Versallion and politics

Central Beds is settling down after the election fuss with just one loose end. The children's service portfolio holder Mark Versallion is still on London Borough of Harrow. I've been asking our unitary councillors about this anomaly and will continue to press until Cllr Versallion has finally decided where he is a councillor. Portfolio holder (sorry, "executive lead") is a huge job. See this from the London Evening Standard.


Not surprised they're asking questions in the Big Smoke. 

Councillor agrees to quit over second seat in shires

Peter Dominiczak and Joshua Neicho
26 May 2011 

A Conservative councillor in Harrow announced today that he would quit after it emerged he also sits on a council in another part of the country.

Mark Versallion lives in Bedfordshire but has represented Stanmore Park in Harrow for more than a year.

But after he was elected to Bedfordshire county council this month some residents in Harrow accused him of having "no commitment" to the area.

Sources claimed that Mr Versallion, 39, a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve, would receive more than £20,000 a year for his work on the two councils. Chairwoman of the
Conservative Association in Harrow, Marilyn Ashton, said that calling a by-election would be "the honourable thing to do". She added: "I understand he has made clear to people in Bedfordshire that he intends to stand down in Harrow, but we haven't got as far as a formal agreement."

The Labour leader of Harrow council, Bill Stephenson, described the situation as "a complete farce", adding: "He used to have a business in Harrow but now he lives a considerable distance away. If you are a Harrow councillor you should be able to devote yourself to it full-time."

After being contacted by the Standard Mr Versallion today conceded that it was "appropriate" that he now quits Harrow council. He said: "I still feel able to deal with my ward case work in Harrow, and indeed have been doing so since my election to Central Bedfordshire on May 5 but, as I have said even since before my election, I think it is appropriate that I stand down from Harrow council.

"This is being discussed with the
Harrow party association."

Persimmon and Home Farm

Lodge Road fought back in Beds on Sunday today after complaints about aggregate lorries had mounted in recent weeks. They say it's the squeaky hinge that gets the oil and my goodness that hinge has made its presence known.

It was interesting, reading that Central Beds and Persimmon each claimed "credit", if that is the right expression, for temporarily putting a stop to construction on Home Farm. Regardless, one fact cannot be denied: The news was broken thanks to Cranfield Express Editor Peter Hinson's direct approach to Persimmon last week. 

Why the building has stopped is not totally clear. Issues around land ownership still need to be thrashed out. Watch this (cyber)space and of course Cranfield Express.

Latest delays

This is Nick's response: 

As you know we had a delay before the trigger point for the S106 was confirmed by CBC colleagues then another delay whilst the payment was requested and subsequently received before CBC could issue us with the instruction to proceed in March 2011.

This scheme had therefore to be reprogrammed into the current financial year. We do need to verify health and safety information that was obtained for this scheme because it is time limited and this is being done. The project can then proceed to the statutory public consultation phase but you do all need to be aware that there is an opportunity there for objections to be made to any of the elements of the scheme by the public.

They saw it coming

Remember this? Residents of Lodge Road in 2009 warned about the disruption caused by Persimmon using it for construction. The Parish Council protested to the former Mid Beds about Lodge Road being used for both vehicle access to the giant site (over 350 houses) and for construction. It argued for access via the High Street. The pleas fell on deaf ears. 

Dear Nick - wot about our traffic calming?

How many engineers does it take to plan some traffic calming? And how do they know the money is in their bank account? Never have I encountered more bureaucracy than developing plans for traffic calming in the village


See below a series of messages  from Nick Chapman, Amey to the Parish Council from November on, regarding our unending quest for a traffic calming scheme to be funded with section 106 ("planning gain") money from the University business park. CBC/Amey have the money, only a few tweaks are needed  and we are getting no response. 


Nick Chapman: The situation is that we were in the process of finally modifying drawings based on the Parish Council's last communication. On discovering that the S106 trigger had not been met and as a result there had been no payment of the balance of the monies due I stopped my staff working on it as effectively I had no further budget, the extensive changes to the proposals over time having already exceeded the allocated design budget.

