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.

MORE CHAINS OF OFFICE: THE MAYOR OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH

A new mayor – an administrative position created by the current national government – will be elected in May. The so-called ‘devolution’ of power now sees a new tier of government, the Mayor’s Office, for which the supporting administration will cost £881,000 annually (over and above the Mayor’s £70,000 per year salary). Decision-making on key strategic matters including transport and housing will be taken by a small group of council leaders chaired by the Mayor. As Liberal Democrats we believe in dispersing power and bringing decision-making closer to local people – not consolidating and monopolizing it at a new tier of government that is anything but local.

MODIFICATIONS TO PROPOSED CLOSURE OF BARRINGTON ROAD GATE, FOXTON CROSSING

A public consultation event is scheduled for 14 December, 2-7PM, at Foxton Village Hall, to consider Network Rail’s proposed modifications to its recent proposal to close the Barrington Road gate. This proposal is significantly improved, but your views are needed. More information here.

MELDRETH, SHEPRETH AND FOXTON RAIL USERS MEETING 14 DEC: NETWORK RAIL ‘WILL ATTEND’

Everyone is welcome to the next meeting of the Rail User Group this Wednesday 14 December, 7 for 7:30-9:00, at the Elin Way Community Room Meldreth. Network Rail has agreed to attend the meeting to bring us up-to-date on platform extensions, for which work is scheduled to begin in earnest early in the new year. The agenda will be posted at www.meldrethsheprethfoxtonrail.co.uk

BREXIT SURVEY

Susan has been working with the Liberal Democrats to conduct a national survey of business, health and education providers, as well as people who are self-employed, to better understand the potential impact of Brexit. This is a concise set of questions. Please let her know if you would like to take part.

REPORT-A-FAULT: NO MATTER HOW SMALL, PLEASE MAKE A FUSS

You can check this website anytime to see if a problem you are concerned about has already been reported; if it has not you can log it directly. You can also see other faults reported by other people. By reporting faults, a compelling picture builds up. Or just google Cambridgeshire Report a Fault and follow the links.

‘CRACK SEALING’: EMPTY POT

We have reported a number of road faults where an old repair patch has developed ruts along the seams. County Highways has a budget specifically for this type of job –the ‘crack sealing budget’. However, the pot ran out in November and no more crack sealing repairs can take place until the new financial year starting in April. However please still report faults, as explained above, because it is that compelling picture which helps to make the case that the current programme is not meeting need.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT TO COUNCILS: SLIDE TO ZERO

Cambridgeshire County Council’s annual budget for supporting public services has always been made up of two main components – Council Tax and Government Revenue Support Grant. The current Conservative Government Policy is to bring the latter down to zero, resulting in a catastrophic shortfall that is now affecting the quality of people’s lives. In 2013-14 the grant was £84 million; next year it will be £15 million, and by 2019 it will be a staggering £0.

26 BUS: REDUCTION IN FREQUENCY FROM 3 JANUARY

This commercial bus service by a private company, Stagecoach, is set to reduce its off-peak service from hourly to two-hourly, starting on 3 January. We’ve been keeping in close contact with Stagecoach over many years, always querying the well-being of the 26 bus service. It has long been a ‘marginal’ service; a slight dip in ridership affects its commercial viability and this is the reason behind Stagecoach’s decision to reduce the service. We are concerned for two reasons: 1) it is a vitally important service to those who depend on it and 2) when a bus service reduces in frequency it becomes less viable and the downward spiral is in motion.

The Council has no sway; and if this were a Council-subsidized service the situation would be worse, because the Council can no longer afford to subsidize public transport. What little is left in the pot we have fought tooth and nail for, and there are no guarantees for the future. Please let us know if you would like to support efforts to retain transport subsidies.

ROAD SAFETY BUDGET REDUCTION

Every serious injury or fatality on our roads demands action. Recent tragic accidents on the A1198 and the A505 have devastated uncountable lives. It is shocking that resources don’t exist to provide appropriate preventive measures at accident sites where there is a known pattern.

For the recent Frog End A10 junction and the upcoming Whitecroft Road/Kneesworth Road Meldreth junction works, consideration of optimum schemes was simply not possible due to insurmountable funding gaps. Like the remedial work at Flint Cross several years ago, modifications to junction environments tend to be very modest. Traffic lights and roundabouts are generally out of the question because the money to pay for them simply isn’t available. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to learn more.

