Cambs County Council were unable to complete roadworks that were planned at the end of last year. The revised date for the work is Monday 20th January between 8am and 4pm. Vehicular access will be restricted and signs for the diversion route will be in place for through traffic.
Cambridgeshire County Council have advised that, for one day only, Main Street, Great Gidding will be closed between 9.30am and 3.30pm. There will be limited access to properties – householders have been informed by letter. Diversion signs will indicate an alternative route.
Anglian Water will be carrying out work in Main Street on 18th September to 20th September 2024 and the road will be closed. Signs will be in place with diversion routes.
Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 20th December in Great Gidding Village Hall
PRESENT: Cllrs Hodson, D’Altilia, Hargrave, Moodya and the Clerk. Joined by 3 members of the public – 1 for 160.22 and general enquiry, 2 for 164.22
150.22 Cllr Hodson, as Chairman, welcomed those present to the meeting.
151.22 Apologies were received from:
County Councillor Gardener – another meeting
District Councillor Alban – another meeting
Councillor Maciag – illness
152.22 There were no member’s declarations of Disclosable Interests for items on the Agenda
153.22 Public & Press participation session with respect to items on the Agenda:
TM was in attendance to discuss concerns about the parking along Main Street, particularly around the School, and the speed of traffic along the same stretch of road. Cllr Hodson advised that parking by school parents/staff/visitors had been a problem for decades and it was difficult to see how this could be resolved or improved as the availability of parking at the Village Hall was not utilised fully and the recent installation of the MVAS sign to monitor traffic in this area was ongoing. Cllr Moody requested the Clerk to enquire of Highways Department what measures could be taken to improve this area of Main Street.
JD and MK, representing the PCC, joined at the request of Cllr Hargrave to discuss the Coronation of King Charles and ways in which the village could mark the event and celebrate together. A list of suggestions had been shared prior to the meeting. It was agreed that it was not necessary to close the road as there were other areas in the Parish where events could be held. The Church particularly would be involved and local businesses would be invited to join/support too. Residents will be informed and asked to help out, and a meeting will be held in January to put together a plan.
154.22 To confirm and accept minutes of the meeting held on 15th November 2022. Clerk had missed the recording of the decisions regarding Planning Applications – this has been amended and therefore Cllr Bolton recommended acceptance, seconded by Cllr Hargrave.
155.22 There were no matters arising from those Minutes that will not be discussed as an agenda item.
156.22 Reports from Councillors and Clerk:
Cllr Hargrave commented on the Gains Lane property that has remained empty for over a year – Clerk will write to Chorus Homes and request that they take steps to resolve this matter.
157.22 FINANCIAL MATTERS:
a) Barclays Bank statements for Parish Council account had been shared prior to the meeting.
b) PAYMENTS – the following payments were approved:
| Who | What for | TOTAL | Invoice includes this VAT amount | Authorised | Authorised | |
| J R Trolove | Wages for October (36.5 hours) | Xxx | NIL | JRT | ||
| Viking Direct | Office supplies for Parish Council | 97.36 | 16.23 | |||
| Firetext payments x 2 (refund to FD) | Messaging service | 62.40 | 10.40 | |||
| Firetext – monthly payment | Refund to FD | 14.40 | 2.40 | |||
| CAPALC | Training AH | 75.00 | NIL | |||
| CambsACRE | Annual membership fee | 57.00 | NIL | |||
| VILLAGE HALL account | ||||||
| A C Cleaning Services | Village Hall Cleaning | 13.00 | ~ | |||
| Viking Direct (for Village Hall) | supplies | 99.24 | ~ | |||
| Defibrillator account *** | ||||||
| WEL Medical (paid prior to meeting) | replacement pads | 85.85 | ~ | JRT | PH |
*** Cllr Hodson advised that fund raising may be required to top up the account.
158.22 Planning Applications and Planning matters –
a)Further correspondence re. Telecommunications mast and base station in Thurning/Luddington/Hemington Parish has been received and shared prior to the meeting – an objection had been raised and an alternative site suggested.
b) Proposal: Single storey rear extension, demolition of existing conservatory and external works to property frontage.
