Parish Council Committees on Wednesday night

I HEREBY GIVE YOU NOTICE that meetings of the under-mentioned Committees of the above named Parish Council will be held at the Baptist Church on:

Wednesday, 1^st July 2009 7.00pm

 

All members of the Committees are hereby summoned to attend for the purpose of considering and recommending upon the business to be transacted at the meetings as set out hereunder.

 

 

……….………………………….. Clerk of the Council

PLANNING APPLICATIONS CAN BE VIEWED AT 6.45 pm

BUSINESS TO BE DONE

To receive apologies for absence: 

 

To receive declarations for Members in relation to:

(a)Personal Interest in any Agenda item            (b)    Prejudicial Interest in any Agenda item

 

 

1.     Safety Committee - 7.00pm

1.1.  Traffic Calming - accident map

1.2.  Lighting - High Street Recreation Ground

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items

 

2.     Planning Committee - 7.30 pm

2.1.  General Planning Matters

2.2.  Proposed GP Surgery

2.3.  Footpaths/Pavement - Crawley Road/College Road

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items

 

3.     Burial Grounds – 8.00pm

3.1.  Landscaping of memorial garden

3.2.  War Memorial lettering

3.3.  Dates for flag raising

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items

 

 

 

 

 

4.     General Purposes Committee - 8.00pm

4.1.  Notice Boards

4.2.  Councillor Job Specification

4.3.  Bus Shelters (inc old bus shelter)

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items

 

5.     Environment Committee - 9.30pm

5.1.  Signage

5.2.  Benches - High Street Rec.

5.3.  Tree planting - derelict houses High St.

5.4.  Playground Inspections

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items

 

 

 

 

Highways

The highways customer service bulletin is a fascinating document. There is nothing like a road full of holes to make an area look shabby. An excel spread sheet, it details all the reports of highways matters and actions proposed and taken. They also indicate some of the difficulties we have in getting action. 

Extracts from the latest one for instance, mostly filed by parishioners:

7 April

Email request for vehicle activated sign to be inspected as parish council states this is not working - comments as follows " The speed notification sign has not been working for months despite having reported the matter on a number of occasions.   Would you be kind enough to investigate please – if the speed device is not in your remit, please could you point me in the right direction. 

Inspector's notes

Passed to Engineer responsible for Vehicle Activated Signs

Current status

PASSED TO TRANSPORTATION TEAM FOR INVESTIGATION

29 May

Numerous potholes and very deep gullies along the side of the road, that will cause damage to cars and/or the driver to lose control, if they are forced into the gullies by oncoming traffic, due to the narrowness of the road. VERY HAZARDOUS!  Location of pothole: Numerous places along Astwood Road, Cranfield between it's junction with Bourne End Road, Cranfield and it's junction with Crawley Road, Cranfield.

Inspector's notes

we have repaired the worst, the remaining will be assessed.

Status

CLOSED - NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED

But is this just a patch up job? In which case after another winter of moisture and ice the pots will be breaking out all over again. You could lose yourself just in potholes alone. My own pet project at the moment is the entrance to Washingleys which looks like a moonscape. I will report on progress in future posts.

 

Play equipment

Quote for repair of  the Broad Green 'wetpour' is a £1000 - and we need it asap. I've asked the clerk to check out what guarantees of quality we have from the installers, since this only went in a year ago. If it was entirely due to malicious action (as opposed to cracking which allowed further deliberate damage) we could claim on our insurance but we currently benefit from a hefty no claims bonus. Which would obviously go west.

Flying the Flag

Thanks to Cranfield ATC (207 Squadron) for hoisting the union flag for Armed Forces Day.

Due to almost still conditions its not exactly 'flying' but it is there.

http://www.armedforcesday.org.uk/About.aspx

Traffic calming

A parishioner has enquired about public consultation on traffic calming in the village. There will be a presentation by a representative from Amey to the Parish Council at 7 pm on Wednesday 15 July (Baptist Church not village hall note). The latest update from  Amey states: 

We have obtained the traffic count, speed and accident data and are currently analysing this for trends and to see what we can learn from it, as that will advise and influence design and types of traffic calming features. The designs for the 2 pedestrian crossings have also been carried out and costs for these will be available shortly. We are now continuing to investigate design options for the scheme.

