2024-May-21 DRAFT Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting for Great and Little Gidding

By on June 28, 2024   /   Great Gidding, Little Gidding, Parish council, Parish Council Minutes   /   1 Comment
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2024-May-21 DRAFT Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting for Great and Little Gidding

DRAFT MINUTES of the 2024 Annual Parish Meeting of

Great and Little Gidding Parish Council

Tuesday 21st May, 7.00PM at Great Gidding Village Hall

PRESENT:  Parish Councillors Maciag, Hargrave, Moody, Bolton, Neighbourhood Policing Team Sergeant  Martin and 5 members of the public.

APOLOGIES received from District Councillor Alban and Parish Councillor Sanders

***Parish Councillor D’Altillia and 2 members of the public joined later in the meeting.

Councillor Maciag, as Vice Chairman, welcomed those present to the meeting.

Councillor Hodson was unable to attend the meeting, his annual report (copy attached) was read out at the meeting.

Councillor Maciag gave an update on the Neighbourhood Plan – it has been reviewed by Huntingdonshire District Council and changes and additions are to be implemented before it is returned to Hunts DC for approval.

Sergeant Anna Martin of the Neighbourhood Policing Team gave an overview of police involvement in our rural area, advising that our Parish has a very low crime rate.  She encouraged engagement with the Team through the Cambs Police Website (https://www.cambs.police.uk/), particularly the live chat option for crime reporting.

Questions from members of the public:

  • Anaerobic digester – concerns about traffic and transport – no decision has yet been published. As the site is in the neighbouring county, Clerk is continuing correspondence with North Northants contacts.  SB encouraged building a good relationship with the developer to enable future discussions.
  • A second speed camera has been installed recently – results are monitored in both directions and act as an advisory measure to drivers. 
  • Councillor Bolton advised that a 20MPH limit has been applied for in respect of the lane down to Little Gidding – decision has not yet been made by Cambridgeshire County Council.  SB recommended the Parish Council apply for a 20MPH limit throughout Great Gidding.
  • Call for sites – Huntingdonshire District Council have not yet published any decisions on sites.  RG had read on the Hunts DC website that results will be known in July.
  • Advertising the Parish Meeting – DU advised that Annual Parish Meeting should have been better advertised.  Clerk advised the notice had been placed on the village website and the Village Hall website, earlier than the required 2 week notice period.  It was felt that new residents were unaware of events/services/facilities in the village and means of communicating with residents should be improved.

The meeting closed at 20.06

Chairman’s report:

Thank you for attending tonight, I am sorry that, due to unforeseen circumstances, I am unable to  attend in person.

The last year has been challenging, rewarding and hugely frustrating.

I would like to thank my fellow councillors for their hard work and dedication to the Parish ( and of course where would we be without Julie, who does a fantastic job as Clerk.)

Just a few of the things we have dealt with in the last 12 months

The Parish Plan – We have a great team working extremely hard to produce a plan which reflects the wishes of our residents, we have more steps of the process to complete, but we are progressing well. A huge thank you to the team 

Call for sites – Earlier in the year the Council asked people to suggest parcels of land that might be suitable for housing, we appreciate that the submission by Milton Estates caused a lot of concern, but as of today, we have not heard back from the Council, we will of course  let you know as soon as we do. Even if a site is agreed as potential development, the owner would still have to apply for planning permission as normal.

Anaerobic Digester – After months of no news at all, the website now says “decided” but does not say, what has been decided. We did all we could and will continue to do all we can to stop this development.

The School House – Now that the school has closed, we considered using the brick school, building as a village community building, but the financial economics just didn’t work, so we have advised Milton Estates that we are not interested in leasing the building from them

School Playground – Again we were considering purchasing this from the County Council, as a village amenity, but the conditions the County Council placed on the sale made the risk too great for us to contemplate 

After several years as Chair, I have decided it’s time to stand down, I will remain on the Council for a smooth transition, but if anyone would like to join the PC please let us know.

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April 2024 – Minutes of the Great & Little Gidding Parish Council meeting

By on June 28, 2024   /   Parish council, Parish Council Minutes   /   Leave a comment
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April 2024 - Minutes of the Great & Little Gidding Parish Council meeting

GREAT & LITTLE GIDDING PARISH COUNCIL 

Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 16thth April 2024

Present:  Councillors Hodson, Moody, Hargrave, Bolton, and Maciag and the Clerk. 

001.24 Cllr Hodson, as Chairman, welcomed those present to the meeting

002.24 Apologies for absence:

County Councillor Gardener – at another meeting

District Councillor Alban – at another meeting

Councillor D’Altilia – work commitments

003.24 There were no declarations of interest regarding items on the agenda

004.24There were no members of Press or Public in attendance

005.24 Minutes of the meeting held on 19th March 2024 were declared as a correct record – proposed by Cllr Moody and seconded by Cllr Hargrave

006.24 Reports from Councillors and Clerk:

Clerk advised that the Parish Office will be closed on Friday 27th April as she is attending a funeral.

007.24 Financial Matters

             a) to note Barclays Bank statements for Parish Council account.

  • Parish Council (everyday) Account  – balance as at 4/4/2024 £1660.18 (includes £500 bequest)
    • Parish Council Deposit Account – balance as at 4/4/2024 £26,286.99 (1.85% interest applicable)
    • Defibrillator account – balance as at 4/3/2023 – £248.84

b) PAYMENTS – the following online payments were approved – Cllr Hargrave confirmed

WhoWhat forTOTALInvoice includes this VAT amountAuthorisedAuthorised
REFUND to J R Trolove for purchase of MicrosoftPurchase of Microsoft 365 annual subscription£59.99NONE  
J R TroloveWages February (30.5 hours)***   
Huntingdon District CouncilRates for Rec Field5.49NONE  
LGS ServicesPayroll services79.20NONE  
Groundworks UK (Dept of Levelling Up)Refund of unspent monies for Neighbourhood Plan2217.97NONE  

c) Clerk’s working hours for March were approved as a total of 28

d) Clerk had provided a breakdown of spending for 2023/24 to the year end of 31st March 2024 and Cllr Hodson had updated the Bank Reconciliation/Cash Flow Forecast and Reserves spreadsheets.  Discussion followed regarding various aspects.

