Flitwick leisure centre development - the nuts and bolts

For those who want to get all the gritty detail from CBC follow link here 

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/modgov/documents/g4669/Public%20reports%20pack%20Wednesday%2030-Jul-2014%2010.00%20DEVELOPMENT%20MANAGEMENT%20COMMITTEE.pdf?T=10

Summer holiday fun

http://marstonvale.org/our-woodlands-2/

Check out the Marston Forest Centre for the next summer holidays  - great for kids and for all the family. 

Take your rubbish home

I'm not surprised at the feedback we got from Dave, our amenity cleaner about HSRG rubbish on Sunday. He works damn hard in Death Valley summer heat and Arctic Januaries, all year round.

He says there were eight bags of it - standard rubbish but due to good weather probably more than average and scattered around due to food in the rubbish being scavenged by cats and foxes. He had already cleaned up on Friday so this was over the weekend and will most likely happen over most weekends while the weather remains good. Also the kids are now around all the time, he adds.

So Cranners folk help out by taking as much as you can home with you spesh unused food.

Full to overflowing

The litter problem in the High Street Rec is defo on the Parish Council's radar. I was there yesterday and noted the evidence and flagged this up...

To be fair it is a full bin and with the weather and family holidays it may have been an unusually large number of people having a damn good time and finding the bins full. Feel free to complain but  the PC is on the case.

Cranfield War Memorial Grade II Listing

This is good timing from English Heritage: Listing for Cranfield war memorial




To the Parish Council Clerk:

Cranfield War Memorial, Junction of High Street and Church Walk, Cranfield, Bedfordshire – Awarded Listed Building Status

We have been considering adding Cranfield War Memorial to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. We have taken into account all the representations made, and completed our assessment of the memorial. I am pleased to inform you that having considered our recommendation, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has decided to add Cranfield War Memorial to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. The memorial is now listed at Grade II.

The List entry for this building, together with a map, has now been published on the National Heritage List for England, and will be available for public access from tomorrow. This List can be accessed through our website.

Listing helps us to mark a building’s significance and celebrate its special architectural and historic interest. It brings specific protection so that its special interest can be properly considered in managing its future. Listing does not mean, however, that no alterations can be made - in fact in the vast majority of cases applications to make changes to a listed building are approved. Further information about listed buildings can be found on the ‘Your Property’ pages of our website.


Your local planning authority will now be preparing the statutory notices required under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.

Please be aware that the listing of the memorial took effect on the day that the List entry was published on the National Heritage List for England.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any further assistance. More information can also be found on our website at English Heritage

Katy Mack, Designation Co-ordinator - East
 

Cold calling

Always a worry and sometimes there is mixed advice: here's the latest from Beds Police to the PC

With reference to your concerns with the canvassers in the area.  If you are selling items then you need a peddlers licence. A charity can canvas in the area , the normal procedure would be to make us aware by email that they are canvasing. , the Red Cross did in fact inform us that they were canvassing in the area on this occasion.

 

If members of the public call us out with concerns we would attend and  stop check them to make sure all was in order. A no cold calling zone is a deterrent because the  community don’t want this to happen in their local area.

May I advise that members of the public don’t answer the doors if they are unsure and not expecting a visit. Unfortunately we can’t stop them from doing this, but we can certainly make sure that they are safe and aren’t in the areas for other reasons.

 

PCSO 4818 ELAINE FLEET

LOCAL POLICING TEAM

01234 842613

For the record

Each month at full parish council we approve the minutes of the previous month's full meeting. The June draft is copied in below - its a lot of raw data but for anyone who wants to know what is really going on ( or not - shame on you cynics) it is a mine of information. It also gives a flavour of the bread of local quality if life stuff the PC has to cope with. Meeting tonight...

In attendance:  Mrs R J Davey-Hunt

Apologies for absence.  PCllr/CBCllrs: P Meadows Mrs Delise ball

Absent: 

PCllr J Savill chaired the meeting.

^1.            To receive declarations of personal and/or prejudicial interests in any matter.

^2.            To confirm the minutes of the last meetings dated 21^st May 2014; RESOLVED that the minutes of those meetings (previously circulated) be confirmed as a true record. 

