We are writing to you, as 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 newsletter who would like to do so, please ask them to contact philippajhart@btinternet.com, susanvandeven5@gmail.com, or jose@josehales.me.uk.

DEVELOPER FIELD DAY: NON-EXISTENT LOCAL PLAN

South Cambridgeshire District Council cannot demonstrate a rolling five year housing land supply, which is the underlying factor preventing the adoption of the Local Plan. As a result any of the Council policies which seek to restrict housing growth are effectively in abeyance, and this includes village framework lines.

Incredibly frustratingly, there are already planning consents issued for around 10,000 homes in South Cambs – nearly half the housing allocated by the Local Plan (which is still being examined by the Inspector). In fact the issue is not that South Cambs cannot issue consents fast enough – it is that the development industry isn’t building them out. And why would it? If the five year issue is closed by actually building homes the development industry loses an amazing opportunity – which it has enthusiastically grasped with both hands – to lodge applications for huge numbers of homes in a completely unplanned and unsustainable way with no need to go through the bother of demonstrating to an Inspector at Inquiry the necessity or benefit of a land allocation let alone the bother and expense of time-consuming public consultation. The development industry is not going to build houses while it thinks it still has a chance to get further consents.

Only 482 houses will have been built in the past 12 months in South Cambs when the expectation was for 975. Developers locally are also experiencing serious emerging problems of recruiting construction workers as the effects of Brexit start to be felt. As far as the future is concerned we are predicting building only nine dwellings per week where we need to achieve 18 per week. If we take into consideration the 1500 shortfall which has caused the five-year housing land supply deficit we actually need 25 per week to make up shortfall.

Any questions – please contact Philippa and Jose.

2,350 HOMES FOR CAMBOURNE WEST: SOUTH-BOUND TRAFFIC

South Cambs District Council has agreed the planning application for millions of pounds of new facilities and 2,350 new homes at Cambourne. £8.7 million from the developer agreement has been allocated for improving the public transport links between Cambourne and Cambridge. The money is planned to be added to funding available through the Greater Cambridge City Deal. But absolutely nothing has been offered to address the traffic implications for all the villages having to bear the traffic which won’t be going to Cambridge.

BUSES: VERY GOOD NEWS AND VERY BAD NEWS

Very good news – subsidized buses:

Painstaking work by a small County Council committee, of which Susan is a member, has brought a halt to cuts to subsidies for buses and Community Transport – for this year. The basis on which this has been achieved was a forensic look at the detrimental impact that losing these services would have – even if relatively small numbers of people ride these buses, it is the availability of transport which enables those people to get to work, education and training, or to live independently. These buses rely on very significant subsidy from council tax, and there is no legal requirement for the council to provide the subsidy. Against expectation, the following bus services will NOT be cut from April 1st:

31 (Heydon and the Chishills)
128 (Melbourn, Meldreth, Shepreth)
127 (Bassingbourn, Whaddon, Kneesworth)
15 (Bassingbourn, Whaddon, Kneesworth)

Very good news on the 26 bus:

Susan has been talking with Stagecoach about finding a way of reinstating the hourly 26 service that connects Melbourn, Shepreth and Foxton with Cambridge and Royston. The 26 receives no subsidy and is entirely in the hands of a commercial company that sees or doesn’t see a market. Stagecoach has come back with a proposal to reinstate an hourly service, but on a different route which might generate more ridership and therefore be commercially viable. It would terminate at Trumpington Park and Ride where good connections can be made into the city centre or Addenbrooke’s. If you are interested, please contact Susan for a copy of the consultation leaflet and return it to Stagecoach.

Very bad news on the 27 bus:

Out of left field, Stagecoach wrote to Susan yesterday to say that in looking to make the 26 service commercially viable, it can no longer afford to run the 27 bus, which they say has a very low take-up. Yet, this is the only bus service to Cambridge from Bassingbourn, Kneesworth and Meldreth, and it also serves Shepreth High Street. It is a service that sixth form students depend on. If you are concerned about the 27 and want to respond to Stagecoach, please ask Susan for a copy of the consultation leaflet.

A problem for all commercial bus companies is that they are now reimbursed only 50% as opposed to 75% of the fare for anyone who travels on a concessionary bus pass. This means that a full bus doesn’t necessarily yield full revenue. Also, due to continuing cuts the council has this year stopped subsidizing home-school transport for post-16 students – inevitably having some impact on ridership. The council has no additional budget for bus subsidies (see more in the next item).

Please feel free to contact Susan if you are a 27 bus user. She is now talking to Stagecoach about the importance of this service, but will also be taking the issue to the council and to other bus companies. It could be that things can be done differently to get people where they need to get to – but this will need to be investigated.

