Amidst many concerns about slippery pavements and uncleared roads, a message has come in expressing thanks to our dustbin men.

On Friday morning when the  big snow had just fallen, they got through on schedule to their routes and were running alongside the lorry as jauntily as ever.   Often it wasn’t possible to actually see  individual recycling boxes under blankets of now but they were located by hand.

It’s so easy to moan  and complain about things that aren’t working as we want them to. Thanks to the resident who wrote in with the reminder that our dustbin men deserve a very big thank you.

A meeting between councillors representing students on our First Capital Connect rail line and County Council officers has resulted in clarification of County education transport policy, and acknowledgement of difficulties experienced by local residents in trying to get best transport options from home to designated colleges in Cambridge.

We now understand that the County Council has been unable to work with FCC on a student discount fare because the rail operator would not publish guaranteed fares in time for County budget setting.

At a subsequent meeting, to which Council officers and FCC were invited to meet with Councillors Susan van de Ven and Tim Stone, the two parties agreed to work together on a student discount fare - FCC agreeing to provide advance notice of a guaranteed fare.  Watch this space!

Meanwhile, the County Council has agreed to rewrite its post-16 education transport booklet, as well as review the way it communicates with respective colleges. Please get in touch if you need advice for next term. 

Everyone woke up to a beautiful snow-covered world today, but those in the Chishills who needed to get out and about, whether to work or to look after family members, faced a particularly treacherous journey.

Hilly and 1.5C colder than the A505, driving conditions in icy weather are that much more treacherous.  County Highways has committed to keeping New Road and Heydon Road clear, but this morning much more work was needed.   Thanks to parish councillors for getting in touch about this.  Concerns have been forwarded on to our Highways officers, and hopefully, if this weather persists, Highways will be able to lend some extra muscle to keeping these roads in acceptable condition. 

A much anticipated discussion between Cambridgeshire County Council and First Capital Connect bosses takes place December 14.  The meeting has been arranged by Susan with the aim of establishing key ways in which the two parties might better cooperate on behalf of rail users in the cluster of FCC stations south of Cambridge - Foxton, Shepreth and Meldreth.

The agenda will be focussing mainly on improved disabled access; the principle of cooperation on a significantly discounted student fares; solutions to the unsuccessful year-old pay-to-park arrangement at both Shepreth and Meldreth; and better cycle park provision at Foxton Station.   Other issues too, like persistently vandalised ticket machines and station renaming at Meldreth, are also on the agenda. 

While solutions to these challenges won’t be found overnight, the first step is to establish the principle that the County Council as local education and transport authority, and FCC as rail operator for this very busy section of railway, should be talking, and working together.   

The County Council is consulting on a draft advisory freight map, and residents living along the A10 and the B1368 might like to take a look and let the council know their views about proposed lorry freight routes near their villages.  The B1368 runs from Harston through Newton, down to Fowlmere and the A505.

The map, together with the County Council’s background information, is available on the council website.  The consultation concludes on 29 January 2010.

As reported earlier in the autumn, the possibility of cycle racks at Foxton Station is being investigated. 

Unfortunately First Capital Connect had missed us out, having spent all its cycle park budget earlier in the year.  However, the County Council has offered a number of cycle racks  for nothing.  There is an installation cost, and the County has offered to help as much as it is able.  There’s also the question of where to put the racks.   The platform is simply too narrow to accommodate cycle parking, at least in a way that would meet official standards.

We’re continuing to look at possibilities and have a couple of irons in the fire - news to be posted as soon as it’s available.

It is quite amazing that something so simple can be so complicated… this is the result of so many layers of rules and regulations, and patches of ownership.  Thanks to the officers who are continuing to search for ways to make this project work.

County Highways have opened their consultation on a proposed 20 mph speed limit trial for Melbourn. 

Following concerns from the parish council, I’ve asked the Highways team for an extension to the consultation period in order to ensure that as many residents as possible have a chance to submit their views.

The consultation now runs for an extra week, closing on December 21st.  You can send your comments directly to karen.lunn@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or visit the consultation address on the Council website - www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/20mph.  