Clerk confirmed that Section 137 budget was up to £9.93 per elector during 2023/24.

Cllr Hodson advised that allocated reserves should be equal to at least one year of precept and, in addition, this Parish Council has reserves for identified future costs within the Parish.

Cllr Moody recommended that the budget for wages be increased to £5500 for 2024/25.

008.24 Planning applications – no applications received since the last meeting.

009.24 School playground – the day after the March meeting an email was received from CambsCC, setting out their terms regarding the sale of the playground to the Parish Council, and giving 10 days to respond.  The Clerk had then received a telephone call from CambsCC  enquiring potential use by the village, and a further request for a written decision by 5PM on Friday 19th April.

            CambsCC email appeared to indicate that the cost and responsibility of removing the portacabins would fall to the Parish Council, and clearance of the site was unclear.  At present the Parish Council have not been able to view the site.  Access to the site for construction/demolition is problematic and would have to involve Milton Estates.  Also this did not reflect the indications that were given by Cambs CC representatives during meetings held regarding closure of the school. 

An email will be sent to CambsCC advising that, as the offer would appear to have changed, and with many unknown factors, the Parish Council do not wish to proceed with the acquisition of the playground – this was a unanimous decision by all Councillors present at the meeting.

010.24 A copy of the current Parish Council asset register had been shared prior to the meeting and was agreed as a correct record.

011.24 CANALBS have carried out the internal audit in the past and will be appointed for the 2023/24 review.  

012.24 Neighbourhood Plan – Cllr Maciag gave a resume of the Neighbourhood Plan.  It has been presented to Hunts DC and recommendations for changes and additions are now being implemented.  The plan will be returned to Hunts DC in the future.  Whilst the remaining grant is to be refunded to Groundworks, a further application will be made for 2024/25 funding.

013.24 Green Waste bin collection – following the March meeting, clarification of aspects of the scheme to offer 10 green bins to smaller parishes had been asked of HuntsDC.  Councillors felt this was an insufficient number (a total of 10 to be shared between Great and Little Gidding) but also the Parish Council does not own an area of land where these bins could be safely stored and collected.  

014.24 Parish Council insurance policy is due for renewal on 1st June.  The clerk will summarise the cover provided and advise Councillors at the next meeting.

015.24 Village Maintenance

  • Benches in Main Street – Cllrs Moody and Hargrave approved the existing quote but  requested Clerk will to obtain  a comparative quote by the end of April.
  • CambsCC have not yet responded about siting benches opposite the shop.
  • The owner of the property in Gaines Lane will be asked to clear the building materials from the Gaines Lane/Chapel End junction.
  • Clerk has been advised by the hedging contractor that partly due to the wet ground he will not be able to carry out work as requested.  On his advice a request has been sent to a tree surgeon to provide a quote for work on the surround of the Pound and the Parish Pond.

016.24 Correspondence received since 19th March 2024:

a) NALC –

b) Cambridgeshire County Council –

*** an email was received hours before the meeting regarding the provision of electric vehicle charging stations, a survey to be completed with a deadline of 22nd April – this will be forwarded to Councillors but the discussion indicated that the Parish Council does not have land to site these devices.

 The Library Presents events brochure, Cambridgeshire Matters – https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKCAMBSCC/bulletins/38e2858, 24th April 2024, 19:00-22:00 at Ely Maltings, Kempen Room, how the council can support communities to benefit from the transition to a clean energy system, TMC incident report for traffic in March – NONE for our parish,

c) Huntingdonshire District Council – Town and parish council newsletter, Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge 15-17 May – Wednesday 15 May 14.50-15.40 in Pathfinder House (with an option to join via Teams) – registration required, green waste project (see 013.24)

d) Cambs ACRE – March Newsletter

e) CAPALC – April news, training opportunities,

g) Parish Online – newsletter

h) Ecops/Neighbourhood Watch etc – election on 2nd May

i) Hemington, Luddington, Thurning Parish Council response to diversion of footpath around Mobile Phone Mast site.

j) North Northamptonshire Council – consultation regarding Kettering Energy Park and invitation to a public exhibition on Saturday 20th April 2024, 10.30 to 1.30 at Finedon Community Centre, NN9 5LG

188.23 The next meeting of the Parish Council:

This will be preceded by the Annual Parish Meeting at 7.00PM

Tuesday 21st May 2024 at Great Gidding Village Hall, starting at 7.30PM

The meeting will commence with the Annual Parish Council meeting, at which Officers will be appointed.

Preparation for the Annual Internal Audit and the Annual Governance and Accountability

Return – details will be shared with Councillors

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GREAT & LITTLE GIDDING PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL AUDIT

By on May 31, 2024   /   Parish council, Parish Council News & Notices   /   Leave a comment
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GREAT & LITTLE GIDDING PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL AUDIT

Smaller authority name: GREAT AND LITTLE GIDDING PARISH COUNCIL

NOTICE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS AND PUBLICATION OF ANNUAL GOVERNANCE &ACCOUNTABILITY RETURN (EXEMPT AUTHORITY)

ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 Sections 25, 26 and 27

The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/234)

NOTICENOTES
    1. Date of announcement (a)     Friday 31st May 2024

2. Each year the smaller authority prepares anAnnual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR).  TheAGAR has been published with this notice. It will not be reviewed by the appointed auditor, since the smaller authority has certified itself as exempt from the appointed auditor’s review. Any person interested has the right to inspect and make copies of the AGAR, the accounting records for the financial year to which it relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records must be made available for inspection by any person interested.  For the year ended 31 March 2024, these documents will be available on reasonable notice by application to:  

b)   Parish Clerk, The Parish Office at the Village Hall, Great Gidding,      Huntingdon, Cambs, PE28 5NU Email: ggparishcouncil@outlook.com          
commencing on
(c)      Wednesday 19 June 2024     and ending on (d)        Wednesday 31 July 2024

3. Local government electors and their representatives also have:   The opportunity to question the appointed auditor about the accounting records; andThe right to make an objection which concerns a matter in respect of which the appointed auditor could either make a public interest report or apply to the court for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful. Written notice of an objection must first be given to the auditor and a copy sent to the smaller authority.   The appointed auditor can be contacted at the address in paragraph 4 below for this purpose between the above dates only.  