BETTER OFF UNDER SPECIAL MEASURES?

In an extraordinary move, Cambridgeshire County Council has rejected the standard 1.99% council tax rise allowed by government and adopted by almost every other local authority in the country.

As is well known, finance for public services is in freefall due to government policy of eliminating revenue support grant to councils. Councils don’t have the means of making up the funding gap, and government decides how much councils can raise in council tax.

Cambridgeshire will not even cling on to the permitted 1.99% rise that would have helped meet costs of inflation and pay for some of the basics. It also sends a message that we are managing just fine, even though pot holes are proliferating, white lines on dangerous roads have faded, and children’s centres have no secure future. This freeze saves the average household 42 pence per week.

Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors tried to persuade Conservatives colleagues to accept their own government’s suggested 1.99% rise, to no avail. The vote was won with a majority of one Independent in a repeat of last year’s freeze which saw road gritting reduced and street lights switched off. A proposal contained in the Lib Dem amendment was to increase bus subsidies – but this was lost.

The council has agreed to a separate ‘social care’ precept rise of 2% – but against the overall collapse of public services finance, this is a drop in the bucket and won’t turn around the adult social care crisis that now features in newspaper headlines and is a factor in NHS hospital bed blocking. UKIP’s position was to reject the social care rise too, proposing to make up funding gaps from reserves. But as basic arithmetic shows, taking from reserves on a continual basis means that they eventually run out. Cambridgeshire reserves are already dangerously low.

Had the council not agreed a budget it would have been put in Special Measures. Some people have asked if this might have been a better outcome, should our appointed custodians have taken steps to protect services to a greater extent than will now be the case. But that’s speculation, and Cambridgeshire is now one of only a handful of local authorities nationally that has unnecessarily self-imposed additional austerity.

LOOK AWAY NOW! EU FUNDING STILL AVAILABLE: RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Until we’ve left the EU, this rural development funding programme worth £1.6 million is still available. The ‘LEADER’ fund supports new and existing businesses, farm diversification and tourism (including Bed and Breakfasts). Grants are generally 40% of total eligible costs.

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE SINGLE MARKET?

We are following this regular Brexit information blog, which this week explains what the single market actually is – and asks if our MPs understand what it is they are in the process of dismantling.

FOXTON LEVEL CROSSING PEDESTRIAN GATE: LOCALS WIN THE ARGUMENT

Network Rail has given up fighting to close the Barrington Road pedestrian gate at Foxton Level Crossing, which would have benefitted Network Rail by reducing its overall risk (and allowed them to do away with the signal box) but would have transferred new risk to pedestrians, cyclists and vehicle drivers. The story is here.

We’ll be taking a photo at Foxton Level Crossing on Monday at 5PM – please come along if you can.

FOXTON LEVEL CROSSING AND CEMEX INFILL PLANNING APPLICATION

Please continue to send Susan any concerns or views about the current CEMEX application for a 15-year quarry restoration plan that would involve importation of material by rail, as she is still liaising with officers. While the principle of full restoration and use of rail over road is good, it’s obvious that Foxton Level Crossing is creaking at the seams, and that a solution to the current level crossing is urgently needed.

STATION PLATFORM LENGTHENING AND RAIL REPLACEMENT WEEKENDS

Cambridge-bound platforms at Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton are now being lengthened in anticipation of eight-car trains that will serve the stations from 2018 – half-hourly all day long. The contractor, Volker Fitzpatrick, is basing its equipment at Shepreth Station. Together with Network Rail, it held a series of good public information sessions at Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Village Halls, but without much advance notice. Key information:

Weekday work will occur between 07:30 and 17:30.
Weeknight work will also occasionally occur between the hours of 23:00 and 06:00, apart from on some weekends when work may occur all day and night.

Sunday 26 February, Sunday 5 March: Buses replace services between Cambridge and Letchworth Garden City all day.

Sunday 23 April, Sunday 7 May and Sunday 14 May: Buses replace services between Cambridge and Royston all day.

BEGINNINGS: MELBOURN-ROYSTON CYCLE PATH

The new path from Frog End to Melbourn Science Park is nearing completion and will be formally opened on March 15, 10:30AM, with a ride from the Melbourn Hub to Wyevale Garden Centre, where refreshments will be served. It has been noticeable through the winter months that even the unfinished path is a popular route for walkers and joggers.

Meanwhile, the A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign will hold its next meeting on 18 April at Sartorius Stedim on the Royston Industrial Estate.