Information about the scheme is published on the same consultation website address, and can also be found in the December issue of the Melbourn Magazine and the Melbourn Village website: http://www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/home/.

Residents in Chishill Road have been in touch about long-term drainage problems along and across the highway.  I will be following this up via County Council Highways and reporting to the next parish council meeting.  For meeting dates, please check the village notice board.

Meanwhile, if you have useful information to contribute, please let me know.

Thanks to those residents who have been in touch about an error which appears in the Royston Crow article on the proposed 20 MPH speed limit trial in Melbourn. 

The article states that the consultation period for the scheme ends on November 20th.  In fact the consultation period starts on November 20th and runs till December 14th, and the website address for consultation responses goes live November 20th: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/20mph. 

Background to the scheme

County Highways officers took soundings from the parish council and from me to gauge support in principle for taking steps toward a scheme - the first of which would be a consultation process to put details to residents and to consider their views.  

This would be a trial scheme;  if successful, the 20mph speed limit could be retained but if not the speed limit would revert back to 30mph.

County finances are incredibly compartmentalized, and most of the pots of money we need for village traffic improvements have little or nothing in them.   Strangely, though we have been offered a 20mph trial scheme, we’ve been told that there’s no money in the Highways pot for things like speed bumps, yellow lines, chicanes, extra traffic lights, cycle paths and footpaths, and so on.  So, saying ‘no’ without allowing the matter to be discussed in the community did not seem justifiable.

We’ll see what residents have to say about the matter.   Please do make your views known during the November 20-December 14 consultation period.

Just before a long-anticipated meeting with FCC MD Jim Morgan last Friday, at which it was hoped to begin a dialogue between FCC and Cambridgeshire County Council, the meeting was cancelled.  Today it transpires that Mr Morgan has left his post.

There were a number of issues important to local rail users that should have been discussed. FCC have now agreed to a new meeting date with its Rail Division Manager present and it is hoped that this will take place soon.

If you live in Cambridgeshire villages that naturally access Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton stations, and your child attends his or her designated post-16 education centre in Cambridge, then you are entitled to apply for Education Transport assistance toward rail travel from the County Council. 

Some parents getting in touch with Education Transport to inquire about rail passes have been asked if they are on benefit, but this is not relevant.  Go ahead and apply if you wish.

Currently, the annual or termly rail fare that the County Council can issue is cheaper than that issued by First Capital Connect.   For reasons not understood, CCC has located a cheaper fare via National Express - but this could disappear at any time. 

Yes it’s a mess, and yes it’s a hassle, but here is what you need to do:

1.  Go to www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk and type ‘Education Transport’ into the keyword search box.  The on-line form is ‘Application for post-16 Transport - school/college year 2009-10.’  Download and fill out the form, and tick the box marked ‘Rail’.  It is difficult for me to tell you exactly how much you will need to pay, but last week, the fee for an annual pass dated from November 3rd to July 22, from Meldreth to Cambridge, was £298.50.  This allows your child to travel by train between terms.  If you have questions please ring 0345 0455 208; if you get stuck please feel free to get in touch with me - email is best.

If you already have an FCC issued pass and wish to switch, you must apply for a refund from FCC:  Go to the station where you bought your original FCC pass and ask for the refund form.  This may take some time to process.

If you go through these steps and learn any useful information, please let me know as it may help someone else. 

During the half-term holiday, I received a number of calls from parents who followed the steps outlined in my earlier post regarding how to acquire the County Council-issued rail fare that students from the Melbourn-Meldreth-Shepreth-Foxton area are entitled to.  This is significantly lower than the fare issued by First Capital Connect.  From Meldreth Station the County-issued fare should now be £298.50.

But parents have reported back to me in frustration, to say that essentially, they have been turned away.  One parent who rang the Council reports that he got the reply, ‘We’ve been told to say that the fare is £555.’  Another was asked, ‘Are you on benefit?’  When she replied that she was not, the officer suggested that her son would therefore not be entitled to the County-issued fare.  

