Parish Council 3 October

                   Mrs R J Davey-Hunt

Clerk of the Council

Oliver’s Field

Whaddon Road

Mursley

MK17 0HX

Tel: 05601534542

Email – cranfieldpc@btconnect.com

I HEREBY GIVE YOU NOTICE that meetings of the under-mentioned Committees of the above named Parish Council will be held at Holywell School, Red Lion Close, Cranfield, MK43 0JA.

Wednesday 3^rd October 2012 at 7.30pm

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

BUSINESS TO BE DONE

7.15pm – Viewing of planning applications.

In attendance:  Peter Haddon,

To receive apologies for absence:  CB/PCllrs:  D Allan

To receive declarations for Members in relation to: (a) Personal Interest or (b)   Prejudicial Interest in any Agenda item.

1.     General Purposes Committee

1.1.  Draft Local Council Support Scheme - consultation

1.2.  Photographic competition

1.3.  MUGA

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items

2.     Environment Committee

2.1.  Tree inspection and maintenance contract

2.2.  Rugby Posts – quote

2.3.  Digley report and RFQ’s.

2.4.  Village Greening

2.5.  Bollards – Village Green

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items

 3.     Burial Grounds

3.1.  Cemetery Gates

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items

4.     Planning Committee

4.1.  General Planning Matters

4.2.  Home Farm

4.3.  Consultation on the Renegotiation of s106 Agreements

4.4.  Comment -  proposed content for the CBC Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items

5.     Extraordinary meeting of the Finance and Grants Committee

5.1.  Party in the Park – accounts

5.2.  S137 Grants – PTA, ‘Winter wonderland’

Traffic calming village centre

I spoke to a parishioner yesterday worried about the work being done at the centre of the village. His concerns were as follows:

1. There is not enough room for the Remembrance Sunday Parade now that the footpath has been widened.
2. The areas designated for grassing will be muddy and unpleasant
3. Coming out of Court Road there is only one lane now leading to the blocking of cars during school drop off.
4. flooding


I appreciate the concerns but I think only the flooding is the critical issue and we are still waiting for a contact from Amey to come and look at it. There has been a build up of water opposite Marshalls and also near the Swan. 

On Remembrance Sunday there will have to be a bit of shuffling but I am sure the highway can accommodate the full parade. 

Hopefully the grass will eventually bed in. We need as much green as we can get.

The school drop-off and pickup is a relatively short time and there is massive congestion there anyway even at the best of times.

I will report to the parish council committees next Wed. You can either attend and give your views or email on cranfield1985@gmail.com

Vulcan in Cranfield

Cranfield's resident vulcanologist reports that there is just a chance of another vulcan sweep over Cranfield today.
See info below.





Updated now http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/402/82/Tour-map-and-details.html

A straight line track from RAF Halton to RAF Cottesmore would take it over Pagnell but they could route via Cranfield if the fancy takes them , not to mention the Nav beacon on the airfield.

There may be updates on their website during the day. Still down for 17:20 at RAF Halton AFAIK

Traffic calming issues

Comment from a parishioner...
 

Have you seen the Cranfield’s newest swimming pool?   Its outside Daniels Estate Agents where the new traffic calming works have failed to put in a storm drain!  Do you have any contact details for anyone who might be able to rectify this situation before the workmen go away?

As posted before, the clerk is trying to get in touch with Amey to make sure we establish what is going on and what they are doing to rectify any problems 

Vulcan - 2

More accurate news of the Vulcan from a correspondent:

It was actually engaged in a private display at Northampton Sywell airfield. It's done it before, winners of a raffle + I think corporate guests get to fly alongside the vulcan in other aircraft including a Spitfire 2-seater for the 1st prize.

I suspect that they popped in here to train additional pilot and/or possibly because this was scene of last display by the RAF with it. They may well have had two sessions to do at Sywell because there were 8 guests being taken up but only 5 seats on the other aircraft . It was almost 20 years to the day since the date of the last display here so that may have been very significant.

http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/community/community-news/crowds-stand-to-watch-vulcan-bomber-flypast-1-4279319

The last RAF display ever of the Vulcan, at Cranfield was on 20th September 1992 not 1987 as in your blog BTW.


