Parish Council

28 Station Road Melbourn Cambs SG8 6DX Telephone 262494 e-mail: parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk

Chairman Cllr. Rosemary Gatward, 94 High Street SG8 6AL 261225

V-Chairman Cllr. R. Trimble, 11 Greenbanks, SG8 6AS 220165

Clerk & Office Avril Mellor, 28 Station Road, SG8 6DX 262494

E-mail parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk

Website www.melbourncambridge.co.uk

Councillors Irene Bloomfield, 78 Russet Way, SG8 6HF 222558 Colin Charter, 58 Bramley Avenue, SG8 6HG 262278 Janice Guest, I Mortlock Street, SG8 6DB 260894 Jean Henry, 109 Beechwood Ave, SG8 6BW 261425 Donald Mowatt, White Walls, 23 High Street 268388 Clive Purbrook, Glebe House, High St, SG8 6DZ 260899 Jocelyn Robson, 91 High Street Mike Sherwen, 3 Hale Close, SG8 6ET 260070 Christopher Stead, 70 Russet Way 260743pm Maureen Townsend, 32 New Rd, SG8 6BY 260959 Richard Wakerley, 32 Chalkhill Barrow, SG8 6EQ 262247 David Wherrell, 5 Mortlock Close, SG8 6DA 260966

Employees Handyman and Caretaker Peter Andrews 243312

Emergency mobile. 07778-682245 Village Ranger Keith Rudge, 4 Dolphin La, SG8 6AF 221212 Internal Auditor Peter Chilvers, 68A High Street, SG8 6AJ 260742 County Councillor David Charles McCraith 104 North End, Bassingbourn D-Rmccraith@supanet.com (send agenda by e-mail) County Hall 01223-833555 District Councillors Janice Guest, 1 Mortlock Street, SG8 6DB 260894 Valerie Trueman, 2 Russet Way, SG8 6HE 220402 South Cambs M.P. Andrew Lansley 01954 212707

The Parish Office at 28 Station Road, is entered by the door at the front of the building directly opposite Sheene Mill. The Parish Office is now open on Mondays from 9 am to 1 pm, on Tuesdays from 2 pm from 4 pm, and on Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm. The office is not normally open on Wednesdays or Fridays. As the Clerk is sometimes out on Parish business it is better to ring 262494 to ensure that she is in the office. Meetings of the Planning Committee are normally held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month commencing at 7.15 pm. Council Meetings are normally held on the fourth Monday of each month at 7.15 pm at Vicarage Close Community Centre.

The Press Royston & Buntingford Mercury

Tom Ship, Media Centre 40 Ware Road,

Hertford, SG13 7HU 01992 526639 Royston Crow Heath House, Princes Mews,

Royston, SG8 6RT 245241 Fax 242231 Cambridge News David Williams, 3 Melbourn Street,

Royston, SG8 7BP 249144 Fax 244502 BBC Radio Cambridge

Reception 01223 259696

Newsroom 01223 358510

From the Parish Clerk – Avril Mellor

It is hard to believe that Christmas is behind us and once more the village has been stripped of its decorations and has entered into another New Year. I do hope that 2008 will be a peaceful and healthy year for you all. The annual Christmas Lights competition was judged this year by the Parish Council as Mr Mousley has unfortunately had to retire due to ill health. There is an article elsewhere in the magazine on the competition, where the winners are announced. In keeping with the Council’s aim to work towards sustainability in all its projects, the judges bore this in mind when making their decision.

The village has already seen some changes this year as the first occupants of the new development off Dolphin Lane, which is to be called Stockbridge Meadows, moved in on the first week of the year. It is hoped that the conservation area will be open to the public in early spring. The Parish Council is very pleased with the efforts the developers are making to create this natural area.

As I write this the precept for 2008/09 is being worked on and each committee has put forward its budget for the year. This is presented to the full Council meeting at the end of January for approval. The final figure is submitted to South Cambs. District Council at the beginning of February for inclusion within the Council Tax calculations. The precept funds all the working of the Council and is paid in two halves, in April and September.

Plans for a Community Building are still being worked on and it is hoped to put in a planning application before the end of March. Once this has been agreed to by South Cambridgeshire District Council Planning Department, the Parish Council intends to proceed with the purchase of the car park, where the building will be erected. The next stage will be to apply for a government loan for the building. It is anticipated that this building will be well used by the residents of the village.