Many families suffering financial hardship are spending about £200 more than necessary to enable their children to get to college.  That’s a lot of money.

The County Council’s duty is to ‘facilitate access to education’ for post-16 students.   Why is it making access to the best and cheapest education transport option so difficult?

 If you have encountered difficulties and would like any help, or if you have navigated the system and have useful information, please get in touch: susanvandeven@yahoo.co.uk. 

Over the past couple of weeks I have circulated information regarding the opportunity to convert post-16 student bus passes into rail passes via County Council Education Transport, resulting in savings of about £200.  This applies to students living near Foxton, Shepreth or Meldreth Stations and travelling to their designated ost-16 education centre in Cambridge.  The County Council imposed a deadline of half-term.

New information has been brought to attendion, again by a resourceful resident, not by the County Council.

We had thought that for those who had already purchased an annual rail pass from First Capital Connect, it was simply too late to benefit from the County Council’s much cheaper fare, but it seems this may not be the case.

If you have bought an annual pass from First Capitla Connect for travel from Foxton, Shepreth or Meldreth to Cambridge, it may be possible to get a partial refund for the remaining five half-terms of the years and to then purchase a new student rail pass via the County Council, good for the remaining five half-terms of the years, with significant savings made - around £200 brom Meldreth and proportianally less from Shepreth and Foxton.  Apologies as this sounds somewhat uncertain - but I thought residents would rather have the information than not, and time is marching on.

1. Find out from First Capital Connect if your annual pass can be refunded, for the remainder of the school year, and how much that would be.

2. Ring Education Transport (01223 699790 or 0345 0455208) and find out if you can still apply for a rail pass for the remained of the school year and how much that would be.  If there are significant savings to be made and you wish to apply for a County-issued pass, the forms are available on line: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk. Type ‘Education Transport’ in the key word search box.  The form you need is called ‘Application for post-16 Transport - school/college year 2009/10.’  Many people have said they find it diffucult to navigate through the County Council website to access the form and information booklet.  If you have trouble, please call the numbers listed above and ask for help.

Many people have said they find the form and accompanying booklet confusing, and geared to bus travel.  Nevertheless, tick ‘rail’ on the form.

If you have more than two children in post-16 education and needing tranport to their designated education centre, the County Council requires only one payment per family - so very significant savings. 

If you go through these steps and discover information that would be useful to others, I would be grateful if you could let me know.

Getting to one’s designated sixth form college is not cheap if you live outside Cambridge. The Local Education Authority - Cambridgeshire County Council - subsidizes some but not all forms of transport, though it has a duty to ‘facilitate access’ to college.

Families in the Meldreth Station area have been shocked to discover that since the start of the current school year, the Council’s Education Transport office has been able to issue an unusually good post-16 student rail pass for travel on Cambridge-bound First Capital Connect trains from Meldreth - £352 as opposed to FCC’s rate of £580 - but has not alerted the students who needed to know.

The County stumbled on the fare via National Express, but failed to tell the relevant Cambridge Sixth Form colleges, who in turn could have disseminated the information to their students.  First Capital Connect’s ticket office at Meldreth was not informed of the lower fare, and nor was Cambridge Station’s ticket office.

Proportionally similar savings are available from Shepreth and Foxton Stations, and can be accessed by students from the wider cluster of villages including Melbourn, Fowlmere, Thriplow, Orwell, the Chishills, and Heydon.

Returning sixth formers, unaware of the change from last year, have continued to buy passes at FCC’s official rate.

Some new students have succeeded in buying the much cheaper passes via the County Council, but others have not.

Education Transport’s rules and application process have proven confusing, and information and advice have not been consistent.  This has resulted in some callers not being informed of the full range of transport options available to them.  So while the County has continued to issue Goldrider bus passes for Meldreth students at £555, it has not informed those students of the availability of a much better rail fare.  The bus travels to Cambridge once per day, while the train offers a twice-hourly service at peak times.

An added advantage of buying rail passes via Education Transport is the Council’s policy on charging just one fee per family, even if more than one child is in post-16 education.