The next step, when funding is reinstated, will be to do this and then immediately to issue all of the plans and notices for the statutory consultation required for the various features. 




After more prompting Nick Chapman writes again in December


Nick Chapman: I am well aware that CBC has invoiced for the S106 money as yet there is no money on the table and I have no budget to do any more work. This may of course be the
situation until well into the new financial year.
This makes it rather difficult to utilise any resources on the project. When we stopped work due to lack of finance most of the 'tweaks' suggested by the PC had been incorporated but there is still some work to do before I can present that as a completed set of drawings to a meeting of the PC. I believe that this process really does need to wait till the S106 has been
paid to CBC.


Finally the money comes through and Cllr Ken Matthews writes to Amey in January:


Ken Matthews: I'm advised that CBC has now received payment.  Presumably work on the "tweaks" can now resume with a view to presenting a completed set of drawings to Cranfield PC.


The clerk then writes to Amey AGAIN in March:


PC clerk: I am receiving enquiries from residents of the village, asking when the traffic calming scheme is due to commence.  Do you have any idea of the timescales we are looking at?

Finally (did I say finally?) the clerk has written this week to Amey

PC Clerk: Dear Nick, would you be kind enough to let me know where we are with the proposed traffic calming measures for Cranfield High Street? (my bold)

Persimmon stop work on Home Farm

This is the front page story on the June Cranfield Express due out on Thursday. It is made available early in electronic format  thanks to the editor Peter Hinson.

Ceasefire on Home Farm 

Persimmon has announced it will

“temporarily cease work” on the main

(Home farm) site after mounting concerns

from residents about access to

Lodge Road and Court Road by construction

traffic.

The company, responding to an

enquiry by Cranfield Express stated:

“We fully appreciate that we have a

duty of care for the local community.

Therefore, due to the current situation

and concerns raised regarding

working hours and traffic, we have

made the decision to temporarily

cease work on the main site, after we

have implemented security and health

and safety measures. Work will only

re-commence when the relevant matters

are resolved and the local authority

is satisfied with our strategy to

continue. The county council (sic)

works to the existing highways will

continue to completion.”

A stakeholder meeting last month

was called off at the last minute with

no rearrangement date by Central

Beds. As a result, parish councillors

hosted an unofficial meeting to allow

residents to express their frustration.

They have reported lorries turning

up to work well before the 8 am starting

time for Lodge Road and the 9

am starting point for Court Road.

And complaints have continued that

Lodge Road is not properly washed

each night. The early starts include

Saturday morning. There was even

work on the site, on 29 April, a public

holiday.

Condition 31 of the outline planning

permission for Home Farm provides

the following working hours:

“Works of construction, including the

use of plant, vehicles and machinery

necessary for the implementation of

this consent, shall only take place

(other than as specifically approved

in writing by the Local Planning

Authority prior to any works being

undertaken) between 0800 hours and

1800 hours on Mondays to Fridays

inclusive, and 0800 hours to 1300

hours on Saturdays and not at all on

Sundays or Bank Holidays.”

Its also states that there should not

be any waiting on Lodge Road or

Court Road prior to the permitted

times.

At the same time issues have arisen

about Persimmon’s relationship with

Dennison who control land to the rear

of Maple Way, Willow Springs and

Plough Close. This is where the community

hall and the school playing

field will be constructed.

A representative of Dennison spoke

to the Parish council in April and the

approved minutes state: “PCllr Mrs

D Ball invited the representative from

Dennison Investment to speak regarding

the status of negotiations with

Persimmon regarding the Dennison

land. It would appear that

Persimmon has ‘jumped the gun’ and

building has commenced. Dennison

and Persimmon were in ‘good discussions’

until February of this year,

and then it stopped.