4. The smaller authority’s AGARis only subject to review by the appointed auditor if questions or objections raised under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 lead to the involvement of the auditor. 
The appointed auditor is:   PKF Littlejohn LLP (Ref: SBA Team) 15Westferry Circus Canary Wharf London E14 4HD (sba@pkf-l.com)  
5. This announcement is made by (e) Julie Trolove, Parish Clerk  		   

LOCAL AUTHORITY ACCOUNTS: A SUMMARY OF YOUR RIGHTS

Please note that this summary applies to all relevant smaller authorities, including local councils, internal drainage boards and ‘other’ smaller authorities.

The basic position

The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 (the Act) governs the work of auditors appointed to smaller authorities. This summary explains the provisions contained in Sections 26 and 27 of the Act. The Act and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 also cover the duties, responsibilities and rights of smaller authorities, other organisations and the public concerning the accounts being audited.

As a local elector, or an interested person, you have certain legal rights in respect of the accounting records of smaller authorities. As an interested person you can inspect accounting records and related documents. If you are a local government elector for the area to which the accounts relate you can also ask questions about the accounts and object to them. You do not have to pay directly for exercising your rights. However, any resulting costs incurred by the smaller authority form part of its running costs. Therefore, indirectly, local residents pay for the cost of you exercising your rights through their council tax.

The right to inspect the accounting records

Any interested person can inspect the accounting records, which includes but is not limited to local electors. You can inspect the accounting records for the financial year to which the audit relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records. You can copy all, or part, of these records or documents. Your inspection must be about the accounts, or relate to an item in the accounts. You cannot, for example, inspect or copy documents unrelated to the accounts, or that include personal information (Section 26 (6) – (10) of the Act explains what is meant by personal information). You cannot inspect information which is protected by commercial confidentiality. This is information which would prejudice commercial confidentiality if it was released to the public and there is not, set against this, a very strong reason in the public interest why it should nevertheless be disclosed.

When smaller authorities have finished preparing accounts for the financial year and approved them, they must publish them (including on a website). There must be a 30 working day period, called the ‘period for the exercise of public rights’, during which you can exercise your statutory right to inspect the accounting records. Smaller authorities must tell the public, including advertising this on their website, that the accounting records and related documents are available to inspect. By arrangement you will then have 30 working days to inspect and make copies of the accounting records. You may have to pay a copying charge. The 30 working day period must include a common period of inspection during which all smaller authorities’ accounting records are available to inspect. This will be 1-12 July 2024for 2023/24 accounts. The advertisement must set out the dates of the period for the exercise of public rights, how you can communicate to the smaller authority that you wish to inspect the accounting records and related documents, the name and address of the auditor, and the relevant legislation that governs the inspection of accounts and objections.

The right to ask the auditor questions about the accounting records

You should first ask your smaller authority about the accounting records, since they hold all the details. If you are a local elector, your right to ask questions of the external auditor is enshrined in law. However, while the auditor will answer your questions where possible, they are not always obliged to do so. For example, the question might be better answered by another organisation, require investigation beyond the auditor’s remit, or involve disproportionate cost (which is borne by the local taxpayer). Give your smaller authority the opportunity first to explain anything in the accounting records that you are unsure about. If you are not satisfied with their explanation, you can question the external auditor about the accounting records.

The law limits the time available for you formally to ask questions. This must be done in the period for the exercise of public rights, so let the external auditor know your concern as soon as possible. The advertisement or notice that tells you the accounting records are available to inspect will also give the period for the exercise of public rights during which you may ask the auditor questions, which here means formally asking questions under the Act. You can ask someone to represent you when asking the external auditor questions.

Before you ask the external auditor any questions, inspect the accounting records fully, so you know what they contain. Please remember that you cannot formally ask questions, under the Act, after the end of the period for the exercise of public rights. You may ask your smaller authority other questions about their accounts for any year, at any time. But these are not questions under the Act.

You can ask the external auditor questions about an item in the accounting records for the financial year being audited. However, your right to ask the external auditor questions is limited. The external auditor can only answer ‘what’ questions, not ‘why’ questions. The external auditor cannot answer questions about policies, finances, procedures or anything else unless it is directly relevant to an item in the accounting records. Remember that your questions must always be about facts, not opinions. To avoid misunderstanding, we recommend that you always put your questions in writing.

The right to make objections at audit

You have inspected the accounting records and asked your questions of the smaller authority. Now you may wish to object to the accounts on the basis that an item in them is in your view unlawful or there are matters of wider concern arising from the smaller authority’s finances. A local government elector can ask the external auditor to apply to the High Court for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful, or to issue a report on matters which are in the public interest. You must tell the external auditor which specific item in the accounts you object to and why you think the item is unlawful, or why you think that a public interest report should be made about it. You must provide the external auditor with the evidence you have to support your objection. Disagreeing with income or spending does not make it unlawful. To object to the accounts you must write to the external auditor stating you want to make an objection, including the information and evidence below and you must send a copy to the smaller authority. The notice must include:

  • confirmation that you are an elector in the smaller authority’s area;
  • why you are objecting to the accounts and the facts on which you rely;
  • details of any item in the accounts that you think is unlawful; and
  • details of any matter about whichyou think the external auditor should make a public interest report.

Other than it must be in writing, there is no set format for objecting. You can only ask the external auditor to act within the powers available under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.

A final word

You may not use this ‘right to object’ to make a personal complaint or claim against your smaller authority.  You should take such complaints to your local Citizens’ Advice Bureau, local Law Centre or to your solicitor. Smaller authorities, and so local taxpayers, meet the costs of dealing with questions and objections.  In deciding whether to take your objection forward, one of a series of factors the auditor must take into account is the cost that will be involved, they will only continue with the objection if it is in the public interest to do so. They may also decide not to consider an objection if they think that it is frivolous or vexatious, or if it repeats an objection already considered. If you appeal to the courts against an auditor’s decision not to apply to the courts for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful, you will have to pay for the action yourself.

