The minutes of the January 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 6th January 2025
Those present were:
- Parish Councillor Nick Ginn (chairman)
- Parish Councillor James Catmur
- Parish Councillor Cathy Davis
- Parish Councillor Nigel Day
- Parish Councillor Paul Greenland
Also present: District Councillor James Catmur and 9 members of the public.
- The meeting was opened with a silent prayer.
- Apologies for absence:
Parish Councillor Chris Bane, Parish Councillor Michael Capps, Parish Councillor Andrew Pett and Parish Councillor Alan Rowbotham. - Declarations of Interest:
None. - Minutes of the previous meeting held on 2nd December 2024: the Minutes were proposed by Councillor Greenland, seconded by Councillor Day and unanimously approved.
- Open Forum:
• Report from District Councillor James Catmur highlighted:
a) E-W Rail: noted, the informal consultation 14/11 – 24/1/2025, requesting feedback on the latest designs which include the route going north of Cambourne and more cuttings than previously proposed.
b) CIL funding round: 4/11/24 – 19/1/2025. Parishes need to fund 50% of the costs by other means.
c) CPCA Climate Opportunity Fund: open 25/11 – 17/1/2025, to help tackle climate change issues.
• Online meeting with Ian Sollom MP:
Councillor Ginn welcomed Ian Sollom MP to the meeting and congratulated him on his election. The subjects for discussion with Ian Sollom were introduced to the Open Forum so that members of the public could make comment before discussion will the councillors. A resident raised a number of points concerning the recent White Paper on Devolution: that rural populations are hardly considered, but most mayors have substantial rural populations; that Mr Sollom do what he can to get the government, including the House of Lords, to pay attention to rural populations; and that devolution could be considered an opportunity for strong action on rural matters not just housing and transport.
• Crown & Cushion pub: Representatives of the Great Gransden Community Benefit Society gave an update on the situation with the Crown & Cushion and provided a Valuation Report that had been compiled whilst viewing the property from the road.
• Bowls & Croquet club – new shed proposal and fencing requirements: A representative of the Club introduced the proposal for a new mower shed and the ongoing research into fencing to deter badger access. The matters were discussed as item 8 below.
• Solar Panels Project Proposal – Playing Field car park: The Chair of the Reading Room Committee introduced the proposal which was further discussed under item 12 below.
- On-line Meeting with Ian Sollom, MP:
Ian Sollom gave a brief overview of his work as a new MP and then looked at the discussion points put forward to him and raised in the Open Forum.
• Community Right to Buy: He noted his support of the community ‘Right to Buy’ where local assets were of community value such as a pub or other previous amenity. The chairman asked that he work to obtain the fullest government support for this ‘Right’ when the bill is debated. Ian Sollom also sees the issue in Great Gransden as one on which HDC has a role in being active with its Enforcement Notice.
• Devolution White Paper: Noted that the Liberal Democrat position on the White Paper is still being drawn up. Ian Sollom is concerned that the local government reorganisation should serve local populations appropriately including making sure that local government finances are secure. He considered that MPs need to bring to the legislation process the important factors for local government in their area.
The chairman noted that the last large development in the village grew it by about 10%, that services are already inadequate, including transport, road drainage, size of school and doctors’ surgery. Ian Sollom responded that the infrastructure needed for smaller village needs to be resolved and that the Local Plan update progress and consultation was an important factor, with village sustainability an important issue.
• Local public transport: Councillors noted the importance of the rural public transport issue within the proposals for devolution. Ian Sollom considered that the bus franchising being brought forward by CPCA (Cambridge & Peterborough Combined Authority) would be important is subsiding village bus service. However, the forthcoming mayoral elections may play a part in how this goes forward.
• A428 / A421 build and rat-run impact on the village: The chairman asked that Ian Sollom make representation to Highways England that it engage adequately with affected villages including Great Gransden.
• Health and social care: Ian Sollom is happy to discuss any matters individually with constituents.
Close of the meeting: The chairman thanked Ian Sollom for attending the meeting and the discussion this enabled. He
also invited him to the Friday café at any time for discussion or to sample the village activities.
- Matters Arising:
7.1 Reading Room veranda drain: Noted, the repair work to the drain is apparently working well.
7.2 Poor’s Land Charity, Gt. Gransden: Noted, the appointment of the new correspondent, Rachel Fogg and the Poor’s Land email address ggpoorslaand@gmail.com.
7.3 East – West Rail non-statutory consultation – open 14/11/24 – 24/1/25. Update – Councillor Catmur attended an open meeting. EWR is now proposed to run, in more cuttings than previously proposed, to run west of the new A421 (i.e. between the old A428 and new A421) then run to the north of the new A421 in a mixture of cuttings and low embankments. There are two site options for the Tempsford station.
- Bowls & Croquet Club – fencing, new shed and update:
• Fencing to south end: The Club is obtaining quotes for the fencing.
• New shed proposal: The Bowls & Croquet Club provided a written proposal with plans. The project was proposed by Councillor Ginn, seconded by Councillor Catmur and unanimously agreed.
• Noted, the Club’s grants success for equipment both from HDC and SCDC. - RoSPA Play Safety Inspection Reports: A further quote for the necessary works in the playground will be provided in the next few days from a third firm.
- Reading Room Cottage:
• other maintenance work required:
- Paving slabs by the damp wall: contact will be made with the Reading Room Committee concerning lifting of the paving slabs, as proposed in the Herringbone quote.
- Back window work – to take this forward. – Action Councillor Pett
• other matters: agreed that letting should be reconsidered in the early Spring when the results of work on the damp issue are better understood.
