The Bartlow Parish AGM

 

                                                          M I N U T E S

 

                         Of the Bartlow Parish  Meeting

                            Held at 6.30 pm at  St Mary’s Church Bartlow on

                            Monday July 22nd 2019

 

 

Present

 

Duncan Ogilvy in the chair, Christine Ogilvy, Joe Baily, Ernie  Turkington,  Helen Blatherwick,  Robert Heuschkel, Lucy Bibby, Robert Fairey, Gilly Cunningham, Stewart & Linda Barlow, Morley Jones, Lita Rutherford,  Philip Gibson,  Sarah Field, Colin Faulkner

 

  1. Apologies for Absence

 

Mike & Hettie Findlay, Tim & Henrietta Breitmeyer, Martin Neuhaus, Diana Catchpole, Anne Fairey, Catriona Ogilvy, James & Mollie Haggie, Margaret Turkington 

     

  1. 2.      Possible Implementation of Traffic Calming Measures

 

Duncan referred to the Minutes of the Meeting held on 11th June 2019 paragraph two and said that in the second sentence of this paragraph Morley Jones expressed a preference for a ramp but did not specify that it should be at the crossroads.

 

Duncan Ogilvy then explained that the Meeting was being held in order to establish by a secret ballot which of the Bartlow Local Highway Improvement Options discussed at the previous Meeting on 11th June and previously circulated to all residents had widespread support and, if this was established, a decision would have to be made following the Meeting whether or not to apply for funding from Cambridgeshire County Council for one or more of  the favoured traffic calming options. Duncan confirmed that a number of residents who were unable to attend the Meeting had arranged a proxy vote with residents who were attending. Duncan said that if an application was made this year for one or more of the Options it would not prevent further applications for other options in the following financial years. Duncan explained that the maximum sum that the Council would grant was £ 15,000 with a requirement that a minimum of 10% of the cost of any traffic calming measures must be paid by residents and that the higher the contribution made the better was the chance of the application for funding being successful. Duncan said that it might be that no application for funding in the current year would be made if considerations such as financing the scheme could not be satisfactorily settled. Duncan said that he was considering a proposal that residents should contribute a sum towards the costs which would be treated as a ‘share’ part or all of which might be repaid pro rata if future money raising events permitted this. A decision about making a grant application for the current year had to be made before the deadline for grant applications of 4th August. 

 

Residents raised  a number of questions about the need for street lighting and Duncan confirmed that  the Council  would require street lighting for Options 1,2,3,4 & 5on the Local Highway Improvement Options list and that these might require lights on both sides of the road. Duncan said that the cost of electricity per light was estimated at approximately £ 30 per annum and that it was likely that Bartlow residents would have to meet the cost of this. Residents also asked whether the Gateways referred to in Option 7 of the Options List could be made by the village. Duncan said that there could be issues in obtaining Council approval which might mean that it was better to obtain proprietary Gateways from a supplier. Questions were also raised about the 40 mph buffer zones. Duncan confirmed that if chosen these would be sited beyond the existing 30mph signs though the exact location was unknown at this stage but it was hoped that the 40mph  sign on the road approaching Bartlow from Linton would be sited before the brow of the hill leading down to the crossroads.

 

Ballot papers were handed out to those at the Meeting including those for proxy votes and a secret ballot was conducted. There were 10 proxy votes cast. The ballot papers were then counted by Duncan Ogilvy and Joe Baily and Duncan announced that the respective  votes for the Options on the Local Highways Improvement Options were:

 

Option 1:  Nil

Option 2:  1

Option 3(a): 1

Option 3(b): 3

Option 4(a): Nil

Option 4(b): 2

Option 5(a): 7

Option 5(b): 4

Option 6:    26

Option 7:    25

 

 

The Meeting was then concluded.

 

 

                                                         

 

 M I N U T E S

 

                         Of the Bartlow Parish  Meeting

                            Held at 6.30 pm at  St Mary’s Church Bartlow on

                            Tuesday 11th June 2019

 

 

Present

 

Duncan Ogilvy in the chair, Christine Ogilvy, Joe Baily, Stephen Bugg,  James & Mollie Haggie, Ernie  Turkington, Henrietta Breitmeyer, Henry Batchelor, Helen Blatherwick, Nino & Siobhan Judge, John & Alyne Taylor, Lucy Bibby, Robert & Anne Fairey, Gilly Cunningham, Stewart & Linda Barlow, Morley Jones, Lita Rutherford,  Philip Gibson 

 

  1. Apologies for Absence

 

None

     