Finally, I welcome Val Barrett to the Parish Council, which now has a full quota of fifteen councillors. Cllr. Barrett has served on the Council before, so is an “old hand” and understands the workings of the council.

Child and Family Nursing Team Well Baby Clinics

Drop in clinics for parents and babies are held at Melbourn clinic every Wednesday between 9.30 and 12 noon at 35 Orchard Road, Melbourn Telephone 01763 262861

Also at: Cambourne clinic every Monday between 9.30 and 12 noon at Room 12 Sackville House Cambourne Tel: 01954 282830

From the Chairman of the Parish Council Rosemary Gatward

You may like to hear of the Parishioners who received Community Awards which were presented at a Parish Council pre-Christmas reception. This year awards were presented to Pat Saunders for her long and dedicated service to 1st Melbourn All Saints Guides and to Peter and Jan Simmonnett for the voluntary contribution of their professional skills in the production of Melbourn Magazine. Other members of the community who volunteer in various ways were also invited. We would be pleased to add names to the invitation list which, because we have so many, have to be rotated annually. We are lucky in Melbourn to have so many generous and helpful friends amongst us. Please do let us know your thoughts on this.

We were very pleased with this year’s Christmas tree which kindly donated by Fieldgate and as usual, the electricity was donated by Leech, the Butchers. Thank you to them both.

The Christmas lights competition was very popular and well supported this year, you will find a full report on this from Councillor Maureen Townsend elsewhere in his magazine. I would like to congratulate the winners, who are resident in The Lawns and Chalkhill Barrow. Thank you to to Maureen Townsend and Roger Mellor for dealing with the whole competition including the judging.

The first residents have moved into Stockbridge Meadows (off Dolphin Lane) and the contractors are at present forging ahead with the work involved in developing the public open space and riverside walk behind the new houses. Planting of trees and shrubs is happening at the moment and work is scheduled to clean the river to improve its flow in early February. Construction of the board walk will follow along with planting wildflower plugs, fencing to stop damage from rabbits and deer, installation of a picnic table and surfacing the car park among other features. By midsummer the park should be a very pleasant place for us all to enjoy.

There have been many complaints about the mud on the roads and the loss of the grass on the wide verge at the entrance to Back Lane from Royston Road. Unfortunately it was work that had to happen as the developers prepare the services for new houses in Rupert Neve Close. The developers have been asked to reinstate the grass and a large area of Daffodils which were planted there. The completion of the long awaited tree work on the edge of the woodland opposite the Bury Meadows will be a relief to passing motorists during times of high wind.

Finally, welcome to those new residents of Melbourn who have either moved into new houses or into established areas around the village. Rosemary Gatward I was born in Cambridge, lived in Meldreth as a child and had family in Meldreth and Melbourn, living briefly elsewhere Douglas and I were married at AllSaints’ in 1959.

We have three adult children who all attended Melbourn Primary School, Village College and Long Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge. I have been a Parish Councillor since Rebecca, our youngest Daughter, was at the Primary School. She would not appreciate me telling you how long ago that was , my time as a Councillor must be coming to an end soon.

I have served on the Planning, Play Areas and Recreation Grounds, Conservation, Highways and Rural footpaths and Cemetery Committees. As part of my work for the council I have also served as a Governor at the Primary School.

Long ago I was secretary to the Editor of Essex Countryside and Thames Valley Countryside Magazines.

After our two elder children were born I was jointly responsible for setting up All Saints’ Playgroup in 1968 and was involved with the daily running of the group until a few years ago.

My time as Chairman of the Parish Council started in 2006 and I am enjoying the role, for a short time. Val Barrett I came to live in Melbourn in 1978 with my husband Rob and daughter Gail. Since then, I have spent most of the nineties serving on the Parish Council with several sub-committees. I was on the Fete Committee for a few years, ending my time there as Chairman. Also during the nineties, I was elected and served on South Cambridgeshire

From top left: Chris Stead, Clive Purbrook, Maureen Townsend, Irene Bloomfield, Jocelyn Robson, Colin Charter, Mike Sherwen, Janice Guest (Parish and District Councillor), David McCraith (County Councillor), Val Barrett, (front row) Avril Mellor (Parish Clerk), Rosemary Gatward (Chairman), Bob Trimble (Vice Chairman), David Wherrell.