Ta for that - if anyone else has interesting deets please email me on cranfield1985@gmail.com

Cuts in council tax benefit

Council Tax benefit is changing and this could hit those who live on low incomes. Put bluntly its being cut - by 14 per cent in Central Bedfordshire's case.  You can read the council tax cut consultation on CBC's website. The consultation finishes on 14 November. Whatever arguments are being made about 'fairness', 'targeting', 'avoiding waste', 'those most in need' etc it is a cut and a further hollowing out of our local economy. Last year bankers were paid £13 billion (Reuters 19 September) in bonuses.


CBC writes: It was planned to have a Town and Parish Council Conference on the 25th September to discuss the draft scheme. However, in response to feedback from some Clerks, CBC is now planning to make this a more targeted event with Town Councils and very large Parishes, some of whom have already expressed a wish to discuss the detailed financial implications of the welfare reforms. All feedback from the consultation will feed into the development of the final Council Tax Scheme to be presented to the Executive and Council in January 2013. 
As part of the consultation CBC will be engaging with specific vulnerable groups, existing claimants, the voluntary sector, representatives of the Equality Forum and Housing Associations.  
 

The mooooga

I've been worried that we don't have a proper mechanism for running the MUGA (sometimes referred to as the 'mooga') for some time. Its a partnership of CBC, the parish council Holywell and Sports clubs but the committee hasn't met for 2 years and this affects the ability to make it available to a wider public in the village. Its an all-weather sports facility about the size of 3 tennis courts located at Holywell but with external access.

My biggest aim is to get more people interested in local sport in the village to get involved.  The Colts it is true have been faithful attenders. More proposals at Parish Council next month and it will also be up for discussion at the Quarterly Surgery on 10 October

New member

A big welcome to Vaughn Crosbie-Ross newly co-opted to the council this week. Vaughn has sat through half a dozen meetings of the council and appears undeterred by our preoccupation with dog waste bins, cutting trees down, planting them up and poring over planning applications. 

I'm sure he will make a great contribution.  

The current council is now Alan Bastable, Alan Morris, Delise Ball (chair), Don Allan, George Young, Jill Brocklebank, John Savill (vice chair), Laura Moore, Laurence Pollock, Mark Phillips, Peter Meadows, Roger Baker, Sue Clark, Vaughn Crosbie-Ross

We will still have one vacant space. For more information contact the clerk Rosie Davy Hunt on cranfieldpc@btconnect.com

Looking good at 60

The remaining  airworthy Vulcan took to the skies yesterday and skimmed low over Cranfield marking its 60th anniversary. You can leave a comment on the Vulcan guest book 

 

The page states "As we prepare to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Avro Vulcan, please leave us your memories of Vulcans back in their service days or when seeing XH558 display since her restoration as the sole surviving airworthy example of her type." 

The Vulcan last appeared over Cranfield for the 1987 Airshow. Pictured below over Broad Green 

Cranfield on the web

The parish council website address has changed: It is now http://cranfield.bedsparishes.gov.uk/
Please use it for vital material about consultations and minutes and agendas and to make contact with the council

Parish Council Quarterly Surgery

The next parish council quarterly surgery is on Wednesday 10 October at Holywell. Its theme will be play and sports equipment in the village. This will cover everything from the muga and football pitches to rugby posts and skateboard and play equipment for younger village residents. Its an opportunity both to complain about present maintenance and to write your wish list for the future. Watch out for the Cranfield Express Notice. Likely time 7.30 (tbc)

Skateboarders

Well done Ben and Jordan, Cranfield teenagers  who turned up at the Parish Council last night to ask if we would help with setting up a skateboard in the village. 

They were polite and recognised all the difficulties including funding. But I hope we can work with them and get something going before their children are ready to use the skateboard. LOL as they say on the street.

