Check out the police

If you are reading this, you are on line. And you could join sign up to facebook (I can feel the shudders). But there are big pluses like keeping up with Bedfordshire Police's facebook presence. You don't have to be a hoodie - even parish councillors and the police are doing it now.  They will respond to questions and you can sound off

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Village hall

Meeting of the village hall management committee last night. While the roofing is going ahead (Phase 1) the difficulty in selling the former caretaker's house is a blow and could affect resources available for overall works.  The AGM of the Management Committee is on Wednesday 30 November at St Peter and St Paul Church. The committee needs as many volunteers to service and fresh ideas as possible. 

Lodge Road disturbances

Lodge Roaders still being affected by working starting early on Home Farm and lorries 'parking up'.  Martin seems to be on the case. See below.

Dear Laurence,

Thank-you for your note.  Hannah has already raised this point with us previously and I did address the concerns immediately with our construction teams.   I am disappointed that this is still not being adhered and will discuss this again with the relevant people.

Kind regards,

Martin Wright

Senior Land Manager

Persimmon Homes

---

From: Laurence Pollock [mailto:broadgreen68@btinternet.com]
Sent: 25 October 2011 10:14
To: Wright, Martin
Cc: Hannah.Pattinson@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk; Rosie Davey-Hunt; D.BALL; Alan Bastable; sue.clark@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Subject: Lodge Road

Martin, I have learned with concern that there has been infringement of the planning  consent regulations in Lodge Road. A resident has told me that construction work was going on at 7.15 last Thursday and lorries have been parking up onLodge Road. I carried out a visit this morning  and several lorries were parked up on Lodge Road at 7.40. I understand the resident has asked them not to continue this practice and I am sure you will want to emphasise that. I also noted that a  fence construction company was also working on site at 7.40.


Now that construction has started again we are hoping this can be done in a way that inconveniences residents as little as possible.

Best wishes
Laurence


Laurence Pollock
Parish Councillor
8 Broad Green
Cranfield 

bus services

Well done to the Bedford Area Bus Users' Society  Society for highlighting the cuts Central  Beds is making to public transport. As I reported in the previous post the council officials at the transport consultation event attended by Alan Morris and myself described our input as a 'Wish list'. Not encouraging.


We need to get beyond wishes.








http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?PBID=5e282046-f9ed-4368-9df8-78956bc97001&refresh=

Bus planning

I went to a Central Beds consultation on the local area transport plan with Alan Morris.  Please note that the Central Beds officers described it as a 'wish list'. I don't know if there are any bus fairies around but here goes anyway. 






Alan reports:

A meeting took place at Eversholt Hall on Thursday 6th October attended by Parish Councillors Alan Morris and Laurence Pollock, Central Beds Councillor Alan Bastable together with councilors from Marston, Millbrook and Ridgmont.  The meeting was hosted by Jim Tombe with presentations given by Manouchehr Nahvi both Officers from Central Beds Council.  The purpose of the meeting as explained by Jim Tombe was to discuss the transport ‘wishes’ of the villages in the western end of CBC.  The formal minutes of the meeting are attached to this email.

On behalf of Cranfield Village the following points were emphasised:
1. That the bus services linking Cranfield with Bedford and locations in the Central Beds area are being seriously reduced due to cuts in the financial support given to bus operators.  It was made clear that this deteriorating situation was unacceptable and that any new transport plan should endeavour to rectify this as a priority matter.

2. In dealing with future bus services the Cranfield representatives encouraged CBC to look for ways forward that matched the needs of the village communities through the employment of imaginative solutions.  It was pointed out that discussions had been opened by Cranfield Parish Council with Milton Keynes and Arriva for creating an effective service linking Cranfield to MK which would come into effect next year and might involve the creation of an express commuter service to MK station.  This could be considered by CBC for an express service from Cranfield via Marston to Flitwich station.

3. The importance of creating a cycle and pedestrian link between Cranfield Village and Cranfield University to allow students and staff to cycle or walk to work was explained.

Holes in the ground

I have been informed that we have an infestation of fieldmice in the cemetery who are drilling lots of unsightly holes in the grass. Last year it was moles. Then the current outbreak was attributed to voles. Now we have mice. 

