Parish Council 21 November

Full Parish Council meeting next Wednesday 21 November at Holywell School. I would imagine there will be discussion  of Persimmon's Home farm Mark II at this and report back about contacts with the company and Central Beds.

7.30pm – To review planning applications received including the 119b and 117b planning applications.

 

Meeting 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.            Health & Safety

^6.            Reports from Committees

6.1.    General Purposes Committee

6.2.    Burial Grounds Committee

6.3.    Environment Committee

6.4.    Planning Committee

^7.            Financial matters and accounts for payment

^8.            Correspondence

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

^10.        Highway matters

Elections. In Cranfield. Today

Whadymean elections? Says sleepy parishioner walking the dog at 7 am in a foggy Mill Road. Dog's tugging to sniff at a gatepost and 'mark' it. Bloke wants home for tea and a piece of toast.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire. Village Hall voting. Five candidates who if elected will give overall direction to the chief constable and sack him or her if they think they are not up to the job. 

Dog is now going bonkers and seen another dog on the far side of the road. Man wants to get on. Well there was something on the news - how do we get stuff? You just go on the government website.

Oh, one of those like that Trouble in Cranfield website? Frankly I can never be bothered. Disappears into the mist with dog wrapping lead round his left leg.

Well its all true.  This is what they would call Super Thursday in US elections with three parliamentary by-elections, one mayoral election in Bristol and elections for police and crime commissioners in 41 police forces in England and Wales.One of them in Bedfordshire

Pasted in below is material from 38 degrees a campaigning organisation I belong to. It is avowedly anti-privatisation so you can take that into account. But it also reproduces responses from all five candidates. So if you are starting from scratch this might help.


In a few hours private security companies like G4S could be on their way to controlling big parts of Bedfordshire police. The new police and crime commissioner elections are tomorrow (Thursday 15th) and there’s a big danger that pro-privatisation candidates could get in with just a few votes.

That’s why we need to sound the alarm and get our friends and family to the polling stations armed with the facts. Over the last few days, 38 Degrees members have emailed all the candidates to find out who supports privatisation. You can see what your candidates say about privatisation at the bottom of this email.

Please forward this email to your friends and family to get them to go and vote.

Hardly anyone knows that these elections are even happening - experts reckon less than one in five people could vote. That means there’s a huge danger that we could end up with commissioners that few people even voted for privatising our police forces.

Voting is easy - you just go along to your polling station, probably the same place as you would vote in a general election. Polling stations are open from 7am until 10pm so it's easy to go before or after work and you don't even need to bring your polling card with you.

Please forward this email to your family and friends, and remind them to vote in the police elections tomorrow, or share a reminder to vote on Facebook by clicking this link:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/police-election-fb


Thanks for being involved,

James, David, Hannah and the 38 Degrees team


Here’s what the Bedfordshire candidates said to 38 Degrees members about privatisation. Not all of them have given a clear answer about privatisation, some have made a distinction between “back office” and “frontline” privatisation. Others have said they won’t privatise but may consider outsourcing - having a private company take over some parts of the work that police forces do.


Linda Jack (LibDems):
As my manifesto makes clear I am totally against privatising the police in general and the G4S contract in particular. I have also got a statement on my website on the issue here.

As a Bedfordshire resident you may remember that as Branch Secretary of Beds CC Unison (as Linda Weerasirie then) I campaigned against the disastrous HBS outsourcing which ended up costing us all millions. I frankly despair at the marketisation of public services which if elected I would continue to fight against. So to answer your question, my opposition remains whether that is G4S or any other private company.

I have no links to any private companies, further since the PCC does not take a whip my first loyalty (as it always has been) will be to the people of Bedfordshire.


Mezanur Rashid (Independent):
No response forwarded to office

Olly Martins (Labour):
I am happy to confirm that if I am elected as Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner next week I will not sign up to the contract to privatise large parts of our police to G4S, or anything similar. This has consistently been my position since the proposal first emerged this summer.

My Tory opponent on the other hand seems to have taken a number of different positions. I would therefore ask you to consider whether on this issue you should trust someone with a consistent and principled position such as myself, or someone whose position seems opaque and moveable to say the least.