Stewartby wind turbine

The proposal for a wind turbine in Stewartby has resurfaced with a public exhibition for just four hours next Wednesday. Please see the details below

FCC Environment is developing renewable energy proposals for a small scale facility using Anaerobic Digestion and a single Feed-in Tariff wind turbine at Stewartby Landfill.

A public exhibition is being held on Wednesday 26 September between 2pm and 8pm at Stewartby Village Hall to share the proposals with the local community, answer questions and listen to feedback.

Renewable Energy Facility Using Anaerobic Digestion (AD) 
Stewartby is a closed landfill site that has now ceased accepting waste. Restoration of the site is ongoing and over time, the intention is to see the site restored to agricultural use with rights of way allowing informal access to the public. The proposed AD facility would provide clean, green heat and power for FCC Environment’s Stewartby based operations, as well as a self-sufficient supply of organic fertiliser that would be used for the ongoing restoration of areas of the landfill. It would be able to generate the equivalent of up to 0.5 MWe of renewable electricity powered exclusively by energy crops, such as maize, that will be cultivated on both restored areas of the landfill and nearby farmland. The AD facility would not receive any waste.

Single Feed-in Tariff (FIT) Wind Turbine

The FIT scheme was launched by the Government in 2010 to increase the uptake of small and medium scale, renewable energy generation, in order to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and in line with the UK’s obligation under European law to cut carbon emissions by 2050. FCC Environment has undertaken a review of over 260 of its closed and operational site across the UK, to establish feasible locations for the possible development of wind energy projects. A feasibility study of our Stewartby site has been undertaken which included rigorous technical and environmental assessments to demonstrate its appropriateness for the development of a single wind turbine. It would have a maximum height of 87m to the tip of the blades, and, each year, would produce enough low carbon electricity to power the equivalent of 300 homes.



Ian Gorton
Planning Manager
01925 847508 | Mobile: 07920 823792 | 
Email: Ian.Gorton@fccenvironment.co.uk
FCC Environment | Warrington office | http://www.fccenvironment.co.uk/
 

Police elections

Have your spotted the buzz about police and crime commissioner elections? Me neither. 

It is probably one of the most understated elections ever held. I'm not going to get into the controversy about this way of managing our police services in England and Wales but I will say this - the elections are being starved of the oxygen of publicity. There is no government funding for a leaflet mail drop making it hard for many independent candidates to get their messages out.

The rules have also been ridiculous and several good candidates have had to step down because of some minor childhood encounter with criminal justice in the 1960s. See the release from Beds Police below about whey the elections are being held. The irony is that the minister quoted, Nick Herbert, recently stood down from the Government in the reshuffle because he felt he had not been given enough backing to make the elections a success. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.




On 15 November 2012, for the first time ever, the public across England and
Wales (excluding London) will be able to head to the polls to elect a police
and crime commissioner who will be accountable for how crime is tackled in
their police force areas.

Nick Herbert, the Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice, says that 'The
arrival of Police and Crime Commissioners will be the most significant
democratic reform of policing in our lifetime.
'Communities will have a stronger voice in how their streets are policed and
will be able to turn to their PCC to hold the police to account on their behalf.'
Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will aim to cut crime and deliver an
effective and efficient police service within their area.

To provide stronger and more transparent accountability of the police, PCCs
will be elected by the public to hold chief constables and the police force to
account; effectively making the police answerable to the communities they
serve.

PCCs will ensure community needs are met as effectively as possible, and
will improve local relationships through building confidence and restoring
trust. They will also work in partnership across a range of agencies at local
and national level to ensure there is a unified approach to preventing and
reducing crime.

PCCs will not be expected to run their local police, nor will they replace the
Chief Constable who will still be responsible for operational policing. 

The role of the PCC is to be the voice of the people and hold the police to
account.

You can find out more about PCCs at the Home Office or contact
Bedfordshire Police Authority
 

Traffic calming work

A parishioner has written:

At last after such a long time traffic calming is appearing in the village.