Having discovered these anomalies in fares, I’ve asked the Council to convert student bus passes into rail passes, with the £205 difference in price refunded.  The Council has agreed but has imposed a deadline of half-term. The number to ring for Education Transport is 01223 699790 or 0345 0455 208.

To be sure, Education Transport is challenged by a complex patchwork of private transport operators across a large county, and regular changes in fares. 

However, students are penalized financially if they live at a distance from their designated sixth form college.  The County’s failure to communicate clearly and effectively has cost a lot of people a lot of money.  

Elected representatives around the UK have been asked to sign up to something called “10:10″, short for reducing your carbon footprint by 10% in 2010.

It sounded at first like just another piece of window dressing, but I quickly realized that it would give me the impetus to put into practice what I’d told myself I would do if I became a County Councillor - use public transport to travel to meetings in Cambridge.

My ancient Ford Fiesta is now in danger of dying from an underused battery and I have discovered that cycling to the rail station and taking my bike on the train is a more efficient way of getting to Cambridge and back.  I have two pannier bags on the back of my bike and do my shopping en route.  I’ve invested in a pair of waterproof trousers (£8)and have not found rainy days too much of a problem.  After a long day it is far more refreshing to pedal to the station than it is to get into a car and a traffic jam.  

I’m also seeing what doesn’t work.  The ticket machine at Shepreth has been broken for about two months now and for Shepreth commuters this can entail an extra ten minutes waiting time at Cambridge, queuing for a ticket.  Trains aren’t always punctual.  There is no way to get my bike over  the wheeling channel at the Meldreth pedestrian bridge.  Shepreth and Meldreth station car parks are underused.  I’ve been trying to feed this information back to First Capital Connect.

Nevertheless I am sold on rail over driving and feel that this is a habit to keep.  A new piece of work has emerged however:  the Council reimburses councillors for travel expenses, and it would be financially advantageous to drive - the deal is 40 pence per mile driven, or the cost of a rail ticket.  That’s twice as much reimbursement for driving - surely this doesn’t make sense?

Following on from the discovery that the County Council’s Education Transport department is at the moment able to issue vastly cheaper post-16 student annual rail passes from our area, compared with those offered directly from First Capital Connect and indeed also compared with bus fares, I have been to talk to the Education Transport team to follow up. 

There are some serious concerns within a very complicated and confusing system.  Some background first:

FCC sells an annual post-16 student rail pass from Meldreth to Cambridge for £580.80; the cost is slightly less from Shepreth and from Foxton.  Last year, when the fare rose so dramatically (it had previously been around £200), parents who approached the County Council  for help with the rail fare were told this was not possible.  Instead, the County Council recommended that students apply for bus passes (for our area a Goldrider, suitable for Stagecoach only) at a flat fee of £555.  As everyone knows, rail service from our villages is vastly superior with trains every hour and half-hourly at peak times.  The bus from some of our villages goes into Cambridge just once in the morning and from others it is not much better.

The County Council  contributes a generous subsidy to each Goldrider pass - that’s council tax money helping to fund each bus pass.  

At the start of this year, returning students had no indication that anything had changed, and those wishing to travel by rail went back to FCC to purchase their annual rail tickets.  Others who needed to save the £25 annually went to the County Council and bought their Goldrider bus passes. 

But several parents and carers of new sixth formers contacted me to say that they have accessed much cheaper rail passes through the County Council Education Transport department, whose booklet on “Post-16 Education Transport In Cambridgeshire: do you qualify for help” does indicate that ’assistance’ with rail travel is possible.  Through a series of administratively challenging steps, some families have accessed rail passes of around £352.  Strangely, the fares are not exactly the same, and stranger still, the way this fare is accessed is by making a bus pass payment.  At the customer’s request, this is then converted by the Council to a rail pass.  The pass is stamped with the student’s name and the cost of the fare.  Some parents have been given a refund for the difference automatically, and others have had to ask for it.  At first the Council was charging a £10 admin fee at the end until someone complained.

