Notes on Reach Parish Council meeting held on Wednesday

2nd July 2003

Present

Chairman Cllr Robinson, V/Chairman Cllr Aves, Cllrs Summers, Harrison, Pearson, Moseley and Hill; also C/Cllr Fitch.

Affordable rural housing project

Susan Candlish, the Rural Housing Enabler from Cambridgeshire ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) came to talk to the PC about ‘affordable housing’.

She told councillors that she worked with parishes to establish their housing needs. The rate of new housing build by the District Council was not up to the this need, so a project had been set up to speed up the development of affordable housing in rural villages. Susan said the greatest need was for rented accommodation required by single people and young couples.

The Rural Housing Enabler said she could assist in identifying potential sites in the village and spoke about ‘exception sites’, i.e. pieces of land outside the development envelope which can be given planning permission for affordable housing where there is a proven need. A maximum of 10 houses was built on sites, usually six to eight.

There was, however, a limit to how much a housing association could pay for sites.

In answer to councillors’ questions Susan said that there was a provision that such houses went to local people first. However, potential residents had to be on the housing register at Hereward Housing. (Comments were made about the difficulty in rising up the housing register ‘ladder’). There was strict control over the appearance of the houses.

Cllr Robinson thanked Mrs Candlish for coming to the meeting and said councilors would give due consideration to possible sites within the village.

Reports

County Council

General

Bottisham community library had closed but was due to open shortly as a voluntary run library staffed by 20 volunteers. The hours would be the same as before, with a mobile library supplementing the service, running every 2 weeks. Cllr Fitch said any books covering modern literature, reference books less than 5-years-old and specialist material would be gratefully received by the library.

Fire service

Things had settled down after the firemen’s pay dispute. Retained (part-time) firemen were now on an equal standing with their full-time colleagues. The service’s Corporate Performance Plan had been published.

Police service

Cllr Fitch spoke about community support officers and how they could be funded.

There may be eight for the District, probably based in Burwell.

Parking offences had been de-criminalised. Traffic wardens would now be paid for by local government, rather than the police force.

Highways

Fordham by-pass had been given the go-ahead by government. Work would begin next April.

Cllr Fitch outlined plans for a Rapid Transit service, which could run from Huntington to Hinchingbrook Hospital and then to Addenbrooke’s Hospital. The cost would be in the region of £75m. The A14 would need improving to accommodate the service, he said.

Traffic calming had been taking place in Swaffham Prior.

Traffic going into Cambridge every day was up by 2%. The Park and Ride service was becoming very popular and had now been used by one million people.

Questions for Cllr Fitch

· Cllr Hill asked if motorcyclists would be allowed to use bus lanes in Cambridge.

Cllr Fitch said he had heard it was a possibility.

· Councillors commented on the proposed community police officers, saying Reach residents should not have to pay more on their council tax if they no not need the service as much as other villages.

Village Hall Committee

It was reported that the committee discussed the proposed developments for broadband in Reach.

Police Liaison committee

Councillors discussed vehicles driving fast through the village.

Matters arising

Clerk reported that John Selby, the conservation officer at ECDC, had visited St Etheldreda’s arch and said its deterioration was caused by successive wet summers and prolonged frost. He didn’t think it was unsafe but it needed watching ‘in case of sudden deterioration’.

Correspondence

· The principal housing officer from ECDC had written about the Homelessness Act 2002, which was out for final consultation until 11th July.

· Waterhall cottage, 48 Great Lane, was to be known as Water Hall from now on.

· Eastern Highways were reconstructing the kerbed footways in Ditchfields in early July. The work was anticipated to take 3–4 weeks.

· The Cambridgeshire Drug Action Team wrote drawing the PC’s attention to their work implementing the National Drug Strategy. This could be accessed on the CCC website.

· Ethical framework regulations were coming into force in July, in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act 2004. Councillors discussed its effect on the play area and its condition generally, e.g. bark.

Reach matters

· A resident had complained that plants were overgrowing the footpath at the top of Fair Green, forcing pedestrians to walk on the grass. Clerk to advise house owners.

· Registration plates had been stolen from a car outside a house in Swaffham Road.

· Planning permission for roof alterations at Rose Cottage, Blackberry Drove and a Cllr Hill reported that cables sticking out of a hole on the verge in Burwell Road still hadn’t been covered over by BT. Highways Dept. had been made aware.

Public forum

· The PC was asked about bonfire regulations as some were burning day and night. Clerk to make inquiries.

· The PC was asked about the responsibility of local footpaths, as some were virtually impassable. Resident was advised that the Rights of Way team at

CCC were in charge but paths are not cut very often and sometimes small ones are ignored. They had been informed about certain paths after complaints.

· Cllr Robinson asked Helen Platt if she had contacted the Woodland Trust about the ragwort in Reach Wood. Helen said she had asked the Horse Society to do so on her behalf.