Open Evening

The open evening on October 12 was well attended by both parish councillors and members of the public. Thanks to Central Beds councillor Sue Clarke for rearranging  a commitment to come. It was good to have input about the links between the parish and the unitary authority.

We are also grateful to Peter Haddon and Colleen Dinner at Holywell Middle School for facilitating the space and the materials for tea and coffee.

While it was a taster for those who might consider parish council membership there was also attendance from individuals representing organisations we work in partnership with such as the Village hall management committee and the parochial church council. 

Covanta

Old news now I know but as its green bin weekend I've been thinking about one of the implications of Covanta. The bid to cut landfill has actually boosted recycling and a lot of people go to a lot of trouble to separate out their plastics, paper etc from food and other waste and this all gets reused in some way or another. Its only Friday and our green bin's stuffed but there was hardly anything in the residual bin the previous Monday (thanks to the brown waste food bin and our compost bin outside plus the green stuff).

But Covanta can't really make a profit unless it burns everything. So that whole culture of careful reuse is all going to be dumped.

Of course there are other objections to Covanta like hundreds of lorries a day. 

CBC Children's centre consultation

Use this link to read the CBC consultation on children's centres and to respond.

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/images/110927%20CC%20Consultation%20Document%20v9%20Final_tcm5-42097.pdf

Children's centres

We'll be talking about Central Beds plans to cuts back Sure Start children's services in the village - after shelving plans for a permanent centre last winter. As usual options take the form of

'Do you want to be
A Hung?
B Drawn?
C Quartered?'

The option 'None of the above is not available.'

My draft proposals to the Parish Council for our response are as follows:

A new consultation on the location of Sure Start Children’s Centres in Central Beds means the end of at least some or possibly all services in the village.

Sure Start offers children a better start in life through early education, health and family support. It has been running for the last decade. 

There are sessions at Cranfield Lower School, the Methodist Church and the Scout Hut five days a week. These include baby and crawler, baby clinic, story and rhyme, creative play, toy library, new parents and Cranberry stay and play.

Proposals for a permanent centre at the lower school were pulled by Central Beds last December, after staff and governors had spent 18 months in preparation.

CBC says that Government guidance issued to Councils last year stated that while children’s centres were a universal service there should be a targeted approach to vulnerable children and families.

‘There is a need for a more focused approach to early intervention in Central Bedfordshire which targets areas of greatest need.’

In consequence it proposes three options

1. Services ‘clustered’ rounds Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Flitwick, Sandy, Biggleswade,  Shefford and Stotfold & Arlesey.

Outcome: Reduced services to Cranfield

2. Close eight centres including Cranfield in areas of ‘less need’ and transfer these resources to the remaining 14 centres.

Outcome: No services in Cranfield

3.  Close 13 centres in areas of less need and transfer these resources to Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Leighton Buzzard, Sandy and Flitwick.

Outcome: No services in Cranfield

Cranfield is being downgraded on some crude average of income and lifestyle but it is a large village with a growing population and should not be told it is losing out to other communities. We were told last December that money for the new centre was being transferred to Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable and I don’t see why we should lose even more.

I propose that we endorse none of the above options but write, stating that the consultation is flawed, lacking an option which would have preserved these services and calling for CBC to reconsider any plans to scale down services to Cranfield. 

Kick walls

Kick walls paid for with Lincroft 106 money now going  up in the Rec, Broad Green and Wharley End

Persimmon build

Message from Martin Wright at Persimmon Homes.

Good morning all,
We just wanted to let you know that we have now received approval of all
Reserved matters, and prior to commencement conditions and will be making a
start on-site today.  This will initially see the construction of the
Persimmon show home and the surrounding houses.

Hopefully the contractors vehicles will fit into the local environment more easily  and they might stay off the 'quiet lane'. 

Open evening

We are hoping to build up the parish council's profile with events like tomorrow's open evening. But the aim is to attract people even if they are not considering membership  just to make people more aware of our work. 

Mill Road dropped kerbs

I spoke to Alan Bastable about the Mill Road drop kerb debacle.  He told me parishioners would be getting a letter of apology from Amey and one of the management would be ringing the parishioner who made the original complaint. But at time of speaking (thursday evening) none of these things had happened. 

