Liberal Democrat Community Newsletter

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.

MELDRETH 150 HOMES CONSULTATION: PLEASE RESPOND BY SUNDAY SEPT 4

Every household in Meldreth will have received a hand-delivered consultation document asking for views about the proposed 150 new houses at the Eternit site off Whaddon Road. While paper copies were due September 2, the electronic version (which contains basic details about the application) can be completed until midnight on September 4: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MPCME

If by any chance you have time to help collate the responses to the questionnaire on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, this would be hugely appreciated: please contact Parish Councillor Andrew Young at 1968ay@gmail.com. A public meeting to hear the results of the survey and discuss the application will be held on Friday September 9th, 7PM, Meldreth Village Hall.

This is a speculative application not aligned to the Local Plan. It can be viewed in full online at SCDC’s planning website http://plan.scambs.gov.uk under planning reference S/1901/16/OL* . Any questions, please contact Philippa.

MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL ELECTION SEPTEMBER 22

Following the resignation of all but three members of Melbourn Parish Council, the council is now inquorate and unable to hold decision-making meetings.

An election for eight new parish councillors takes place on September 22. A list of 12 candidates can be found at http://melbourncambridge.org/write/election-of-parish-councillors/. Deadlines: Register to vote by September 6; register for a postal vote by September 7; register for a proxy vote by September 14. All on line at https://www.scambs.gov.uk/elections.

MELBOURN PARISH COUNCIL FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

A Freedom of Information request to Melbourn Parish Council for the Grievance Complaint Investigation Report has been unfulfilled, due to a legal challenge addressed to the parish clerk.

MARCH FOR EUROPE SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3

A series of marches for close ties with Europe will take place around the UK on Saturday September 3, including Parker’s Piece Cambridge from 12-3PM. If you would like to join with company, Susan will be at the Parkside Café from 11:40AM.

BREXIT: WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

The independent website ‘The Conversation’ has published extensively on Brexit – specialising in writings by subject experts for a general audience: http://theconversation.com/uk/eu-referendum-2016.

NI HAO! MANDARIN AT MELBOURN VILLAGE COLLEGE

From the start of the new academic year, Melbourn Village College becomes the first village college in South Cambridgeshire to teach Mandarin. All incoming students will study the language, which will also be offered at GCSE level. Together with Spanish, the college will be set to equip its students with two of the world’s key modern languages.

Many congratulations to MVC students and teachers for outstanding GCSE results just in. You can contact the college any time to arrange a personal visit: Tel 01763 223400.

MELBOURN 199 HOUSES GRANTED AT APPEAL

A speculative application for the development of 199 houses off New Road Melbourn, originally turned down by South Cambridgeshire District Council Planning Committee, has now been granted at appeal. The site in question falls outside the village development framework and the development itself is outside our area’s infrastructure plan. For this reason there has been much concern about the impact of a large development on local services. As a result of the meticulous work of the Melbourn Futures Committee, the final approved plan has been improved. Any questions, please contact Jose. The full decision is attached.

MELDRETH AND ORCHARD MANOR: AURORA’S FETE

Celebrating a new chapter under the Aurora Group, Meldreth Manor School’s annual fete takes place September 24, 1-5. Festivities continue into the night with live music from 6-11PM. A remarkable campaign by the Save Meldreth Manor Group, together with the vision and tenacity of the new Aurora Group, combined to ensure that this nationally recognized school for profoundly disabled children and young people continues into the future, following the decision by the previous provider, Scope, to close its service on the site. To get acquainted with the new organisation please visit http://www.the-aurora-group.com/meldrethmanor/

NO THANKS, AGAIN, TO A MAYOR

Central government appears to have taken some notice of the groundswell of support locally for a devolution deal that does not include a paid, elected Mayor – a position that we believe is unnecessary and would significantly undermine local decision-making by taking powers away from parish, district and county councils. You can sign our ‘No to a Mayor’ petition here: http://cambsnotomayor-cambridgelibdems.nationbuilder.com/

TACKLING CAMBRIDGE TRAFFIC CONGESTION: THE RIGHT MEASURES?

Please take a look at the latest consultation from the Cambridge City Deal, at www.gccitydeal.co.uk/congestion, running until 10 October. This asks for views on an ‘eight-point package of measures to tackle congestion’ in Cambridge. Of particular interest will be proposals for Peak-time Congestion Control Points (PCCPs). Cameras with automatic number plate recognition would be located at fixed points in the city, and drivers passing those points in peak hours would be subject to a fine. The suggested locations are on Queens’ Road, Grange Road, East Road, Hills Road, Mill Road and Coldhams Lane. Buses, taxis, bicycles and emergency vehicles would be exempt.