 

With regards to time frames I would suggest that we will be in a position to discuss design options with the Parish Council in July with a view to public consultation/exhibition taking place immediately after the school holidays, i.e early September. Following successful consultation, the requisite legal procedures could be entered into for the crossings and whatever traffic calming has been deemed necessary and accepted in the consultation (of course these are open to objection) with construction taking place in the period Jan to Mar 2010.

The Church Clock

The clockface is back up on the church tower and looks utterly splendid. Comparing before and after images shows just how shabby it had become. Getting it up was a lengthier process than taking it down with new holes needing drilled to affix it to the tower. I was hugely impressed by the steeplejacks who stirrupped up the side of tower (rather than dropping down from the roof). 

PS Big Thanks to Smith of Derby

Flying the flag

Confirmation this morning, thanks to Delise, that the village union flag will fly from the village flagpole on

Saturday for Armed Forces day. Thanks, in anticipation, to the ATC for putting it up.

Play equipment

Emergency email to Wicksteed that the damage to the 'wetpour' on the Broad Green rec area has now increased and repair is urgent.

The Church Clock

Clockface going back up tomorrow (Thursday 25th). That was quick!

Play equipment

Alerted to vandalism to the wetpour (surface) in the Broad Green Play Area last night. Asked by the clerk to supply photos to Wicksteed so that they can plan urgent repairs. Quick repair is important otherwise the damage will increase with perpetrators seeking to finish off their handiwork. 

Parish Council Website

the parish council website is back in action. At long last.
Its at http://www.thelocalchannel.co.uk

Clerk was hors de combat last night and  I was dragooned, conscripted, asked nicely, asked what the alternative was etc and so agreed to take notes. Finance committee took 90 minutes and then various planning matters took an age  but we made it it in the end. 

There was a lengthy discussion about the village hall management committee's fund raising. The PC will be able to guarantee up to £3,500 which will permit other larger bids to funds like Wren  (aka landfill tax). There were also planning applications relating to Wood End Road, Bourne End and a new neon light for Monty's restaurant. 

The police have been reorganised again and we do not seem to have a beat manager any more. 

Parish Council website

We've been trying to get the parish council website re-activated after it went down about two weeks ago. I got the following this morning after I had another go:

Hello,

I was informed by my manager that the site should be back up by the end of the week. We are doing the best we possibly can to get the site back up on-line for the benefit of you and ourselves as it doesn't do any good for our public profile either. We've been running for 7 years and we've had a good track record up until now with the majority of sites, up until 2008, benefiting from a free service with The Local Channel. Unfortunately we have run into some problems which has taken a lot longer to resolve as hoped but the site is coming back very soon I can assure you of that.

I am sorry for the inconvenience that this is causing. We will be introducing a new content management system in the coming months which should eliminate the problems we are currently experiencing and be much more user friendly and efficient for our users.

Kind regards

Emma

-- 
Emma Cox
The Local Channel
*  Office: +44 (0)  1722 713 320
*  Fax:     +44 (0)  1722 713 359
* Address: The Estate Office, Trafalgar Park, Downton,Salisbury, SP5 3QG

We are working to formalise when the flags are raised from the village flag pole. The St George flag goes up on St George's day of course and the union flag on Remembrance Sunday. It was, in addition, raised last week for the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings and will be raised later in the month  for the first National Armed Forces day (27 June). Normally the flags are raised by Cranfield ATC and we are very grateful for their attendance to this. We missed the official birthday of the Queen this weekend due to an oversight but that is on the list and will be rectified next year. 

http://www.armedforcesday.org.uk/About.aspx

The church clockface came down without a hitch. Mark abseiled down the outside of the tower did a bit of loosening and then lowered the face to the ground. It is now off to Derby for a much needed repaint. It will be put back up early in July. 

The tower looks a bit bare at the moment!

Quiet Lanes

We are aiming to develop Lodge Road as a 'quiet lane'. This will enhance and protect its status as an important recreational and environmental feature in Cranfield - a safe place to walk, cycle, ride a horse, push a buggy, take your children. The process involves drawing up a spec for the 'furniture' - how it will be physically created. This will be implemented by Highways contractors Amey within the current financial year. The draft spec is as follows:

 

•       Length: From junction with Court Road to junction with High Street.

•       Vegetation: While verges are cut hedgerows should be ‘managed less’ (permitted to grow) to discourage speed levels – but subject to CBC traffic safety requirements.

