The Annual Parish Meeting was held in The Reading Room on Monday 28th April 2025 at 7:30pm, with Nick Ginn in the chair. Agenda is given below, or can be downloaded in PDF form for offline viewing or printing here. (In the case of any discrepancy between the PDF version and the text below, the PDF takes precedence.) Also given below are links to (some of the) reports presented at the APM. The minutes of the meeting follow the agenda, and here are links to a PDF copy of the minutes, and PDFs of the reports presented at the meeting:
- Minutes in PDF form
- Appendix 1: Chairman’s report
- Appendix 2: Financial year summary, 2024-25
- Appendix 3: Poor’s Land Charity report, 2024-2025.
- Appendix 4: Cemetery report 2024.
- Appendix 5: Reading Room Management Committee annual report.
- Appendix 6: Gransdens Sports field and Recreational Association (‘GSRA’) annual report.
- Appendix 7: GSRA 2024 Accounts.
- Appendix 8: Gransdens Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Society annual report.
Agenda for the APM
1. Silent Prayer.
2. Apologies for absence:
3. Minutes of the last meeting held on 22nd April 2024. (The minutes can be found here, along with copies of the reports submitted at the meeting.)
4. Parish Council – Chairman’s Report.
5. County Councillor Stephen Ferguson – speaking on County Council matters.
6. District Councillor James Catmur – speaking on District Council matters.
7. Parish Council Financial Statement – Financial Statement for the year 2024/25.
8. The Poor’s Land Charity – report by the Chairperson.
9. Parish Council Cemetery – report by Councillor Day.
10. Reading Room Management Committee – report from the committee.
11. The Gransdens Sports field and Recreational Association – report given by Councillor Ginn.
12. The Gransdens Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Society – report from the chair of the Society.
13. Any other business.
Minutes of the meeting
Those present were:
- Nick Ginn, Chairman
- Nigel Day, Parish Councillor
- Andrew Pett, Vice Chairman
- Paul Greenland, Parish Councillor
- James Catmur, District & Parish Councillor
Also, County Councillor Stephen Ferguson and 4 members of the public.
- The meeting was opened at 7:30pm with a silent prayer.
- Apologies:
Sharon Brown, Parish Council Clerk; Michael Capps, Parish Councillor; Chris Bane, Parish Councillor; Alan Rowbotham, Parish Councillor; Cathy Davis, Parish Councillor. - Minutes of the previous Annual Parish Meeting, held on 22nd April 2024 had been circulated to councillors and were considered at the Parish Council meeting of 13th May 2024. The minutes were then approved and accordingly initialled. At this current meeting the initialled minutes of 22nd April 2024 were unanimously approved and accordingly signed in full by the chairman.
- Parish Council – Chairman’s Report: Councillor Ginn noted in particular that all of the village societies and groups continue and the success of the Croquet Club is of particular note, having bought a new lease of life to the existing facilities at the Bowls Club which will also host a new solar panel array to help the Reading Rooms green credentials and operational costs.
We still have the perennial issues related to roads and traffic, mostly potholes both new and reoccurring and of course speed, but at least an increase in traffic has the effect of lowering average speeds through the village.
There is the continuing success of the Reading Rooms especially the pop-up Pub, Café and live music events.
The long running saga which is the Crown and Cushion rolls on but the chances of it becoming open again one day are heading in the right direction.
Gransden Woods have remained open and this is greatly appreciated by the local residents as it is a significant contributor not only to local wildlife but also to community wellbeing.
HDC are considering sites for development in the village in the future and other challenges lie ahead with perhaps the Sportsfield providing some of the most significant. Adequate facilities for the Football Club and Nursery are still an issue,
The full Chairman’s Report is provided in Appendix 1. - County Councillor Stephen Ferguson – speaking on County matters.
Councillor Ferguson thanked the Great Gransden Parish Council for always being prepared to discuss some of the more contentious points and bringing forward important issues during his 4 years as County Councillor. He stated that he had always enjoyed attending out meetings and that as he is relinquishing the seat he highlighted the following points that he had worked upon in the past 4 years, albeit with, in his words, varying success:
• The East West Rail project has gone very quiet recently, but he is proud to have represented the views of his parishes on the issue.
• The Crown & Cushion has not been resolved but is ongoing.
• Luton Airport has seemingly not gone the way we all would have liked as with the Comberton school bus decision.
• The re-organisation of Local Government is proceeding.
The Parish Council put on record its thanks for all the hard, diligent work that County Councillor Ferguson had put in on our behalf over the last 4 years and wished him well in the future.
- District Councillor James Catmur – speaking on District matters.
Councillor Catmur outlined a few achievements since being elected a year ago:
- A grant for solar panels on Great Gransden’s community buildings
- Understanding the A421 and EWR plans
- Developing proposals for better walking, cycling and horse riding (WCH) routes within the ward
- Participating in the Little Barford planning sessions and promoting a WCH route to connect the south of the ward to Little Barford and then onwards to St Neots
HDC decisions for the year have included passing a balanced budget, based on a reasonable increase in charges to residents. It looks like HDC can maintain this balanced position until it ceases to exist under LGR. Local Government Reorganization (LGR) started at the end of 2024, but there is little to report. He promised to keep the parish council informed as it develops.
- Parish Council Financial Statement:
The Income and Expenditure summary for the financial year 2024-25 was presented. The summary is filed hereafter as Appendix 2. - The Poor’s Land Charity Report – April 2025: The report for the year 2024-25 was read out. Notably, the Trust Fund is in very good health. Besides the usual winter fuel payments there have been several new applications to the fund in the last financial year. The Report is filed as Appendix 3.
- The Parish Council Cemetery Report. April 2025:
Councillor Day, Cemetery Manager, presented the report. There were 6 burials over the last year, slightly higher than the average of 4 a year, the placing of one headstone and two tablets.
Some trees have required maintenance to remove dead branches.
The bench nearest the shed is in serious need of replacement and the Parish Council has accepted an offer to replace it with a new one.
Also, the Parish website will be amended to assist funeral directors in their planning.
The report is filed as Appendix 4. - Reading Room Management Committee Report 2025:
Councillor Greenland, as a member of the Reading Room Committee, presented the report. The report is filed as Appendix 5. - The Gransden Sportsfield and Recreational Association Report 2025: Councillor Ginn as the Parish Council representative to the GSRA, presented a report. The football club and the nursery continue, with the tennis club being more and more successful. He noted that funding is still needed for the expensive, more permanent solution to resurfacing of the car park. Thanks go to all but especially Jon Smith for the time he puts in as treasurer as well as Chris Butterworth of the Tennis Club who acts as Chair and Secretary. Also, to those who give up their time to try and keep the football pitches playable, repairing rabbit damage, improving drainage, marking out etc.
The GSRA Report 2024-25 is filed as Appendix 6 and the GSRA Accounts Summary 2024 as Appendix 7. - The Gransdens Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Society Report 2024:
Karen Hewett, Chairperson to the GALGS presented the Report. She highlighted that this was the eighteenth year of the allotments, which as well as having all 34 allotment plots full and an apiary with 3 beehives, they also held a Market Day event that raised £234 for funds. She outlined the main problems faced in the past year with it being too wet at times, high winds and now the large thistles. Working parties had laboured on the orchard, the wild flower meadow, the gates and the provision of water. All those who volunteer with upkeep of the allotment field were thanked, in particular Michael Capps, Des Merrill and Mike Turnock. Special thanks went to Sue Chase for the accounts. The Report is filed as Appendix 8. - Any Other Business.
There was no other business
The meeting was closed at 8:25pm.