Liberal Democrat Community Newsletter
For Foxton, Great and Little Chishill, Heydon, Melbourn, Meldreth and Shepreth

We are writing to you, as your councillors and campaigners for our interlinked cluster of villages, to keep you informed of local issues involving the District and County Councils. If you would prefer not to receive this email newsletter, please reply asking to be removed from the distribution list. If you know of someone not receiving this email newsletter who would like to do so, please ask them to email philippajhart@btinternet.com, susanvandeven5@gmail.com, or jose@josehales.me.uk.

SOUTH CAMBS REMAIN VOTE: BREXIT MEANS WHAT?

With 60.2% voting to Remain in the EU on an 81.2% turnout, South Cambridgeshire expressed a strong consensus about a close future relationship with the EU. This reflects realities of our district’s economy in which the success of industries like housebuilding, health and social care, higher education, and bio and high tech is fundamentally dependent on the sharing of people and skills: free movement and the single market. Opportunities for young people to work and study under the common umbrella of the EU are simply greater than otherwise, and we greatly regret any diminishment in this sphere.

The much trumpeted position ‘Brexit is Brexit’ is hardly persuasive, given that the terms of Brexit have never been defined. While respecting the instruction to quit the EU expressed in the referendum, we strongly support the role of MPs to challenge and scrutinize, as well as all efforts to configure the strongest possible relationship with our close neighbours in the EU.

TRANSPARENCY AND OPEN DATA

Cambridgeshire Insight, located within the www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk website, is a shared research knowledge base for the Cambridgeshire area. It allows users an easy way to access and share data, information and research for deeper insights about their local area. Of particular interest may be the interactive mapping facility, which opens up detailed information on socio-economic features of individual wards and a comparative picture within the county as a whole: http://cambridgeshireinsight.org.uk/interactive-maps.

MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL: HOW TO MAKE A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

It is the natural expectation in a representative democracy that the voting public should have sight of business conducted by elected representatives on its behalf. Only in very exceptional circumstances should information be withheld from the public. We are very sorry to report that transparency has been systematically rejected in Melbourn Parish Council business, though this has not been by unanimous consensus.

A report by a grievance panel relating to a serious complaint remains unpublished, but can be requested under the Freedom of Information Act. Requests should be made to the Melbourn Parish Clerk (parishclerk@melbournpc.co.uk) indicating that ‘Under the Freedom of Information Act I wish to have sent to me the following document: Grievance Complaint Investigation Report as referred to in the Melbourn Parish Council Agenda 16th May 2016. I would like to see the full report and any recommendations.’

Melbourn Parish Council will hold an Extraordinary Meeting on 8 August 7:15PM, for the purpose of transacting the agenda items that were abandoned when the meeting was unexpectedly closed by the Chairman on 25 July. This will be held at Melbourn Village College Lecture Room. More at www.susanvandeven.com.

FREE SUMMER YOUTH CLUB EVENINGS

Melbourn Area Youth Club is open and free to all 11-18 year olds, and meets from 7-9 PM on 2, 9 and 18 August, at the refurbished Pavilion on Melbourn Recreation Ground. Regular term-time Youth Club resumes on 18 September, same time and venue. Melbourn, Meldreth, Foxton, Shepreth and Fowlmere Parish Councils provide the financial support for this service, which is run by the community development charity Groundwork. Any questions, please contact Lead Youth Worker Lisa Steeples on 07702 941 440 or lisa.steeples@groundwork.org.uk

TWO PAID YOUTH WORK POSTS

Groundwork is recruiting two paid youth work posts for Melbourn Area Youth Club. Applications are due at midday 1st August: See http://www.groundwork.org.uk/Sites/careers/pages/sessional-youth-workers-east

DEVOLUTION DEAL: WHY WE DON’T SUPPORT IT

The County and District Councils have voted through a new Devolution Deal for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough as a combined authority. The new authority will have a paid mayor with considerable powers, and this will constitute a new layer of government. We voted against the deal because we believe that the role of mayor is unnecessary, wasteful and takes decision making away from lower tiers of government – parish, district and county. The deal sets out aspirations and financial commitments which don’t actually add up to anything very significant, and which contains no business case. The mayor will be elected in May 2017. Comparisons have been made to the role of Police and Crime Commissioner, a nicely paid political position with a questionable contribution to the public interest.

