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. 

Traffic lights

Well, we still don't know how many TW engineers it takes to change a faulty temporary traffic light. 24 hours after the last post they had opened the road to each-way traffic  and shifted the will-we-wont-we-lights to the side of the road. Could have done that at the start of the holiday weekend of course. 

Temporary traffic lights

Lodge Road-High Street temp traffic lights out again. I have left a message for KC and NB at TW regarding urgency of repair. To make matters worse  they are functioning on the green and amber but not on the red. 

Election notice

CBC have finally put up a notice of the forthcoming election on the notice board of our currently closed village hall. Nothing on the (more visible) board beside Marshalls. I haven't checked Crane Way or Wharley End but I ain't holding my breath

Hard at work

I note work goes on relentlessly on Home Farm as the Royal Wedding progresses. Three excavators in action

Students, villagers and buses

Article for the next issue of Cranfield University student newspaper Entropy



Cranfield University and the local parish council have been working extremely hard to preserve out of business hours bus services in the area.

Thanks to these efforts, which included personal support from the Vice Chancellor Sir John O'Reilly, threatened Sunday services from Bedford to Cranfield and Wharley End will keep running for the immediate future.

Now the University is again working in partnership with Cranfield Parish Council and North Crawley to support evening buses to Milton Keynes which are also endangered.

I worked with the University  two years ago to save evening buses to and from Bedford without success. At the time there were strong protests from students and village residents.

I do not want buses becoming a 9 to 5 Monday to Friday. These services are provided without public subsidy because bus companies make a profit from them. But evening and weekend buses ensure that those who cannot afford cars or are unable to drive can participate in society. These need some council support.

As a parish councillor for Wharley End I constantly remind local authorities that students - even those who come for just a year - are residents of the parish. I also stress that university life does not fit neatly into a 9 to 5 package.

But it is not just about  ensuring individual access for students. Good transport links build the economic viability of
Central Bedfordshire's biggest employer and a key part of the area's hi tech economic strategy. That is something that should be important to all of us.

In addition to the Vice Chancellor I would like to thank Margaret Norwich and Andrew Oxenham for their support and involvement. The President of the Cranfield Students' Assocition attended parish council to raise awareness and I am grateful for his help and the CSA generally.

Talks with Milton Keynes Council are continuing and I can provide updates in future issues of entropy. The evening buses will run until at least October

Home Farm

Interesting input from a representative of Denison land last night at the parish council meeting  - he put some aspects of the current Home Farm development into more perspective. 

Street Watch

We had a good turn out and a really useful discussion about Street Watch at the annual parish meeting last night. Streetwatch is active and flourishing in Marston and one of its coordinators there, Jean Ellis gave us the heads up on how it works. its obviously about members of the public, properly vetted and recruited by the police and identifiable, 'patrolling' as it were. However, its not just about crime but also spotting rubbish build-ups, public structures that need repair and so on. You commit to at least 2 hours a month and it doesn't involve going on a drugs bust at 11 pm. In fact its mostly day time. There are evening patrols but those are accompanied by the police or PCSO.

Something the Parish Council and the village is going to have look at closely. We've had straws in the wind that even the police cover we have at the moment is likely to thin in months to come.

temporary traffic lights

The struggle to get a set of temporary traffic lights repaired. High Street works near Lodge Road from the Customer Service Bulletin for 18 April

File created at 25/03/2011 17:59  Police firstly called OCR to report traffic lights at High Street/Lodge Road in Cranfield were all dark. As there are no traffic lights listed in Cranfield OCR suggested to police it might be temporary lights.  

Police called back to confirm they are temporary and they would try to send a unit to find out who is responsible.  Shortly after this a local resident called to report this also. Advised him we did not know who was responsible. He called back to say he had looked and found the lights are marked "Amey. Cen.Beds."  OCR called duty engineer JG-Duty who advises these lights are being used by a sub-contractor called T & W Construction.