The proposals also include a Workplace Parking Levy – an annual fee charged to employers with staff parking spaces. The level of the fee, and the number of parking spaces at which the fee would start to be levied, have not yet been suggested, but the consultation points to Nottingham as an example, where employers with more than 10 employee parking spaces pay an annual fee of £375 per space, and can choose to pass that cost on to their employees.

A peak time congestion charge at entry points to the city, generating income which could for example cover costs for a free Park and Ride and subsidize a good quality bus service in the wider area, was rejected by the City Deal Board’s three members without consulting the public.
A consultation event will be held at Melbourn Village College on September 14, 5-7:30 PM.

REED AUTOS: WORLD CAR FREE DAY

Reed Autos, situated on the A10 at Foxton, have issued an open invitation on September 22, 3-7PM, to mark World Car Free Day. The company is introducing new loan bikes and electric cars, and will be offering advice on eco-driving. It will also provide new cycle racks at Foxton Station. These will most likely be situated just north of the station-side pedestrian crossing, when work to complete the cycle path in the station vicinity is completed this autumn.

NETWORK RAIL LEVEL CROSSING CLOSURES: ABSURD PROPOSALS

A second round of consultations on ‘minor’ level crossing closures will take place from September 8-29, with a public event at Hughes Hall, Wollaston Road, Cambridge CB1 2EW, on the 8th from 2-7PM. Detailed proposals will not be posted on line until the 8th – but from that point you can access information and respond here: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/anglialevelcrossings/

Three ‘minor’ level crossings originally proposed for closure in our area include the pedestrian gate crossing on the Barrington Road side of Foxton Level Crossing; the crossing south of the Meldreth Station Road bridge near Fieldgate Nursery, and the Flambards Meldreth crossing – the latter now struck off the list. We strongly encourage anyone concerned about the increased safety risks that both remaining proposals would create – by directing people to more dangerous road crossing environments – to respond to the consultation.

The Foxton proposal is particularly absurd as it would sever the brand-new A10 pedestrian/cycleway, forcing people to cross the A10 twice – once over and once back to re-join, after traversing the level crossing through the station-side gate. Not only would this hugely increase risk to the individual user but it would dis-incentivise use of the new path, the whole purpose of which is to provide a safe alternative to getting around by car. The A10 pedestrian/cycleway is funded by the Department for Transport and the biggest risk point challenges are crossings of the A10. This is a tragicomedy of public funding being deployed at cross-purposes. Any questions, please contact Susan.

A10 CYCLE PATH: NEXT WORKS

Work to complete the cycle path around Foxton Level Crossing commences September 12 and will take six weeks – delayed due to a hold-up by Network Rail who have now issued all the necessary permissions. This may delay the start of work on the new path connecting Frog End to Melbourn Science Park, because the contractor can’t be two places at once.

MELDRETH, SHEPRETH AND FOXTON RAIL USER GROUP MEETING DETAILS

The Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Rail User Group meets next on September 20, 7 for 7:30 PM, at Melbourn Village College – all welcome. If you would like a copy of the agenda, it will be posted at meldrethsheprethfoxtonrail.org.uk. This meeting will include the usual station updates, with a special focus on accessibility at Meldreth Station, where we continue to lobby for a ramp connecting the London-bound platform to the field footpath; lifts to help people cross between the platforms; and the re-siting of the kissing gate leading from the footway onto Meldreth High Street. The quest for funding to upgrade the field path connecting the station to Melbourn has now been completed through a Section 106 agreement for the 199 new houses in Melbourn – hopefully encouraging those who are able, to walk or cycle, not drive, to the station.

PLATFORM EXTENSIONS AT OUR RAIL STATIONS UNDERWAY

Work is now underway to lengthen Cambridge-bound platforms at Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Stations, in preparation for the 2018 introduction of eight-car trains (which will run every half-hour all day). You may have noticed the clusters of orange-jackets working on the line.

GREAT CHISHILL AND HEYDON DRAINAGE ACTION

A persistent flooding problem in New Road, which exacerbates icy conditions in winter, was addressed over the summer by a meeting of Highways officers, County, District and Parish councillors, and the local farmer. With the County Highways budget under unprecedented pressure, the Parish Council has stepped in to help fund the remedial drainage works being carried out by the farmer. Many thanks to all concerned.

Similarly, a drainage tour along Heydon Lane, Heydon, has pinpointed key areas where Highways and private landowner action is needed to ensure correct flow of water in this problematic stretch of road – which like Great Chishill roads is more likely to ice over in winter due to higher temperatures than in nearby Cam Valley villages.