For more detailed guidance on public rights and the special powers of auditors, copies of the publication Local authority accounts: A guide to your rights are available from the NAO website.  If you wish to contact your authority’s appointed external auditor please write to the address in paragraph 4 of the Notice of Public Rights and Publication of Unaudited Annual Governance & Accountability Return.  
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St John’s Church, Little Gidding reopens after refurbishment

By on May 21, 2024   /   Home page latest news, Little Gidding, News stories and reports   /   Leave a comment
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St John's Church, Little Gidding reopens after refurbishment

I’m pleased to say that the renovation works at St John’s Church, Little Gidding have now been completed and the church is now open as previously. 

Little Gidding Church renovations 2024 - new ramp entrance
Little Gidding Church renovations 2024 - new entrance to oratory
Left: New stone ramp to main door; Left: New exterior doorway to Oratory.

Visiting St John’s Church, Little Gidding, Cambridgeshire

The church is open between the hours of 10.00am and 5.00pm everyday of the week. There is parking in the car park adjacent to the Church. We look forward to welcoming you.

Rev Canon Fiona Brampton – Chaplain to Little Gidding

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Notice of the 2024 Annual Parish Meeting of Great & Little Parish Council

By on May 3, 2024   /   Forthcoming events, Great Gidding, Little Gidding, Parish council, Parish Council News & Notices   /   Leave a comment
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Notice of the 2024 Annual Parish Meeting of Great & Little Parish Council

This meeting will take place on Tuesday 21st May 2024

Starting at 7.00PM 

At Great Gidding Village Hall

This is not a formal Parish Council meeting. It is an opportunity for residents of Great and Little Gidding to find out more about the work that the Parish Council are doing, to raise any issues regarding the parish and comment on plans for the coming year.

All residents are welcome to attend.


AGENDA:

  1. Chairman’s welcome
  2. Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 16th May 2023
  3. The Chairman’s Annual Report from the Parish Council
  4. Police Community Support Office Martin will attend the meeting to discuss rural policing matters.
  5. Update on current tasks within the Parish and plans for 2024-25
  • For members of the public to present, discuss and resolve any other matters related to Great and Little Gidding Parish.

Below are the draft Minutes from the 2023 Annual Parish Meeting:

DRAFT MINUTES of the 2023 Annual Parish Meeting of

Great and Little Gidding Parish Council

Tuesday 16th May 2023, 7.00PM at Great Gidding Village Hall

PRESENT:  District Councillor Tim Alban, Parish Councillors Hodson, Maciag, Hargrave, Moody, Bolton and 4 members of the public.

APOLOGIES received from County Councillor Gardener and Parish Councillor D’Altillia

Councillor Hodson, as Chairman, welcomed those present to the meeting and gave an overview of the past year, mentioning the work associated with the closure of the village school, the recent Coronation weekend events and noting that 3 members of the Neighbourhood Plan group were present at the meeting.  He expressed thanks to the Neighbourhood Plan Group who, with those representatives from neighbouring villages, have approached the task with enthusiasm and driven it forward with great success.

Paul Hargrave, representing the Neighbourhood Plan group, gave an outline of the project which will represent the character and diversity of the Giddings, Hamerton and Winwick.  They had studied the requirements of Huntingdonshire District Council’s Local Plan, which contained 38 directives, and devised two questionnaires, one for households and the other for businesses, to gather thoughts and views.  Survey documents have been delivered and responses are being completed and returned, both online and via paper copies.

Using the content of the survey responses, the group will compile a report, any specific aspect relating to an individual parish will be included.  The next stage of the project is to compile a first draft, this will be sent to Hunts DC for their perusal and advice, a second draft will then be written, back to Hunts DC and then sent on to an independent examiner.  A grant application to cover the costs of the project has been made to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.  It is hoped that the project should be concluded by the end of the year, with residents being involved in future stages, and a copy of the final document available to all.

District Councillor Alban complimented the work that had been undertaken by the group thus far, and this was echoed by Councillor Hodson.

The meeting closed at 19.24.

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Newsletter from District Councillor Tim Alban

By on April 29, 2024   /   Great Gidding, Home page latest news, Little Gidding   /   Leave a comment
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Newsletter from District Councillor Tim Alban

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter and is looking forward to the two Bank Holiday weekends coming up in May.

Most, if not all district councillors might say the same but I really do think the Stilton, Folksworth & Washingley ward is one of the most special in Huntingdonshire.  

There is a mix of villages, each with their own charm, as well as their own challenges.  They also have areas and issues in common and it is with that in mind that, along with my fellow ward councillor, Marge Beuttell, I have organised joint meetings for the Chairs and Clerks from the various parish councils and parish meetings.

The most recent two being held in the Milestone Hotel at Norman Cross, where we have received presentations from Huntingdonshire District Council’s Chief Planning Officer and representatives of Cambridgeshire Police.

Most importantly though, these meetings continue to provide an opportunity to meet with each other, to share common problems and exchange ideas; I am pleased that Marge and I have been supported in this by County Councillors Simon Bywater and Ian Gardener.  I am also pleased that the Great & Little Gidding Parish Council has been represented at each of these meetings.

Our next meeting will hopefully be in the autumn, where I intend to invite a representatives from the district council’s Operations team to discuss the changes in the garden waste collections.  Speaking of which…

I have received direct correspondence and seen comments on social media about the changes, most – although not all – have been negative.  Without being too political, I feel it appropriate to confirm that I remain unconvinced that there was a need to introduce a green bin charge and didn’t vote in favour of it;.  That said it was democratically voted for by the majority of elected district councillors and the changes have been made.

The new arrangements, including the offer of up to 10 large bins at a central site in villages such as Great Gidding have prompted further comments (particularly about communication levels) and I have followed these up with council officers.

During the Spring & Summer, anyone, whether they have paid the green bin charge or not, can take their garden bin to be emptied into a freighter (dust cart) at a specified location, on a Saturday morning once a month; the nearest for residents of Great & Little Gidding are Stilton and Sawtry.  