Why the mess?  It would appear that  the Council itself stumbled on the new fare, which it has acquired not through FCC at all but through National Express (who would have known? And National Express at Cambridge Station don’t seem to know about it!).  Unfortunately, once the Council discovered the new fare, it did not take steps to spread the word, for example by informing sixth form colleges.  So, those unaware of the cheaper route purchased, unnecessarily, much more expensive rail passes as usual direct from FCC.  Others assumed that bus travel was the cheapest option and paid the £555 for a Goldrider, again unaware that they could ask for it to be converted to a rail pass.

The lucky ones

I have asked Education Transport if they would convert any Goldrider bus passes to rail passes, refunding families the difference.  They have agreed, but say that this must be done by half-term, and it should be done in writing.  If you think you qualify please write to Education Transport, Box CC1301, Castle Court, Shire Hall, Cambridge, CB3 OAP.  The last day of school before half-term is October 23rd.

If you haven’t bought anything at all yet but would like to, you can go through Education Transport and apply for a Goldrider and ask for it to be converted to a rail pass, and then ask for a refund for the difference in cost.

(Keep in mind - we have no control over these private rail companies and who knows when fares might change.)

The unlucky ones

If you have already bought a rail pass from FCC then things don’t look so good. 

 A lot of people have spent a lot of money they needn’t have.  The County Council itself has been heavily subsidising an inferior bus fare.  That’s a lot of money down the drain.

I have a meeting on November 6th with First Capital Connect Managing Director Jim Morgan and County Council lead transport officers, and will be bringing this matter to the table.  There will be much more work to do on clarifying County policy and improving communication. 

Nevertheless, well done to the County Council for agreeing where possible to convert bus passes into rail passes, and refunding the difference - obviously they are dealing with a terrifically complicated patchwork of privatised public transport and this will entail a terrific amount of work.  It is excellent news that some people will be given the opportunity to benefit from much cheaper and much better transport, at least for now.

If you have just spent a large wad of money on rail or bus passes, please read on: 

Parents of students travelling to Sixth Form Colleges or CRC in Cambridge will know all too well that so-called ‘discount’ rail and busfares are prohibitively expensive. 

Take Meldreth: an annual rail pass from First Capital Connect costs £580, while a Goldrider Stagecoach pass via the County Council Education Transport subsidy programme costs £555.   The train goes hourly and half-hourly at peak times, while there is only one bus per day in each direction.  For families on lower incomes, the saving of £25 per year is important and their children are travelling by bus.   This is a shocking disparity in access to good rail transport and poor bus transport.

Until a year ago, prices were a bit more tolerable - FCC used to offer an annual student rail pass at £220.  But in September 2008 FCC ‘aligned’ its subsidies across its patch, and our line, including Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton, saw skyrocketing prices.  As part of our local rail campaign over the past twelve months, we’ve been asking FCC to reconsider its fares, to no avail.

We’ve also been pressuring the County Council to change its rules on Education Transport subsidy.  Their policy has been that if your place of residence has both bus and rail service, you can access education transport subsidy for bus only, regardless of any disparity in quality of service.  I went to talk to the Education Transport Department earlier this year to argue for a change in policy but the response was a firm no.

As the new school year began last month, parents of new and returning post-16 students took the same plunge and bought their fantastically expensive rail or bus passes.   A number of parents and carers have telephoned or emailed me - especially those of students just starting sixth form – despairing over the high, and for many people, literally unaffordable fares.   

An incredible twist in the tale has now come to light:  one alert and persistent parent, with enough time in the week to devote to a challenging pursuit, spotted ambiguous wording in the booklet published by the County Council, ‘Post-16 Education Transport in Cambridgeshire: Do you Qualify for Help?’  which suggests that the Council now accepts applications for rail subsidy where bus service also exists.  Strangely the accompanying form does not quite tally up with instructions in the booklet.  A long and frustrating series of phone calls, with not a great deal of information on the other end of the line, resulted in the County Council assisting in the issuing of an annual student rail pass from Meldreth to Cambridge for just £352.  The only difference in the £580 pass issued directly by FCC is that it is valid until July 22, 2010, rather than 12 months.  Both allow travel at weekends and between term times. 