18:10 No reply from T&W. Voicemail message left at T&W to call OCR.  In the event that neither can be contacted Duty instructs Beds.North crew to attend with anotherset of lights.  18:19 Called T&W again - no reply. Further message left at T&W. Customer called to say he has left both voice and text messages.  

18:30   North crew to attend with replacement lights but to check existing lights for contact number in case they are on hire. Beds North crew despatched - however they cannot tow a set of lights and cannot access depot for alternative vehicle. They will attend at site and try to repair the existing lights firstly.   

18:51 T & W called OCR to advise they have  received the voicemail messages and the hire company are attending.  

18:55. North crew stood down 

Milton Keynes buses

Massively constructive meeting yesterday with transport officers from Milton Keynes to talk about bus services to and from the village along with Pcllr Alan Morris, Margaret Norwich from the Uni Roz Hatton from N Crawley PC as well. The willingness to search for solutions and recognise need was extremely welcome. Quite a contrast with Central Beds.

Persimmon and bus shelters

A parishioner informs me that Persimmon  have remodelled one of the bus shelters at the top of Lodge Road without the drop kerb allowing access for wheelchairs/disability scooters. Said parishioner  seems pretty determined that Persimmon  will be putting this right PDQ. reports will follow.

Buses

Meeting at Milton Keynes Borough council tomorrow  about proposed changes to MK support for buses to and from Cranfield. Delegation includes Alan 'bus shelter' Morris and Margaret Norwich from the University. Reports immediately after

Notice of annual parish meeting

 TO ALL ELECTORS OF 

CRANFIELD 

PARISH 

MEETING 

You are invited to take part. 

The meeting will be held at: 

THE BAPTIST CHURCH 

BEDFORD ROAD 

ON WEDNESDAY 

20th April 2011 AT 7.00 PM 

Under the Chairmanship of PCllr Mrs D Ball 

Chairman of the Parish Council 

The Parish Meeting may by law discuss all parish affairs and pass resolutions about them. The following matters have so far been placed on the agenda: 

1. To receive apologies for absence 

2. To confirm the Minutes of the last Meeting 

3. To receive the report from the Chairman 

4. To receive reports from other local representatives 

5. To receive the annual accounts of local charities. 

6. Any other business 

7. Time and date of next meeting 

Signed ………………………………………………………. 

Clerk 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Any correspondence to: 

Mrs R J Davey-Hunt Marsh Mill 

Clerk of the Meeting Marshbrook 

Tel: 05601534542 Church Stretton 

E-mail: cranfieldpc@btconnect.com SY6 6RQ 

Burial grounds committee

The burial grounds committee's annual report (subject to confirmation):

The Burial Grounds committee, at the conclusion of the four-year Parish Council can report that major developments have been achieved and the cemetery significantly enhanced. Over this period a new road has been built into the extension and the memorial garden attractively redesigned.

Developments this year include the landscaping of the extension, preparing it for interments. The memorial garden has been in bloom and the memorial garden oak arch has received its first commemoration plates. Interest in this facility is growing.

The committee, on behalf of the Parish Council, has worked with the Parochial Church Council (PCC) on the church paths. A grant of £5,000 has been made available towards resurfacing the north west (vehicular access) path. The Parish Council has been involved in a number of minor maintenance tasks in the churchyard in addition to regular grass cutting. In consequence it has drawn up a memo of understanding with the PCC defining responsibility for these tasks.

The most frustrating area of work has been the war memorial where the names have faded despite being twice relettered. A temporary solution is being implemented and proposals for refacing the memorial being investigated. An alternative facing, we believe, would make the lettering more durable.

The chair of the committee Laurence Pollock wishes to thank his vice chair Peter Meadows for his input and his predecessor Mrs Delise Ball for her continuing interest in this area of the council’s work and her expertise. 

Traffic controls on the new A507 roundabout at Millbrook

These are scheduled to continue until July according to the central Beds customer service bulletinas part of the new roundabout's construction (The Center Parcs Interchange)

Local elections

Local elections for Central Beds will take place on 5 May. Cranfield is now part of an enlarged ward comprising the village and Marston, Lidlington, Ridgmont, Millbrook, Brogborough and Salford. There are nine candidates, Labour: Laurence Pollock, Alan Morris, Miriam Gale; Conservative: Alan Bastable, Ken Matthews, Sue Clark; independents: Roger Baker, James Baker and Iain Clapham. 