Further information, including the schedule and locations can be found via https://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/bins-waste/garden-waste-subscription-service/garden-waste-initiatives/freighter-locations-and-schedule/

On Thursday 2nd May there will be elections for the post of Police & Crime Commissioner and one change from the last time we voted is that, anyone voting in person (rather than by post) will need to show Photo ID.  Acceptable forms of ID can be found via https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id/accepted-forms-photo-id

From the fens in the East to the Huntingdonshire Wolds in the West, and from Little Gidding in the South to the river Nene in the North, the Stilton, Folksworth & Washingley ward is one of the largest in the Huntingdonshire District and I continue to enjoy working with Marge to represent the people who live here.  With such a wide area, Marge focusses on the North and I focus on the South; to contact me, please email me via tim.alban@huntingdonshire.gov.uk or call 07903 518967.

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2024-03-19 Minutes of Great & Little Gidding Parish Council meeting

By on April 17, 2024   /   Great Gidding, Little Gidding, Parish council, Parish Council Minutes   /   Leave a comment
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2024-03-19 Minutes of Great & Little Gidding Parish Council meeting

Present:  Councillors Hodson, Moody, Hargrave, D’Altilia, and Maciag and the Clerk. 

172.23 Cllr Hodson, as Chairman, welcomed those present to the meeting

173.23 Apologies for absence:

County Councillor Gardener – at another meeting

Councillor Sanders – work commitments

Councillor Bolton – not available

174.23 Cllr Hodson declared an interest in agenda item 181.23

175.23 There were no members of Press or Public in attendance

176.23 Minutes of the meeting held on 20th February 2024 were declared as a correct record – proposed by Cllr Moody and seconded by Cllr Hargrave

177.23 Reports from Councillors and Clerk:

Cllr Maciag had attended a meeting with HuntsDC and other members of the Neighbourhood Plan group to discuss the draft policy.  They were advised that some re-editing was required, particularly with regard to policies and planning matters.  Once this has been completed, the Plan will be re-submitted to HuntsDC.

Also, monies left in the Neighbourhood Plan budget will have to be returned to the Department of Levelling Up after the end of the financial year on 30th March 2024, and then re-applied for in respect of the 2024-25 budget.

Clerk – PCSO Sergeant Martin has accepted the invitation to attend the Annual Parish Meeting.

Clerk has completed an online survey from CambsCC regarding the re-introduction by the Council to spray weeds with chemicals – the request was made to include our Parish in weed spraying schedules.

Clerk had forwarded to Councillors the recently received email about alternative plans for those who have not signed up to the Garden Waste Subscription Service.  Larger villages will have a monthly collection, Great & Little Gidding fall into another category where they were offered up to 10 bins to be sited/emptied from Parish Council owned property.  Lengthy discussion followed regarding locations and logistics.  District Councillor Alban joined the meeting during this discussion, having been at the Folksworth & Washingley Parish Council meeting, where similar questions and observations were made.  On the whole it was felt that the District Council was transferring many problems and issues regarding green waste disposal to Parish Councils and the Clerk was asked to compile an email of comments and observations and send to the District Council (cc to Cllr Alban).

District Cllr Alban reminded those present of the District Wide Parish Council meeting to be held on the evening of 20th March at Norman Cross Motel.

Cllr Hodson asked if anything further had been heard about HuntsDC Call for Sites report  (Clerk had checked their website and there was no mention) – he will enquire about its progress.

178.23 Financial Matters

            a a) to note Barclays Bank statements for Parish Council account.

  • Parish Council (everyday) Account  – balance as at 4/3/2024 £2323.92 (includes £500 bequest)
    • Parish Council Deposit Account – balance as at 4/3/2024 £26,286.99 (1.85% interest applicable)
    • Defibrillator account – balance as at 4/3/2023 – £248.84

b) PAYMENTS – Clerks wages and Village Hall payments were approved

* see 182.23 regarding the Microsoft payment.

WhoWhat forTOTALInvoice includes this VAT amountAuthorisedAuthorised
Microsoft *Purchase of Microsoft 365 annual subscription£59.99NONE  
J R TroloveWages for January (31 hours) *** NONE  
Village Hall payments     
Inkwell PrintersFlyers for VH committee members£40.00n/a  
Allied Westminster Insurance856.00 n/a  

c) Clerk’s working hours for February were approved as a total of 30.5.

179.23 Planning applications and other planning matters

            61 Main Street – extension to form orangery.

            As this was a resubmission of a lapsed permission, the Parish Council have no objections.

180.23 School playground – proposal from Milton Estates.  Cllr Maciag had advised Milton Estates that the Parish Council would not be buying or leasing the School House from them.  Milton Estates then asked if the Parish Council would continue with the project to convert the school playground to a MUGA – Councillors agreed that Cllr Maciag should advise Milton Estates that the Parish Council are still interested in this site.

181.23 Allotments – Cllr Hodson requests approval  for installation of 8 x 6 shed, to replace an existing shed on his allotment – approved by Cllr Moody and seconded by Cllr Hargrave.

182.23 IT and online storage – Clerk has had issues with the laptop as storage capacity of 5MB was overfull and emails could no longer be sent or received.  She has deleted lots of non-essential documents and emails, stored documents on memory sticks and this has alleviated the problem for the very short term, and was grateful for advice from a resident.  Part of the problem is due to the expiry of the Microsoft package.  Discussion followed about payment for the Microsoft package, now only available online via payment by debit/credit card, which the Parish Council does not have. 

            Clerk was asked to enquire how other Parish Clerks overcome this.

            Clerk was recommended to purchase an external hard drive to increase storage capacity.

183.23 Highways, Byways and Footpaths

Hemington Lodge Road – Temporary Traffic Road Closure mid-April for repairs.  Clerk had been contacted by Clearchannel and directed them to CambsCC Highways Dept  to answer their specific enquiries.

Chapel End – Temporary Prohibition of through traffic between 12th and 18th March – this was thought to be another water leak issue between the Mill and Gains Lane, but details are not known

184.23 Recreation Ground – application to HuntsDC for bio-diversity grant was unsuccessful.  Councillors agreed not to reapply.