District Council until ill health prevented me from standing for a further term. For the past ten or so years, I have acted as Coordinator of the Volunteers at Melbourn Police Station. In December, 2007 I was co-opted onto the Parish Council and look forward to again becoming more involved in the life of the village Janice M. Guest District and Parish Councilor Melbourn has been our family home for 38 years. We have two daughters, both are married and live in the village and our grandsons now attend Melbourn Primary School. At the present time I work at Moorlands Residential Home as an Administrative Assistant.

Over the years I have been involved with various local groups and fundraising organisations, which I have enjoyed very much. I became a co-opted member of the Parish Council following my election to the South Cambs District Council in 2006 as representative for Melbourn, The Chishills and Heydon. As both a Parish and District Councillor I am a member of a several committees including planning, highways and paths, and licensing.

The Melbourn Community Centre Jan 08

We have moved forward since my last report in October although to the outside observer this is not too apparent.

You will recall we were about to start on a new strategy for raising the necessary funds via a government loan, this again involves a ‘Business Plan’ and a lot of the work done for the BLF application has been useful here. The procedures and terms applicable are clearly defined so our first step is to obtain planning permission for the Community Centre building. This in turn enables the purchase of the car park and that will be the ‘starters gun’!

As the work done for the BLF application virtually finalised the design for the Community Centre we are well advanced with this stage. It has always been our intention to incorporate the best ‘clean and green’ features in the design and the recent emphasis on carbon footprint and environment friendly features confirms our commitment to this. We feel this so important that we have commissioned a consultant specialising in ‘clean energy’ to collaborate with us at this early stage. By the time this article is published we will be under way with the incorporation of these recommendations into the planning application.

One of the stalwarts of our working party, Arthur Alderton, reluctantly left us late last year, I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the WP to thank him for his hard work and welcome (frequently hilarious) input to the project, he will be much missed. Fortunately, for both the Parish Council and this working party two recent new village residents have joined us and are providing invaluable advice and expertise at this crucial stage for us.

We still must make every endeavour to raise funds for so will be holding events during the course of 2008. Please support us with help on the day, attending as a participant or joining the working party, we do need an event co-ordinator so here is the chance of a lifetime! All you need to do is ring one of the following: Mike Sherwen 260070, Bob Trimble 220165, Dave Wherrell 260966 or contact the Parish Office 262494.

District Councillor Janice Guest

As local member for Melbourn, as well as The Chishills and Heydon, I have been very active and, after considerable time, have negotiated with the Environmental Health Department for a second plastic recycling bin for Melbourn to be installed. Some would argue that this is not the best outcome, but during the time when we only had one bin there was always an excess of plastic containers left in the Car Park. On a number of occasions the bin has been turned over with disastrous consequences, which has involved members of the Parish Council having to clear up the mess. On one occasion the dumping of material beside the bin led to the issue of a fixed penalty notice to the offender. Nevertheless, it is good to see so many people making good use of the facility.

It had always been the intention of South Cambs DC to consider kerbside collection of plastic but with cutbacks in government funding for 2008-09 this will unfortunately have to be put on hold.

It is understandable that residents in the vicinity of the High Street, Melbourn are concerned about the speeding traffic and parked vehicles, but after looking at all of the alteratives available together with the potential costs involved, the only immediate solution is for the law to be enforced far more vigorously and drivers themselves to take more care. The problem is not going to be easily resolved but I will support any viable long-term solution.

Regarding the matter of the frequent unauthorised travellers’ camps on Black Peak By-Way, it is unfortunate that this issue is taking a great deal of negotiating and is ongoing between landowners and Cambridgeshire County Council, but in the meantime South Cambs DC and Cambs CC attempt to keep the disruption and inconvenience to a minimum.

I have recently been appointed to the committee of the Francis John Clear Almshouses, an appointment that I am pleased to accept. This is yet another opportunity for me to be involved in the village together with my involvement in the management board for Melbourn Community Sports.

Should you have any matters, which you think I can assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me. Janice M Guest 01763 260894