The County Council is running a survey on the A10 and other cycle schemes to find out what is working well and what could work better. These projects have been funded through specific government grants including through the City Deal, and delivered by the council.

A10 (Cambridge to Royston) Cycle Link
Hills Road Cycleway

FROG END BROADBAND: END OF JUNE?

Superfast Broadband has met snags in a few villages and neighbourhoods. If you have questions, please write to connecting.cambridgeshire@cambridgeshire.gov.uk – this is the County Council’s Superfast Broadband team and they are working systematically to resolve gaps in provision. They report that the gap in Frog End Shepreth should be resolved in late June or thereabouts. Or contact Philippa with any general queries.

SKI SLOPE: BASSINGBOURN RESIDENTS’ PETITION

Now that the Bassingbourn Barracks is to be reinstated for military purposes, the possibility of restoring the entrance to the Ski Slopes via the A1198 main barracks entrance has attracted much interest. This would negate the need to direct traffic – including large coaches – via the very rustic single track Guise Lane approach, and traffic coming from the north would not impinge on Kneesworth. The petition, for Bassingbourn residents, is here.

COMMUNITY LITTER PICK 4 MARCH

Another industrial scale Meldreth litter pick is being organized for 4 March. Meet at Meldreth Stocks, 9AM. For further details, please contact either Philippa or gvborgo@meldreth-pc.org.uk.

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING: DRAINAGE IN MELBOURN

The new Melbourn Drainage Action Group convenes next month, and a public information evening will be held upstairs at the Melbourn Hub on 22 March, 7:30PM. Contact Jose or Susan for information.

CRIME STATS IN SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE

The message from South Cambs Police and British Transport Police is that our villages experience comparatively low levels of crime and anti-social behaviour. However, community safety schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch and Speedwatch play an important role in keeping it that way. A good deal of information about crime in your area is publicly available:

Police statistics in your neighbourhood.

British Transport Police rail station statistics.

COMMUNITY SAFETY DAY: INVITATION FROM SOUTH CAMBS COPS

Anyone interested in developing community safety projects is invited to attend a Community Safety event at South Cambs District Council offices in Cambourne, on 18 March, 9:30-12:30. You can book a place here.

MELBOURN SURGERY PRESCRIPTIONS: NEW ARRANGEMENTS

From 3 March it will no longer be possible to request a repeat prescription by email. Instead, an on-line ordering system will be available via the surgery’s website. To activate this you need to visit the surgery to obtain a user name and password, bringing with you a photo ID and recent utility bill with your name and address.

A Tuesday and Thursday home delivery service for Orchard Surgery patients who are unable to collect their own prescriptions is available – details on surgery website.

OUT-OF-HOURS GP SERVICES

In case you missed it – please note that the consultation on the proposal to move the Out-Of-Hours GP service from Chesterton Hospital to the Addenbrookes site closes on 6 March,

CARER’S ALLOWANCE: HANG ON, IT’S NOT SO SIMPLE

After our notice last month on how to claim a carer’s allowance, we had a helpful reply from a Citizen’s Advice Bureau volunteer who highlighted some of the complexities that can make the Carer’s Allowance elusive.

‘One of the most common referrals we get is concerning carer’s allowance and it’s not as straightforward as explained on the gov.uk website. There can be an underlying entitlement to carer’s allowance which triggers other benefits and premiums. Underlying entitlement means that you meet the qualifying criteria but you can’t be paid CA. The best thing to do is to seek advice.

You can look up on-line information from the CAB or the NHS.

Or you can speak to a human being: Citizens Advice North Hertfordshire (which also serves parts of South Cambridgeshire) operates these appointment-only outreach advice services:

Limes Community Centre, High Street, Bassingbourn, SG8 5LD. Appointments (2- 3:30 pm, 2nd Thursdays monthly): Tel 01462 688005.

Melbourn Community Hub, 30 High Street, Melbourn, SG8 6DZ. Appointments (9:30-12, on 1st and 3rd Thursdays): Tel 01763 263303 or at the Hub.

There’s also a drop-in service on Monday and Wednesday mornings (9:30-12) at the Citizens Advice offices, Royston Town Hall, Melbourn Street, Royston, SG8 7DA – South Cambs residents can use this service.

LOOKING FOR A CHILDMINDER?

A directory of childminders is provided on the Cambridgeshire County Council website.

BREXIT AND THE NHS: DOES CAMBRIDGESHIRE NEED IMMIGRATION?

The NHS is not having an easy time, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS is one of the most challenged health economies in England (‘if not the most challenged’, as we are always reminded). Staff recruitment and retention is a headline problem, due to a combination of high living costs, lack of suitable housing and limited public transport to connect people from home to work.