^2.

^3.            Clerks Report:

3.1.    Cemetery Superintendent. Mr D Parish has given notice of termination of his employment with this Council; he will be leaving this Council’s employ at the end of August 2014.  He has booked annual leave, which will need to be covered. 

3.2.    Digital Highway Speed Cameras.  In answer to this council’s query, Peter Fraser (CBC) advised that it is only the police who can access the cameras and they analyse the data.  The data can be shared but only when they have officer time to process it.  CBC is part of a tri-force arrangement which operates out of an office in Stevenage, so have limited call on the police’s resources.  However reports will be requested on a regular basis.

3.3.    Gerry O’Mara has advised that Smiths were not been able to attend the Parish clock on Friday 13th June due to the engineer been held up on another job. The removal of the motor is now scheduled for Monday 16th June.

3.4.    Bus shelters.  The replacement shelter has been installed, however Queensbury did not contact PCllr A Morris as agreed on the day of installation, despite calling the Clerk who passed Cllr Morris’s number to them.  As a result, the end panels were not installed to the additional shelter. The Clerk has written to Queensbury to express concern with regard to their poor internal communication, which resulted in the end panels being returned to the depot, and to ask for a full report of work carried out on the 11^th June.

3.5.    Joanna Farbon (Lower School) has written to advise that the children of the school will not input into the design for the commemorative structure for the child burial area in Cranfield Cemetery.

3.6.    Ben Fay has written to advise that the area at Lincroft, which was previously maintained by a resident, can be added to the annual maintenance contract at a cost of £45.00 plus VAT.  The area of Lincroft that is in the contract - the ‘garden area’ – is regularly maintained by In-Trim as stated in the contract.  PCllr Mrs Delise Ball agreed to meet with Ben Fay to discuss; the Clerk undertook to contact Mr Fay to ask that he contact Cllr Mrs Delise Ball direct to arrange.

3.7.    Town and Parish Council Conference.  An invitation has been received for two representatives to attend the next conference, which is to be held on Thursday 3 July 2014, 6.00pm – 8.30pm at Priory House, Chicksands.  PCllr P Meadows has provisionally agreed to attend.  Details forwarded to all members on the 5^th June.

^4.            Health & Safety 

4.1.    Play area inspections

4.1.1.    Broad Green.  Broken rope connection on climbing ladder.

4.1.2.    HSRG.  Two new swing seats required.  Waste bin needs re-setting.

4.1.3.    Wharley End.  All satisfactory.

4.1.4.    Lincroft.  New swing seat needed.

4.1.5.    Alwyns Acre.  All satisfactory

^5.            Reports from Committees:

5.1.    General Purposes Committee.   The Council received a report from the Chairman of the Committee (minutes previously circulated); it was RESOLVED that the report is approved and the recommendations therein accepted.

5.1.1.    Quote from Brunel Engraving for the village hall notice board:  1 x Sign, approx 1090mm x 250mm x 4.00mm, digitally printed onto white vinyl, c/w Perspex backing, 6 x fixing holes, screws and white caps @ £78.50p.  It was RESOLVED that the quote be accepted.

5.2.    Burial Ground Committee.  The Council received a report from the Chairman of the Committee (minutes previously circulated); it was RESOLVED that the report is approved and the recommendations therein be accepted. 

5.3.    Environment Committee.  The Council received a report from the Chairman of the Committee (minutes previously circulated); it was RESOLVED that the report is approved; there were no recommendations.  

5.4.    Planning Committee and additional planning matters.  The Council received a report from the Chairman of the Council (minutes previously circulated); it was RESOLVED that the report is approved.

5.4.1.    Housing for the elderly consultation.  The questionnaire was considered by Members and responses agreed.  It was RESOLVED that PCllr J Savill would complete the form on-line.

5.4.2.    Planning application No. CB 14 00825 FULL.  Brogborough Landfill Site.  Erection of 6 wind turbines. The formal objection from ACT and the landscape report commissioned by the group was circulated to all members on the 17th June.  It is likely that the turbine application will be heard at Central Beds on Wednesday 2nd of July, at 10am, and the Group now asks if this council would consider formally supporting/endorsing the ACT campaign.  It was RESOLVED that this Council would support the ACT campaign.

