ODELL PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 18 JULY 2018 Attendees: Councillors: Tony Roche (Chair); Brian Cheadle; Richard Hall, Mike Oates and Alison Fowler. Borough Councillor: Alison Field-Foster Parish Clerk/Responsible Finance Officer: Trevor Roff Public: There were no members of the public in attendance Action 31/18 Public Question Time There were no issues raised during public question time. Note 32/18 Apologies for Absence Apologies for absence were received from Cllr. Nick Goodman. Note 33/18 Declaration of Interests There were no disclosure of interests in relation to Parish Council business. Note 34/18 Approval of Minutes of Parish Council Meeting Held on 16 May 2018 The meeting considered the draft minutes of the last meeting. RESOLVED: The minutes of the meeting, held on 16 May 2018, were approved and signed as a correct record. Note 35/18 Reports (a) Borough Councillor Alison Field-Foster, Borough Councillor, provided a detailed update on the following key issues: (i) Train Timetable Changes - Thameslink: The introduction of new train timetables from 20 May 2018 has caused widespread disruption around the country, including for commuters travelling to and from Bedford. The changes were implemented to accommodate the ‘Thameslink Programme’ which is designed to increase capacity on the lines travelling north and south through London, including the Bedford – Brighton Thameslink service. Compensation may be payable if a journey is cancelled or delayed and causes arrival at the destination more than 15 minutes behind schedule. More details are available at the link: https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/delayrepay. Note 1 (ii) East Midlands Trains: A separate issue to that of the Thameslink Programme is the future of the East Midlands Rail franchise. Bedford is served by the East Midlands Trains ‘Intercity’ service providing fast trains from London St Pancras to Derby, Sheffield and Leicester amongst other destinations. This service has, however, been suspended for Bedford passengers in peak hours until 2020 to accommodate the implementation of the Thameslink Programme (as set out above). Note It was announced in August 2018 that a consultation would be held on the specification for the East Midland Rail franchise contract when it is renewed in August 2019. The Department for Transport has now responded to the public consultation and confirmed that Bedford will no longer be served in peak hours by the Intercity service; the rationale being to reduce overcrowding and improve journey times. Bedford will instead be served by ‘two dedicated commuter trains per hour’ to and from Corby ‘providing capacity to prevent passengers from having to travel on busy Intercity trains’. In addition, there will be a requirement that ‘at least one Intercity service per hour will call at Kettering to retain connections with stations served by the Corby services’, and also a requirement for ‘peak time calls at stations between Leicester and Bedford in the counter-peak direction’. Note Timetables have not yet to be produced and, as such, it is unclear how journey times will compare between the current Intercity service and the planned dedicated commuter trains. Note (iii) Urgent Treatment Centre and "Walk In" Services: Bedford Hospital has announced more details of its proposed Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) which is scheduled to open at the beginning of October 2018. The UTC will be situated at the Cauldwell Medical Centre on the Bedford Hospital site; it will provide same-day appointments for minor illnesses over a 12 hour period, 7 days a week, via referrals from Accident & Emergency (A&E) and the 111 phone service, thus reducing pressure on the Hospital’s A&E function. Given that the UTC will provide same-day appointments, the Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG) - which organises NHS services - announced plans earlier in the year to close the Putnoe Walk-In Centre (the surgery itself will remain open) from October 2018. It is now understood that the BCCG is now exploring options for a temporary extension of walk-in services north of the river in Bedford until the end of March 2019. It is unclear, at this stage, whether the temporary extension will see the service continue at Putnoe or another location (Gilbert Hitchcock House on Kimbolton Road has been noted by the BCCG as a potential alternative). Note (iv) NHS General Practitioner (GP) Services: Extended Access: In accordance with NHS England’s requirements, the BCCG has awarded a contract to BEDOC (‘Bedford on Call’) to provide extended GP services from 8am – 8pm, 7 days a week. It is understood that this would lead initially to an extra 550 appointments a week with GPs and practice nurses at two as yet undisclosed locations in Bedford. The appointments will be open to anyone in the Borough. Note 2 (v) Stroke Services: Since 2016, patients who have suffered a stroke in most