Notes on Reach Parish Council meeting held on Wednesday 5th November 2003

Present

Chairman Cllr Robinson, Cllrs Aves, Harrison, Summers, and Pearson; also C/Cllr

Fitch.

Apologies

Apologies received from Cllrs Cane, Hill, and Moseley.

Reports

County Council

General

The Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council had said the council was aiming for no more than a 6% increase on council tax. Cllr Fitch thought this would be difficult.

The Education Director had written to all governing bodies saying a 10% increase

was needed.

Social Services

This department was ‘on the right lines’ regarding children, but the adult services were less consistent. The department was spending £10million more than was received from central government.

Fire service

Some problems regarding the administration of a promised pay increase would not affect this area as it was served by retained fire fighters.

Transport

Work on Fordham by-pass was about to start.

A proposed by-pass for Ely would cost approximately £16 million. There were a lot of hurdles to cross before it was built.

Ely railway bridge was in need of being re-built.

All major exit/entry roads to Burwell were being examined.

Planning policy guidelines

Cllr Fitch said that this would probably be the last region to go regional. The move would encourage industry to ‘go local’.

District Council

Planning permission

Permission to build a house at High Cloud Stud, Burwell Road, had been refused, as it would be outside the village envelope and in ‘open countryside’.

Permission for an extension at Needholy, Fair Green, was to be deferred until certain conditions were fulfilled.

Police

£23.5k has been put aside for the first year of a project for Community support officers.

There were to be 15 in the county, two of whom would be attached to the Histon sector, operating in the Cottenham/Milton area. Reach might share one with Burwell.

Police would now be allowed to take parents to court for their children’s misbehaviour.

There was a lively discussion about hare coursing in the area.

Village hall committee/Swaffham Prior PCC

Cllr Robinson said he thought the committee should ask the Swaffham Prior PCC for some funding for the village hall extension. He said he would bring it up at the next PCC meeting.

Winter grants from the PCC for those in need must be applied for soon.

Police liaison committee

Cllr Summers said rogue builders were in the district, persuading people that they needed maintenance done on their houses.

Matters arising

Reach road/Weirs Drove

Responding to complaints from Reach residents about trees planted on the verge obstructing drivers’ vision, the Clerk of Burwell Parish Council had written saying the matter was already in the hands of County’s Highways department.

Correspondence

Planning permission had been granted for an extension to 6 Swaffham Road.

Helen Platt had sent the PC a copy of a letter she had written to the National Trust, regarding its policy towards preserving existing access across land acquired by them.

Sue Summers had written to the Parish Council and the Village Hall Committee asking for a subsidy of £150 to help maintain the keep fit sessions (held every week in the hall) for the present term. Councillors discussed and agreed, although a vote had to held as some councillors did not agree with it in principle.

Reach matters

A planning application to build an oil tank in the back garden of 22 Fair Green was supported.

The precept for 2004/05 was discussed and a sum of £3750 agreed upon. Cllr Aves proposed its acceptance, it was seconded by Cllr Summers.

Cllr Robinson spoke about plans to renovate the bier which is at present in the shed at the Old Burial Ground. Once renovated it would be kept in the church.