  1. 2.      Possible Implementation of Traffic Calming Measures

 

Duncan Ogilvy gave a summary of  the accidents that have happened at the Camps Road Crossroads  in the recent past and the continuing issue of vehicles exceeding the speed limit in the village and the past implementation of some 40 mph buffer zones and a new 30mph speed limit. He explained that he and Joe Baily had attended a site meeting with Josh Rutherfordfrom Cambridgeshire County Council at the Crossroads and the sites where the speed limits of the village begin. They discussed the past accident record and the continuing problem of speeding and the traffic calming measures that could be implemented to alleviate these issues and those that Josh said  not possible. It was agreed that a meeting of residents would be held to discuss what action could be taken. (The various measures and their feasibility was outlined in the Notice of Meeting sent to residents). Duncan explained that a DIY approach was not considered feasible on the grounds of cost and difficulties in obtaining legal authority and therefore the Meeting needed to discuss the various other options for traffic calming measures with a view to submitting a bid to the County Council for the finance to execute the scheme to be decided with the residents making a financial contribution. Duncan envisaged a cost limit of £ 15,000 with a contribution of 10% or more provided by the residents, the higher the contribution the greater the likelihood of the bid being successful, with some residents funding the residents’ contribution with a view to village fund raising eventually covering part of  the cost. Judging by past experience the Council might not request payment for as much as a couple of years after the works were completed.

 

Residents then discussed at length the various options. Morley Jones expressed a preference for a ramp at the Crossroads with the requisite street lighting and said that he was willing to make a substantial financial contribution if needed if this option was pursued. Henry Batchelor  confirmed that the greater the residents’ contribution to the costs the better their chance of their application to the County Council being approved and reminded the Meeting that bids had to be submitted by 4th August. Henrietta Breitmeyer confirmed on behalf of Bartlow Estate that any measures that restricted the full width of the road would make it impossible for farm plant to pass. There was general agreement approving further consideration of a 40mph buffer zone for the Ashdon Road approach to the village sited at the farmyard entrance or further in if required by the Council and more especially for speed ramps on Camps Road both sides of the Crossroads and that the residents’ contribution might have to be funded by some residents in the short term but with a view to fundraising activities covering part of the costs in the longer term.

 

Duncan Ogilvy wound up the Meeting confirming that it appeared that there was a wish for speed reduction schemes in Camps Road to constitute  the first phase of the traffic calming measures for the village with the other schemes to follow in subsequent phases.Duncan confirmed that an urgent meeting would be sought via Henry Batchelor  with Josh Rutherford or another member of the County Council staff to try and ascertain more details of the cost and feasibility of the Camps Road speed bumps and linked street lighting with a view to holding another Parish Meeting in time to make a final decision as to what measures would be put into the bid to the Council.   

 

 

. 

 

 

 

                                                          M I N U T E S

 

                         Of the Bartlow Parish Annual General Meeting

                            Held at 7.45 pm at  St Mary’s Church Bartlow on

                            Wednesday 27th March 2019

 

 

Present

 

Duncan Ogilvy in the chair, Christine Ogilvy, Joe Baily, John Goodchild, Hetty Findlay, Stephen Bugg,  James & Mollie Haggie, Ernie & Margaret Turkington, Robert and Pat Fairey, Tim Breitmeyer, John Batchelor, Henry Batchelor, Barbara Webb, David Hannah, Helen Blatherwick, Siobhan Judge

 

  1. Apologies for Absence

 

Colin & Lynn Faulkner, Judith Fairey, Sophie Robinson, John Lefever, Stewart & Linda Barlow, Bob Hill, Catriona Ogilvy

 

 

  1. Minutes of the Annual General Meeting dated 29th March 2018 & Meeting dated 25th July 2018. 

 

These were agreed as being a true record of the meeting.

 

  1.  Matters Arising

 

There were none.

 

  1. Election of Officers

 

Duncan Ogilvy and Joe Baily were both re-elected unopposed as Chairman and Clerk respectively.

 

 

  1. Affordable Housing Update

 

Duncan Ogilvy said that at present there was not much progress to report. Tim Breitmeyer said that he was waiting to hear further from Hastoe and that John Lefever was about to retire and Sophie Robinson was the person now dealing with the matter. He said that as the Donkey Field site had not been approved by Hastoe he was considering pursuing an independent affordable housing scheme himself. John Batchelor said that the latest version of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Local Plan gave more flexibility for affordable housing.