Kickwalls

Section 106 money for the Lincroft development will go toward three new kickwalls for the recreation ground, Broad Green and Wharley End. 

New parish council

We have had 14 members up to now and three are standing down. There has been one new nomination and all 11 have been elected unopposed. That includes myself and Alan Morris in Wharley End. We will be on the lookout for potential co-optees in the next couple of months  to help us with the work of moderating our local quality of life. It could be you.

Gas guns

Further comment from a parishioner on the subject of gas guns:


I consider the noise levels from the gas guns to be intolerable. They consistantly wake me up at 6am and fire all through the day. I have a dog that is very scared of the bangs and i now cannot walk him in the village but have to put him in the car and take him elsewhere. as you can imagine this is inconvenient to me and unfair to my dog, despite the impact they have on my life it is clear there is no justification for their use as they don't work and i think it is only a matter of time before they are banned for good. And good riddance, i look forward to the peace and quiet of the country once again.
 
 

More gas guns

Another source close to the earth tells me:  I lived on a farm for 20 years, and it was clearly demonstrated on our land that gas guns are a waste of time.  The birds do get used to them and will happily strip a field of young shoots whilst watching the gas guns do their stuff!  There are other methods that can be used – some quite grim, but effective.  To hang up a number of dead crows in the field gave a good result .

Sunday bus services run thanks to Beds Borough

  

Letter from Bedford Borough regarding
Sunday bus services.





Thank you for contacting me regarding the V2 Sunday Service, I hope that you
will have received a letter from Mr Jonathan Farr, our Public Transport
Officer at Bedford Borough Council. If not then please let me advise you
regarding the V2 Service.

This service was shared between Bedford Borough Council and Central
Bedfordshire. Central Bedfordshire Council have ceased their funding on this
route and others, leaving services threatened and adversely impacting
communities across the area. Mayor Dave Hodgson has indicated that this is
not acceptable and the result of such a move is a damaging effect upon those
who can least afford alternative modes of transport. 

For this reason Bedford Borough Council has agreed to continue supporting
the Sunday V2 and we are seeking to determine ways in which Bedford Borough
Council can continue to offer a service, notwithstanding the cuts to public
services implemented by other councils. 



Best wishes
Charles Royden
Portfolio Holder for Highways and Transport
Deputy Mayor Bedford Borough Council

Gas guns

Feedback from a parishioner regarding gas guns: Clearly the no-fly zone has been extended to Cranfield

I would like to say with regard to the bird scarers that the farmers are using, the back of my house sounds like Tripoli!!! 

With constant explosions from  6AM until dusk 7 days a week. As i understand it i am not allowed to beep my horn or make excessive noise between the hours of 11pm and 7am, so how is it that a farmer, or numerous farmers can release world war 3 on us during these times?

According to the NFU bird scarer guidelines they should not be used on Sundays and the times are restricted during the day to limit disturbance, they should be baffled and farms that are close to one another should liaise to limit the noises.

Another thing that bothers me about these contraptions is the lack of evidence that they actually work. A retired farmer has commented on the NFU’s website that they don’t work, the birds simply get used to them. Another website called bang out of order shows video evidence of pigeons continuing to munch crops while a gas gun goes off 10 yards from them. If they don’t work why should we be subjected to this unbearable explosion filled existence.

Many dogs in the village are traumatised and can only go for a walk under the cover of darkness and i know of one much loved pet who has been run over after bolting when a loud explosion went off near it. People have dogs in the country because there are nice walks but now the dogs are being scared and dog walking is no longer a pleasure. Dogs are an important part of peoples life’s and families so in turn people’s life’s are being upset greatly.

Other local farmers in Salford are using alternative, quiet means to scare birds and there are many other methods available to farmers, for this reason i think they should be banned!!