I can also confirm that I have no connection to G4S or any other firm seeking privatised policing contracts.

Jas Parmar (Conservatives):
Privatising the police force is a figment of imagination of the Labour Party and Unison. I certainly aim to streamline and cost save. I hope to achieve this by working with other police authorities not just Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire but Suffolk, Norfolk and maybe Essex.

Some of the other authorities have excellent departments covering HR, payroll, IT etc. and I would much prefer to contract with them for such services.>>

However, there may be cost savings available but any such move would have to guarantee the same service that is available now. I am not prepared to rule anything out or anything in at the moment. I am certainly not impressed with G4S and will not be rushing to sign their contract. I have no business connections whatsoever with such organisations. My business has been involved in the food and retail industry.

My role would be to find efficiencies and pass any savings on to the funding of front line police.My political affiliation has never affected my everyday dealing with the public or job in hand. I will be elected to serve the public without the political influence from the party and I would do that impartially.

Kevin Carroll (British Freedom Party):
No response forwarded to the office

The plague or something

Couldn't make it up department: A parish councillor emailed this morning:

The Marston Hill road closure has been a real muddle. According to the email from Gareth Hughes (Amey) the road was to be closed from 9.30 but when Andy tried to go down at 9.05 it was already closed and the workman said he had been told to close it at 9.0. Yesterday we avoided Marston Hill because it was supposedly closed only to be turned back when we went out via the university. It felt like Cranfield was being sealed off due to the plague or something. 

I’m trapped at home today because I have no idea where to get a bus for Bedford.

Christmas Market

You will have seen the plans for an ambitious and imaginative 'Christmas Market' in Court Road next month. It involves a TTRO a temporary traffic regulation order in plain(ish) English. This will close Court Road. The following info gives advance notice of this.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Central Bedfordshire Council intend not less than seven days from the date of this Notice to make an Order the effect of which will be to prohibit any vehicle from proceeding along that length of Court Road, Cranfield which extends from High Street for approximately 160 metres to the village hall.

This temporary road closure is required to facilitate the holding of the Christmas market and shall apply to such extent as may from time to time be indicated by the appropriate traffic signs.

 

The event is expected to take place on Friday 7th December 2012 from 1.30 to 9.30pm

The alternative routes available for vehicles affected by the proposed Order are:-

Proceed south on Court Road and turn right onto Lodge Road. Continue to High Street, turn right and continue to Court Road and vice versa.

The Order will come into operation on 7th December 2012 for a period of one day. 

For further information please contact Laura Moore of St Peter and St Paul Church, Cranfield.

DATED 22nd November 2012

Central Bedfordshire Council                                                            Basil Jackson

Technology House, Ampthill Road                                                   Assistant Director for Highways

Bedford  MK42 9BD           

Scams by phone

You can't watch out for telephone scams enough. My fav is "We have had a report that your computer is faulty and we would like to run some checks, password please, name, operating system." Er, I don't think so.

But of course who doesn't have a faulty computer? Nobody I know. I bet some people get suckered into this.

Central Beds are now warning  about telephone scams around 'trading standards'. See their notice below and check out their scam guide



Bogus Trading Standards calls
 scam alert
Beware of telephone calls claiming to be from the "Trading Standards Office"
Scam targets residents for money / bank details

Bogus calls

The call may be part of a scam to obtain your money or bank details.

For more information on this latest scam, please visit our "Early Warnings" section at Be Scam Aware.

Please help prevent others from falling victim to this scam, by forwarding this email alert to family, friends and neighbours.

Twitter and Facebook
Don't forget to follow @letstalkcentral on Twitter. You can also keep up to date with what Central Bedfordshire Council is up to on Facebook.

 

Marston Hill closure

I hope this morning's  post about 'Marston' Hill didn't confuse. Cllr Sue Clark has done some further checking and the latest news is  that Marston Hill would be closed on Wednesday and Cranfield Road (Salford presumably) would  be open on Wednesday to allow for the diversion. There is a further report that Cranfield Road is closed on Thursday and Friday. I'm lost. But I'll forward any more info. Did we know this was coming? I think not. 

