On Tuesday 10th November meetings of Cheveley Parish Council and Cheveley Pavilion and Recreation Ground Charity were again held via an online meeting platform. Parish Councillors, District Councillor Alan Sharp, County Councillor Mathew Shuter, and members of the public were in attendance.
At the Parish Council meeting it was reported that areas of the Parish had been brightened up with barrels of flowers planted by Matilda Malagueira-Cockman and the group of child volunteers that had undertaken this scheme. Parish Councillors thanked them for their wonderful efforts and it was hoped that they would continue with the good work and extend the planting into next year.
Seed for the remaining area of the wildflower meadow had been received and would be sown shortly in the designated areas of the cemetery.
Overgrown hedges along Coach Lane had been cut back and the landowners were thanked for their prompt attention to this issue once they were made aware of it.
It was reported that the Bridle Path/Footpath section of the Icknield Way from the British Legion building in Cheveley High Street to Saxon Street would be closed from 8th to 11th December due to drainage work.
The recent inspection of assets throughout the Parish had only revealed a few minor problems which would be dealt with.
County Councillor Mathew Shuter reported that the booking system at recycling centres introduced because of the Covid-19 pandemic was still working well. Instances of infection throughout the area still remained fairly low in comparison with other parts of the country. It was anticipated that vaccinations could start as early as December if the vaccine is given the go-ahead. District Councillor Alan Sharp added that waste collections would continue as normal. He confirmed that there had been very few cases of the virus in the district schools.
Work on the Parish Hall renovations started on 2nd November. The application to apply for a loan of £120,000 to pay for these was in process. Further income should also be available from s106 applications. Councillors were updated on the progress of the work which had uncovered a problem with the retaining wall on the boundary of the property and a woodworm issue which would be rectified.
The inaugural meeting of the Management Team of the Hall had taken place on 29th October. Richard Jackson was nominated as Chairman and accepted the position. The Treasurer would be Philip Nutt and Jaquilyn Hascombe-Brook would undertake the role of Secretary. The next meeting was arranged for Thursday 12th November and would again be held on-line.
Church minute books and a Bible from the United Reform Church had been left in the hall following the purchase and these would be safely stored.
Speed reduction measures in the North Ward had been completed but speed detectors were yet to be installed. There was still a problem with a drain cover on Cheveley High Street at the junction of Park Road which would be followed up with the Highways Department of Cambridgeshire County Council. Correspondence had been received from a resident of Park Road complaining about school parking there. As this was a matter that could not be dealt with under the jurisdiction of the Parish Council it would be suggested that he should contact the school.
Newmarket Town Council had asked that Cheveley Parish Council pay a 5% (£1000) contribution towards the cost of the Weatherby Crossing inquiry. However, as it was not clear whether the Parish Council has a statutory power to pay for work undertaken outside its area, the matter would be deferred until the next meeting.
Cheveley Sports Club had proposed that a young Volunteer of the Year Award should be presented to a young person aged 24 and under living in the Parish for voluntary contribution to the community. It was agreed that this should go ahead and that the same timetable as for the McCalmont Cup would be applied.
A complaint against two Parish Councillors was discussed confidentially at the end of the meeting.
At the meeting of Cheveley Pavilion & Recreation Ground that followed the Parish Council meeting a proposal from Richard Fullerton to Beautify the Recreation Ground with daffodils was considered. As it was considered a little late in the year to successfully plant them for a display in the spring of 2021 it was agreed that a smaller trial planting would take place now and, depending on the success of that, more could be planted in following years.
Council Chairman, Claire Elbrow, unexpectedly announced to the Council that she had decided to resign as Chairman with immediate effect. Following the meeting she also resigned as a Parish Councillor.
The next meetings will be held on-line on Tuesday 8th December at 7.30 p.m. For information on Council matters please consult the website (www.cheveley-pc.gov.uk).