussion it was agreed that a grant of £1000 from “unallocated funds” be given to the Hall.  Clerk to withdraw £1000 from NSB. Proposed by Mrs Straw, seconded by Mrs Hurst, all in favour.

Bank Statement:  The balance in the current account stood at £1123-03 at 27 December 2006.

 

Cllr Kindersley’s Report:  Larkins Road - after being told no money was available for anything, Highways repaired it!  Pegasus Crossing - not supported by CCC as no funds are available. Cllr Kindersley has asked for “Average Speed Cameras” signs for Lower Road, but signs may not be erected if cameras are not present.  He cannot understand why £30k can be spent on speed reducing measures on a fenland road, where fewer deaths have occurred than on Lower Road, and nothing on the B1042.  Daphne Spinks is again Leader of the Council (SCDC) - the previous leader stood down after 6 months in office.  SCDCllr Deborah Roberts has been found guilty of bullying and bringing the council into disrepute.  No action has been taken by the Standards Board.

 

 

Items for next agenda:

None put forward.

 

Date of next meeting - Wednesday 21 February 2007 in the Reading Room at 8.00pm.

 

 

As there was no further business the meeting closed at 9.37pm.

 

 

 

 

 

Signed                                                                  Date