185.23 Village Maintenance

Benches in Main Street – one quote has been provided,  Cllr Hodson felt this was too high, various suggestions made about how to get this work done and this will be added to the April meeting agenda.

Cllr Moody requested Clerk to enquire of Highways Dept if 2 x 3 seater benches can be sited on the area of grass opposite the shop (intersection on the Luddington Road/Winwick Road).

186.23 Correspondence received since 20th February 2024:

a) NALC

b) Cambridgeshire County Council

  • Help at home – care micro enterprises
  • www.volunteercambs.org.uk – ways to volunteer and where
  • Traffic Management Centre monthly report
  • Easter Holiday Activities and Food Programme

c) Huntingdonshire District Council

  • Installation of cigarette butt bins in centre of Huntingdon
  • Community bio-diversity grant scheme
  • Police & Crime Commissioner election on 2 May 2024 – poster re identification requirement
  • Festival of Huntingdonshire – slides from the online session
  • Reminder that householders can still sign up for Green Bin collection

d) Cambs ACRE – staying in touch, Kirsten Bennett to step down as Chief Executive,

e) CAPALC – March training sessions, selling D DAY 80 Flag of Peace,

f) eCOPS etc – tackling speeding, parking and anti-social behaviour,  news from the Courts,  Police Community Engagement sessions, Action Fraud

g) Parish Online – newsletter

h) Jon Parsons – email request to metal detect on Parish Council property – Clerk will respond as Parish Council does not own land that can be detected.

i) Barclays Bank – scams and how to avoid them

j) Ian Clarke Dip Arb L4 (ABC) TechArborA, Arboricultural Consultant, S P Landscapes & Tree Contractors Ltd – offer to survey trees in the parish – Clerk will retain this information for the future survey of trees in the Parish.

187.23 Items for next Meeting (including Annual Parish Meeting):

            21st May is the date of the Annual Parish Meeting – preparation of annual review

Preparation of Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR)

Appoint an Auditor to carry out Internal review

188.23 The next meeting of the Parish Council will take place on

Tuesday 16th April 2024 at Great Gidding Village Hall, starting at 7.30PM

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2024-02-20 Minutes of Great & Little Gidding Parish Council

By on April 17, 2024   /   Giddings history, Little Gidding, Parish council, Parish Council Minutes   /   Leave a comment
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2024-02-20 Minutes of Great & Little Gidding Parish Council

Present:  Councillors Hodson, Bolton,  Moody, Hargrave, County Councillor Gardener and the Clerk. 

159.23 Cllr Hodson, as Chairman, welcomed those present to the meeting

160.23 Apologies and reasons for absence:

            District Councillor Tim Alban – at other meetings

            Councillor Maciag – work commitment

            Councillor D’Altilia – work commitment                   

161.23 There were no member’s declarations of Disclosable Interests for items on the Agenda

162.23 No members of the Press or Public were present

163.23 Minutes of the meeting held on 16th January  2024 were confirmed as a correct record,      proposed by Councillor Bolton and seconded by Councillor Hargrave                      

164.23 To receive reports from Councillors and Clerk

            District Councillor Alban – combined Parish Meeting on 20th March at Norman Cross

            County Councillor Gardener :

            The future of Kimbolton Fire Station will be discussed at a meeting on Tuesday 19th March at Kimbolton, to which Councillors are encouraged to attend.

            Cambridgeshire County Show is back, taking place on 1 June 2024, with a new venue of Abbots Ripton Estate.

            County Council element of Council Tax will rise 4.99%

            Weeding of highways is to be re-instated as it was found that more damage was caused by not weeding, gullies blocked, safety of footpath users.

            20MPH scheme applications should be submitted by Friday 15th March

            The Combined Authorities Mayoral Tax is to increase – one of the measures is to improve local bus services, including the Ting bus

            Crime and Police Commissioner will increase Council Tax by £12.96

            Fire Authority will increase their element of the Council Tax by 3%

            Huntingdonshire District Council meet on 21st February to confirm their Council Tax increase.

            Councillor Gardener left the meeting.

            Councillor Hodson advised that he will not continue as Chairman, with effect from the 2024 Annual Parish Council Meeting.

            There were no further reports from Councillors, or the Clerk.        

165.23 FINANCIAL MATTERS:

            a) Barclays Bank statement had been forwarded to Councillors prior to the meeting.

  • Parish Council (everyday) Account  – balance as at 2/2/2024 £2905.06 (includes £500 bequest)
    • Parish Council Deposit Account – balance as at 2/2/2024 £26,189.05 (1.85% interest applicable)
    • Defibrillator account – balance as at 2/2/2023 – £247.91

            b) PAYMENTS – to approve online payments in respect of the following:

 WhoWhat forTOTALInvoice includes this VAT amountAuthorisedAuthorised
 J R TroloveWages for December (31.5 hours)XxxNIL  
 JRB Enterprises3 x packs of dog waste bags110.5218.42  
 Refund to Julie TroloveDisposable gloves for dog waste bin+other supplies16.27NONE  
 SLCCAnnual Subscription Due 1/4/2024    

Councillor Hodson had provided his monthly Cashflow forecast and Budget update.  He had included Neighbourhood Plan budget (in place of Contingency), and updated Village Maintenance with the purchase of the second speed awareness camera. 

  • Clerk’s working hours for January were approved as a total of 31.

166.23 PLANNING applications and other planning matters:

  1. School playground area/School House  – Mark Freer at CambsCC is overseeing this site and was asked for an update on the timeframe and process – his response is awaited.

b)Community Asset meeting – held on 6th February, all sites within the Parish were considered and discussed.   

c)Anaerobic Digester – nothing further heard on 9/2/2024.  There is currently a new building appearing at Rectory Farm, a “hotel” or accommodation block for seasonal workers – North Northants Highways raised concerns prior to planning approval, considerable traffic being generated along Hemington Lodge Road, rather than Gypsy Lane (as outlined in the application) – Application Number: NE/23/01036/PDU.

  Clerk will enquire, via HuntsDC, if we can apply for CIL in respect of this development.

