Mettle Hill Traveller Site, Meldreth

£600 up for grabs in paper recycling competition

Six lucky residents will win £100 each in a fantastic paper recycling competition run by South Cambridgeshire District Council this winter. Sponsored by Amey Cespa, the competition aims to reward residents who regularly recycle paper in their blue bin paper caddy.

It’s easy to take part, just look out for the winter South Cambs Magazine which will hit doormats from 26 November. Once you have received your magazine, turn to the waste and recycling pages to find the competition entry form and details on how to take part.

For more information call 03450 450 063 or visit www. scambs.gov.uk/papercompetition. Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Rail User Group

Mince pies at the December meeting: 22 December 7:30PM, Foxton Village Hall. Network Rail and First Capital Connect now regularly attend our meetings, which are open to the public.

FCC’s 50% student discount is still in place, though I’ve asked the company whether they would be willing to increase this to 55%, to match what is offered by Abellio on the Greater Anglia route through Shelford and Whittlesford Stations.

Community rail station gardening: It is really great to report that our community gardening is being supported by Duke of Edinburgh Award students from Melbourn. Susan van de Ven, 01763 261833, susanvandeven@yahoo.co.uk

Bikes on Trains – please note!

Last year we negotiated a cycles-on-trains policy for Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton which is less restrictive than what First Capital Connect was about to impose. The policy in place was decided on safety grounds, tallying in with the busiest service of the day.

The policy says that full-sized bicycles cannot be taken on the 8:08 service to Cambridge. Folding bikes are OK any time, including the 8:08. Full sized bicycles are OK any time except the 8:08

There is a poster at the station explaining all this, but understandably it may not get noticed as there are lots of other posters around too, and with the new school year, new commuters to Cambridge may not realize what the rules are.

It’s important that we spread the word, because we’d like to keep our good relationship with First Capital Connect, who tailored this policy to be as unrestrictive as possible, on our behalf. Also, if the situation becomes unmanageable, FCC may feel it needs to issue offence notices, and it would be good to avoid that!

Please get in touch if you have any questions. Susan van de Ven, Chairman, Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Rail User Group, railusergroup@gmail.com

Mettle Hill Traveller Site, Meldreth

What’s it all about?

Local councillors were contacted by South Cambs District Council on 31 October informing them that a Cabinet paper was about to be published that same day, outlining SCDC’s intention to purchase and re-open the disused Traveller’s site in Mettle Hill, Kneesworth Road. This came after a District Council press release declaring that local representatives and residents had been consulted on the matter. There had been no consultation or communication whatsoever.

The site was closed in 1996, having been under SCDC management, due to persistent and serious violence and criminal behaviour. Since then, SCDC have always maintained that the old site is unsuitable for reopening, on a number of grounds.

Also since 1996, three new travelling communities have successfully settled on their own land, with planning permission, and in direct proximity to the disused site. These include two Travelling Showmen’s sites and one Romany site, and all have integrated into the village of Meldreth. It is reckoned that planning permission for the Showmen’s sites would not have been granted had the Traveller site still been in use.

The disused site in question is owned by Cambridgeshire County Council, which is required to offer ‘first refusal’ to the parish or district councils. The land has planning permission as a Traveller site although other planning permissions could be sought. Meldreth Parish Council has made a formal indication to the County Council that it wishes to purchase the land.

The District Council will be holding a special meeting on January 10th, possibly at a venue local to Meldreth.

A website has been set up to disseminate up-todate information and to hold a community petition: www.mettlehill.com/petition.

Humanity

The Dalai Lama when asked what surprised him most about humanity answered

‘Man! Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived.’