•       Speed and weight: Traffic and weight regulation orders will not be sought (because of cost levels). In the first instance CBC will explore if the proposed 20 mph speed restriction outside the school can be extended down Court Road and along Lodge Road. This is members’ first preference. If this cannot be achieved signage at either end of Lodge Road would ask drivers to drive carefully and recognise the status of Lodge Road.

•       Entry feature: A gate feature at either end of Lodge Road.

•    Signage: All unnecessary signage would be removed. Any signage would be at the start and finish of Lodge Road. 

I also, personally think the name of Lodge Road should be changed to Lodge Lane to reflect these  changes. 

Council meeting

Full council coming up on Wednesday 17 June. Prior to it there will be a meeting of our finance committee which will consider
clarifying the rules for Section 137 (of the 1972 Local Government Act) grants which normally are maximum
£500. In certain circumstances however we are prepared to give mpre but this would have to be for a significant long term project that benefits the entire village.

Agenda for 17 June

Mrs R J Davey-Hunt
Clerk of the Council
Email – cranfieldpc@btconnect.com
Tel: 05601534542

I HEREBY GIVE YOU NOTICE that a meeting of the above named Parish Council and its Committees will be held at the Baptist Church, Bedford Road on Wednesday, 17th June 2009 at 8.00pm

All members of the Council are hereby summoned to attend for the purpose of resolving upon the business to be transacted at the meeting/s as set out hereunder.
Clerk of the Council



FINANCE & GRANTS COMMITTEE 7pm

1. Barclays Bank
2. S137 Grants
2.1. Colts, Cranfield FC
2.2. Friendship Club
2.3. Guidance notes for applications above £500.00
3. Village Hall future grants policy
4. Objectives 2009-2010
5. Financial Risk assessment
Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items



MEETING OF THE FULL PARISH COUNCIL 8.00pm
1. TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE:
2. TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL AND/OR PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS IN ANY MATTER
3. TO CONFIRM THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING[S] [copy herewith]
4. CLERKS REPORT
5. REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES
5.1. Finance & Grants Committee
5.2. General Purposes Committee
5.3. Burial Grounds Committee
5.4. Environment Committee
5.5. Planning Committee
6. CORRESPONDENCE
7. FINANCIAL MATTERS AND ACCOUNTS FOR PAYMENT
8. REPORTS FROM CENTRAL BEDS COUNCILLORS (and any other representative)
9. HIGHWAY MATTERS

Temporary Home

Looks like the Parish Council has a home for the immediate future. There has been a kind offer from Cranfield Baptist Church to provide temporary accommodation while we sort out the village hall. How long that will be is hard to tell at the moment.

Village Hall is unsafe

The village hall is falling down, falling down, falling down. A surveyor's report yesterday has ruled it 'unsafe'. It will now be closed until further notice and the clerk, who has enough to do is trying to find venues for the parish council to meet in and various other planned meetings. The VH is approaching a centenary and much loved but desperately in need of modernisation or replacement. I understand the roof is bowing in and the wall on the west side is bowing out. Dodgy I must say. It was used today as a polling station since the wheels of democracy must keep turning but that is it for a while.

Health Centre

Presentation by representative of the Primary Care Trust about the proposed health centre. We are still at a loss as to why in their consultation they are asking if people would like a business development centre and an eco-advice centre. We are under the impression (possibly mistaken) that is was a health centre. They have also called a public meeting for 30 July just when the school holidays are on and a lot of people are away.

Abseilers to retrieve the church clock face have now been confirmed and it could be quote a village event. Definitely a Cranfield Express Story. Next Wednesday - two meetings. Cranfield green infrastructure at 7.30 and Quiet lanes 7.00 pm at the VH. 

http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/bed-news/The-bells-can-chime-again.3567927.jp - for earlier Bells fund

The clock still ticks

We may have a solution to the insurance company-bars-scaffolding-around the church headache. This has currently stopped arrangements for the clock dial to be taken down and repainted. Now Smith of derby are clock maintenance company say that 'men on ropes' can swing down the tower and remove the dial. A scaffold free church with no invalidation of the church's roof top lead insurance cover. Fingers crossed.

Meeting tonight also involves representative from the PCT about the new health centre and theusual red hot stuff about bus shelters, parish notice boards and cemetery rules (OK).

See http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/bed-news/The-bells-can-chime-again.3567927.jp