What I do know is that as I left the village around 7.35 today the traffic was backing up on  Beancroft Road because of the temp traffic lights on the hill. And the old A421 going west was closed as I was coming home at Little chef. I think this was the cause

Road closed due to broken down lorry

The Old A421 both ways closed due to broken down lorry at Beancroft Road.

• Severity: Severe
• Updated: 2012-11-13 17:52:19

Loss of council tax benefit

The following is a recommendation to the full parish council. It is still subject to checking for typos and inaccuracies and has to be confirmed on 21 November. 

Since I wrote most of it I will says it looks accurate. Council tax in Central Beds is  £1,596.45  for Band D - that's nearly £160 a month over the 10 months they collect it.

The Government is planning to remove council tax benefit and delegate it to local councils who will decide which categories of vulnerable people will receive a  rebate, or not.

Central Beds' consultation is suggesting support could be withdrawn from the following groups (parish council comments in brackets)

·       receive Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (unemployed or unable to work)

·       receive Employment and Support Allowance (suffering serious illness or injury)

·       have low earnings or income (in poverty). 

The general purposes committee is recommending that:

·      This Council notes these criteria and cannot support the proposals that justify themselves by supposedly ‘incentivising’ ill (both physical and mental), jobless and poorly paid people to work.  Individuals in these categories should continue to receive support.

·      This Council does not support the charging of council tax when the property is in possession of the mortgagees if this adds to the debtor’s hardship.

·      This Council suggests that if CBC presses ahead, any contribution levied should be a maximum of 25 per cent, not a minimum.

Pots and parking

Here's the latest from the Highways customer service bulletin. The issues about the poor quality of the Springfield Way road surface have already come up and as a former resident (quite a while ago) I would agree with that assessment. The issues about parking are ongoing and very frustrating for those who live in the areas affected. 

On the Parish Council we are constantly pushing for at least 2 cars per house parking space for new developments but in the past there has been a lower ratio. Flitt Leys is a real mess with the hot food takeaway parking. This was pointed out four years ago when the development first came up. Did anyone listen? Of course not.





Customer Service Bulletin
During my routine inspections I came across at large pothole at the junction of Springfield Way, Cranfield and Mill Road.  Could this be looked at please?


People are constantly parking in the turning area at the top of the close (Maltings), meaning people have to reverse out onto Merchant Lane which is a blind corner due to parked cars anyway. Recently an ambulance was called for the customer and that had to reverse out into Merchant Lane almost having an accident. Please investigate the possibility of parking restrictions in the turning area.


Customer would like some parking restrictions placing on Lordsmead, as residents are parking vans on verges and are blocking junctions and vision splays. email fwd to Transportation team

Request to assess new layout of bus stop at this location.  Resident concerned that when bus is at bus stop other traffic has difficulty  passing & vision is obscured. Why wasn't a bus lay by constructed, which would allow traffic to pass safely ? Instaed bus stop protrudes into carriageway.

Proposed Temporary Road Closure – Marston Hill, Cranfield

Hope you haven't had to wait too long on Marston Hill (when will we ever reclaim it and call it Cranfield Hill?)  due to the temporary traffic lights down there. There may be more to come today - see the following from Amey. If you are caught out today it will be the usual magical mystery tour of Salford and down to Junction 13. Enjoy

I have a request for an Emergency Temporary Road Closure at the above location to enable investigation of leak, drainage and resurfacing works to be carried out in safety. Details are listed in the schedule below and having assessed the application I am satisfied the request is justified.

The alternative route for this closure is as in the details below and will be signed accordingly. The restrictions are to be in operation only when the necessary signs are erected on site. This notice will cover a twenty one day period. Access may be allowed from time to time according to local signing.

If you have any observations you wish to make I would be grateful if you could let me know as soon as possible.

Gareth Hughes. Streetworks Co-ordinator

……………………………………………………………………………………

                       

Road:                                 Marston Hill, Cranfield

Application from:             Amey for CBC – Patrick Connolly – 0300 3004089

Reason:                        Resurfacing works

Length affected:     From Beancroft Road to outside white cottages on Marston Hill 

      

Date: The closure is expected to take place for one day on the 13^th November between the hours of 0930hrs and 1530hrs.   Access may be allowed from time to time according to local signing.