167.23 Roads, footpaths and bridleways:

a) LHI bid for 20MPH scheme for Church Lane, Little Gidding has been submitted by Councillor Bolton today.  The Clerk will forward this to Parish Councillors and County Councillor Gardener.

b) speed camera installed – has been “noticed” by many

c) Flytip on the Bullock Road reported on 2/2/2024

168.23 Village Maintenance

  1. Benches – refurbishment/repaint or install replacement(s) – clerk will seek quotes for refurbishment to enable comparison of prices with replacement benches.  Councillor Moody enquired about the grass area opposite the shop (WInwick Road/Luddington Road) and whether a bench might be sited there in the future – this is County Council  owned land, this area is included in their grass cutting programme, although they are only obliged to cut once a year, therefore the Parish Council include this area in their grass cutting contract to keep the area looking tidy.
  2. Volunteer for emptying of dog waste bin (Chapel End) has changed – supplies purchased (see payments above).  Clerk has emailed thanks to those involved.
  3. Litter Pick and tidy up tasks around the Parish – due to the very wet ground conditions, and grass already growing well, this will not take place. 

(There is a day of clearing and tidying planned for Saturday 24th February in Jubilee Wood starting at 9.30AM – also cancelled due to wet ground conditions).

169.23 Correspondence received since 19th January 2024:

a) NALC newsletters –NALC events list, Legal update, Consultation to update the Model Financial Regulations, Legal Update (including fire safety for non-domestic buildings)

b) Cambridgeshire County Council –

  • Cambridgeshire Matters monthly newsletter
  • Traffic Management Centre – reports for incidents in February
  • Highways report in respect of damaged sign on Hemington Lodge Road
  • Understanding children who self harm
  • Micro Asphalt road treatments – NONE locally
  • Advert for Youth Work role in St Neots
  • Hi-VIS event for Huntingdonshire Blind, 10am -12 noon on Friday 14th June at Huntingdon Library.
  • A proposed change to the Highways Operational Standards relating to weed control.
  • Public Health Campaign to Raise Awareness of cases of Measles
  • Invitation to ‘Relationships for mental wellbeing’ at a symposium event on 29th February.
  • Grant fund offering to enrich the lifelong learning and skills offer for adults who are aged 19+ and residents of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
  • Cambridge Carbon Footprint who offer community events/activities across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
  • Flood Resilience Day, at the Wisbech Library, Ely Place, Wisbech, PE13 1EU on Saturday 24th February from 10am to 1pm
  • Road surface dressing program – nearest to us is Upton

c) Huntingdonshire District Council –

  • invitation to Waste Minimisation event – Weds 28th Feb at Pathfinder House – vermicomposting systems
  • Shop front grant scheme for St Neots and Ramsey
  • report on One Leisure Parish Sports Summer Programme
  • Community Tree Planting Day at Sapley Playing Field – 15th February
  • Festival of Huntingdonshire – online meeting 19th February 2-3PM (Clerk will attend)
  • CAPALC– several emails about the various training courses available, January bulletin forwarded to Councillors prior to meeting, some important changes in fire safety legislation recently following the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2023,

Section 137 funding for 2024/25 is £10.81 per elector

  • Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority –
  • Combined Authority Local Transport and Connectivity Plan team

f)   Greater Peterborough/Greater Cambridge Partnerships

g)  Neighbourhood Alert/ECOPS etc – bus stop posters warning of scams, Sarah’s Law-protecting children, monthly newsletter,

News from the Courts emails,

Thieves target vans

h) Cambridgeshire ACRE –  Staying in touch newsletter, Centenary Community Buildings Conference: Celebrating 100 years of village halls invitation to Thursday 21 March 2024, at the Gardiner Memorial Hall, High Street, Burwell, Cambridge, CB25 0HD (must sign up in advance),. 

i)  Parish Online Newsletter

j) Gigaclear – keeping in touch, no further news.

k) from County Councillor Ian Gardener – invitation to meeting on Tuesday 19th March regarding closure of Kimbolton Fire Station

l) VCSE Data and Insights National Observatory  – survey to be completed

m) 5/2 – Email of introduction from PCSO Sargeant Anna Martin, who covers this area – she will be asked to attend the Annual Parish Meeting.

n) Cambs YFC – County Show at Abbots Ripton Estate on Saturday 1st June – poster for printing

o) Portrait of the King available to Town and Parish Councils – FREE – it was decided that this was not required.

170.23 Items for next meeting:

            Annual Parish Meeting

171.23 The next meeting of the Parish Council will take place on

Tuesday 19th March 2024 at Great Gidding Village Hall, starting at 7.30PM

Meeting closed at 20.50

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2024-01-16 Minutes of Great & Little Gidding Parish Council meeting.

By on April 17, 2024   /   Great Gidding, Little Gidding, Parish council, Parish Council Minutes   /   Leave a comment
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2024-01-16 Minutes of Great & Little Gidding Parish Council meeting.

Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 16th January 2024

Present:  Councillors Hodson, Bolton,  Maciag, Moody, Hargrave, D’Altilia and Sanders, and the Clerk. 

146.23 Cllr Hodson, as Chairman, welcomed those present to the meeting

147.23 Apologies and reasons for absence were received from:

            County Councillor Gardener – attending another meeting

            District Councillor Alban – attending another meeting                    

148.23 Member’s declaration of Disclosable Interests for items on the Agenda were made by Cllr Hodson in respect of 155.23 – Allotments

149.23 No members of Public & Press were in attendance

150.23 Minutes of the meeting held on 19th December  2023 were confirmed as a true and correct record by Cllrs Bolton and Maciag.                       

151.23 Reports from Councillors and Clerk:

            Cllr Bolton – Cllrs had agreed, prior to this meeting, not to submit an LHI bid for the current round of assessment and funding.  The details of the next round of 20MPH bid process had been received and Cllr Bolton agreed to resubmit the application  in respect of Church Lane, Little Gidding.

Cllr Hargrave will attend a meeting on infra-red heating (for the Village Hall) on 24th January.

Cllr Maciag advised that the first draft of the Neighbourhood Plan is on track to be sent to Hunts DC by the end of January.