SUPERFAST BROADBAND ROLLOUT GAPS

A representative of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Superfast Broadband team attended Meldreth Parish Council on September 1 to bring us up to date on provision for two areas – Burtons and Marys Way – where the service has not yet been provided. While time scales are not yet known (waiting to hear back on key points from BT) it has been established that the provision will eventually take place. The basis of ‘Connecting Cambridgeshire’ is the facilitation of superfast broadband rollout where commercial providers have shown no interest in doing so. Public subsidy is for extending service coverage in more isolated areas. Because commercial providers had originally signalled an intention to cover Burtons and Marys Way, it was contractually impossible to roll out the subsidized programme there. That signal has now extinguished, so Connecting Cambridgeshire can be deployed.

Another representative of the team will attend the next meeting of Shepreth Parish Council on September 8, 7:30PM, Shepreth Village Hall, to update us on similar gaps in the Shepreth roll-out.

SHEPRETH PARISH COUNCIL: CATCH-UP ON-LINE

Meetings of Shepreth Parish Council are filmed by the council itself, so that residents unable to attend in person can follow public decision-making on their behalf: http://www.shepreth.org/index.php/parish-council/meetings

MELBOURN AREA YOUTH CLUB: SEPTEMBER 13 START

This very popular free youth club for young people aged 11-18 resumes on September 13, meeting every Tuesday evening from 7-9 at the refurbished Pavilion on Melbourn Recreation Group – entrance from the car park at the bottom of The Moor. Melbourn, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton and Fowlmere Parish Councils provide financial support, and the club is run by the outstanding community development charity Groundwork Hertfordshire. There’s no need to sign up in advance, but if you’d like more information please ring Lisa Steeples on 01707 260129 or 07702 941440.

SUPPORT ROYSTON AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY TRANSPORT: 300 CLUB

If you’d like to do something easy to make a significant difference to our local community transport provider, please consider joining the Royston and District Community Transport 300 Club: Cash prizes of £10, £15 and £25 per month, and £50 per quarter, are drawn for members – membership cost being £1 per month or £12 per year. For an application form please ring 01763 848982 or 01763 245228 (24-hour with answer phone). RDCT are always looking for volunteer drivers to help ensure that less mobile people in our community can catch a lift to local destinations for shopping, health appointments or social visits, reducing isolation.

HUB MOTHERS AND TODDLERS

This group is open to all mums and toddlers: Melbourn Hub, Fridays 10AM.

AND NOW – BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER AROUND THE VILLAGES:

BREAKFAST IN FOXTON

The Men’s Breakfast Club will hear all about Royston and District Community Transport from Manager David Wherrell, on September 17, from 8:30-10:00, Foxton Village Hall. All Ladies and Gents welcome – and please contact Tony Garrick to let him know if you’d prefer Full English or Continental: Tel 01223 510201 or garrick.tony@gmail.com

DINNER CLUB AT THE HUB

The Melbourn Hub Dinner Club meets at lunchtime (yes lunchtime!) once per month – next on 14 September. If you’d like to book a place, please ring the Hub on 01763 263303. This is a wonderful chance to make new friends.

MELBOURN AND MELDRETH LUNCH CLUB

Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme (MMWS) takes over the running of the lunch club at Vicarage Close Melbourn from 15th September. The lunch club has been a popular facility for older people in Melbourn and Meldreth for some years and provides a weekly event where people can meet to socialise and have a good chat over a cooked lunch. Nikki Cross and Julie Myles ran the club for three years before handing it over to MMWS due to extra work commitments. Nikki and Julie have done a fantastic job and will be missed but MMWS is looking forward to continuing on the good work. An article is in the latest copy of the Melbourn Magazine (copies available at the Hub).

Lunch Club runs every Thursday. The cost is £6 per visit and includes a meal which is cooked and supplied by Moorlands, plus refreshments. Transport is provided by volunteer drivers. To find out more about Lunch Club or Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme, please contact Jeannie Seers on 07808 735066.

US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SUPPER CLUB, FOXTON

All welcome to hear Cambridge University historian Dr John Thompson speak about the forthcoming US Presidential Election, at a supper on October 21, 7 for 7:30, at Foxton Village Hall. Tickets are £15 per person, with a homemade supper and dessert. Sponsored by the South Cambs Lib Dems. Please contact any of us for tickets.

DROP-IN ADVICE SURGERY

We are at the Melbourn Hub every first Monday of the month between 2:30-3:30. Next is Monday 5 5 September. 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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