5.5.    Finance and Grants Committee.  The Council received a report from the Chairman of the Council (minutes previously circulated); it was RESOLVED that the report is approved and recommendations therein be accepted with the following amendment:

5.5.1.    Amendment to 5.  The recommendation relating to social media was withdrawn, the matter to be brought back to committee at the July committees.

^6.            CORRESPONDENCE

6.1.    Urban Grass Cutting Agreement 2014/15.  CBC writes to advise that if this Council wishes to continue with the grass cutting arrangement (to cut grass within the 30/40 speed limit signs), it should forward a signed agreement together with a copy of the contractor’s insurance.  The contribution for 2014/15 is £1616.32.

6.2.    Leisure Strategy - Parish Schedules – consultation.  Lisa White (CBC) writes to invite input into the Parish Schedule for this settlement.  The document has been carefully prepared, however, there may be some errors or omissions.   Deadline for comments 21 July 2014; details forwarded to all members on the 13^th June. Agenda committees, July.  The purpose of the consultation is:

6.2.1.    To identify and correct any errors or omissions in the Leisure Strategy or Parish Schedules [Detail any errors, omissions or queries relating to your settlement found in Chapters 2 and 3, and the Parish Schedules].

6.2.2.    To highlight local priorities for deliverable projects / facilities. [List the town/parish council’s priority projects together with additional information on the progress / deliverability of the projects].

6.3.    PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION FOR A PROPOSED ‘4G’ BASE STATION UPGRADE AT 
Cranfield Institute of Technology, Cranfield Airport, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK42 0EQ.  Telefónica UK Limited has entered into an agreement with Vodafone Limited pursuant to which the two companies plan to jointly operate and manage a single network grid across the UK. These arrangements will be overseen by Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Ltd (CTIL) which is a joint venture company owned by Telefónica UK Limited and Vodafone Limited.  The upgrade consists of the replacement of antennas, with only a minor change to the appearance of the installation. 
Due to the size of the equipment being deployed for the upgrade the development does not require prior approval or planning permission from the planning authority to proceed, as set out in Part 24 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, as amended. 
This letter therefore invites the parish council, in accordance with planning policy guidance and Best Practice Commitments, to enter into pre-application discussions with regard to our proposed base station upgrades.  Details forwarded to all members on the 13^th June.

6.4.    Lynda Nash writes asking for permission to light a candle and fly the flag at the war memorial on 4th August 2014 at 11 am.  It was agreed that PCllr L Pollock would contact and discuss.

^7.            FINANCIAL MATTERS AND ACCOUNTS FOR PAYMENT.  Having heard the comments and a proposal that the accounts schedule [previously circulated] is approved for payment from the Vice Chairman of the Finance and Grants Committee; RESOLVED that those accounts detailed in Appendix A be approved for payment.

^7.

^8.            REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES, CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE COUNCILLORS.

8.1.    CB/PCllr K Matthews reported:

8.1.1.    Bush shelter – University.  The question has been asked of the Local Area Transport people regarding the updating of the historic bus shelter in favour of replacing it.

8.1.2.    The Dennison/Persimmon Home Farm dispute will hopefully soon be resolved.

8.1.3.    An application has been received from Persimmon relating to a variation of the S106 agreement – asking that the trigger point be changed from the original requirement to 86.  The request for the trigger point to be moved to 200 has not been determined.

8.2.    CB/PCllr A Bastable reported that he attended the exhibition relating to the proposed gas station, and undertook to bring relevant documents to a future meeting of this Council.  It was agreed that the applicants should be invited to the next meeting of the Council.

^9.            HIGHWAYS.  Written reports passed to the Clerk for action.

^9.

^10.        DATES OF NEXT MEETINGS:  Meeting of the General Purposes, Planning, Environment and Burial Grounds committees, 2^nd July 2014 2014 at 8.00, meeting of the Full Council 16^th July 2014.

Dog poo is faster than democracy

I agree with this (anonymised) post from the Cranfield facebook page (above).  


