With news on plans for a second licensed pharmacy for Stansted, the report from Parish Council Chair Maureen Caton was made ahead of the Full Council’s August recess.
Parish Chair Report: Maureen Caton
Welcome to Sanjukta and Tom, who join us as co-opted councillors. We will be sending yourselves and Allan our training timetable and will have a preliminary meeting with you all to clarify procedures, processes and expectations of councillors.
Cllr Gooding, I remind you again that I still have not received a response in respect of the available expenditure on potholes in Stansted. I note the list of highways works planned for Bury Lodge and Water Lane you sent to the Clerk – specifies patching work to be undertaken, and micro hand lay for Water Lane- is this the extent of the work to be undertaken? Also, there has been no response from you as to the status of the funding from the Essex Youth Strategy to UDC and therefore the impact on our Youth Service funding.
I now understand via the Youth Service that all County Councillors have £4K each to pool for their district to fund Youth/Climate Change and Levelling Up provisions – so – what will £16K be spent on in Uttlesford? We have a right to know.
Has there been a response to the resident who queried the safety of the pedestrian crossing at the top of Chapel Hill?
Your lack of responses to us – disempowers us – as we cannot provide accurate information and plan for our services, or respond appropriately to our residents and this is unfair.
Highways The Clerk is combining the input of the Chair of Highways and Essex County Council responses to the issues raised and responses to these to date – on Grove Hill. This will include issues such as the exclusion of HGVs from all roads leading to Lower Street. SMPC will also be seeking a meeting with the other parish stakeholders to consider their positions on the proposals for Grove Hill when finalised. Issues such as the tipper truck movements/ red traffic light jumpers/Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology and camera issues are also being responded to in a FAQs response from the sub-committee.
Election Review A legal review is planned for the district polling scheme from this autumn – it has to take place within a 16 – month period before the next election. We currently have three polling stations – 1 in the south and 2 in the north – the review will consider things such as the accommodation provided for the efficient and effective operation of the election process. We will highlight the consultation on our website and on major local social media channels.
Airport Noise Consultation London Stansted Airport Consultation on Noise – aims to reduce and minimise the impact of noise from aircraft. This consultation closes on August 28th SAW are preparing a response document and our Working Group will await the publication of their views before submitting a Parish Council position.
There is also a proposal to extend to the rear of the existing terminal building and increase the depth of the provision to provide a larger arrivals terminal. STAL had received planning permission to extend the airport by 25% – this was put on hold. SAW has no objection in principle to this development. Again, we will publish the information/ consultation details on our website and on the major local social media channels.
High Lane – Approval has been granted for the provision of 9 apartments on land south of Grange Place. The original application was refused by UDC earlier this year but allowed on Appeal on 17th The revised application was approved by UDC in June.
Youth Services The Clerk and I met with the Youth Service managers co-ordinating our youth club provision yesterday. They continue to report that the dynamics of the group currently attending can be challenging and need time to settle, preferably before any greater number of new admissions are introduced and are suggesting separate project work days to introduce new young people to the service.
There appears to be strict guidance from ECC on how services are advertised – so we will work with them to ensure communication about services from the site are clearly communicated. We were encouraged to hear that in future the young people will be involved in, and consulted on, the presentation and where information is posted.
5 Acres – The Clerk has chased Gigaclear for a response to our decision to refuse permission for the initial siting of the junction box proposed location at 5 Acres – no detailed response has been received at the time of writing this report.
I was pleased to note the councillors support for Cllr Sell’s motion to support to maintain the current staff service provision at our railway station amid the proposed changes and the Clerk has sent a formal response to Transport Focus.org
I was delighted the appeal from Mountfitchet Partners Ltd (a Limited Company formed by the Partners of Stansted Surgery) was upheld and that our efforts to support and promote the need for a second pharmacy were noted in the appeal, and the granting of an additional pharmaceutical dispensing licence to the south of Stansted. The effort and work of the community is also noted by us. Mountfitchet Partners are in the process of procuring premises that are accessible and in the south of the village, close to the surgery. This appeal was the first to be considered since 2018 and it is worth noting that, whilst the PNA could not be reversed or appealed, the application for a dispensing licence could. The application for inclusion in the pharmaceutical list was funded in its entirety by Mountfitchet Partners Ltd.
The current Stansted Pharmacy does not hold a dispensing licence and the current licences held by Mountfitchet Partners and Boots cannot be transferred. Stansted Pharmacy did appeal the decision not to award them a licence in 2016, but this was refused in January 2018. No subsequent application was made by them.
This Council has supported both parties and has maintained that the provision of a second licensed dispensing pharmacy was the overriding goal – this has now been achieved.