POST-16 EDUCATION TRANSPORT: NO MORE COUNCIL SUPPORT

As previously reported, the hard bite of central government withdrawal of financial support to local councils has meant the ending of post-16 education transport assistance. This means that subsidy from councils, which is not a legal requirement, will no longer be available. For our villages without access to rail this is an especially serious problem, not least because the 31 bus service itself is subject to losing its essential subsidy.

The Cambridgeshire Student Connect rail discount which Susan brokered with the train operating company in 2009, offering 50% off the adult fare (compared to 33% elsewhere in the country), continues to be available, and is cheaper than the deal formerly offered by the council. It can be used on weekends and holidays and anywhere within Cambridgeshire, including the Greater Anglia route. All route details and qualifying state colleges are listed on the Great Northern website; some anomalies include provision for a couple of independent schools including Perse Boys/Girls and Kings Ely. It can be purchased only on line and from later in August: http://www.thameslinkrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/student-connect/

TWICE HOURLY OFF-PEAK SERVICE TRAINS FOR OUR STATIONS

Half-hourly off-peak services will commence at Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton from 2018, with the roll-out of the Thameslink Service. The Rail User Group has been lobbying for this for many years. All trains will be eight-car and able to carry nearly 1500 passengers. At all three stations, Cambridge-bound platforms will be lengthened. On the London-bound platforms, there will be selective door opening. The Rail User Group meets next on September 20 and will be focusing on access issues at Meldreth Station. We have invited representatives of Meldreth and Melbourn Parish Councils to attend, so that we can forge ways of coordinating joint working.

A comprehensive audit of all three stations has been carried out by our umbrella organisation Railfuture. This can be seen at the newly rebuilt website http://meldrethsheprethfoxtonrail.org.uk/

FLOODING, MELBOURN AND SHEPRETH

Serious property damage to the Black Horse Pub in Orchard Road Melbourn has taken place five times over the past two years, including last month, following extreme rainfall. Jose has met on site with County Highways to discuss remedial measures, which at last are being implemented. In Shepreth, repeat inundation of Barron’s Green – though thankfully, without property damage – has prompted a comprehensive jetting exercise which we hope will prove effective.

Any other flooding and drainage concerns, please do let us know so that we can help action. We’re aware that long promised jetting in parts of Meldreth has still not taken place and are chasing this. We will be doing drainage tours of Heydon and the Chishills on 5 August.

MUD ON FOWLMERE ROAD FOXTON

It has been discouraging that the verges off Mead’s Farm Fowlmere Road have once again been badly damaged, resulting in unacceptable mud on the road. Highways has been chased and we hope the matter will have been resolved by the time you read this.

199 HOUSES APPEAL MELBOURN

Thanks very much to Melbourn Futures Committee and District Councillors for attending the four-day appeal hearing at Cambourn earlier this month. The inspector’s decision is awaited.

WHADDON ROAD MELDRETH APPLICATION

Philippa is supporting the Marley Eternit Working Group’s monitoring of this very significant planning application, which is expected to be submitted shortly. Any questions, please contact her.

DIRECT PAYMENT SUPPORT SERVICE

Over the past five years the County Council has purchased its Direct Payment Support Service (DPSS) from Penderels Trust. The initial contract was for three years with an option of a two year extension which was taken up to enable consideration of any implications brought in by the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014.

The County Council now needs to retender for the DPSS and is seeking the views of people who may have had experience of this service. If you would like to have your say on what would make a good Direct Payment Support Service in Cambridgeshire, please complete the online survey here. The closing date of the consultation is Sunday 18th September 2016. The new service will begin in February 2017.

FREE HEALTH CHECKS

If you are aged between 40-74 years old, not on a chronic disease register and would like to have a general overall health check, please contact your local surgery. This is completely free of charge and takes around 20 minutes.