Says it all. You fight a battle the get owners to pick up dog mess in the middle of Cranfield - green spaces and roadsides. Then you ask them to to do it even when they are way down the thrift or the Spinney, then you find some of then do it and then leave it aside for collection? Come off it. 

I'm not a dog lover or hater but dogs will be dogs and what happens on walkies does not stay on  walkies. I will be asking for this to be discussed and a public education campaign devised at the September Parish Council meeting. Sorry democracy has a job keeping up with dog poo. More on this soon.

DLOL

Dont laugh out loud.  (DLOL) 


A long time ago we got our then eight-year-old up and ready for the first day of the new school year only to find Mill Road deserted. We had a school newsletter form the previous term with all the term dates and had total confidence. But then the Lower School (all previous personnel I might add) decided to run a training day on the first day of the new school year  and I assume a scrap of paper explaining this came home in the bottom of  school bag. we missed this, result embarrassment.  

Check out the school terms for the forthcoming year  on CBC's website with the proviso that  this is no protection from local variations as described above. 

For fuller deets go to :
CBC  School terms

2014 - Autumn school term and school holidays

• term starts on 3 September
• half term from 27 October to 31 October
• term ends on 19 December

2015 - Spring school term and school holidays

• term starts on 6 January
• half term from 16 to 20 February
• term ends for the Easter school holidays on 27 March

2015 - Summer school term and school holidays

• school term starts on 14 April
• half term from 26 to 29 May (25 May is a bank holiday)
• summer term ends on 17 July

Central Beds warning about bank cards

I'm sure I'm not the only one fed up with calls from "the computer department" saying "we have a had a fault reported". They never get as far as asking for my pin. Click. But I fear for older, more naive residents who might be easily misled. Please watch out for them.

Bedfordshire Police have issued a warning following reports of a bank card courier scam in the area:


Act with caution if you receive a suspicious telephone call from someone claiming to be from your bank or the police.
Please let your elderly relatives, friends and neighbours know about this scam, to prevent them from becoming a victim.
For more information on this scam, please visit our Scam Alerts section at


centralbedsscamaware

Update on Cranfield Parish Council play area safety

   
Rosie Davey-Hunt (clerk)     10 July 14:16






Wicksteed has inspected play areas and we are awaiting quotes for the work to enable the council to re-open the park. 

Hopefully the urgency is noted by Wicksteed. A schedule of further repairs will continue thoughout the year. Toddlers swings inspected again today at Broad Green, and found to be safe.

How can CBC help your business?

Another CBC survey consultation with a 'nick of time' deadline. Good luck to those getting involved. 


"Central Bedfordshire Council is asking local businesses to take part in a survey and share their thoughts on the issues they face to help us shape the services we offer to support long term economic growth across our area, particularly in our key sectors.
 
"This is the fifth year that we have conducted the survey and previous responses have enabled us to deliver more of the support that local business say they want. For instance, last year’s survey highlighted issues around recruitment and skills. In response, we secured European funding for schemes to work with local businesses in important sectors such as care, construction, hospitality and retail to deliver training to unemployed people and help them gain the skills they need to secure a job in these sectors.
 
"The 2014 survey is being carried out jointly by the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership and Central Bedfordshire Council both over the telephone and online. The survey can be found  at survey and closes on 31 July."

Don't rush the safety cameras

Safety cameras in Central Bedfordshire - see this update from CBC's Cllr Brian Spurr, executive Member for Sustainable Communities Services and Cllr David Hopkin deputy executive nember for corporate resources and lead member for localism to parish councils. As with the consultation I previously blogged about being in the holiday period,  the registration of interest plus collation of evidence and any allocation of financial support must be done by 31 August. We do not meet in August, key personnel e.g. police may be on leave and we need a debate on locations. I think 30 September would be better.
 


At the Town & Parish Council Conference we gave an undertaking to clarify the information provided in the Safety Camera letter dated 22 Apr 2014.
 
