The minutes of the February 2025 meeting, below, are available in PDF form, primarily for offline reading and printing. Please note that all minutes are draft until approved at a subsequent Parish Council meeting, and in any conflict between the version below (provided for ease of access online) and the PDF version, the latter shall be deemed authoritative.
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 3rd February 2025
Those present were:
- Parish Councillor Nick Ginn (chairman);
- Parish Councillor Chris Bane;
- Parish Councillor Michael Capps;
- Parish Councillor James Catmur;
- Parish Councillor Cathy Davis;
- Parish Councillor Nigel Day;
- Parish Councillor Paul Greenland;
- Parish Councillor Andrew Pett;
- Parish Councillor Alan Rowbotham.
Also present: County Councillor Stephen Ferguson, District Councillor James Catmur, the Reading Room Extension Project architect and 8 members of the public.
- The meeting was opened with a silent prayer.
- Apologies for absence: None.
- Declarations of Interest: None.
- Minutes of the previous meeting held on 6th January 2025: the Minutes were proposed by Councillor Greenland, seconded by Councillor Day and unanimously approved.
- Open Forum:
• Report from County Councillor Stephen Ferguson highlighted:
a) Proposed local government reorganisation into unitary authorities with electorates of about 500,000. This would mean Cambridgeshire be divided into two areas.
b) Government house building targets: The calculation for 5-year building targets has been changed with immediate effect. Therefore, previous allocations in the county are insufficient, meaning ‘tilted balance’ comes into play, with its presumption of granting planning permissions for housing. As the Huntingdonshire District Local Plan is currently being revised, this does help the District in its analysis of housing land supply.
• Report from District Councillor James Catmur highlighted:
a) Government house building targets: HDC is looking to see whether sites already allocated for housing in the current Local Plan can be brought forward to achieve the approximately 1300 new houses now required here.
b) Proposed local government reorganisation: CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) funds held by parish councils needs to be spent within the allocated time period.
Neighbourhood Development Plan: the implications of the proposed local government reorganisation in respect of NDP’s has still to be confirmed.
• Reading Room Extension Project – Presentation.
Room Committee Chairperson and Project architect presenting: It was noted that a positive ‘pre-app’ meeting (pre-planning application) had been held with the Planning Conservation Officer of HDC. Several options for fine tuning the detail of the proposal, were described. The Parish Council gave in principal agreement to the extension proposal, with six votes for and 3 abstentions. This allows the Reading Room Committee to take forward the detailed design work, subject to a full review by the Parish Council before a planning application is made. A written report and the detailed design proposal were requested in advance of the review discussion by Parish Council.
• Bowls & Croquet Club –fencing proposal and quotes:
An update of the south end fencing proposal was presented by the club (see item 7 below).
• Playing Field – west hedge
A request was made by a resident to look at the maintenance, as the hedge has become overgrown.
• VE Day 2025: A group in the village is organising an event and asking for support of the Parish Council.
- Matters Arising:
6.1 CIL grant application – Sportsfield car park: The application has been submitted. - Bowls & Croquet Club.
Fencing to south end: The Club put forward a proposal that the new fencing for the south end should be approximately one metre south of the current fence, so as to avoid the cost of tree, shrub and stump removal.
Agreement to moving the fence line was proposed by Councillor Bane, seconded by Councillor Ginn and unanimously agreed. Also agreed, the full range of quotes to be reviewed at the March meeting. - RoSPA Play Safety Inspection Reports: Agreed, that the quote from CPM Playgrounds be accepted. Councillor Davis to take this forward. Also agreed that the seesaw be reconsidered as a separate project, as it may be necessary to buy new.
- Net Zero Villages grant application – Solar panels project: The project proposal for solar panels on the Bowls & Croquet Club House roof will also benefit the Reading Room. The project is a joint initiative between the Reading Room Committee, The Bowls & Croquet Club and the Parish Council. The Expression of Interest has been approved by HDC and the project can now go to full application for the grant.
- Cemetery bench – by shed: Noted, that it has been found that the purchaser of the current bench, which is in poor repair, has now passed away herself. Agreed, Councillor Ginn will contact the family that has offered to buy a new bench.
- Street lights – issues
• Meadow road lamp damaged by car accident.
• Middle Street – lamp not working.
• PC 12 Caxton Road.
• PC 4 – request for review of this lamp.
