Melbourn Parish Plan

The trick is to find out what their strategic objectives are, and match those up with local projects needing financial support – and then persuade them to provide funds! What’s next? User Group: Thank you to local residents who have responded positively to the suggestion of setting up a rail user group to help lobby for better local service, and to Railfuture East Anglia for advice. This will be an independent group covering Foxton, Shepreth and Meldreth stations. Please let me know if you’d like to join.

What’s in a name? Meldreth and Melbourn parish councils have agreed to write to the rail operator suggesting that the historic name ‘Meldreth and Melbourn Station’ be re-instated – this could widen the scope of prospective footfall, for example by capturing rail users plotting journeys via the Internet and looking for access to the Melbourn business community.

Dialogue: Having heard FCC and the County Council each say that the other won’t talk to them, I’ve asked the County Council to set up a meeting to explore how the two parties might work together on our behalf, with or without a County Rail Development Officer. A change in Managing Director at FCC has been taking place and I’ve asked for our meeting to coincide with the arrival of the new long-term post holder.

Disabled access: FCC have provided detailed plans on one wheelchair ramp linking the car park to the northbound platform at Meldreth Station (this has been met with enthusiasm by Meldreth Manor and Orchard Transition Service), and have suggested willingness to consider a ramp linking the Melbourn-bound footpath to the southbound platform – though in so doing, would like to see County Council cooperation in improving overall pedestrian and cycle safety in the road network around the station. This can be further explored when the two parties meet.

Bicycle wheeling channel: It is not easy to get a bike over the wheeling channel at Meldreth Station pedestrian bridge – the smaller the bike, the less difficult. This is due largely to health and safety restrictions. If you’d like some help or advice please get in touch.

As you will see, all of this adds up to an ongoing project. If you’d like to be kept up-to-date through my monthly email newsletter, please let me know. Meanwhile, if you have any ideas or advice, please get in touch any time. Susan van de Ven County Councillor Tel 01763 261833 Email: www.susanvandeven.com

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/parishplan

An intrepid group of volunteers, known hereafter as the Steering Committee, has started a two-year project to create a parish plan for Melbourn.

The idea of a parish plan (also known as a communityled plan) is that all residents are given a chance to say what they think about the social, economic and environmental issues affecting their community. In this way, a blueprint for development is compiled for the people and by the people, giving strategic bodies, councils, agencies and the health service a clear picture of what the community wants and needs. Grants for local projects are also more accessible if a parish plan is in place to prove the project has support.

The main part of the consultation process will be a household survey carried out at some stage over the next twelve months. However, residents are being asked at the outset to voice their likes and dislikes of Melbourn as it is, thereby ensuring that the survey addresses the real issues we face.

If you didn’t visit us at the fete or the workshop at the end of June, please do take the opportunity to complete the form inserted in this issue of the Melbourn magazine, and follow the instructions upon it as to how to make sure it reaches the steering committee.

We want to hear from young and old and all those in between, so please encourage all members of your household to take part.

If you would rather, you can give your thoughts online by visiting the ‘Have your say’ page of the website below.

So far, the top things people have told us they value include the shopping in the village (notably the Co-op, Leeches and the new Post Office) and the green spaces, especially the recently opened Stockbridge Riverside Park.

Popular items people have cited as needing improvement are traffic calming measures, especially along the High Street, and pavements throughout the village.

The number one concern to date is people parking in dangerous places on the main roads through Melbourn. Another common complaint is the sorry state of one or two High Street premises which have been described by some residents as ‘eyesores’.

We are still looking for volunteers, either to join the Steering Committee or to assist the Steering Committee in their endeavours. If you are interested, please note your interest on the form before submitting it, register at the website below, or simply give me a call.

Further information about the process is also available at our website, the address of which is: www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/parishplan.

If you don’t say what you think, you won’t be heard. So come on and have your say! Jocelyn Robson 01763 261633