The UK is lucky that so many skilled people from other countries have chosen to work here in the fields of health and social care. In Cambridgeshire about 20% of the health and social care workforce comes from outside Britain – half are from the EU and half from outside the EU.

Apart from the eye-watering savings that the NHS is being asked to make – in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough alone it must transform and spend £500 million less by 2020 – how will it deal with the impact of Brexit on the staff we rely on?

The Cavendish Coalition is a group of 33 health and social care employers which has submitted evidence to the Health Select Committee to inform its new inquiry on Brexit and health and social care. A fascinating array of information is publicly available.

RAIL CAMPAIGN: FLOWERS REALLY DO MAKE IT BETTER

Flower tubs on the station platforms do more than cheer up arriving passengers. They reduce crime and anti-social behaviour at our stations which is good for everyone, and help us to win the argument when fighting for the community point of view.

Spring gardening sessions are getting under way, starting at Meldreth Station on March 11th and 18th, 10-11AM. Tools will be provided, but please bring your own gardening gloves (and a pair of secateurs, if you like cutting things). This is not just for village residents – but for everyone who values having a local rail service.

STATION BOOKING OFFICE AND TICKET MACHINE: WHAT’S GOING WRONG?

When our station master retired in December 2015 we were assured by Govia Thameslink Railway that a new permanent member of staff was being actively recruited. Instead the company has been relying on temporary cover staff – and shutting the office when no one is available. When the story was covered in the local press, GTR said they would finally begin the process of recruiting a permanent member of staff. Training takes three months so things won’t change overnight, but we’ll be monitoring progress. Having a rail user group has helped us leverage a better outcome.

We’ve learned that the new ticket machines experience ‘networking problems’ – so they might sell twenty tickets in a row, and then flash an out-of-order notice due to things like delays during bank transactions for the previous sale or because of internet problems. We are assured by GTR that if you have tried and failed to purchase a ticket, you can buy your ticket at your destination (though this doesn’t help people who need the machine to collect tickets they’ve bought on line). Any problems, please don’t hesitate to contact Susan, who coordinates the Rail User Group. It helps if you can Tweet any problems, adding the Rail User Group – @MeldrethRUG – as this gets seen straight away by GTR.

RAIL USER GROUP AGM AND MEETING, 14 MARCH 7:30PM, SHEPRETH VILLAGE HALL

All welcome – please come along and support our campaign. GTR will be attending to answer questions about the booking office and ticket machine. Network Rail will be attending to ask questions about platform lengthening. The agenda and minutes will be posted in advance.

RAIL DISCOUNTS: TRAVELLING TO WORK

Not everyone may be aware of ‘Travel For Work’ discounts available to Cambridgeshire rail commuters. More information here.

VOLUNTEERING AT THE MELBOURN HUB

If you’re looking for a cheerful social environment for volunteering, please contact Sharon at the Melbourn Hub on 263303 – or drop by in person. The café is open Monday-Saturday, and the Hub hosts a wide range of activities.

YOUR BIN ROUND IS CHANGING

New bin rounds will take effect from Monday 27 February. As a result, most households will have a change to the day that their bins are collected, to the sequence in which the bins are collected (the order in which blue and green or black bins are collected), or the time of their collection. The information is available here.

UNACCOMPANIED ASYLUM-SEEKING CHILDREN

Many people were appalled at Theresa May’s recent decision to cut the number of refugee children the UK would accept, from 3,000 to 350. She alleged that ‘local councils could not afford to look after them’. Liberal Democrat Cllr Peter Downes enquired if Cambridgeshire had indeed said that, and was told ‘No!’ – and that Cambridgeshire currently looks after 61 refugee children and had been planning to accept our full quota of 93. ‘These youngsters are the innocent victims of dreadful violence beyond our imaginings. If we are a compassionate and civilised nation, we must play our full part in helping them recover.’

CHAT AND CHIPS: LET YOUR ACCENT BE HEARD

‘What’s ‘British?’ Come along to discuss over a pint at the Shepreth Plough on 20 March, 8-9:30PM.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE & PETERBOROUGH MAYOR

Rod Cantrill is standing as the Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate for Cambridegshire and Peterborough and like us he thinks it’s important that politicians spend time listening to and working with residents. So he has launched a new online survey – to let him know your views please do complete it

DROP-IN ADVICE SURGERY

We are at the Melbourn Hub every first Monday of the month between 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. 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 here.

Sincerely yours,

Susan, Philippa and Jose

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

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

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