I am not a supporter of Amey and the quality of their work, but already it can be seen that there are gaps where new tarmac has not been sealed to the road. 

How can Cranfield ensure that what is done is done well and properly? and what remedies would there be?

I will be forwarding these comments to the parish council at the meeting tomorrow night and enquiring from our CB councillors what the quality control process is. 

Any other views you can contact me in confidence at cranfield 1985@gmail.com 

Flag found

Flag found - due to the energetic researches of former Parish Council chairman Phil Bates. Thanks Phil for ensuring we have the full set.

Lost flag

Remember this? It was the first flag that ever flew from the village flagpole erected by the Parish Council to commemorate the Golden Jubilee in 2002. The PC wants to have this flag and the Diamond Jubilee flag mounted and hung in the village hall as a permanent reminder of these landmark events. The trouble is, we can't find the 2002 flag. Former PC chair Phil Bates is currently demolishing his loft in case its in there. A big thank you to Phil. But we also will pursue other lines of enquiry...Lewis  Has anyone any ideas? ATC have drawn a blank. Can we still buy one?

Support with your council tax

This is very important - From April, local authorities have to agree and implement  a local scheme of Council Tax Support to replace the current  national scheme of Council Tax Benefit.   

Local authorities will have the freedom to design schemes for  working-age claimants, taking into account their responsibilities  towards vulnerable groups and the importance of supporting  incentives to work. However, as part of this change, local  authorities will have 10% less funding to support residents with  Council Tax Support. Some of the proposed changes could  have a major impact on clients of local voluntary organisations. 


Contact your local councillors for more information and advice
Alan Bastable Sue Clark

 

Information on the proposed schemes can also be found at
Central Bedfordshire Council

Cranfield Parish Council 19 September

The next full council meeting is next Wednesday 19 September at 8 pm in Holywell School. Here is the agenda.

BUSINESS TO BE DONE

7.45pm – To review planning applications received.

 

Meeting 8.00pm

^1.            To receive apologies for absence.  PCllrs: P Meadows (holiday)

^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.            Health & Safety

^6.            Reports from Committees

6.1.    General Purposes Committee

6.1.1.    Highway Maintenance Four Year Programme 2013 – 17 consultation

6.2.    Burial Grounds Committee

6.3.    Environment Committee

6.3.1.    Tree survey contract – specification for inspection of trees (Map to be completed by Members)

6.4.    Planning Committee

6.5.    Finance & Grants Committee

^7.            Financial matters and accounts for payment

^8.            Correspondence

^9.            Reports from unitary councillors (and any other representative)

^10.        Highway matters

A view from the centre of the village

Anonymous posted regarding the traffic calming:

 

They only worked on Saturday because they were behind schedule

Local businesses report slow trading because NO signs were erected at the Eastern side of the roadworks to indicate that said businesses were open as normal.

Don't think that any busses made it to the centre of the village during closure but can't be sure. [I'm pretty sure there were no MK buses at all - Trouble in Cranfield]

Wonder how many accidents have taken place at the High Street/Merchant Lane/Court Road junction in previous years? Can't remember any but a fellow local thinks she can remember one! Does this mean it is money well spent? [on this one I'd say just reducing speed levels improves quality of life]

Already it is proving difficult to turn left out of Court Road onto the High Street because it's now necessary to wait for those in front to turn right. In turn this makes it harder for school buses and large vehicles to turn into Court Road especially from the eastern side of the High Street. [sounds like a worry]

Some residents have expressed concern that there is limited visibility when coming out of Merchant Lane - difficult because of parked vehicles near the junction and, of course the buildings on either side!

Not sure what the agenda is here but a mini roundabout would have sufficed to slow traffic and I'd have willingly painted that for a tenner.

I'm sure we will all get used to it in time. Now we look forward to viewing the flowerbeds as shown on the original plan! And pigs might fly!

Neighbourhood plans

I occasionally plog on (that's where you plod and blog) about neighbourhood plans. Parish plans with slightly more significance. They talk of little else in  Marston.