Alternative Route:  Proceed in a westerly direction on Marston Hill, continuing on High Street through Cranfield to the junction with Cranfield Road, turn left and continue to junction turn left onto the old A421 Bedford Road.  Continue on the old A421 Bedford Road to Beancroft Road roundabout, take first exit and continue to junction with Marston Hill and vice versa.

Remembrance Sunday

Remembrance Sunday saw a big turn out which coincided with the actual date of the 1918 Armistice. As the picture shows there was brilliant sunshine on a dry day and participation by all the village youth organisations and the two schools. The last post was sounded, the church clock struck 11 (thanks to Gerry O'Mara who has been adjusting this erratic mechanism recently) and the names on the first and second world war Roll of Honour were read out.

A few years back there as some debate in Cranfield Express and elsewhere about why some memorials say 1914-19.  1919 was the official conclusion of the war following the signing of the Versailles Treaty. Although the Armistice was a ceasefire with no surrender by Germany, the treaty dealt with the country as a conquered and guilty perpetrator of the war. It was subjected to punitive reparations, stripped of territory and forcibly demilitarised. No national leader including Lloyd George, the PM, had the strength or vision to point out that this simply meant that Germany would be back, when it felt stronger, seeking to alter the terms. It was  a disaster based on a mistaken belief in military success.

The First World War was a political failure at the start and at the end. But no political leaders paid any price for that. While we remember those who died without question, we should also question why the British and other national governments went into the conflict without seeking a sane alternative. They did exist. The fighting solved nothing.

Photo: David Moyes

show business for ugly people

Check out the Sunday Mirror front page tomorrow. Mid Beds' most famous person (currently) is on it and it's not great reading. What no one, I think, has mentioned is that the MP for Mid Beds will have stuff in her diary for the next month which she will not be attending to. Parliamentary votes are actually a very small part of an MP's work and their absence, authorised or not can easily be covered. 

But busy MPs have surgeries, meetings with local councils, discussions with ministers and visitors to Parliament to be getting on with. I assume all that has been put on hold, postponed or cancelled without notice. 

There is an expression that politics is 'showbusiness for ugly people'. Well we can't deny the ugly people bit but showbusiness is another matter. All public decision making (aka politics) from parish council to national parliaments involves endless processing of information and discussion of minutiae. Its deadly dull, profoundly unsexy and there are few glittering prizes. We sometimes have people join and leave the parish council very quickly when they discover the revolution will have to wait till the next committee cycle. LOL

I reckon Nadine Dorries is after some glittering prizes and we may well see a Mid Beds by-election next year. Hopefully it will be someone, regardless of party who isn't headline chasing. And only goes to the jungle during their (ample) holidays.

Home Farm

Persimmon Mark I - 370 houses, community hall, school playing field, access to Church Walk has been stalled for a couple of years. After nearly a decade of planning just two show houses have been built.

Now Persimmon Mark II has been unveiled. There is some reduction in housing, the community hall is parked near the Court Road playing area, the school field is gone and there is no access via Church Walk. Company reps presented the new scheme to a parish council meeting last night with strong public attendance.

Persimmon have been forced into this because they cannot agree terms with one of the landowners on Home Farm(Denison) and therefore cannot deliver their planning obligations (access to Court Road via Church Walk). But Paul Stone of Persimmon insisted they were not trying to evade any obligations.

There was a mood of scepticism because the company presented the changes as beneficial rather than unavoidable. For instance, the original proposed access to the village via Church Walk was described as ‘not ideal’. Access via Court Road (near JR Trolleys) however would be better overlooked and have ‘clear benefits’.

But Parish Council chair Delise Ball was worried that they were creating a ‘housing island’ separate from the village.  And Parish Councillor Alan Morris reminded Persimmon reps that the Recreation Ground was not an option for finding school land elsewhere.

