From Our Reporter at the Parish Council Meeting
WITH so many people anxious to report our Parish Council meetings I dared not
miss my turn and flew back to Swaffham Prior for this rare privilege. Having
arrived back two hours early and having seen the Agenda I decided that only two
or three double whiskies would enable me to cope with the forthcoming
excitement. And, did the PC let me down? What do you think?
I was especially excited because the new "Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill", published only the day before, gave parish councils the right to impose fixed penalties of their own choosing for offences such as dropping litter, dog fouling and graffiti. As for Light Pollution the polluters are really in for it. Having smacked the smokers round the ear hole with some highly suspect figures (did you know that 70% of deaths each year are smoking related!! ho ho, pull the other one) they are now aiming to save the stars. Not even street lighting will be exempt. Anyone, yes anyone, who finds that artificial light emitting from premises is "prejudicial to health or a nuisance" will be able to complain to the council and if no remedial action is taken the fine could be up to £50,000. This must be all to the good, but aren't the lawyers going to have fun.
It could only have been expected that our PC would have been trembling with overwhelming joy at the thought of having this extra power in their hands. No longer would their one single commercial triumph be the earning of a few extra bob out of the cemetery water. Now they can really clean up and I expected to hear a discussion on the potential income from minor crime. But not a bit of it . They appeared not to know that they were now very special people.
Having spent so much space on this blather means I can report less on the actual meeting - which may not be a bad thing. James Fitch was his usual informative self as his report will show. He was delighted to know that the government grant to the CCC had moved at last to a more reasonable level, and he was gentleman enough to forbear reminding the meeting about the forthcoming general election which the cynical may relate to this welcome increase. Our new ECDC representative also made his report which you are able to read in this issue.
Regular readers may remember that the Dencora Field owners had responded to the enquiry whether they would sell the field by quoting a price of £1 million. PC had replied "Thanks, but no thanks". To which the recent response was - well if you can't afford £1 million, what will you pay? The price is obviously going to be something between £10,000 and £1 million but the PC didn't know what. Alan Alderson said there was no chance of there being any development of the field for 20 years at least so Steve wondered why the village wanted to buy it. The PC is replying to say that it is not in a position to make any offer at the moment. A few major benefactors may be needed.
There was some interesting correspondance. ECDC have produced an absolutely stunning glossy 64 page "Official Guide - East Cambridgshire". I am so impressed and didn't realise that we lived in such an attractive and interesting part of the country. Do try to see a copy. ECDC also sent three forms covering vandalism, unruly behaviour and graffiti and invited the PC to complete these if they came across any examples. What on earth will ECDC do with them? It can only be to produce yet another useless statistic. Alan Alderson was anxious that a hooligan expert from ECDC should talk to the PC about how to handle hooligans. Our PC thought hard but declined.
The National Cycling Network, like the Millenium Commission, is also blowing its own trumpet and wants to erect a high profile sign in the village and the chosen site is that tiny bit of green at the bottom of Cage Hill. As there are already two signs there another separate one could easily make it an unsightly clutter. But what to they care - all they want are more signs and more forms and more regulations.
Fairly topically a new Code of Conduct has just been issued to the PC no doubt making it very clear what can be done with travel vouchers. This seems to be a part of a constant push to improve every organisation especially if it results in many extra forms being completed. For instance the "Quality Parish Initiative" is still being promoted and money is now even being offered to try to bribe PCs to aim for this status. Fortunately our PC knows its true roots and will have nothing to do with this "quality" rubbish.
In "Open Question Time" John Norris, who was one of the three attending members of the public, reminded those new PC members that he had a long serving experience with the PC and he just wanted to point out that a mistake was being made with the new barrier to be set up at the cemetary end of Coopers Lane. He maintained that putting the new barrier in the same position as the old barrier was wrong and that it ought to be lined up with the fencing of the horses' field. Apart from this he also thought a double padlocked gate with a single pedestrian gate at the side was the answer and not the wooden chicane to be erected at any moment by the CCC. The PC were stunned by this very late advice especially as the work is now a month overdue. John, having said his piece, gave his farewells and left with the words "Gates is what you want."
As a slight diversion Karen mentioned that she has received complaints about the hole left by the missing post. Horses or people could put their feet in it, and even worse, it was reported that hedgehogs kept falling in to the hole and have to be rescued with great difficulty. The PC was a bit down in the mouth at this very late and unexpected advice and were pleased to close the meeting so that everyone could enjoy Karen's delicious mince pies washed down with a glass of port. After a bit of port and a bit of thought someone asked who was responsible for putting the Coopers Lane barrier in its original position. After very little extra thought someone else said "It was him, him who has just gone" Everyone felt happier about this, decided it was too late to make any change, and that if there was any fault it was him who had selected the original position. Everyone drank to that.