Quotes will be obtained for the repairs to PC12 / PC2 / PC1. Agreed – the review of village street lights be brought forward and any recommendations to include PC4 and the light projecting onto the adjacent window. Councillor Pett and Councillor will undertake the review. - Grass cutting contracts 2025: The quotes were reviewed. Proposed by Councillor Pett, seconded by Councillor Ginn and unanimously agreed, that The Mower Shed continue to be contracted to mow the Cemetery and Churchyard and Brookfield, the Sportsfield. Also agreed that these firms be asked if they would agree to a two or three-year contract, subject to annual review of the estimated inflation rate.
- Tree Preservation Orders in Parish: Noted that the Conservation Area covers much of the village and planning consent would therefore be needed for any trees works within this area.
- Crown & Cushion: A change of use planning application has been submitted. This will probably be on the
Planning portal in the next few days. - RFO’s Financial Statements and Budget Review:
The Financial Reports for January 2025 and Budget Review January 2025 were unanimously approved. - Payments for Approval: The February payments were proposed by Councillor Pett, seconded by Councillor Bane and unanimously approved.
Payments for approval at the Parish Council Meeting on Monday 3rd February 2025
Cheques/ Bank Transfers payable February 2025
- Mr R McIntosh (Garden of Remembrance) £7.50 *
- Gt Gransden Reading Room – Cleaning Reclaim Oct – Dec 24 £592.00
- Octopus – Reading Room Cottage Electricity T.B.C *
- Clerks Expenses £69.41
- RFO Expenses £21.87
- Clerk’s Salary – February 2025 £745.70
- RFO’s Salary – February 2025 £362.49
- HMRC Tax & NI (Month 9 ending 5 February 2025) £135.10
Automated Payments payable February 2025
- DD BT – Broadband Reading Room £47.86
(11 February 2025) - DD SSE – Street lighting £200.00 **
(28 February 2025)
*Invoice expected, but not available in time for meeting
**Approximate amount. Subject to slight variation. (Not available in time for meeting).
- Risk Register v2_9 – Gt Gransden Parish Council – Updated 28/1/2025: Councillor Catmur has updated the Risk Register. It was noted that ‘tilted balance’ is back due to the change made by government, with immediate effect, in the method of calculating housing need / stock. How this will affect Great Gransden and its Neighbourhood Plan is not yet clear. Further noted: HDC now has a good financial position, but this is less certain for CCC. The government proposal for unitary authorities also creates funding risk for GGPC. It was considered advisable to bring forward projects to use the CIL funds currently retained by the Parish Council.
Councillor Day proposed the Risk Register be published on the Parish Council website. This was agreed with 7 votes for and 2 abstentions. - Highways & Rights of Way
• Any repairs or maintenance needed:
Mill Lane – ditches overflowing across road after rain: Noted that the problem probably stems from a blocked pipe at the top of the hill. Noted that the drain grid at the bottom of the Mill Road hill can be cleared by anyone if they see a blockage there. Agreed, to look into the blocked pipe problem.
• Hedge trimmings on Little Lane: Agreed to contact the owner further. - Correspondence & Consultations:
19.1 Overgrown hedges: Agreed, to produce a standard letter concerning overgrowing hedges in the village, which can be delivered in person. A separate article will also be put in Roundabout.
19.2 Defibrillator box at Reading Room: The current box is rusty. Councillor Ginn agreed to obtain quotes for a new box.
19.3 Cambridgeshire CC Planning Local Validation List consultation: Noted.
19.4 Town & Parish Councils’ Briefing – HDC Housing Land Supply Position Update – Thurs, 13th Feb 2025: Councillor Ginn agreed to attend.
- Planning Applications:
20.1 REF. 24/02408/FUL – Extension to an existing agricultural barn, Redwood Farm Caxton Road Great Gransden Sandy SG19 3BQ: Proposed by Councillor Pett, seconded by Councillor Ginn and unanimously approved that this planning application be recommended for approval by HDC.
20.2 REF. 24/02406/FUL – Erection of 4 Semi-Detached Agricultural Worker’s Dwellings (and Associated Infrastructure). Land South East Of Redwood Farm House Caxton Road Great Gransden: Proposed by Councillor Day, seconded by Councillor Pett and unanimously approved that this planning application be recommended for approval by HDC, subject to the proviso that the houses be tied agricultural dwellings.
- Date of Annual Parish Meeting 2025 – Monday 28th April: Confirmed as the date for the Parish Meeting.
- Date of Next Meeting: Monday 3rd March 2025, commencing at 7:30pm.
The meeting ended at 10 pm.