Site Address: 50 Main Street Great Gidding Huntingdon
Reference: 22/02176/HHFUL – deadline 19th December, advised our response will be available on or before 23rd December
An email had been received from neighbour regarding this and other matters.
OBJECTION as the visibility splay onto B660/Main Street will be further obstructed by the proposed wall and fence, at a point where there is a bend in the road, creating an unsafe exit from the Village Hall car park. This will also be the comment from the Village Hall Trustees who, as a neighbouring property, were consulted on this application.
159.22 Training opportunities for Councillors and Clerk – none at present.
160.22 LHI bid for 2023/2024 – DEADLINE for bids 6th JANUARY – bids to exclude 20MPH zones/limits (which had been proposed for Little Gidding)
a)Little Gidding junction – to improve safety and signage (see County Councillor Gardener’s email clarifying stages for application). Further clarification is required regarding the road between Great and Steeple Gidding and speed limits approaching the Little Gidding junction but, when the 20MPH scheme is open for applications, this may be applied for in respect of the lane down to the houses/Church at Little Gidding.
b)Main Street – double yellow lines down one side between various points – Cllr Hargrave had measured the width of Main Street from the T junction with Mill Road, to the crossroads with Chapel End/Luddington Road (see attached map) – there was a narrowing from Church Farm/Village Hall to the bank up to the Church – after much discussion it was decided that an LHI bid would not be submitted for this project, but to await the response from Highways Department to see what measures were recommended (see 153.22 above).
161.22 Neighbourhood Plan update – Minutes of the meeting held on 23 November had been shared prior to the meeting, together with Minutes from Hamerton and Steeple Gidding’s Parish Meeting and Winwick Parish Meeting.
Proposal to join with Winwick and Hamerton/Steeple Gidding to produce a joint Neighbourhood Plan – Cllr Hodson proposed and this was seconded by Cllr D’Altilia
Sawtry Neighbourhood Plan – pre-consultation document and open days on 10 December and 20 January
Clerk had made enquiries regarding GDPR requirements and insurance for this project and established that this will be under the Parish Council cover. She recommended that a dedicated email be set up for use by the group. She has requested sight of the budget for the project, as any payments will require approval through the Parish Council meetings.
The next meeting of the Neighbourhood Plan Group, made up of residents of Great, Little Gidding, Hamerton and Winwick, will take place on 3 January 2023.
162.22 Recreation Ground – nothing to discuss
163.22 Review of Gidding News associated projects:
Coat of Arms “vote” – Of the votes received, 47% chose option E. Parishioners will be notified on the next issue of Gidding News.
Text Messaging Service – take up has been slower than expected. A reminder will appear on the next Gidding News.
164.22 Preparation for the Coronation of King Charles III – see 153.22 above
Street Party licence applications deadline is 10/3/2023
Highways Event licence applications deadline is 10/2/2023
165.22 NALC’s Civility and Respect policy – https://www.nalc.gov.uk/our-work/civility-and-respect-project
166.22 Review of noticeboards in the parish – Cllr D’Altilia had received parishioner comments regarding information sharing of Parish events. The Parish Council now only use the noticeboard at the Village Hall, the board at the Rec Field is for information associated with that site. Ownership of the board near the school is not clear, the board is open to the elements and unsuitable for notices. Clerk and Cllr D’Altilia will meet to explore what other means of communication with residents can be implemented.