Cllr Moody had read through the accompanying documents for the recent CambsCC Budget meeting  (Clerk and Councillors had not been available to attend the online meeting).  Her summary was that there were many budget cuts to be made, but nothing that would greatly impact on our residents.

Clerk had corresponded with the developer of the Gains Lane property regarding items left on the roadside – he advised the landscaping of the property is to be completed when better weather arrives, and the former property owner has an outstanding matter to complete.

Gidding News had been distributed at the end of December – so far there have been no responses to questions/requests made.

152.23 FINANCIAL MATTERS:

            a) to note Barclays Bank statements for Parish Council account.

  • Parish Council (everyday) Account  – balance as at 4/12/2023 £6048.11 (includes £500 bequest)
    • Parish Council Deposit Account – balance as at 22/12/2023   £26,189.05 (1.85% interest applicable)
    • Defibrillator account – balance as at 4/12/2023 – £247.91

            b) PAYMENTS – the following online payments were approved by all:

 WhoWhat forTOTALInvoice includes this VAT amountAuthorisedAuthorised
 J R TroloveWages for November (30 hours)XxxNIL  
 Inkwell PrintingPrinting of newsletter40.00NIL  
 Catalyst Design (invoice awaited)Additional storage for website48.008.00  
 Cameo Print & Display (for Neighbourhood Plan)Display boards279.7246.62  
 Cambs ACREAnnual subscription60.0010.00  
 Village Hall & Recreation Ground Payments     
 A C Cleaning ServicesVillage Hall cleaning-December & January22.50N/A  
 Fenland FireAnnual inspection of appliances134.82N/A  
 British Gas LightElectricity DIRECT DEBIT79.24N/A  
  • to approve Clerk’s working hours for November       –         total of 31.5.  These hours were approved by all.

Cllr Hodson advised that, after updating the cash flow forecast, the budget figures were all adequate but, due to the various additional issues that had arisen during 2023, the wages budget would be exceeded.

It was agreed that a further £50 should be added to the Website budget to cover any future storage/amendment requirements.

153.23 PLANNING applications and other planning matters:

  1. School playground area/School House  – the registration of the area as an Asset of Community Value was unsuccessful.  Contact is now John MacMillan of the Property Team at CambsCC (Jonathan Lewis to leave the employ of the County Council in the near future).

An additional meeting of the Trustees of the Village Hall & Recreation Ground will be held in February, to consider all community assets and the way forward.

  • Anaerobic Digester – nothing further heard on 10/1/2024
  • Galliford Try/Cornerstone – have  acknowledged the “no objections”  email sent following the December meeting, regarding the proposed telecommunications base station to be sited at Longbrook Farm, Thurning, PE8 5RG

154.23 Roads, footpaths and bridleways:

a) Clerk has obtained a quote for an additional speed camera, to be sited on the second post opposite Manor Site Farm – Cllr Moody proposed the purchase of another unit, seconded by Cllr Hargrave. 

Further road safety measures were discussed for presentation as a future bid for LHI funding.

b) Ian Gardener/Tim Alban/Highways Department – correspondence regarding Milking Slade and Bullock Road potholes – Highways Department had visited and will take action.  District Cllr Alban has also reported the damaged name plate on the sign for Hemington Lodge Road – Clerk had measured the sign and this will be replaced by CambsCC contractor.

155.23 Allotments – it was agreed that the rent should remain at £25 per allotment.  No additional  terms or amendment to the tenancy agreement were required. 
At the next meeting of Gidding Charity Trustees (owner of the allotment site), the water meter/high increase in water charge will be discussed

156.23 Correspondence received since 21st December 2023:

a) NALC newsletters –NALC events list, Legal update, Consultation to update the Model Financial Regulations, Legal Update (including fire safety for non-domestic buildings)

b) Cambridgeshire County Council –

  • Cambridgeshire Matters monthly newsletter INCLUDING
  • Traffic Management Centre – reports for incidents in December
  • Request for volunteers to join schools admissions panel

c) Huntingdonshire District Council –

  • Press release – 4/1 first Community Biodiversity Grant awarded.
  • Press release – 8/1 regarding St Neots Town Centre Improvement project.
  • Press release – 37 community spaces awarded funding
  • Various emails from Emergency Planning Tactical Co-Ordinating Group (TCG) regarding flooding incidents
  • Town and Parish Council Newsletter – forwarded on 10/1/2023 prior to meeting
  • CAPALC– several emails about the various training courses available, January bulletin forwarded to Councillors prior to meeting, some important changes in fire safety legislation recently following the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2023,

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority –

 Combined Authority Local Transport and Connectivity Plan team

f)Greater Peterborough/Greater Cambridge Partnerships

g) Neighbourhood Alert/ECOPS etc –

News from the Courts emails

Tackling lorry thefts across Cambridgeshire and how to protect your lorry

h) Cambridgeshire ACRE –

i)  Parish Online Newsletter – January

j) email from resident suggesting showing of film “6 Inches of Soil”  – Cllr Hodson thought this should be explored further.  The resident will be requested to provide further information.

k) Gigaclear have forwarded the slides that were used in their December presentation

l) BHIB Councils (Parish Council insurer) have changed name to Clear Councils from 1/12/2023, email regarding hints and tips for dealing with winter weather.

m) North Northants Council advise (22/12/23) on 7 December 2023, the meeting of the Full Council approved the adoption of the East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2.  http://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/ENLP

n) from Abigail Benson, Milton Estates, to advise that the Dryer Yard is to be marketed for sale.

o) Cambridgeshire Home Improvement Agency – offer to advise/guide on available grants and products – Cllr Hargrave had expressed an earlier interest in this scheme and it had been mentioned on the December issue of Gidding News.

157.23 Items for next meeting:

            Village litter pick and tidy up tasks

            20MPH scheme for Little Gidding     

158.23 The next meeting of the Parish Council will take place on

Tuesday 20th February 2024 at Great Gidding Village Hall, starting at 7.30PM

The February meeting will be followed by a Village Hall & Recreation Field meeting.

Meeting closed at 20.35

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