Parish Council

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

Chairman Donald Mowatt 23, High Street SG8 6AL 268388 Vice-Chairman Maureen Townsend 32 New Road SG8 6ER 260959 Clerk & Office Avril Mellor, 28 Station Road, SG8 6DX 262494 E-mail parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk Website www.melbourncambridge.co.uk Councillors Val Barratt 2 Station Road SG8 6DX 261227 Irene Bloomfield 78 Russet Way SG8 6HF 222558 Colin Charter 58 Bramley Avenue SG8 6HG 262278 Janice Guest 1 Mortlock Street SG8 6DB 260894 Rosemary Gatward 94 High Street SG8 6AL 261225 Dean Hardingham 1 Portway SG8 6EU 232757 Michael Linette 11, Chapel Lane 262534 Donald Mowatt 23 High Street SG8 6AL 268388 Clive Purbrook Glebe House High Street SG8 6DZ 260899 Andy Kulina 77 Orchard Road SG8 6BB Jocelyn Robson 91 High Street 261633 Mike Sherwen 3 Hale Close SG8 6ET 260070 Christopher Stead 70 Russet Way 260743 pm Maureen Townsend 32 New Road SG8 6BY 260959 Richard Wakerley 32 Chalkhill Barrow SG8 6EQ 262247 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 Val Barrett, 2 Station Road 261227 South Cambs M.P. Andrew Lansley 01954 212707 South Cambs M.E.P. Robert Sturdy 01954 211790 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 www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/council/

From the Parish Clerk – Avril Mellor

I hope that by the time you read this letter we will be at the start of a long hot summer. New Road cemetery is beginning to take shape and looked lovely with the blossom and daffodils. Tenders have gone out for the construction of a soil store and as designs for a lychgate proved disappointing, attention has now been turned to iron gates with brick pillars, and four companies have been asked to provide ideas and costs.

A new gate should have been installed during May at The Moor Play Area as the old one did not meet with current regulations.

The One-on-One Basketball Court is to be erected on the new Recreation Ground in the vicinity of the skateboard ramp. The Council are waiting for a lead time from the installation company, so hopefully if all goes well this court will be in use in the very near future.

Stockbridge Meadows Riverside Park is being well used and enjoyed by people of all ages. There has been a problem with dog-walkers who have allowed dogs off leads and not cleaned up after their dogs. The Council have placed signs on the gate and in the park informing dog-owners that there will be a total ban from 1st May on dogs in the park if these practices do not cease. At the moment it seems that dogowners are taking more responsibility for their dogs in the park.

Gates have just been ordered for the front and north east corner of The Moor Allotment. It is hoped that these will not only make the area look tidier but will also help to make it more secure. One of the allotment holders who is interested in forming an allotment association organised a meeting at the Community Centre of the Village College in April. It is felt an association would be able to benefit from the support of The National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners such as receiving advice on a variety of problems and obtaining help with applying for funding for allotment projects as well as being able to purchase reduced-price seeds.

Two annual meetings were held in May. An Annual Meeting of the Parish to which all are invited and at which anyone can speak at any time and the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council. At the latter the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Parish Council were elected. Councillors agreed which committees they wished to serve on and Parish Council representatives on village trusts, school board and charities were nominated. It is at this meeting that the numbering of agenda items changes from /08 to /09 so the first item on the agenda, the Election of Chairman to the Parish Council, is numbered 1/09.

The Council are looking into the possibility of allocating a portion of land known as the Grinnel Hill Conservation Site off London Way for BMX Trails. Work on this is in the very early stages and planning permission will have to be sought and granted before the matter is taken any further.

continued on page 14

The Freedom of Information Act deals with access to official information and gives individuals or organisations the right to request information from any public authority unless there are good reasons to keep it confidential. The Government has issued a Model Publication Scheme, which is a commitment by a public authority to make certain information available, and a guide on how that information can be obtained. The Act and the Model Publication scheme on the Parish Council’s page of the village website (www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/council). To conform to this, I now post the minutes of the full Parish Council meetings and Planning meetings on the village website. This is a new role and one I am still getting to grips with, so please bear with me on this matter. I will try and keep this as up to date as possible.

Melbourns District Councillors’

Cllr. Janice Guest and Cllr. Val Barrett Following the Election of Val Barrett in May 2008, we have worked together on many local issues and on the occasions we both need to be at Cambourne, we travel together which saves on the expenses we claim. When Officers at South Cambs Hall see us coming, they are heard to say “Here come the Melbourn twins”, this is often to our advantage!