- CIL funding: round open 4/11/24 – 19/1/2025.
Application update – Sportsfield car park restoration.
The GSRA has agreed the sum of £20,000 to support the car park project. The minutes of the GSRA meeting refencing this decision are a required appendix to the application.
A further £20,000 is required to complete the 50% match funding for the grant application. Proposed by Councillor Greenland, seconded by Councillor Davis and agreed unanimously that the Parish Council provide the additional £20,000 match funding; the CIL monies held by the PC to be used.
Action: Minutes from the GSRA and the Parish Council to be provided to Councillor Catmur who will make the application.
- CPCA Climate Opportunity Fund – open -25/11/24 – 17/1/25. A ‘Proposal for Solar Panels over the Playing Field Car Park’ was presented by the chair of the Reading Room Committee. Discussion considered costs, level of electricity generation, benefits to the Bowls & Croquet Club with its pavilion being a linked electricity supply, the Conservation Area and planning permission requirements. However, it was considered that the Bowls and Croquet Club pavilion was actually the best option for placement of solar panels with its roof facing approximately south and also in terms of implementation costs. It was noted that it would be difficult to produce the full documentation before the application deadline.
Noted, that the Net Zero Villages grant scheme was also now available.
Agreed, that the matter be put formally to the Club with a view to submitting an Expression of Interest by 26th January, to the Net Zero Villages scheme. - RFO’s Financial Statements and Budget Review:
The Financial Reports for December 2024 and Budget Review December 2024 were unanimously approved. - Payments for Approval: The payments were proposed by Councillor Catmur, seconded by Councillor Ginn and unanimously approved.
Payments for approval at the Parish Council Meeting on Monday 6th January 2025
Cheques/ Bank Transfers payable January 2025
- Mr R McIntosh (Garden of Remembrance) £7.50 *
- ACRE 2025 membership £86.40
- Huntingdonshire DC (cottage council tax for January 2025) £176.00
- DFM Ltd (damp work carried out Reading Room/Cottage) £780.00
Paid 1/1/25 as agreed at December PC Meeting - Mr Andrew Pett (Microsoft 365 January 2025) £1.99
- Clerk’s Salary – January 2025 £745.70
- RFO’s Salary – January 2025 £362.69
- HMRC Tax & NI (Month 9 ending 5 January 2025) £265.63
Automated Payments payable January 2025:
- DD BT – Broadband Reading Room £47.86
(11 January 2025) - DD SSE – Street Lighting £196.82
Direct Debit taken 31 December 2024 - DD SSE – Street lighting £200.00 **
(28 January 2025)
*Invoice expected, but not available in time for meeting.
**Approximate amount. Subject to slight variation. (Not available in time for meeting).
- Virtual GGPC (Great Gransden Parish Council) debit card: Agreed that the banking situation with reference to signatories to online expenditure needs to be resolved, before taking the debit card suggestion further,
- Risk Register – Gt Gransden Parish Council – Updated 16/12/2024: Councillor Catmur has updated the Risk Register. Agreed: a full discussion of the document at the February meeting.
- Highways & Rights of Way
• Any repairs or maintenance needed:
Lorry traffic from the airfield and via Mill Lane: There are large numbers of straw bales being moved and possibly grain from the silos at the airfield. The straw brushed / blowing from the lorries is causing ditches to become blocked There is also a question as to whether a good many of the vehicles are moving road materials. Agreed to write to the airfield to raise the concerns and seek clarification. Action – the clerk.
Little Lane hedge cuttings: A large metre cubed bag filled with hedge cuttings has been left on Little Lane. Action: Councillor Ginn will continue to try to make contact with the presumed owner. Action: the clerk to write to Highways to concerning Highways management responsibility for Little Lane.
Water leak in road by the Crown & Cushion: The leak has appeared again with a good quantity of water escaping. This has already been reported.
Pavement Church Street: this has been marked up, but no information received as to what is being undertaken.
• LHI round 2025/26: Noted, Councillor Catmur has submitted the LHI bid for double yellow lines on Middle Road by the school. It was confirmed that £2000 be set aside as the GGPC funding contribution to the project.
The Parish Council considered the concern of some Meadow Road residents that the current LHI bid is not for speed reduction along this road. A response will be sent noting Parish Council awareness of the concern. Action – the clerk.
• National Highways A428 funding round: Noted, the new round of funding available to 15th January 2025.
- Correspondence & Consultations:
18.1 Net Zero Villages – grant scheme – CPCA delivered by HDC – expressions of interest by 26/1/2025.
Members of the Bowls & Croquet Club present at the council meeting indicated that there would almost certainly be a positive response from the Club to a project for solar panels on the club house.
Agreed, that suggestion of solar panels on the pavilion roof be put formally to the Bowls & Croquet Club with a view to submitting an Expression of Interest to the grant scheme by 26th January. - Planning Applications:
19.1 24/02378/AGDET – Location: Land West Of 24 Little Gransden Lane Great Gransden
Agricultural Determination, Proposal: Erection of 4 bay steel framed agricultural building.
This application is considered to give the same problems as the previous application in respect of size, location, access, impact on the local landscape and Conservation Area, with the agricultural need being questionable. Proposed by Councillor Ginn, seconded by Councillor Davis and unanimously approved the rejection of the application and recommendation that it be refused by HDC. - Date of Annual Parish Meeting 2025 – Agreed to discuss with Ann Girling whether Monday 14th April, can be released for the Annual Parish Meeting. Otherwise, a different date will be sought.
- Date of Next Meeting: Monday 3rd February 2025 which will commence at 7:30pm.
The meeting ended at 09:55 pm.