I WANT TO STAY IN MY HOME: MELBOURN MOBILE WARDEN SERVICE HELPS OUT IN SHEPRETH

Thanks to a collaborative effort on the part of the Melbourn Mobile Warden Service and Shepreth Parish Council, the scheme will be able to extend its support to a small number of elderly residents in Shepreth, which does not have a scheme of its own. Melbourn MWS also supports a small number of residents in Meldreth. If you’d like to know more about the scheme, which provides regular home visits and support to local people who would otherwise find it difficult to live independently, please contact Jose.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE COMMUNITY INNOVATION FUND

Grants of up to £2K, for innovative projects geared to help people stay safe, independent and less reliant on council services, are now available via the Cambridgeshire Community Innovation Fund, worth a total of £1 million. We are grateful to the people who worked hard to make this happen. All information here.

MELBOURN DRAINAGE ACTION GROUP

We’ll be setting up a Melbourn Drainage Action Group in the new year, to help understand localized issues and to create a better footing for collaborative working with the County Highways team. If you’d like to take part, please let us know. This will involve some practical work.

FOXTON SPECULATIVE DEVELOPMENT APPROVED

The developers Endurance, whose speculative planning application for 199 houses off New Road Melbourn was won at appeal, have also succeeded in winning planning permission on a speculative application for 22 houses off Station Road Foxton – in both cases, the development is not included in the Local Plan and is therefore outside all strategic infrastructure long-term planning.

With the Local Plan still suspended and resolution not expected for well over another year from now, there is a feeling that planning is out of control with commercial developers enjoying open season. It is extraordinarily difficult to work in piecemeal fashion to address the cumulative impact of increased demand on public services.

MARLEY ETERNIT SPECULATIVE PLANNING APPLICATION: DEVELOPER CONTRIBUTIONS LIST

The strongly expressed consensus in Meldreth and Whaddon over the proposal for 150 homes on part of the Marley Eternit site is that this is an undesirable application, due to a number of factors including the very poor offer on affordable housing and a dangerous squeeze on traffic and road conditions. Nevertheless the Marley Eternit Working Party, chaired by Philippa, has been working hard to prepare a list of desired developer contributions to help offset the impact of the new demand on public services that the development would have, if the planning application is successful. Thanks to the council officers who have worked equally hard to ensure that the list is well conceived.

BROADBAND PROGRESS, MELDRETH AND SHEPRETH

Some progress has been achieved for those neighbourhoods left out by the roll-out of Superfast Broadband, in West Way Meldreth and Frog End Shepreth. If your household has been left out of the roll-out and you have not yet been in contact with the Cambridgeshire Connect Superfast Broadband team, please let us know – this is the key step toward resolving gaps in provision.

EXTRA MEETING OF SHEPRETH PARISH COUNCIL

This will be held Thursday 15 December 7:30PM at Shepreth Village Hall, to consider an application for 25 houses (with 40% affordable) to the east of Collins Close. The planning reference, should you wish to look this up on the South Cambs District Council Planning Portal, is S/3052/16/FL Shepreth.

SPEED LIMIT REDUCTION IN CAMBRIDGE ROAD, SHEPRETH AND MELBOURN?

It has been suggested by a local resident concerned about the accident record at the Frog End section of Cambridge Road that the speed limit along this road should be reduced – particularly given the fact that the new cycle path must cross the Cambridge Road. Please let us know your views.

JOLLY POSTIE A10 CYCLE GET-TOGETHER: 18 JANUARY

The recent Jolly Postie Royston A10 Cycle Campaign get-together was a great success, and another is planned for 18 January (7:30PM). The next meeting of the campaign is 26 January, 7 for 7:30, at the Shepreth Plough – all welcome. Find out more about the campaign’s current work for a safe cycle link connecting Melbourn and Royston at www.a10corridorcycle.com. Thanks to all who supported the Santa Cycle Ride around Royston yesterday.

CALAIS CAMP MUSIC

You may have already heard about the music sessions held in the Calais Camp before it was dismantled. This website gives information and the opportunity to buy (or download) the resulting CD at a very modest cost. The project is the work of volunteers and has been recommended by Melbourn residents, who say: ‘The music is fantastic and was well received on Radio 3 recently. This would be a wonderful way to support this project and solve those tricky Christmas present buying issues.’

HARD QUESTIONS – ANY ANSWERS?

Difficult questions have been brought to our monthly drop-in advice surgery: http://susanvandeven.mycouncillor.org.uk/2016/12/11/what-is-the-point-of-brexit-if-we-are-unable-to-be-proud-of-being-english/#page-content

DROP-IN ADVICE SURGERY

We are at the Melbourn Hub every first Monday of the month between 2:30-3:30 – due to January Bank Holidays the next session will be Monday 9 January 2:30-3:30. 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.

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 here.

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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