I also pressed him on Mike Manning's indication of a bill of around £1,000 - but only if parishioners signed up immediately. More if they didn't.  My personal view is that this is totally out of order. Alan said he was unable to take the financial issue forward so I think the PC should. A parishioner on the High St who had a DK put in a couple of years ago was charged £350  by CBC. 

Home farm stakeholder

I attended the stakeholder meeting on Thursday evening. 

The main headlines are:

Reserved matters have all been issued but some pre-commencement conditions are still outstanding. Persimmon are gearing up for a start. There has been no resolution between Denison and Persimmon. 

I checked that there is still the flexibility on a hall spec and Martin Wright confirmed this. He also insisted that the plans gave  an inaccurate view of how tall the building actually was. 

I queried how development could go ahead without clearance on access to Court Road. Hannah Pattinson said a Section 38 (with timetable) had to be in place but the access not actually constructed. I have to say this is an ambiguity  that needs probing.

S278 works: Paul Stone from Persimmon said he felt the roundabout issue could be resolved quickly. Following the resurfacing of Lodge Road an application would be made to do the roundabout. 

Persimmon were also probed on whether the new lay out for the access to Lodge Road was enforcing the No Left Turn requirement. There was no clear outcome on this. 

Dropped kerbs

I have been pursuing the issue of Amey strolling around Mill Road asking residents for a grand to pop a drop kerb in. None of the promised apologies yet for the peremptory way in which it was done and no confirmation of the bills - what size they will be etc. Anyway talked to another parishioner last night who had a  drop kerb put in 'by the council'  for £350 or thereabouts a couple of years ago.  So where is the £1000 coming  from?


Watch this space

Home Farm Stakeholder meeting tonight

Here are the minutes from the last meeting, the first for six months

Minutes of Meeting 8 : 24 March held at 6.30pm at Cranfield Methodist Church

In attendance: Martin Wright (MW), Lionel Cooper (LC),  Dr Majorie Cotton (MC) Jo Moore (JM), Hannah Pattinson (HP), Trevor Dimmock (TD),  Gerry O’Mara (GO), Lyn Davis (LD), Cllr Alan Bastable (AB) & Cllr Ken Matthews (KM).

		Action
1.	Apologies for Absence Janet Orchart Stephen Hobbs
2.	Minutes of Previous Meeting Agreed.
3.	Matters Arising Timetable of Works – It has been acknowledged that house foundations have appeared on site. However, Persimmon has agreed to cease works on site until all RM applications are approved. In relation to Rectory Road – MW confirmed that this will be tidied up, the stone will be removed, the works to the ponds completed and then Persimmon will make good and undertake the landscaping works. All road works are currently ceased as waiting for electrical cabling works to be undertaken. Community Building – MW agreed with the Parish Council to look at the design of the Community Building. This is likely to take 3 / 4 months. Currently looking at the height of the building in terms of creating a multi functional space and cost implications i.e. heating etc. Archaeology Update – Photographs circulated from CGMS	MW HP
4.	Submission of Reserved Matters Applications HP updated the group on the status of the various planning applications. Phase 1 residential –approved Phase 2 residential –approved Almshouses – approved Community Building –pending Pavilion – approved Landscaping – pending Outline renewal – pending S106
5.	Any Other Business Increasing concern has been raised in relation to lorry movements along Court Road and Lodge road, specifically in relation to mud & debris on the road, lack of road sweeping. MW agreed to instruct contractors that there should be no access down Court Road. MW confirmed that it was T & W Engineering on site. Once the house builders on site it is hoped that access will be taken off the High Street as terms are now agreed with the Charity Land. Concern was raised as to wheel washing and dust & dampening now the land was dry. MW has been asked to consider a Marshall on site as Lodge Road has become a particular issue, particularly in relation to verbal abuse from lorry drivers. In addition the verges have been damaged. MW to speak to contractors. In respect of Bus stops – the bus stop has been relocated slightly further away from the new roundabout. School Buses – it was suggested that the school buses could turn around adjacent to The Swan rather than using Lodge Road. It is anticipated that Safer Routes to School are looking to improve this situation. MW acknowledged that there is an issue over the Dennison Land. However, the S106 controls certain triggers which have to be met. Library – S106 secures £75,000 – CBC currently looking at not providing a new library on site but instead looking at providing the funding towards an offsite facility, potentially Hollywell School. Healthcare – the trigger in the S106 is 200 occupations. Money can only be spent in accordance with the S106 Legal Agreement. RSL Provider – MW confirmed that this has not either been finalised or tendered as yet but this exercise will be undertaken shortly. Expressions of interest have been received from BPHA, Guinness Trust, Aragon. Off Plan Sales – MW confirmed that this is likely to be available within 4 months. Show Homes should be ready in 20 weeks following commencement of development. Cycle Path – MW confirmed that Persimmon have commenced these works.	MW MW MW MW MW MW
7.	The meeting closed at 7.20 pm. Next Meeting – 19 May 2011 at Cranfield Methodist Church at 6pm

