Notes on the meeting of Reach Parish Council held  on  Wednesday 5th November 1997.

Present            

Chairman Cllr Robinson, V/Chairman Cllr  Aves, Cllrs  Harrison, Pearson, Reed, Lambert and Davies;  also  C/Cllr Fitch.

Apologies

D/Cllr Shulver

Reports

County Council

C/Cllr  Fitch told the PC that Swaffham Prior Primary School  had been  successful in being granted money from a fund for  projects and would now be able to have a new hall.

Richard  Unwin from Eastern Electricity had visited Bottisham  PC to talk about power failures. He reported that 15,000 was to  be invested to renew old overhead 11,000 volt lines from Burwell  to Bottisham  (this  includes  Reach) which would be  connected  to Fulbourn.

Area  cost  adjustment - this is the cost  of  living  adjustment because of the proximity of Cambridgeshire to London. The Elliott committee  which  stood in the last government  said  the  county should  get up to 9.8m more.

The present government  had  decided there  will be no increase until 1999 and that will subject to  a review.  Cllr  Fitch said the money was needed,  especially  for

Social  Services. Recommendations for changes in Social  Services were  being acted on and a lot of progress had  been  made.  Ted Unsworth  has left and Brian Waller from Leicestershire has  been appointed as Director.

At  a  Neighbourhood Watch meeting in Swaffham Bulbeck  PC  Davis from Burwell  brought along 3 special constables  and  told  the meeting that the whole system is to be re-vamped.

Education  - there is a little more money available  for  running expenses  for schools between now and next April. There is to  be an OFSTED inspection in January for Bottisham Village College.

Cllr  Fitch  asked for the Council's support for the  cycle  path from Burwell to Quy. There are still some gaps in the path to  be filled.

There is to be a 30 mph speed limit in Upware.

Cllr  Fitch said that overloaded vehicles should be  reported  to Trading  Standards. Cllr  Robinson pointed out  that  there  are penalties for farmers overloading lorries.

District  Local  Plan - Cllr Fitch told the PC he had  voted  for infil only for Reach.

Question

Cllr Lambert asked Cllr Fitch if there was an organization called Reach Liberal Democrats as some leaflets had been posted  through letterboxes. Cllr Fitch said they were produced by members of the national party. It was agreed that politics should not come  into local  government and that if people want to see how  the Parish Council works they should attend meetings.

Report on meeting with Chris Brown of CCC

The  assistant director of Environment and Transport Chris  Brown had  met with the Chairman and Clerk of both Reach  and  Swaffham Prior  to  explain  the legal position of  the  soil  dumping  on Barston Drove.

Matters arising

D/Cllr  Shulver had told the Clerk that a Planning  Officer  from ECDC had visited some stables on the Swaffham Road which had  not got  planning  permission.  The Enforcement  Officer  had   been informed and is to visit the site.

Correspondence

Eleanor  Hoggart  had  offered to come and  explain  section  106 obligations  in connection with Planning  applications.  It  was agreed to invite her to the next meeting.