In 2014/15 we have been successful in bidding for £750k of capital funding and this will be used as follows:

There are 36 existing camera sites that contain wet film. We are undertaking a review of these sites and the associated traffic data. It is anticipated that we will upgrade these sites to digital over the next few years. The review will allow us to prioritise the sites as well as determine whether they remain a traditional fixed site, average speed site or the camera housing is left but unmaintained. We have allocated £350k to this work in 2014/15 which will upgrade approximately 10 of the sites. The remaining sites will be the subject of a further capital bid in 2015/16 and beyond. There is no town/parish council contribution required for these sites.


We have committed to provide 2 new camera sites; these are in Poynters Road, Dunstable and Soulbury Road, Leighton- Linslade. We have allocated £150k to this work but the details are yet to be finalised.
    There is a further £250k for new sites. It is this part of the funding which we are seeking to work in partnership with local communities to identify new sites that meet the following criteria:
a. Written support from both the town/parishcouncil and ward member(s)
 
b. Evidence of a traffic casualty or speed problem. The limited funds that we have are targeted at known casualty sites
 
Your ref: Our ref:    PF/jw/140422 Date:    08/07/2014
taking the latest 3 year’s data into account. For us to consider speed sites the only evidence that can be used is that from the police’s own traffic management unit and no other. Camera enforcement is not the only way to solve problems with traffic speed, and evidence that education and engineering works cannot be carried out, or have been done and there is still a problem, will also need to be considered.
 
c.    Support from the police camera partnership representatives. 

d. Suitable location. 

e. Suitable 3G mobile network services in the vicinity or a secure ADSL line.

f.    A financial contribution from the town/parish council.
 
In order to keep the costs to a minimum it is anticipated that town/parish councils may work together to come up with locations where a number of sites are identified that can share a camera. Each site would have a fixed casing and an intelligent flash, so it would behave in the same way with or without the camera thereby achieving the speed reduction for the least cost. Data on traffic speeding will be recorded on a memory card that can be downloaded and analysed by the police. However, prosecutions would only be possible when the camera is in situ.
 
The police are responsible for the moving of the camera and although they would listen to requests to regularly move the camera ultimately it is a matter for the police as to where the camera would be located at any one time.
 
Please register your interest in a new camera site by providing the details of any locations that you would like considered, together with the evidence requested in a. to f. above or a date when this will be provided. 

Details should be sent by 31st August 2014.
 

Neighbours from hell?

Some details from the latest CBC-Amey customer service bulletin


People are ignoring markings and parking opposite our driveway on a narrow road making it very difficult or impossible for us to access our property.  As a result of the parking the grass verge outside our house has been seriously eroded. We raised the problem over a month ago but no progress seems to have been made



Response:
Anonymous report unable to respond to customer.    The Council has adopted policies and rules for managing the highway network through its Local Transport Plan.     This has been developed to reflect the key transport needs of the community.   From these key needs a works programme is developed to reflect local priorities in collaboration with Central Bedfordshire elected Councillors, and Town & Parish Councils.     Resources for implementing changes to the highway network are limited as there is a continuing need to target resources where they will result in the greatest benefit. Therefore for your request to receive further consideration, it is important that it:    a) Aligns with the general priorities of the Council.  b) That the request has wider local support from others in your area.  c) That the request receives the support of both your Central Bedfordshire Councillor     and your Town or Parish Council.    Requests that have this support may be included in a future programme of works when other work is also scheduled in your area, in which case you would receive feedback to that effect.
my own suggestion is that the complainant also involves Cranfield Parish Council. 


Nice people in Cranfield?

I would like to know how long before something is done about the trees which overhang all our gardens to the rear of REDACTED. We have all complained & NOTHING IS DONE. The trees are the property of the house to the rear. The owner has been asked politely to trim the trees & his response was "REDACTED off...I want my privacy."

Cranfest tickets

Cranfest tickets still available from Cranfield Utd FC, both paper shops and online at wegottickets

Type Cranfest into the FB search engine for more info!!

Wind farm appeal decision?

Following Central Beds Council's rejection of the FCC wind turbine planning application in Brogborough/Cranfield, I asked FCC Energy about an appeal.


Alan Bulpin - Planning & Estates Manager replied: 


"FCC are reviewing the Planning Officer’s Report but have not made a decision on whether to appeal or submit a revise application."