Central Beds and Persimmon

Letter from Central beds in response to our enquiry about Persimmon activity on Home Farm

I write in response to your letter dated 1 August to Cllrs Matthews, Bastable and Clark in relation to the three points raised in respect of the strategic housing site known as Home Farm, Cranfield. Cllr Matthews forwarded the letter to me for comment and I would like to respond as follows:

·        At this time the application remains undetermined and as such the Council is continuing to consider its merits.  Should we find ourselves in a situation where Persimmon choose to appeal against non-determination then it is at this stage that a report will be produced for consideration by the Development Management Committee which will result in a resolution from the Council on what it would have done had it been entitled to determine the application.

·        It is not unlawful to undertake works without planning permission it only becomes an offence when an enforcement notice is served.  In this instance no enforcement notice was served because all works requiring planning permission ceased voluntarily on site and consequently it was not expedient to serve an enforcement notice.  To date the only works which have been undertaken relate to those works agreed in the context of the S278 Highways Agreement and these are not works included within the planning permission.  However, I would like to express gratitude to both Cranfield Parish Council and local residents for providing us with accurate information in such a timely fashion as this enabled this Council to reach a mutual agreement with Persimmon to cease works on site.

·      As you may appreciate land ownership is not a prerequisite for securing all the necessary consents to fulfil the requirements of a planning permission.  The Section 106 and conditions on the planning permission will enable the Council to ensure that the development is implemented in accordance with these approvals and negotiations between third parties to acquire land necessary to fulfil these obligations is not a matter which the Council would become party to. 

Hannah Pattinson

Principal Planning Officer

Wootton bus chaos

Reports are now coming in about the cancellation of a special bus service for sixth formers from Wootton to Cranfield. With all the chaos caused by cutting the Sunday bus service (big thank you Central Beds) and the Wootton to Cranfield route (big thank you Stagecoach) I didnt see this one coming. Actually I dont think anyone did until the students were waiting for their bus on the first day back and there was nothing there. 

Rina Persaud and I did a slot on 3 Counties radio with Roberto Peroni and tried to make sense of what was going on .I can tell you it wasn't easy.

More feedback on the buses over the next day or two. There's the first parish council  tonight after the summer and we are hoping to hear from a parishioner who was asked by Central Beds for £1000 to do a drop kerb otherwise they were going to stop long standing vehicle access into her drive when they resurfaced the footpath. (see previous post).

I understand Cllr Richard Turpin from  Central Beds is unable to attend due to having urgent business with a number of stagecoaches on the Great North Road.

Can you believe it?

Imagine some road maintenance folk turn up all hi vis and JCBs to repair your footpath. It's a bit noisy and a bit messy but hey, life goes on.


Then a couple of days in, an operative says 'you'll need a drop kerb there'. 


That's because they are raising the footpath 4 inches. Its been almost flush with the road and the householder has been driving in and out of their drive since, well, forever.


So Mr LongTerm Resident rings up Central Beds and the next morning there's a guy round with paperwork saying yes, you need a dropped kerb otherwise your vehicle access won't be legal.  


Well, that's really nice thanks, gulp, and how much will the work cost - are we talking hundreds of pounds? 


Well, actually nearer a £1,000. No notice, no sorry, just sign here. And if you don't it will cost you more to do it later (that's because we are kindly waiving the inspection fee). 


So does a drop kerb when the construction crew are already on site really cost £1,000? Or is someone having a laugh?  