They have now have a bit of a boost with more government money available to devise and draft them - they can cost several thousand pounds so cash-strapped town and parish councils might be wary. Following on from the last post from the Rural Services network visit
neighbourhood plan funding
to find out more.


CBC published its new Local Development Framework allocating new housing  sites through the area. Significantly 1,700 houses (I believe) are set aside for allocation by T and P councils through their neighbourhood plans. That means if you don't have one and you don't allocate any, someone else might decide what you are getting. Cynics will say that will happen any way.

Rural services

New source of information about local councils in rural  areas. Log on to Rural Services Network

All services are particularly stretched in areas with lower more widely spread populations It states on its home page:

• The Rural Services Network is a membership organisation to safeguard and improve services in rural communities across England.
• Already 250 organisations across the complete range of rural services are in membership, including local authorities, public bodies, businesses, charities and voluntary groups across the spectrum of rural service provision.
• We are the only national network specifically focusing on this vital aspect of rural life.

The network has three main purposes:

• Representing the case for a better deal for rural service provision
• Exchanging useful and relevant information
• Developing and sharing best practice

I note Central Beds is not a member. Enquiries will follow

More dog problems

Dogs are still high on the agenda after a parishioner last week reported troubling dog activity in the rec. We understand that a dog attacked someone who will not go to the police. This is very worrying as it means there is a danger of a repeat incident. The parish council contacted CBC but we have been told the dog warden would not be able to become involved.

"Our dog warden team only deal with issues of dog barking, fouling and stray dogs, and are not equipped to deal with issues of dangerous dogs, and the dog warden would be unable to make a visit to the resident for this reason. It would be best for the resident to contact the police, especially if they may feel intimidated or harassed."

So we are back to complaints and police. Parish councillors are now considering some sort of campaign from information and publicity to handing out leaflets at 7 am  to the village's dog walkers. Watch this space and contact the Parish Council or parishmatters if you have information or views.

PS apologies to all responsible dog owners and friendly well behaved hounds in the village. Pity about the 0.5 per cent.

Men at work

I took a spin up the high Street to see the impact of our biggest traffic calming works so far. There are lots of road closed signs including 'diversion' pointing right at the top of Mill Road. Heavens to Betsey what is that all about?

Reverse gear etc and round through the uni, up Moulsoe Road past the windsock corner and the road closed signs once again reappear. Here Budgens proclaims accessibility so I headed down there. Which is where these pictures were taken from. I'm not the only one to note that the work was going on over last weekend which was very commendable and I assume has speeded up the works.

I have no idea how the Milton Keynes buses are getting through if at all. If anyone has any reports please email me at cranfield1985@gmail.com

Preen re-use

Preen has been visiting this morning and there has been good activity  at the village hall. The van is going round collecting large pieces of furniture. It was very inspiring to meet with Janet Brennan from Preen and hear about hear Community Interest Company's vision to reuse the vast amount of material we make and chuck away these days. She is pictured with the ever cheery Diana Lord.

There were lots of TVs and computers all in good working order with their cables turning up and Preen are geared to refurb and repair all this stuff and find a use/sale for it. The same applies to the furniture they pick up.

They'll be back at the village hall on Friday 5 October from 10 to 12. 

Tel 0844  99 343 99 to register for furniture collection. In the meantime start rooting around your garage for all that electrical stuff. 

A big thank you to the Village Hall Management Committee for use of the premises

Cemetery views

The Cemetery superintendant is not available this week and we have been sharing out opening and locking up between the members. So  8 am this morning I was fiddling around with chains and padlocks and dragging the gate into its half open position. Peoples usually have poignant reasons for being in cemeteries but in Cranfield we have a tranquil setting with extraordinary views out over the Vale.  It is an amazing place whatever reason you have to be there.

The cemetery opened in 1992. There is just one row left with 11 plots in it before we started to inter in the extension. That will be quite a watershed for anyone connected with the development of the cemetery or who has visited regularly. 

Oh and by the way, the tap is working again.