The good news is it appears that the County Council has opened up its policy to facilitate access to rail travel.  The bad news is that the information has not been clearly communicated to the people who need it.  I’ve spoken to various colleges in Cambridge and they were not aware of the change in policy.  Returning students and their parents were not informed of the change and have missed out on the chance to save a very substantial sum of money.  The information has not been made clearly available to new students and their families and it appears that they too have been paying far more than necessary.   Strangely, FCC has not armed its ticket offices with the information either - maybe FCC doesn’t know either?  It is not clear which rail operator actually issued the County-facilitated pass - not exactly a good advertisement for our patchwork privatized rail system.

I’m meeting this week with Education Transport Department to discuss this urgent matter.  I’ve also arranged to meet with First Capital Connect Managing Director Jim Morgan, together with County lead officer for Highways and Infrastructure Graham Hughes, on November 6, to discuss how the rail operator for our area and the County Council should be working together on our behalf.  The matter of student fares will be first on the agenda.

Thanks to the good suggestion of a local allotment holder, Donarbon has agreed to provide free compost for pick-up at Thriplow and other recycling centres.  Until now, residents have had to drive all the way to Waterbeach to collect their free compost, meaning more traffic, more burning of petrol, more cost to householders.

Susan first got in touch with Donarbon some months ago to put the proposal forward.   Recently she asked the County Council Waste Management Service if they could push things along and they did, with a speedy result. 

While there will be no charge for the compost, there will be a goodwill box and donations will be given to a local charity, probably to be decided upon by the local community.

Thriplow Recycling Centre is due to undergo some extension and upgrade work from mid-October, with a finish date of February.  The compost will be available from February.  It has been suggested by allotment holders that the compost be supplied loose and people bring their own bags - a good idea. 

The new system will be up and running for springtime… good timing for vegetable growers!

Anyone living or travelling through Shepreth on a regular basis will be familiar with the uncomfortable junction of the High Street and Meldreth Road by the war memorial.  Traffic turning in from Fowlmere Road can’t be seen by drivers moving toward Station Road and close calls are a regular occurence. Unfortunately there have been several collisions lately.

Shepreth Parish Council is investigating with Highways the possibility of erecting a Give Way sign to encourage drivers from the High Street to pause and look out for oncoming traffic.

Highways say that they do not feel such a sign is necessary, but have said that if the parish council wishes to pay for one, they will put it up.  The cost would be approximately £280, and will be discussed at the next parish council meeting.

With Highways’ budget so perilously low, there is a growing phenomenon of parish councils faced with small jobs like this one, to be paid for out of parish precept.  In the end it all ends up as council tax, but coming from a different direction.  

Residents have been in touch in response to my email newsletter, regarding a variety of Highways jobs completed and pending in Melbourn.

Questions from a resident:

 ”I presume that implementing the double yellow line on Station Road near Esse shop is still in the queue? Why, do you think, it takes not months but years to paint the lines?  Even the warning sign on the safety island at the pedestrian crossing at the Science Park has been replaced by now.  The new pavement at the traffic light took just two days to do.  How long was it on the list for?”

Answer:

Highways goofed by telling Melbourn and Meldreth Parish Councils they could have them if they paid for them.  The parish councils came up with the money and then Highways said oops, sorry, we don’t actually think the lines are needed.  This particular series of events took nine months.  I complained about it at the July County Council meeting and got an apology from the Director of Highways - everyone was embarrassed.  A site visit with Highways officer followed immediately.  Any work, paid for by outsiders or not, has to meet Highways approval. The officer suggested a slightly different scheme of double  yellows which then had to go back to the two parish councils. (His view was actually that double yellows are not appropriate here, as parked cars create an impediment to speeding traffic, but given Highways poor communication on the matter previously, tried I think to come up with a compromise.) Meldreth Parish Council is making its decision on whether to provide funding on October 1.  Melbourn Parish Council meets next week.  Parish councillors at both are not in agreement - some think parked cars provide an impediment to speeding traffic.  Others want the double yellow lines.  So the answer is that there was a long delay due a a Highways mistake, and now we’re just waiting for the parish council meetings and decisions to take place.