 

  1. Bartlow EmergencyContact List Scheme

 

Joe Baily explained that it was intended to provide residents with an Emergency Contact List of people willing to assist in the event of an emergency such as flooding. The list would provide details of telephone numbers, knowledge of first aid and availability of 4 wheel drive vehicles. Residents at the meeting able to assist gave their details on a form provided.  Henry Batchelor said that South Cambridgeshire District Council is able to provide a pallet of sandbags and Tim Breitmeyer confirmed that he could provide a space at the Farmyard for its storage. 

 

  1. Neighbourhood Watch

 

Mollie Haggie confirmed that there was nothing to report. Tim Breitmeyer said that in addition to the theft of  agricultural machinery the greatest problem was that of  illegal hare coursing.

 

 

  1. Speed Watch

 

Joe Baily confirmed that speed checks will continue to be arranged in the forthcoming months. Duncan Ogilvy said that it is some time since the new 30mph limit was introduced but speeding and accidents at the Camps Road crossroads remained a continuing problem. Residents needed to give consideration to what further measures could be introduced to improve the situation and that an application would then need to be made for Council funding in their 2020 budget, Bartlow would have to make a contribution to any such works. He confirmed that a meeting with the Cambridge South East Transport Study was planned for 5th April.  Joe Baily expressed the view that there was inadequate warning on the approach to the crossroads along Deane Road because of a left hand curve shortly before it and the only warning sign being at the crossroads which is currently obscured. He said that  the 30mph sign on the Bartlow Road approach to the village from Linton should be moved back over the brow of the hill, that the 30mph sign on the Ashdon Road approach from Ashdon should be moved back beyond the Haggie’s driveway entrance and the 30mph sign on the Camps Road approach from Castle Camps should be highlighted better.  James Haggie said the the limit on Ashdon Road should begin beyond the estate farmyard entrance. David Hannah suggested a mirror at the crossroads but the consensus of the meeting was that it was impractical because the sun could cause blinding andthe highway authority will not sanction mirrors. Duncan Ogilvy suggested that the provision of a ramp in the form of a large slab at the crossroads might be the best solution.

 

 

  1. Update from the County Council and District Councillors

 

Henry Batchelor  reported on progress with improvements to the A1307 and the involvement of the Greater Cambridge Partnership. Hatching work at the Dale Foods junction of the eastbound carriageway of the A1307 has been completed. The traffic light system at the junction of Linton Village College providing more sophisticated traffic management has just been completed also. More bike racks were being provided at the Babraham Road Park & Ride. Next year more work would be undertaken to the Deane Road crossing of the A1307 and a new roundabout would be constructed the year after at the junction of Bartlow Road and the A1307. Tim Breitmeyer observed that the problem at the Deane Road A1307 junction was not traffic going to West Wratting but rather was traffic coming in the opposite direction. A further problem was the inadequacy of Bartlow Road to cope with the traffic leading to the junction with the A1307. Henry Batchelor confirmed that a cycle/pedestrian track running near to Bartlow Road and linking Bartlow to the A1307 crossing was needed. Residents were urged to make representations to the Greater Cambridge Partnership contacting them at the address which was to be provided at the end of  the Minutes when circulated. Duncan Ogilvy spoke about the proposed scheme for dualling of the A1307 or contruction of a proposed new section of the A1307 near the Deane Road junction with the A1307 which was a continuing concern. Henry Batchelor said that although the official report on the scheme had concluded that it was poor value for money the scheme  had recently been upgraded . He said that the Cambridge & Peterborough Mayor’s  proposed Metro now extended to go from Haverhill to Cambridge was unlikely to come to anything ‘for decades’ and the recent addition of the Abington to Haverhill section may have been proposed with the forthcoming  mayoral election in mind.  

 

John Batchelor gave an account of the change of  the ruling party of South Cambridgeshire District Council from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats. He is the Chairman of the Planning Committee. The Chief Executive and certain other senior Council officers were leaving and it was hoped that better communication between the Council and the public can be achieved. Owing to the Local Plan having been under review with the Inspectors for four years under the previous Conservative administration a lot of planning consents were obtained for between five and six hundred houses with quite a few to be constructed in Linton. From September the Local Plan has been in place and it is intended to protect Cambridgeshire villages from  over-development by concentration of new housing at Longstowe, Waterbeach, Bourne and a further expansion of Cambourne.

 

  1. Any Other Business

 

There was no other business.

 

 

  1. Date of Next Meeting

 

To be confirmed . 

CONTACT DETAILS FOR RESIDENTS TO REQUEST A CYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATH contactus@greatercambridge.org.uk using the heading “Linton Greenway”.