areas of the Borough are taken to the Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU) at Luton & Dunstable Hospital. This is where treatment is provided in the crucial 72 hour period following a stroke. Thereafter, patients are provided with aftercare and rehabilitation either at Bedford Hospital or in the community as appropriate. The BCCG has announced that it is now intending to provide a new 20 bed unit in Bedford for those in need of stroke rehabilitation services. A suitable property has been identified at John Bunyan House on Goldington Road, pending alternative premises being found for the current tenants, Headway (a charity providing support for patients with brain injuries). The BCCG has said that the new facility will be an improvement on the current unit at Bedford Hospital in that it will be more suited to providing rehabilitation, thus decreasing patients’ lengths of stay and reducing levels of disability arising from a stroke. Note (vi) Speed Cameras: In 2017/2018, the Borough Council budgeted to deliver £7.8 million of efficiencies. In February 2018, Borough Council finance officers estimated an overall under-spend for the year of just under £1.8 million. Of this sum, Councillors chose to allocate £1 million for improvements to roads and pavements and £0.525 million for new average speed cameras. There are over 60 requests from local communities for average speed cameras on the waiting list. Following an audit of road safety, it has been established that cameras will be placed at the following sites; the income from fines goes directly to central government: Needwood Road, Bedford Woburn Road, Kempston Putnoe Lane, Bedford Polhill Avenue, Bedford High Street, Clapham The Causeway, Carlton High Street, Pavenham Note The meeting noted, with disappointment, the proposed priority list of locations for average speed cameras and requested the Parish Clerk to remind Borough Highways that the Parish Council had resolved some time ago to support the provision of average speed cameras in the village due to the continued problem of speeding throughout the village (minute 6(d) of the meeting held on 17 November 2014 refers). In this regard, Borough Highways had arranged for the collection of vehicle and speed data in Spring 2015, and the Parish Council had been included by Bedford Borough Council on their priority list for average speed cameras for consideration alongside other areas within the Borough for funding (minute 15/15(a) of the meeting held on 16 March 2015 and minute 25(15(a) of the meeting held on 18 May 2015 refer). Borough Highways would be further invited to confirm the likely timescale for the provision of average speed cameras in Odell. PC 3 (vii) Covanta: The campaign against the proposed ‘Energy Recovery Facility’ for Stewartby is to be taken to the High Court. American waste processing business, Covanta, received a Development Consent Order from a joint committee of the Houses of Parliament in 2012 to develop the site. In January 2018, it was provided with an Environmental Permit from the Environment Agency to allow the development to proceed. The ‘Bedfordshire Against Covanta Incinerator’ (BACI) group has now requested a judicial review of the Environment Agency’s decision. Note (b) Odell Village Hall The report of the Portfolio Holder, Cllr. Oates, outlined that meetings of the Village Hall Committee are held monthly, the first Monday of each month, and that there has been further changes to the Committee, with one formal resignation from Kathryn Carson and the regular non-attendance of Francesca Serra. This means that the Committee is down to only four members. Cllr. Oates stressed that more members need to be identified as the work required to put on events is greater than the current Committee can manage. Note In respect of events, the jazz band “One More Night” and barbeque event, held on 14 July 2018, achieved a very poor turn out with only 29 paying attendees, although the feedback from those who attended was excellent; there is no doubt that greater support is required for these events if they are to be viable. Currently there are events booked for later this year, including Melvis in September 2018, Quiz Night and 70/80’s discotheque in October 2018 and Alison Neil in December 2018. The Pilates classes, which run earlier in the year, have now ceased due to lack of attendees which made the classes unprofitable. A new Pilate’s class commenced in June 2018 and it is hoped that the number of regular attendees will be adequate for the class to continue. Note In relation to maintenance needs, there are a number of broken heaters in the hall and, as the heaters are a mix of ages and qualities and cannot be repaired, the Committee have decided to replace all the heaters. Borough Councillor Alison Field-Foster requested the Parish Council to consider the potential use of Ward Funding (up to £1,000) for the provision of new heathers and priority investment in the facility.