Road resurfacing at the Cross:  We got very short notice;  another job was cancelled and the opportunity seized. 

Error in my newsletter:

The pot hole reporting address was misspelled in my e-newsletter.  Correct spelling: street.scene@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

One of the issues that councillors get asked about most relates to rubbish, rubbish collections and indeed “What happens to our rubbish?”  As you probably know, a new waste management facility recently opened in Waterbeach which will handle all of Cambridgeshire’s rubbish for the  next twenty years.  A District Councillor colleague recently visited the site and reports:

“The new plant cost £40 million.  Green bins go there already.  They are emptied in a big warehouse and shredded.  The contents are then composted in huge concrete-walled tanks - about 100 metres long, 20 wide and four high - and has to reach 60 degrees centigrade for four days to kill off nasty bugs.  Then it is shredded again into small particles, and the end product is compost that you could put in your garden.

What happens to black bin waste is more complicated.  The new £40 million building is vast - about the area of a football stadium, and three stories high.  There are practically no windows, as the whole building is sealed and air-tight, so smell is contained. The black bins are emptied into two huge machines, each the size of a lorry, which smash up any bits of waste bigger than the size of your fist into smaller bits.  Then a series of conveyor belts take it to other smashers that make it even smaller;  under a magnetic belt that picks up metal; over a vibrator that sorts out stone and glass; and across an incredibly clever conveyor belt, moving very fast (two yards a second), where it passes under a camera linked to a computer.  The computer can recognize the shapes of crushed up plastic bottled and scrunched up plastic bags, and then tells a powerful jet of air to blast out sideways, and blow off the plastic. That gets rid of about 40% of what we put in our black bins.  The remainder is called ”compost” and is mainly food waste, but cannot be put onto your garden or fields as it is potentially hazardous.  It goes into a huge barn - think of something the size of Tesco Extra at Bar Hill.  It spends seven weeks here, in a pile four metres high, composting away, being turned regularly by a machine a bit like a waterwheel, three metres in diameter, which automatically moves around the pile on a huge crane.  Over the seven weeks the pile becomes “inert,” i.e. fully composted.  It roughly halves in volume.

After the seven weeks, it is put into landfill.  Because it is inert, it will not do any harm to the environment.  Because 40% of the volume has been picked out and the rest then halved, only about a third of our black bin rubbish now ends up in landfill, as compared to all of it previously.  After going into landfill, a 48-ton lorry is driven back and forth over it, squashing it down even more.  Each pit is the size of two football pitches and about ten stories deep, and fills up in six months from the household black bin rubbish from all of Cambridgeshire. 

The material that comes out of the seven week composting process could theoretically be burnt, a bit like peat, and the long-term hope is that it will be used as fuel in power stations.”

So now you know!  Coming up soon - what happens to the plastics you recycle?

Local councils, funded through your taxes and directed by your elected representatives (with a strong dose of authoritarian Labour dictation thrown in), are supposed to set policy and make decisions in a transparent manner.

At the Conservative-run County Council, the Liberal Democrat group has withdrawn from Policy Development Groups on account of the fact that meetings are closed to the public.  Why should they not be open and transparent?

At the Conservative-run District Council, in the arena of planning decisions, Liberal Democrat councillors have long expressed concerns about the format of Planning Chairman’s Delegation meetings, which effectively make decisions on a significant percentage of planning applications. 

Meetings are closed to the public.   Planning officers give presentations, but there are no written reports or minutes to document evidence given and the decision making process. District Councillors are invited to the meetings, but on short notice and often cannot attend - though they can send their comments in writing.  Parish councils are statutory consultees but are not permitted to attend or participate;  neither can applicants themselves.

