community matters
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Orchard Surgery Appointments & Dispensary 260220 For repeat prescriptions send email: prescriptions.orchardsurgery@nhs.net Hospitals Addenbrooke’s Royston
01223 245151 01763 242134
NHS111 – Urgent Care 111 24hr helpline Medical help when not a 999 emergency Police Non Emergency number Help when not a 999 emergency
101
Fire & Rescue Service 01223 376201 Crimestoppers
0800 555111
Neighbourhood Watch 260959 Maureen Townsend maureentownsend1@aol.com Telephone Preference Service www.tsponline.org.uk 0345 070 0707
For information on Parish Councillors see page 35
Winter health advice Cold weather doesn’t have to go hand in hand with illness. Here are some simple things you can do to help yourself stay well this winter. Keep warm – this may help prevent colds, flu or more serious health conditions such as heart attacks, strokes and pneumonia. Eat well – food gives you energy, which helps to keep you warm. So, try to have regular hot meals and drinks throughout the day. Get a flu jab – flu vaccination is offered free of charge to people who are at risk, pregnant women, carers and some young children to ensure that they are protected against catching flu and developing serious complications. See also page 27
www.nhs.uk/staywell
Update on the neighbourhood plan Our focus in this edition of Melbourn Magazine is to explain why drawing up a Neighbourhood Plan is becoming even more important. Only by doing this will we have any control over the future development of our community. The South Cambridgeshire Local Development Framework (LDF), which the village was consulted on back in early 2013, has been suspended by the Planning Inspector because she was not convinced that the plan made provision for enough new houses to be built or that the plan suggested that they be built in the most appropriate locations. South Cambridgeshire District Council has been asked to carry out a wide range of work to address the Planning Inspector’s concerns. This will not be complete until March 2016 and there is always the possibility that the Planning Inspector will not find the work satisfactory. Into this vacuum, developers are putting forward speculative planning applications in neighbouring parishes with increasing frequency. We know that at least one developer is writing to all local landowners encouraging them to try for planning permission. As yet Melbourn has only had the Endurance Estates application for 199 homes off New Road. Following the SCDC Planning Committee refusal, Endurance Estates has made an application for an appeal. This has been granted. If the worst happens and the appeal is successful, Melbourn can expect further applications and we need to be prepared. As time passes, the new homes for Melbourn which were included in the original LDF (64 off Victoria Way and at 31 New Road) will be under construction. Thus if the revised LDF has to include more development, developers will potentially be arguing for additional sites in Melbourn. We need to be prepared and to have considered whether there are suitable sites and where they are. Also, we can consider other types of development, such as providing more space for businesses or additional open space for sport and recreation. Previously, villages have automatically benefited from new developments by receiving money for open spaces and community space. From April 2015, this is no longer the case. Now Parish Councils must demonstrate a need for a facility and must draw up specific projects. The best way to do this is via the Neighbourhood Plan so that the Parish Council has evidence of what the community agrees is needed. And we need to compile the plan as quickly as possible. Please help us. The more volunteers and support we have, the quicker we will be able to work. Melbourn Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group
County Councillor Susan van de Ven Improvements at Frog End junction At long last, improvements are to be made to the Frog End junction. It is very welcome news that this is happening at long last. The Frog End junction is not at the top of the County’s Accident Cluster list and I was not hopeful that we would be seeing action, but we are. As I have reported in the past, traffic lights and roundabouts are not options that continued on page 18 melbournmagazine
15
