HRG Meeting Minutes 15.3.22
Present: Joy Richardson, Hilary Roadley, Russell Phillippo, Rupert Pearce-Gould, Claire Cock-Starkey, Peter and Gaynor Hayde, Irene Richards, Beki Korb and Vince, Brian Williamson, Evelynne Hull, Charlotte Clarke, Paru Naik, Jan Nanor, Sandy, Fabio Puddu, Tim Arnold.
Apologies: Kate Stafford-Sheath, Christine Heath, Margaret Greeves, Lewis Jones, Helena Gills, Julie Seeking, Linda Churchman, Judith Green.
Traffic and transport:
Brian will share the traffic monitoring results with the group.
Not had an update on the issues facing Church St. Rupert reports new white line down the centre of Church St, but suspects that the corner is too tight for an articulated lorry to safely pass on one side of the road. Irene Richards asks if there has been any solutions suggested for the dangerous corner? She thinks heavy vehicles should not be allowed to pass down Church St.
Joy suggests mirrors could be installed for those coming out of Button End onto Church Street.
RPG says that speed monitoring will be moved down to near Button End and suggests a 20mph zone could also be suitable. HRG would very much support a 20mph on the double bend and over the bridge.
Tim Arnold points out that highways wouldn’t even lower speed limit around the school so speed limits are hard to change.
Vegetation could also be cut back down Church St and Button End to improve the width of the roads.
Hauxton travel hub: Decision again deferred for the future as not enough info to make decision.
Communication: Next newsletter will go out after the next meeting as we only recently put a newsletter out. Items for inclusion to be emailed to Claire.
Neighbourhood Plan day: Approximately 120 people attended and 81 responses about the NP and 96% were in favour.
Top answers: Café, village hub, pubs, pavilion, sports facilities, traffic calming and more affordable housing, more sustainable new developments.
Lots of concern about Vujon, Pemberton etc.
Lots of people reported feeling that local people weren’t listened to, especially on planning issues.
More footpath links, desire to walk away from the A10.
The display has now been moved to the Church which will hopefully enable lots more people to see the information boards.
Next steps: Ask PC and SC to designate the parish as a NP area and then it’ll be evidence gathering. Next working group meeting will discuss how to tackle those next steps.
Paru says not really had much response from businesses and also not really reached those aged 20 to 40 years old. But hoping a new website will help to reach this. Tim asks if it needs its own website or if it could have its own section on the PC or HRG site. Paru says might be easier to manage if the working group had charge of its own website.
Timescale for NP: It is a two year, long-term project.
Paru says we still need more help for the steering group. Joy suggests we map out the skills we are looking for so we can publicise what is needed. Need project management, marketing, communication and websites for NP.
NP steering group are going to visit the school to gather thoughts.
Charlotte suggests focusing on developing the pavilion as a way to interest more families in the NP.
Strong feeling that it’d be good to have more activities for young children, such as toddler groups and also groups for children, teens and younger adults.
Community Activities:
Litter pick: PH reports attendance was good. 20 adults and 6 children but fewer young people attended than last March. 7 of the 20 was their first time on the litter pick. PH worried that enthusiasm is waning a bit but lots of litter collected and large area covered this time. PH wonders if we should refresh the model to try and get more numbers.
Hilary suggests we publicise it better. Joy suggests bringing back teas and coffees. Tim suggests letting people have access to the litter picks to pick up rubbish on their own time.
Judith Green who regularly picks up litter round the village has offered to help organise litter picks in future.
Gaynor says HRG owns picks and hi-vis jackets and would be happy for people to come and take equipment and do their own pick. But stresses that we need to say that their safety is their own responsibility not HRGs.
Tim suggests regular nudges on social media to get people to do their own patch of land.
Peter suggests we try and discourage littering, especially around the shop. Joy has a poster she has been putting up.
Jubilee Picnic: 3rd to 5th June. PC will fund a community picnic on the rec on the Sunday afternoon 1pm to 6pm. Hoping to have a marquee with tea, coffee and strawberries and cream. Entertainment, maybe a band. They need volunteers to help organise. Need cakes. Also need to run a bar, perhaps school PTFA could run it. Scouts to run children’s games. Exhibition with Harston memories.
Brian suggests a gift for kids, like mugs for the Coronation.
Community Grant Application for jubilee – sundial or more benches for rec. RPG thinks PC was going to apply for a picnic table.
Greener Harston: Tackled grass verge by cycleway and grass verge by the green. Hilary and Claire dug over the patch by the green and reseeded it. It really needs some posts to stop people from parking on it. Brian suggests something more substantial as lorries knock them over. Boards are on it now while it establishes.
Beki thinks the area opposite Neptune with the tree stumps by the bus stop would be a good place to focus on. Also focus on south entrance to village.
Artesian Wells: Spring coming out the ground on the green and is getting worse and running off into the drain. Waterboard been in and says no water leak. Brian thinks the tap on the horse trough needs turning back on. Dom waiting to hear back from waterboard.
Eco river group: Program of talks about the river Rhee. Also possibly a sign on the bridge saying you are now crossing the river Rhee.
Village sign should be added to next meeting agenda and could people think of some ideas what to do.
Planning developments:
Vujon: Appealing against original decision for 9 units instead of 8. It’s gone to secretary of state. Centenary Works on Button End has been withdrawn because there were so many objections.
25 Royston Road: applied to extend the back and build another in the garden.
138 High St/New Road: Gaynor says some of the documents had to be withdrawn had they had been falsified and now it is in hands of the police. The planning application is still in though.
House with illegal extension by Station Road is on hold as numerous applications had been applied for retrospectively.
Irene asks if anyone was organising anything for Ukraine. Scotsdales are matching amounts pledged for Ukraine, lunch club also raised some funds.
Next meeting: 19 April, 2022, 8pm.