Agenda, decisions and minutes

Members need only declare an interest in circumstances where there is an item on the agenda that may cause a conflict of interests.

Councillor SJ Agnew reaffirmed his personal interest in Minute 7 of the Minutes of the meeting held on 27^th October 2004 as Chairman of the Friends of the Roman Road and Fleam Dyke, and declared a personal interest in Minute no. 4 below (Outline of the work of the Wildlife Trust) because of his involvement with the Green Belt project.

Rob Mungovan, Ecology Officer, declared a personal interest in Minute no. 3 below (Foxton Dovecote Meadow) because a close relative had once leased the land concerned from Cambridgeshire County Council.

Councillors Mrs CA Hunt and RJ Turner declared personal interests in Minute no. 8 below (Duxford Imperial War Museum - potential designation of a Conservation Area), Councillor Hunt as a member of the Cambridge Airport Consultative Committee and Councillor Turner as that Committee’s chairman.

To authorise the Chairman to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 27^th October 2004 as a correct record.

Confirmed as slightly amended. 

The Conservation Advisory Group authorised the Chairman to sign, as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting held on 27^th October 2004, subject to the word “National” in the first line of the fourth paragraph of Minute no. 3 being corrected to say “Natural”.  The Conservation Manager added that site visits in respect of the Natural Heritage Awards scheme would be arranged in the early part of 2005.

Recommended as report.

The Conservation Advisory Group considered a report on the Foxton Dovecote Meadow Management Plan, intended to form the basis for the future development of the site as a Village Green Space to be maintained by Foxton Parish Council.

Mr D Pusey, Chairman of Foxton Parish Council, and the Ecology Officer made a joint presentation to Members, highlighting, among other things, likely costs, the funds already secured from the Local Heritage Initiative, and the extensive level of local support for the project.  The local Member, Councillor Mrs DP Roberts, attended the meeting and spoke in support of this proposal.

In response to a Member’s question, the Ecology Officer stated that the lack of screening between the Dovecote Meadow and the adjacent housing development added to the amenity of the people living in those houses, and helped provide some informal security for the meadow, which consisted of about four acres.  Members were informed that the permissive footpath would provide access (including disabled access) to other parts of the village, and re-establish a link that probably existed pre-enclosure.

The encouragement of dog walking in the meadow, and the inappropriateness of the fencing, meant that, at this stage, there could be no possibility of introducing sheep onto the meadow as a means of grass management.

Once the project had been completed, a site visit for Members would be considered.

The Conservation Advisory Group RECOMMENDED

Recommended as report. 

The Conservation Advisory Group considered a report outlining the activities of the Wildlife Trust within the district, a proposal for enhanced partnership working with South Cambridgeshire District Council, and a request for funding to support the Trust’s work.

Martin Baker, Senior Conservation Officer with the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough made a PowerPoint presentation to Members highlighting, among other things, the Trust’s relationship with the Green Belt Project.

Members established that

Members asked officers to arrange a presentation once changes to the Common Agricultural Policy had been clarified early in 2005.

The Conservation Advisory Group RECOMMENDED

Recommended as report. 

The Conservation Advisory Group considered a report on the management of roadside verge (RSV) and a number of options for the future biodiversity enhancement of these sites.

Susanah O’Hanlon, Biodiversity Officer with Cambridgeshire County Council, attended the meeting to assist officers in addressing issues raised by Members.

After the Chairman explained how RSV management was dealt with in some neighbouring local authority areas, Members noted the importance of such sites to wildlife and made the following points:

Susanah O’Hanlon doubted the need for any additional tier of designation for Road Side Verges.  Responding to a point made by a Member, she acknowledged that leaving grassing clippings on the verge was far from ideal, but pointed out that removal of same was a costly exercise.

Members discussed how best to convey to the County Council and the Highways Agency the strength of the Conservation Advisory Group’s feelings about the management of Road Side Verges.  They considered that parish councils could be instrumental in identifying areas in need of attention, but the Ecology Officer urged Members to think about available resources before raising expectations.  He suggested that selection of a small number of sites in most need of attention was a realistic approach to take.

The Conservation Advisory Group RECOMMENDED that the Conservation, Sustainability and Community Planning Portfolio Holder initiates further action by officers to:

Recommended that the Conservation, Sustainability and Community Planning Portfolio Holder support the proposals in principle, subject to final agreement on a number of specific issues including design, materials and impact on the tree belt.