MELDRETH AND MELBOURN LUNCH CLUB

You may have heard that the Luncheon Club at Vicarage Close Melbourn, which provides lunch and a friendly chat for older residents every Thursday, was due to close if no one could be found to take over by the end of August, due to the extra work commitments of organisers Nikki and Jules.

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme (MMWS) has now agreed to maintain this popular and important facility for older residents. MMWS already provides support for a number of mobility impaired and elderly people across Melbourn and Meldreth, many of whom attend Luncheon Club. MMWS looks forward to working with the existing volunteers who do such a great job each week. Any questions, please contact Jose, who serves as a MMWS Trustee.

CAN COUNCILS AFFORD TO PROVIDE ACCEPTABLE ADULT SOCIAL CARE?

We are pleased to report that the Communities and Local Government Committee has launched an inquiry into the financial sustainability of local authority adult social care and the quality of care provided. Local authority budgets have been decimated to the point of compromising the well-being of vulnerable people in many ways – though the test is always whether the provision of care meets ‘statutory requirements.’ If you are concerned, please respond to the inquiry:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/communities-and-local-government-committee/news-parliament-2015/adult-social-care-launch-16-17/

LIBRARY CHARGES

As part of continuing Conservative government austerity measures, a £1 charge is now charged for all book reservations from Cambridgeshire Libraries. Library Access Points like Melbourn, which serves the wider area, exist in large part to access library resources from around the county system. For the time being, our LAP is prepared to cover this new cost, but will accept the £1 charge as a donation to its book-buying fund if this is what borrowers agree to.

CYCLE PATH WILL CONNECT SHEPRETH TO MELBOURN SCIENCE PARK

The Greater Cambridge City Deal agreed at its June meeting to fund a pedestrian/cycle path connecting Dunsbridge Turnpike/Frog End Shepreth with Melbourn at the Science Park entrance. It is expected that construction work will commence around September. The path will be suitable for mobility scooters and will lead directly into the two significant commercial complexes along Cambridge Road. The City Deal is central government funding specifically for infrastructure in the high growth Greater Cambridge area, with a priority on enhancing sustainable transport provision. This means that the new A10 network from Trumpington southward is moving ever closer to connecting up with Royston – the overall project being spearheaded by the A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign.

CYCLE PATH MAINTENANCE

AstraZeneca, currently based at the Melbourn Science Park, has kindly agreed to provide supplementary grounds maintenance to the A10 pedestrian/cycle network, over and above current arrangements. The extra funding will allow additional verge cuts, cutting back of side vegetation, herbicide treatment, etc. This is set out for a two-year trial period.

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD FOR A10 CYCLE PATH

A Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice will be presented on 8 August in recognition of the new segment of A10 pedestrian/cycle path between Foxton and Harston. We encourage everyone who has not yet used the path to have a go! Average journey time on a bike between Foxton and Harston is seven minutes – often quicker than by car at peak time.

A Foxton resident got in touch to say that, having been highly sceptical of the new pedestrian/cycle path, he counted 37 people on bicycles between Foxton and Harston one evening at 7PM.

DROP-IN ADVICE SURGERY

We are at the Melbourn Hub every first Monday of the month between 2:30-3:30. Next is Monday 1st August. No need to book – just come along. We can always arrange to meet you at a time that is more convenient for you, or closer to home. Our contact details are below.

ANY ITEMS WE CAN HELP TO RAISE?

We would be delighted to address any concerns you may have, or help raise awareness of issues affecting our community via this newsletter.

WHAT WE STAND FOR

The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity.

You can learn more about or join the Liberal Democrats at http://www.libdems.org.uk

Sincerely yours,

Philippa, Jose and Susan

Philippa Hart, District Councillor for Meldreth and Shepreth
philippajhart@btinternet.com
Tel 01763 261255

Jose Hales, District Councillor for Melbourn, Heydon and the Chishills
jose@josehales.me.uk
Tel 01763 221058

Susan van de Ven, County Councillor for Foxton, Heydon, Melbourn, Meldreth, Shepreth and the Chishills
susanvandeven5@gmail.com, www.susanvandeven.com
Tel 07905325574
Twitter: @susanvandeven

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