167.22 Correspondence received since 15th November 2022:
a) NALC newsletters – dated 22/11 +29/11 re. Events, 23/11 + 30/11+15/12 newsletter, 25/11 Chief Exec bulletin, 14/12 newsletter, 12/12 NALC open letter (forwarded to Councillors)
| b) Neighbourhood Alert/ECops etc – email dated 21/11, 22/11,22/11 stolen jewellery, 24/11 Christmas shopping fraud, 28/11+5/12 from the Courts, 6/12 fraud alert, 6/12 Christmas warning, 8/12 999 calls, 12/12 jailed in Cambridgeshire, – also weapons seized. c) Resident’s verbal report to Clerk regarding increase in dog mess, both on footpath and elsewhere in the village. There has been an increase in dog ownership during and since COVID lockdowns and Councillors were aware in the increasing problem throughout the village. The following comment from Huntingdonshire District Council’s website will be included on the next issue of the Gidding News, together with the link to the reporting page (https://forms.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/DOGFOUL/launch) “ Offenders may be issued with a fixed penalty notice of £100 or a fine of up to £1,000 if prosecuted under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.” Also a request for volunteers to empty dog waste bins, as the Parish Council has unused bins in storage due to lack of volunteers to empty them (health and safety briefing will be given). |
d) CAPALC email dated 9/12 – monthly update shared prior to meeting
e) Cambs CC email 24/11 Children’s Services newsletter, Think Communities newsletter dated 25/11, flood preparedness events and webinar on 14th December, 12/12 rights and responsibilities regarding watercourses, Highways Traffic Management training sessions (possible use for Coronation events),
f) Hunts DC email dated 23/11 Warm Spaces grants and more funding for this, and 14/12. 1/12, 25/11 + 6/12 changes to waste collection dates over Christmas/New Year, 2/12 Oxmoor tree planting,
g) Economic Development Huntingdonshire DC invest@huntingdonshire.gov.uk – weekly Business News – 24/11, 1/12, 8/12, 15/12
h) Cambs Acre – 23/11 safer recruitment and regulated activities, November newsletter,
i) Combined Authority Cambridgeshire and Peterborough update 22/11, 5/12, 7/12 Making Connections, 12/12 Have your say on Medium Term financial planning,
j) Parish online – 1 year free subscription with BHIB insurance – signed up but advised we did not qualify for free access, unless we have 3/5 year package deal.
k) Greater Cambridgeshire – 24/11 + 7/12 Making Connections travel consultation – deadline 23 December,
l) Gigaclear – various emails around 22/11 re upgrade of service and enquiry regarding a property in Main Street.
m) response from T Branson & Son and further comments regarding the Milking Slade Lane highways improvements, additional information regarding rural crime and local vandalism. Councillors have noted the comments contained therein.
168.22 Items for next meeting:
Adoption of NALC’s Civility and Respect Policy
Review of Parish Council Policy documents – update and add new policies
Consider Speaker or subject for Annual Parish Meeting in April
Review of grass cutting contract and appointment of contractor
169.22 The next meeting will take place on Tuesday 17th January 2023
starting at 1930 hours in the Village Hall, Great Gidding.
Meeting closed at 21.20
Sample some amazing wines with Andrea Hargrave – Great Gidding’s very own Master of Wine! Andrea has over 25 years of experience and is one of only 419 Masters of Wine scattered over 30 countries and 6 continents.
If you like a particular wine you will be able to purchase a bottle to take home.
Date: Tuesday 22nd November 2022, 7:30pm start
Venue: Great Gidding Village Hall
Tickets: £15 per person
Book via:
Phone: 01832 293752
Email: andrea@characterwines.co.uk
Online: www.characterwines.co.uk
Limited tickets available so book early to avoid disappointment
*Over 18’s only
Notification has been received this evening that work will commence on roads around the parish to complete the next stage of the Local Highways Improvement programme. The work starts tomorrow, Wednesday 23rd February, and is anticipated to take place until Friday. This will affect Chapel End, Main Street, Mill Road, Luddington Road and Milking Slade Lane at various times over the next few days.
From Cambridgeshire County Council Highways Department:
To ensure works are carried out safely and efficiently, stop/ go boards will be used as part of the traffic management between 07.30 am and 17.30 pm.
Access will be maintained for properties and businesses, however, there might be some delays depending on the activities being carried out on site. Traffic management operatives will be on site to assist anyone.
Please note that due to the nature of our works, there will be some noise generated when carrying out the works. This is unfortunately unavoidable, however, we will endeavor to complete them in a timely manner in order to minimise disruption to the residents.