Always high on the list is the question of housing. We are often asked to help find housing for families who may need a larger property or want to move closer to work, schools and family. More recently, we have met families who do not

feel they are getting the support from SCDC they need. You will no doubt be aware that SCDC will be balloting all council house tenants on the prospect of transferring the Council’s housing stock to South Cambridgeshire Housing Association. The Council has engaged with all tenants, and they in turn, have been invited to meetings to discuss the matter. In all the information given out to the tenants, both sides of the scenario have been explained and at the end of the day, it is the tenants who will decide if the transfer is to go ahead. The advantage of transfer is that all rent monies will be available for investing locally rather than passing substantial amounts to the Government.

Planning is a regular matter brought to our attention. We both have involvement with the Planning Committee and have been able to refer some applications to the full Planning Committee having a mixture of good and not so good results. We are always willing to speak with residents or any applicants.

Hanley Grange was a dominant issue during the summer months and SCDC added its voice to the campaign rejecting this development. There were many reasons why this project should not go ahead. Apart from the site itself, there is no infrastructure to support such a project and we are very much aware of the transport system and schooling.

We were included in a tour of the travellers’ and gypsyies’ sites in the SCDC area, which has helped us become more aware of the Council’s responsibilities and also the needs of these people. The Government has told SCDC that we have to find new sites. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find land, which could be used by them, especially as there is so much pressure on local councils to build more and more affordable housing.

As promised, and on time, the kerbside collection of plastic bottles began in October and is a resounding success, with land fill waste going down by 6% and recycling increased by 14%. This level of recycling makes us one of the best areas in the UK. This is all thanks to the residents.

We were both very concerned regarding the proposed increase in Council Tax to 4.9% and were pleased that the Council agreed on 4.5%, details of which we are sure you are all very much aware, from the South Cambs Magazine and local press. It was gratifying to see that SCDC didn’t have any funds deposited with the Icelandic Banks.

Melbourn Community Sports is one of three swimming pools in South Cambs to offer free swimming to the under 16s and over 60s. This should help our residents to participate in sporting activities and, at the same time, become healthier.

We have given our full support to the plans to have BMX Trails at the Grinnel Hill Pocket Park and, we are pleased to say that the planning application has been lodged with planning registration for change of use from a pocket park to a recreational area. We are personally looking forward to seeing this project progress, as it will be an asset to Melbourn and allow the young people somewhere permanent to ride their BMX bikes.

At its February Meeting, the Council passed a motion opposing the congestion charge in Cambridge. The view of the Council is that such a charge will impinge unfairly on South Cambs residents, a number of whom will still not have access to a viable public transport alternative to the car even after the improvements proposed by the County Council have been introduced. The Leader and New Communities Portfolio Holders have, since then, reinforced this position in evidence given to the Independent Transport Commission set by the County Council.

You will have noticed that we have been successful in getting barriers on the entrance to Black Peak, New Road. This is part of an overall plan to make a circular walk for Melbourn. These barriers will allow walkers to use and will prevent travellers setting up unauthorized camps. We hope, therefore, that walkers will take advantage of this area.

In March, we had the privilege of being invited to a Reception and Briefing given by 16 Air Assault Brigade on their return from Operations in Afghanistan at Homerton College. This was most enlightening, learning about the massive amount of work going on to build hospitals and schools etc. in incredible conditions. For your information, we are members of the following Committees: Planning, Sub-Planning, Scrutiny & Overview; Scrutiny & Overview Committee Monitor for Housing Portfolio Holder; Scrutiny & Overview Committee Monitor for Planning Portfolio Holder; Licensing, Planning & New Committees, Corporate Governance

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme

I must apologise to those of you who have missed my usual report in the Magazine, but doubtless, knowing how information gets round this village, you may know that I have suffered several strokes.

These have affected my balance and I now find it difficult to walk without falling over. Margo however keeps me informed of how you are all getting on, or not as the case may be.

Due to the death and/or entry into various homes, I am now looking for people to join the committee. We meet about three times a year, if anyone is interested they contact me on 220402. Also, for the reasons I have stated we have vacancies which now enable us to take on more clients.

There is no restriction, the subscription is £3.00 per week.

With your interests in mind I have been very much against the sale of Council Houses to a Housing Association who are neither philanthropic societies or charities, but big businesses.

I suggested to the Council some two years ago that we should turn our housing department into a housing association and be able to keep 100% of the rent instead of 50%. I understand that this is now what they are suggesting. And so I would withdraw my objection to the scheme. V.M. Trueman, Chairman M.M.W.S.