Meldreth Parish Council

www.meldreth-pc.org.uk

Meeting of the Parish Council held on Thursday 7th September 2023

This meeting was held in the Community Room in Elin Way. The main points of the meeting are set out below in the usual summary format. The full formal minutes can be viewed in due course on the website noted above and on the Parish Council notice board; these will be presented for approval at the next Council meeting.

Discussions and Decisions

District and County reports: the Council thanks our District and County Councillors for their latest report; this can be seen in Meldreth Matters on pages 38 to 40. Questions and requests for further information on this wide range of subjects can of course be raised directly with our District and County representatives.

Mccs

The Meldreth Hub arrangements and the Food Bank continue to work well and are regarded by the users as a valuable social asset. We thank our volunteers for their important work on which these arrangements so heavily rely.

Community Projects Working Group

The Marvell Green residents have made a request for assistance with funding the natural area in the centre of the residential scheme. More information is needed on certain aspects and the request will then be considered in the usual way.

Recreation Ground

Vandalism: the main concern of the Council at the moment is dealing with a recent increase in vandalism. This has taken the form of fires being lit on the grass, interference with a newly installed rubbish bin behind the pavilion and general behaviour including graffiti on the pavilion and irritations caused to nearby residents including night time disturbances and used “vapes” being thrown over fences. The Council is collaborating with the police and investigating whether our CCTV images hold incriminating evidence. We cannot comment on the status of the current police investigations regarding the identification of those involved and what the next steps might be. We do urge all those concerned to show more respect for the village and its residents and we extend this request to parents and friends.

Equipment: as the holiday period comes to a conclusion the Council hopes and expects better progress to be made on the minor repairs and adjustments needed to our play equipment. Priorities will be accelerated in this respect.

Use of Football Pitches: the Meldreth United Sunday Club has regrettably closed and the Sunday slot is to be offered to a team of Meldreth players currently based at Eternit. The arrangements for Orwell Football Club’s use of the pitch on

Saturdays will continue. Both clubs will be asked to make the same annual payment to the Council, at a higher level than last year and the agreements will run on a year-by-year basis. The disbanded Sunday club has generously agreed to donate its goalposts to the Council. After discussion the Council agreed that this was a fair way forward that kept football as a village amenity and will enable us to consider the future as further changes arise.

Pavilion: Councillor Joan Fallon has retired from her voluntary cleaning role at the pavilion after many years of service and new arrangements will be made. The Council thanks Councillor Fallon for the major contribution she has made in this respect.

Section 106 Issues

The Council is forming a new working group to consider S106 issues in more detail (S106 are developer donations toward new facilities in the village). This will include reconsideration of the purposes to which S106 money can be applied and the possibility of changing those allocations to uses that have perhaps become more relevant since the original arrangements were made. Discussions about these issues will be held with S106 officers at SCDC.

Village Traffic

A meeting of the Traffic Working Group recently took place. It was noted that a Highways assessment on the 20mph limit application would now be likely in October. If favourable this will need to be followed by statutory consultations and other discussions.

In the meantime the Group is considering other traffic calming measures to improve safety in the village, as well as the possibility of reprioritising certain junctions.

The Speed Indicator Device “SID” installation is also under review with possibility of a second installation and solar power.

Straw on the road that blocks drains and impedes pedestrians on footways continues to be a major concern and the Council is writing to local residents and farmers about the need to ensure that hedges are cut back and that loads of straw are better secured when being moved through the village.

The Traffic Group is clearly very busy at present [see also their report on page 10] and will work closely with Highways on these various issues.

Cctv

Our installations at the pavilion are under review and we may decide to improve the coverage of these in view of recent events at the recreation ground.

Next Parish Council Meeting

Thursday 5th October 2023 at 7.30pm at the Elin Way Community Room.

Meldreth Parish Council

Meldreth Parish Council - Contact Details http://www.meldreth-pc.org.uk

Parish Office, Meldreth Sheltered Scheme, Elin Way, Royston SG8 6LT

Office hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12.30-2.30pm

By appointment at other times

Parish Clerk: Mrs J Damant Assistant Clerk: Mrs Sally Walmesley (01763) 269928 parishclerk@meldreth-pc.org.uk

Cllr R Goddin (Chairman) goddin@btinternet.com

Mrs Jenni Bone

Contact details had not been provided at the time of going to press

Cllr Adam Bostanci adam.bostanci.pc@gmail.com

Cllr Joan Fallon c.jfallon@icloud.com

Cllr Nick Garner nickphgarner@gmail.com

Cllr Roger James (Vice Ch.) roger+pc@rogerjames.net

Cllr Alan Land conradland@btinternet.com

Cllr James Mossey j.mossey1211@gmail.com

Cllr Nigel Pellatt nppellatt56@gmail.com

Planning Matters

Meldreth Parish Council

All correspondence should be directed to the Clerk in the first instance

The minutes of the Parish Council Planning Meetings of 17th August and 7th September were not available at the time of going to press. Full minutes, when available, may be viewed on the Parish Council’s website, www.meldrethpc.org.uk.

Planning Authority Decisions

5 Bell Close SG8 6LE, 23/02152/HFUL

Permission granted for single storey front and side extensions to the existing garage, garden room, rear conservatory, boundary adjustment and drop kerb widening.

45 Whitecroft Road, 23/02767/FUL

Permission granted for change of use from hair salon to residential use

Details of all applications and all Planning Authority decisions may be viewed online: https://applications.greatercambridgeplanning.org/online-applications.

The Meldreth Matters Team