We thank you in advance for your co-operation and understanding during this time. If you have any further queries or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Project Delivery
Cambridgeshire Highways
T: (+44) 1480 372170
M: (+44) 7776 679371
Main Street in Great Gidding was temporarily blocked off on Tuesday 21st December 2021 whilst the newly refurbished school bell tower was lifted into place prior to refitting.
There have been requests to repeat the display of poppies on the fence opposite the Fox and Hounds. If you would like to make/craft poppies to add to the display please deliver them to Manor Site Farm/87 Main Street on or before 29th October. Last year many poppies were made from wool, the schoolchildren made a big poppy from their hand prints, others were made from wood, and some from recycled materials – can’t wait to see what is made for this year.
Poppies will appear on the fence between 1st and 11th November.
Thank you
Come and say hello to ting
WHERE: Village Hall car park, Great Gidding
WHEN: Friday 22nd October, between 13.20 and 14.20 hours
The ting bus is visiting Great Gidding so we all have chance to see what this new on demand transport service is all about before it launches on Monday.
Come along, there will be handouts and a chance to chat to one of the drivers too.
Background – Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is trialling a new demand responsive transport system called ting. Instead of running to a fixed timetable, you can now book trips across West Hunts using the ting trips app, or the booking line, when you need them. Once you have booked your journey, it will tell you how long until your bus arrives and where it will meet you so you can hop on board. You can track it live too. You can head over to www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/east/Ting for all the information.
We had a fleeting visitor to Great Gidding on Tuesday, a cormorant, which was first reported outside the end bungalow in Mill Road and then walked and flew down Main Street. Late morning today there were again a number of sightings in Main Street. Eventually, the bird was standing in the road outside the Village Hall whereupon it was later captured and taken into care for its own safety.
Cormorants originally used to be a seabird frequenting the cliffs around the British Isles and Northern Europe; although in recent years they have moved inland, possibly because of declining fish stocks around our coasts. They nest in colonies in trees, locally there are colonies at Little Paxton Nature Reserve with currently about 50 nests. They also nest on the Ouse & Nene Washes, Holme and other places in Cambridgeshire, birds often fly out from the colonies to feed in lakes, particularly those that hold good quantities of fish.
Cormorants are difficult to love, seen up close they are quite reptilian in features having a very sharp hooked beak as Graham, from The Waterfowl Sanctuary, and myself can testify. Cormorants have been persecuted by man in the past because of the adverse effects they are thought to have on fish stocks. They are a protected species under the Wildlife & Countryside Act, but they can be shot under licence to ‘prevent serious damage’ but only after other methods have been, ‘tried and failed’. Cormorants normally feed entirely on fish, obtained during the day by diving from the surface, using their feet to propel themselves under water their wings are held close to their bodies; they stay underwater from 15 – 60 seconds down to depths of up to 9 metres. Most prey is brought to the surface often shaken and thrown in the air before swallowing. After fishing, cormorants have a very unusual habit of sitting on posts with their wings stretched out to dry their feathers.
How did Conrad (or Cormorant Strike as he has also been called) finish up in Main Street? It is difficult to know if it is a he or she, but it is definitely a juvenile bird, (light coloured breast feathers) it will not get its all dark feathers for a year. So my theory is that it is “a baby bird” (or at least a teenager) newly away from its parents; taking those first few tentative steps (or flights in this case) away from home. We have had some bad spells of weather recently and it may have downed the bird and it has not been able to feed as there is no suitable habitat nearby, any local goldfish or Koi may have had a narrow escape.
Graham is currently feeding our Gidding cormorant some recently thawed roach that he has obtained from a fishing bait shop in Huntingdon; he will keep up us updated as to progress. Graham came out very quickly although strictly speaking he deals with waterfowl, ducks geese, swans etc. His website is here https://www.thewaterfowlsanctuary.co.uk/ and he is very deserving of donations towards his work.
Cormorants have been recorded living up to 20 years old, so let’s hope Graham can get the bird’s strength up and can return it to the wild at a suitable location.
Terry Murfitt