The community stands to lose out on the ‘section 106’ resources that come with planning permission. This is partly because the number of houses will drop but also because the formula for calculating it has changed since the first planning permission in 2005.

This development has come back to haunt Central Beds, the successor authority of the old Mid Beds council.  Mid Beds councillors perversely switched their support from the university site (backed by an inquiry report and supported by villagers) to Home Farm precisely because of the Church Walk access and the ‘integration to the village’ that this provided.  This is what Persimmon cannot now deliver.

Persimmon say they will probably submit an application in the new year which could be both outline and detailed. They also say they will mount an exhibition of their plans in the village before Christmas. 

Down under for Nadine

Mid Beds MP Nadine Dorries is heading for Australian to take part in I'm a celebrity get me out of here 
She could be out of the country for a month missing crucial votes. I expect she will be star of the show.
How will she fare with the giant pom-eating spiders and other tests of character? 

Vice chancellor

Its funny how the top guy or guy-ess at a university is called the "vice-chancellor". The chancellor is some worthy, wheeled on for ceremonial events. There are other titles like "pro vice-chancellor" which suggests the VC's cheerleaders. I can't image an anti-vice chancellor.

Well Cranfield is about the say goodbye to another VC Sir John O'Reilly who will leave in February to take up a position as Director General of Knowledge and Innovation in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The university  is in the process of identifying his successor as Vice-Chancellor.

The news comes just a few weeks after the memorial event for Cranfield's first VC Lord Chilver. This adds to the sense of change.



John O'Reilly has been here for just five years but he was a good friend to the Parish Council and the village and took a keen interest in local affairs. I spoke to him personally  about the University contributing towards the village's party in the park Jubilee celebration. He was extremely helpful.





Hopefully his successor will also show the same curiousity and responsiveness.

Ashes to ashes

I'm not sure how many ash trees we have in Cranfield but latest national news reports of decay are worrying - including suggestions that oaks are also threatened. Read more here Most trees diseased

Cranfield has never been a chocolate box village give or take a Normanish church and some interesting almshouses. I would say we are more neo-Budgens and Coop Revival architecture with some classical 70s. It's the trees that make the place great IMHO.

That's why the concern when we took down some of our dead and dying trees, specially in the Rec was understandable. But it had  to be done and it was evidence-based and planned. Many thanks to Pcllr Alan Morris and former parish councillor Maurice Rust for their input. Nothing lives for ever and we have to plan for the future.

So the future bit is being delivered tomorrow by Potash Nurseries who are putting in the new rowans and flowering cherries in the Rec. They will also put in our Jubilee oak in the cemetery and two flowering cherries which will link the old and news sections. The cemetery has been open for 20 years and the original full interment section (as opposed to ashes) is almost full. In the next year the extension will come into a use and the cherries will link the old and the new. The oak will go bang in the middle. Life (and the end of life) goes on.

Worried about the NHS?

38 degrees is a new form of campaigning for the public good that stands outside political parties.  See details of an important meeting this Tuesday


On Tuesday 6th November local 38 Degrees members are getting together near you to talk about the next stage of the campaign to protect the NHS in Bedfordshire. Could you come along?

The details of the get-together are:

8:00 PM, 6th November
The Queens Head
2 Cambridge Rd
Sandy
SG19 1AG




Click here to join in or find out more:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/bedfordshire-gettogether

As well as helping to save the NHS, these get-togethers are a great chance to have a chat with other 38 Degrees members who live in Bedfordshire.

Hope you can make it,

Marie, Ian, Travis, Andrew, Matt and the 38 Degrees team


PS: If you haven't yet signed the petition to save NHS services in Bedfordshire, or you'd like to find out more about the campaign, click here: http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2012/09/21/save-your-local-nhs/

Sense of stile

This might be dead boring to some but I know plenty of people in the village who are red hot on rights of way.

In England rights of way come before land ownership and that has to be vigorously protected.  You won't lose them if you don't use them but regular use of rights of ways stops landowners allowing paths to be come overgrown, stiles blocked off and disagreeable semi-feral animals let loose to pester you. So please read carefully

From: Jonathan Woods [mailto:Jonathan.Woods@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk]
Sent: 24 October 2012 16:49
Subject: T&PC - Public Consultation for Outdoor Access Improvement Plan 2013-2023

I am writing to you to make you aware of a our Outdoor Access Improvement Plan Consultation. The Council would very much like your feedback, comments and if possible your support, for our work in this area.