“The commencement of the build

has been stopped by CBC, and

Persimmon and Dennison

Investments are taking legal advice

on their dispute. Councillor Ken

Matthews stated that Central

Bedfordshire Council will not issue

outstanding reserved matters until the

dispute is settled, however certain

works are permitted. Central

Bedfordshire Council has also taken

legal advice, and it appears that

Persimmon may apply for permission

on the grounds of non-determination.

“The representative from Dennison

Investments suggested that Central

Bedfordshire Council must be strong

– and state that there will be no occupations

until the dispute is resolved.

With regard to the 106 monies, he

stated that there are tools that are present

in the legal agreement to make

Persimmon behave, and on the matter

of Martin Wright refusing to discuss

the 106 agreement on the

grounds that it is confidential.

Members were advised that Dennison

Investments did not consider it confidential

and is happy for Mr Wright

to discuss it with the Stakeholder

Group.”

Persimmon in their statement to

Cranfield Express responded to this

as follows: “Whilst we do not agree

with Dennison’s interpretation of the

current situation, we are committed

to working proactively and positively

with the local authority to see the successful

delivery of the Section 106

package which ultimately, will benefit

the local community.”

Parish council meeting

Next meeting is 8 pm Wed 1 June in the Baptist Church. The full council on 22 June.

unofficial stakeholder meeting

OK OK it wasn't Tahrir Square in Egypt but we had a  stakeholder meeting last night even though Central Beds called it it off. It was a much needed opportunity for residents to vent their frustration that lorries are operating at whatever time they like on Lodge Road and Court Road. We also talked about issues round the section 106 agreement - some big questions there requiring answers.

Cemetery

Weeds sprouting everywhere on the cemetery extension. It has been seeded but of course spring has been bone dry. What is particularly frustrating was spending last weekend on the Leeds Liverpool canal between Blackburn and Wigan and coming back to find we were still unrained on. Frosts are pledged to come back and spray out the fresh weeds and then I will ask the chair of the Parish Council to perform a rain dance. 

Home Farm and planning consent

Approved minutes from of Cranfield Parish Council meeting on 20 April 2011. Read carefully. 

PCllr Mrs D Ball invited the representative from Dennison Investment to speak following a question from PCllr Laurence Pollock regarding the status of negotiations with Persimmon regarding the Dennison land.  It would appear that Persimmon has ‘jumped the gun’ and building has commenced.  Dennison and Persimmon were in ‘good discussions’ until February of this year, and then it stopped.  

The commencement of the build has been stopped by CBC, and Persimmon and Dennison Investments are taking legal advice on their dispute.  CBCllr/PCllr Ken Matthews stated that Central Bedfordshire Council will not issue outstanding reserved matters until the dispute is settled, however certain works are permitted.  Central Bedfordshire Council has also taken legal advice, and it appears that Persimmon may apply for permission on the grounds of non-determination.  

The representative from Dennison Investments suggested that Central Bedfordshire Council must be strong – and state that there will be no occupations until the dispute is resolved.  With regard to the 106 monies, he stated that there are tools that are present in the legal agreement to make Persimmon behave, and on the matter of Martin Wright refusing to discuss the 106 agreement on the grounds that it is confidential, Members were advised that Dennison Investments did not consider it confidential and is happy for Mr Wright to discuss it with the Stakeholder Group.

Home farm Stakeholder meeting

There are continuing reports of  Persimmon contractors operating outside the their "consent" timetable. There are also issues around Section 106 prevision (community facilities). The stakeholder meeting for Thursday was cancelled by Central Beds and no alternative was offered other than the next meeting in July - that is way too far away. 

As a result the chair of the Parish Council Delise Ball and I have invited stakeholders to attend at the same venue  6.30 on Thursday evening  to discuss the development of the Home Farm site and issues arising from it. It will not be an official stakeholder meeting but could still be useful.

