PRICKWILLOW VILLAGE COUNCIL

Meeting: Village Hall

Date: 12 January 2009

Present: Wendy Wilson, Mike Wilson, Jean Pearson, Sheila Friend-Smith, Mayor of Ely, Dave Simpson, Richard Raine, Pat Langston, Derek Langston, Edward Rice, Tony Pearson, Angela Shipp, Treasurer, Robin Pearson, Chairman, Jackie Petts, Secretary.

1: Opening Remarks

New Chairman, Robin Pearson welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked outgoing Chairman, Tony Pearson for his hard work and dedication to the Council and other Village activities. Very many thanks also to Wendy Wilson who had served the Council well as secretary for the last two years.

2: Minutes

Approved

3: Matters Arising

King’s Avenue and Thistle Corner round-about still not open. East Cambs District Council, The County Council and developers in dispute over the suitability of the road for heavy goods vehicles. It is likely to be resolved eventually, once the Developers have finished their building work. There are worries about the King’s Avenue/Lynn Road junction and its suitability for lorries.

4: Village Plan

A draft copy was circulated and a few additional question suggested including whether a Community Shop would be a popular idea as well as a village co-operative for purchasing heating oil. A question about Care and Repair charity should also be included.

The working party still needed to finalize how forms would be returned and the Drainage Museum was suggested. Some Members thought we should collect them by hand and also deliver them personally, explaining what it was all about face to face. A team of people would need to do this.

Final draft to be sent to the City Council for comment.

5: Footpaths

A report (attached) was delivered by Mike Wilson.

6: Reports from External Meetings

Jackie Petts, District Councillor, reported on a proposal from The Ely Society to relieve traffic congestion at the station railway crossing and in Broad Street. It is their cheap alternative to a Southern Link Road. It would divert lorries down Queen Adelaide Way, avoiding the low railway bridge with a link around the settling ponds to Prickwillow Road just before the river bridge and sending traffic through the village.

Reminded the meetings of the usefulness of the Neighbourhood Panel meetings – the next one for Ely is set for January 28^th in The Council Chamber, East Cambs District Council. All meetings start at 19:00.

ADEC is back in business again at the Babylon Gallery and good news expected soon about new Contractors for The Maltings.

7: AoB

The treasurer explained necessary paper work for transferring bank mandates etc to new officers.

The new Chairman suggested that a board in the Village Hall might be considered with the names of Chairmen and length of time served inscribed upon it. General view was that it would be far too expensive to contemplate. The second suggestion of names inscribed on the gavel base was more popular. A bigger plate may be turned by Tony Pearson from wood donated by Richard Raine.

It was agreed that regular meetings should be changed to the third Monday in every other month starting from March with the exception of the AGM which would have to be the second Monday due to the Chairman’s pantomime commitments.

Future Dates:

16^th March

18^th May

20^th July

21^st September

16^th November

11^th January 2010 AGM