It's happening in Cranfield as I write this.  Coming up at parish council next Wednesday. 


Contact Laurence Pollock
on 07801 665961
broadgreen68@btinternet.com for more info

Care of the elderly

August is a good time to release bad news - either people aren't paying attention or with rioting and financial melt down no one is paying any attention.  Anyway Central Bedfordshire Council has announced  plans to charge for vital Telecare services, £4 a week or over £200 a year.  Telecare installs state of the art devices which can detect falls, movement or drops in the temperature and are more effective than the standard alarm pendant. 




The council says it wants to ask people their opinion about this. I wonder what people will say? A 12-week consultation period finishes on  Friday 4th November 2011. You can take part in the consultation by filling in the form online or down loading it from www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/consultations 

Well done

A parishioner contacted me last year about an unpleasant encounter a family member had with a shotgun toting man who claimed there was no public footpath in a field near the village.  There is one, without doubt, but the markers had long since disappeared. Since then Graham (not his real name)  has been working with Central Beds to get the marker posts installed and conspicuous.  He reported to me this week that after chasing, action is now being take  to instal them.

Public rights of way need to be defended, entrenched and argued about all the time. Landowners of course hope that we will just forget about them eventually. Persistence is the answer so well done Graham for keeping at it. 

Calendar girls (not)

Julie Walters and Helen Mirren were nowhere in sight but the Cranfield WI were a lively lot and they gave fellow parish councillor Jill Brocklebank and myself a warm welcome last night. They must get fed up with the Calendar Girls film (now endlessly touring as  a slightly nude stage production). On the parish council we get fed up with Dibley of course. We all have our crosses to bear.

We explained the eccentricities, powerlessness and history of the parish council and collectively grieved over delays in getting traffic calming and the insensitivities of large property developers (who could that be?). We finished with a cup of tea and some very nice sandwiches. Then it was back home to watch  Manchester City toss Swansea aside in the premier league. Disappointing but the rest of the evening was first rate.

Coverage of Home Farm delays

Beds on Sunday Home farm coverage


I was asked by Beds on Sunday to comment as an individual parish councillor on reported delays on progressing the Home Farm site (see story below). I believe the village population have been pragmatic and realistic about the arrival of new housing development. They also want to plan round the facilities and resources promised with it.

But the hold-up over the last couple of months, arising because Persimmon haven't sorted land access is frustrating and wearisome. It is vital that they show the same common sense as the village and the parish council in making the best of  a difficult situation.

BoS 14 August 2011

Developers' dispute leaves land in limbo

BY ADAM THOMPSON

A major housing development site could be left as an ‘eyesore’ after talks between landowners broke down.

Persimmon Homes, which is building 400 properties at Home Farm, Cranfield, is in dispute with Denison Investment Limited over a proposed development of the land there.

Under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act developers have to provide a certain amount of facilities for the local community.

Persimmon Homes intended to build such facilities including a community hall on adjacent land owned by Denison but Bedfordshire on Sunday understands that there has been no agreement between the two parties and that talks broke down in February.

In May we reported how Central Bedfordshire Council had instructed Persimmon to stop work until it adhered to planning conditions involving trucks going through the village.

It is believed that foundations have been constructed and there are fears that the site will not be completed.

Jeff Streule from Denison has said that the two companies are in dispute and in a document submitted by the company to its stakeholders it says that ‘there is no dialogue or agreement whatsoever between the two companies.’

Steven Hird, managing director for Persimmon Homes Midlands, said: “We and Denison are both contractually obliged to provide the section 106 package for the benefit of the local community.

“We are therefore in discussion with the local authority on how best to deliver these elements of the build programme.” Cranfield Parish councillor Laurence Pollock, said: “I’m calling on Persimmon to resolve its dispute with landowners so that the development can be completed as soon as possible.

“Local people want the site built and promised vital facilities such as the community hall ready for use. At present it is just an eyesore.

“These land access issues should have been settled a long time ago.” A spokeswoman for Central Beds Council: “We are aware that both Persimmon Homes and Denison Investments have land interests in the development approved on Lodge Road, Cranfield.

“We further understand that a proportion of the community benefits secured through the section 106 legal agreement are due to be included on land owned by Denison.”