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 gave Local Authorities a statutory duty to publish and review, at least every ten years, a ‘Rights of Way Improvement Plan’.  The Outdoor Access Improvement Plan 2013-2023 (OAIP) will fulfil this duty and provide policies and actions which will aim to create greater access to the countryside, achieve a wide range of associated social and economic benefits, protect the environment and help people and communities to explore, understand and get involved with Central Bedfordshire’s countryside. The Plan will up-date and replace the existing OAIP 2006 – 2011.

Countryside sites and access to the wider countryside is a central component of providing sustainable communities, ensuring that Central Bedfordshire is seen as a green and pleasant place to live and work. This Plan will act as the cornerstone ‘strategy’ for the Council’s countryside sites and outdoor access management and for the delivery of services. Establishing work streams and projects for a 10 year period from 2013 to 2023.

The OAIP will form part of a suite of documents, which will plan, deliver and manage countryside access and greenspace in Central Bedfordshire. These include the Leisure Strategy, Green Infrastructure Plans and the Development Strategy.

The OAIP Action Plan details the medium term priorities, drawn out from the main themes of the OAIP.  The Action Plan will detail the work streams and projects, with timescales and the resources required for delivery.

Over the next 12 weeks we will be seeking feedback on this plan from service users.  The feedback period will be open until 12:00 midday, 18 January 2013


The Council's Countryside Access Team will be on hand to talk to the public about the proposals at:
Biggleswade Library on the 23rd November (10am  - 4pm)
Flitwick Library on the 6th December (10am  - 4pm)
Leighton Buzzard Library on the 9th January (10am  - 4pm)
The full plan, a summary document and a questionnaire are available on the website www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/consultations or contact:

Jonathan Woods – Access Development Team Leader
Highways Strategy and Countryside Access Service
rightsofway@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
0300 300 6607

Lodge Road accident

I don't know any facts first hand  so I wont opinionate  (wow - noises off) but obviously like many people I am worried about the accident on Friday at the junction of Lodge Road. I hope no one was injured but at this stage I'm not aware. One correspondent to the PC made the obvious point that some drivers, specially in the morning are in a divil of a hurry to get to MK and may not notice the roundabout sign as they head towards Lodge Road. Drivers may also be starting to 'think outside' the 30 mph speed limit by the time they get to the roundabout.

Of course so-called 'mini-roundabouts' have no raised infrastructure to deter the speeding motorist. 

We have no idea if there will be a police prosecution for careless driving at the moment so judgement suspended.

Another parishioner has already raised issues about the junction of Moulsoe Road and Cranfield High Street.

This will probably be discussed in some way at the PC on Wednesday.

Parish council meeting Wednesday 7 November

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BUSINESS TO BE DONE

7.00pm.   Examine planning applications.  Receive presentation from Persimmon Homes/Woods Hardwick: new planning application

In attendance: 

To receive apologies for absence:  CB/PCllrs:  Mrs Sue Clark

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

Committee meetings commence at 8.00pm

1.     General Purposes Committee

1.1.  Draft Local Council Tax Support Scheme - consultation

1.2.  Short Breaks Statement consultation September 2012- November 2012

1.3.  Photographic competition

1.4.  MUGA

1.5.  Christmas tree and associated costs

1.6.  Budget items

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items

2.     Environment Committee

2.1.  Tree maintenance contract

2.2.  Digley report and RFQ’s.

2.3.  Budget items

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items

3.     Burial Grounds

3.1.  Camomile Lawn – Memorial Garden

3.2.  Church Wall

3.3.  Policy - removal of wreaths from War Memorial

3.4.  Cemetery Gate

3.5.  Budget items

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items

4.     Planning Committee

4.1.  General Planning Matters

4.2.  Home Farm

4.3.  Parking

4.4.  Budget items

Reports - Correspondence - Agenda Items