War memorial

Our search for ways of preserving the names on Cranfield's war memorial continues. One possibility is a granite facing on the existing portland stone. But the War Memorials Trust advises:




Due to its porous nature all stone allows some movement of water vapour. By introducing a less porous material (i.e granite) onto the memorial you block this movement and cause differential movement whichwill lead to the increased erosion of the stone surrounding the plaques. 


In addition to this introducing a new material will change the aesthetic and design intention of the memorial which represents the wishes of the community at the time of erection.

It was the second sentence that amazed me - the fact that we might offend people 100 years responsible for designing and setting up the war memorial whose main aim, surely, was to preserve the names of those they had lost. It is, after all, a memorial.  Does the above as it currently looks, meet the wishes of the original post world war one community? I don't think so.

Central Beds Executive

I understand Cranfield's Ken Matthews was a contender for the leadership of the new Central Beds Council but James Jamieson broke the tape first. Ken, however is in charge of Planning and Strategy. See below for the full batting order. 

Leader of the Council – Cllr James Jamieson (Westoning Flitton and Greenfield)

Deputy Leader & Executive Member for Corporate Resources - Cllr Maurice Jones (Biggleswade North)

Deputy - Cllr David Hopkin (Linslade)

Deputy – Cllr Richard Wenham (Arlesey)

Executive Member – Cllr Tricia Turner (Northill)

Executive Member – Cllr Richard Stay (Caddington)

Executive Member for Children’s Services - Cllr Mark Anthony Gaius Versallion (Heath and Reach)

Deputy - Cllr Angela Barker (Houghton Conquest and Haynes)

Executive Member for Social Care, Health and Housing - Cllr Carole Hegley (Dunstable Central)

Deputy - Cllr Andrew Turner (Flitwick)

Executive Member for Sustainable Communities Planning and Strategy - Cllr Ken Matthews (Cranfield and Marston)

Chairman (shared with Luton Borough Council) of the Luton and South Beds Joint Committee and Deputy - Cllr Nigel Young (Dunstable Icknield)

Executive Member for Sustainable Communities Services - Cllr Brian Spurr (Leighton Buzzard North)

Deputy - Cllr Budge Wells (Aspley and Woburn)

Early revvers in Cranfield

I have been told that lorries are turning up in Lodge Road at 7.30 and earlier. My goodness those boys are eager to get to work...but:




Condition 31 of the outline planning permission for Home Farm provides the following working hours:

Works of construction, including the use of plant, vehicles and machinery necessary for the implementation of this consent, shall only take place (other than as specifically approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to any works being undertaken) between 0800 hours and 1800 hours on Mondays to Fridays inclusive, and 0800 hours to 1300 hours on Saturdays and not at all on Sundays or Bank Holidays.

Reason:  To safeguard the amenities of the adjoining occupiers. I have already raised this with CBC and copied in the clerk. 

Caption: The Old Lodge Road

Central Beds elections

Council poll results for Cranfield and Marston (including Lidlington, Salford, Brogborough and Millbrook) as follows: Baker, James (Ind) 890; Baker, Roger(Ind) 794; Bastable (Con) 1639; Clapham(Ind) 725; Clark(Con) 1679; Gale (Lab) 732; Matthews(Con) 1596; Morris(Lab) 725; Pollock(Lab) 695

See

http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/News/ELECTIONS-All-the-results-and-news-as-the-count-begins-05052011.htm

for up to date results.

buses and Milton Keynes

Alan Morris did a good presentation last night on the 158 evening bus route from Milton Keynes via the Yoonee.


Members have provisionally agreed to jointly support the service from November to April next year. This is when MK full support was due to end. 

We are basing our support  on  the calculation that the annual cost is £15,000 (£50 x 6 per week = £300 x 50 weeks) and MKBC are seeking 50% support for six months That will be divided between the Parish Council and Yoonee. This reflects that there is a split between students who use the service to get back and forward to MK where they live and those who shuttle between the village and the campus.

Alan explained that with 12 months breathing space we can then look at what resources are available and what is the optimal way of using them. in the following financial year.