Having visited the site on 7^th December 2004, the Conservation Advisory Group considered the conservation implications of an application to develop a  hotel at Sawston Hall to enable the Conservation Advisory Group and Conservation, Sustainability and Community Planning Portfolio Holder  to formulate a consultation response to the Development and Conservation Control Committee.

The Trees and Landscape Officer raised the following further issues for debate:

Having noted that restaurant ventilation and fire regulation issues had been addressed satisfactorily, Members discussed the following:

Members noted that the Architects Panel would be considering this proposal as well.

The Conservation Advisory Group RECOMMENDED that the Conservation, Sustainability and Community Planning Portfolio Holder support the proposals in principle, subject to final agreement on a number of specific issues including design, materials and impact on the tree belt.

Councillor JA Quinlan informed the Conservation Advisory Group that he had previously advised clients who were prospective purchasers of the Hall but who had not proceeded to complete the purchase. These clients had no connection with the current Hotel operator and, accordingly, he did not consider it necessary to declare a personal interest.

Recommended as report. 

The Conservation Advisory Group considered a report seeking continued financial support for the Parish Path Partnership (P3) scheme within South Cambridgeshire for a period of three years from 2005-06.

Members received copies of the Parish Paths Partnership News Bulletin 2003-2004.

The Conservation Advisory Group RECOMMENDED

Recommended that the Conservation, Sustainability and Community Planning Portfolio Holder consider the designation of a Conservation Area for Duxford as a matter of urgency.

The Conservation Advisory Group considered a report on the historic and architectural value of Duxford Airfield, in the context of possible future development there, which would pose a threat to the future wellbeing of the buildings and their setting.  The Conservation Area and Design Officer gave a short presentation of the major considerations in seeking the designation of a Conservation Area at Duxford, including options for its extent.

A Member argued that the area was of such a high significance and quality that it needed protecting in its own right, regardless of development that may or may not happen there in the future.  It was noted that the Council had been contemplating a Conservation Area in Duxford for over four years, and it was clear therefore that it was not now reacting to potential development, but simply progressing an ongoing aspiration.  Care was needed to ensure that the two issues of the Conservation Area and possible development were not allowed to obstruct each other.

The Government had been considering for some time applications to list more buildings at the Imperial War Museum.  However, a Member urged the Council to proceed with the Conservation Area as a separate issue, given the wider character of what was probably the best preserved example of a Second World War RAF Fighter station.

It was reported that the Imperial War Museum had been consulted.

The Conservation Advisory Group RECOMMENDED that the Conservation, Sustainability and Community Planning Portfolio Holder instruct officers to designate a Conservation Area for Duxford as a matter of urgency.

Recommended as report (Risk Grades 1-3 only) with publicity in the South Cambs Magazine. 

The Conservation Advisory Group considered a report setting out the current position with regard to Historic Buildings at Risk and seeking support for the actions proposed in Appendix 1 of that report.

The Conservation Manager stressed the importance of publicising the list on the Council’s website, and ensuring that the information contained therein is kept as up to date as possible.  Publicity could also be carried by the South Cambs Magazine.

Some Members requested that legal advice be sought first in order to avoid the publication of inaccurate or unfair information that might lead to the Council being challenged in the courts.

The Conservation Advisory Group ACCEPTED the role of scrutinising the proposed action set out in Appendix 1 of the report from the Conservation Manager, addressing the Historic Buildings at Risk list and requiring six-monthly reports, to enable it to recommend that the Conservation, Sustainability and Community Planning Portfolio Holder intervene where necessary.

The Conservation Advisory Group RECOMMENDED

Recommended as report.

The Conservation Advisory Group considered a report on the formal designation of a “Historic Environment Champion” to represent South Cambridgeshire District Council on the Cabinet.

The Conservation Advisory Group RECOMMENDED that Cabinet formally recognise and promote the ‘Historic Environment Champion’, as a key component of the Conservation, Sustainability and Community Planning Portfolio Holder’s role, so that the opportunities presented by the enhanced partnership working with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and English Heritage can be fully realised.

To receive a verbal report from the Conservation Manager 

Progress noted. 

The Conservation Manager updated Members verbally on the latest situation relating to St Denis Church, East Hatley.