The matter has now come to a head and a large number of parish councils have written to the SCDC to express their dissatisfaction with the present system.  Several suggestions are on the table.  Any procedural changes must be approved by the full Planning Committee, and the matter will be discussed and voted upon at the upcoming October 7th meeting.   Liberal Democrat councillors are urging the Portfolio Holder to allow a full debate on the matter.  

You may well have heard already that Cambridge Central Library is  to reopen at last, after a refurbishment period of nearly three years - about double the length of time originally forecast. 

Library users have been relying on small stock selection available at Melbourn Library Access Point and Great Shelford Branch Library, though the latter is also closed for refurbishment and service is being provided from a regularly stationed mobile unit parked at Shelford Village Hall.

From the end of September a full stock and improved opening hours will be available in Cambridge.  Sunday openings and baby changing rooms will make a difference to families with young children.  Please remember that  on-line ordering, with collection and return at Melbourn Library Access Point, continues as usual.  For information on Cambridge Library provision and on-line ordering, visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/libraries.

South Cambs District Council’s Cabinet voted on September 10th to put its two council houses at 74-76 Frog End, Shepreth, up for sale on the open market.  The Cabinet’s view was that the sale would bring in much needed cash to the Council. 

Shepreth Parish Council and Susan as District Councillor, together with Housing Portfolio Holder Cllr Mark  Howell, had supported transfer of the properties to a housing association for redevelopment of affordable housing on that site.   Cllr Howell had received representations from residents of Frog End who supported the sale of the site on the open market.

This marks the end of a protracted process. The properties were vacated in the spring of 2006 for refurbishment.  This came to a halt when unforseen structural problems were discovered.   A Cabinet decision was taken in 2006 to refurbish the properties for equity share, but the Council was unable to come up with the funds necessary to do so.  Therefore the properties remained vacant and deteriorated further, making refurbishment a financially impossible option.  A new set of proposals was drawn up in the summer of 2009;  transfer to a housing association would have involved demolishing the existing structures and starting over again. 

This has been a difficult issue locally, with differing views about what should happen on this site.   The fact that South Cambs District Council has moved so slowly has not helped to resolve the matter.  Nevertheless, it is time to move forward and concentrate on new projects to benefit our community. 

It’s not news to announce that there are lots of pot holes around.

Many of them are dangerous - especially for cyclists.   At this time of the year, some children are starting to cycle to school and may not be able to anticipate the dangers of pot holes.  Please report any you are concerned about and they should get filled quickly.  Do mention that you feel an accident could occur.  You can email street.scene@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, or telephone 0345 5212.

Residents have been in touch to ask about recent Highways work in Meldreth and Melbourn.

Meldreth: 

In July, Meldreth High Street, and a portion of Station Road, were given a new top dressing.   I received several complaints from residents who were concerned that this was a waste of money and that the road would soon deteriorate again.  Others voiced concerns that pot holes had not been filled before the work was carried out.  A response from Highways indicated  that over 90 pot holes had been filled before the road dressing was applied, and that the work had been, from Highways’ point of view, quite successful.  Residents have been in touch to say that they don’t agree with Highways.

Melbourn 

In Melbourn, more substantial road work - proper resurfacing - has been done at The Cross.   I’ve had one resident in touch with concerns about lack of warning, and the fact that work is being conducted on a Sunday.  Highways has explained that an unanticipated window of opportunity arose and it was decided to take advantage of it.   Another resident has pointed out that cracks in the new road have already appeared.

Communication 

Regarding lack of official warning, Cambridgeshire County Council’s website explains:

“Why doesn’t the Council tell people their road is going to be dug up?”

“Legally neither the Council nor any statutory undertaker has a duty to tell people that the road is about to be dug up.  Although it might seem like a good idea for the Council to do it anyway, the scale of the problem is greater than most people realise.”

Please continue to get in touch if you have concerns.  This is obviously work carried out with taxpayers’ money and I will convey all concerns to Cambridgeshire County Council.

As residents will remember, the fence around this historic site in Barley Road in the Chishills was destroyed last winter when a car slipped on the icy road bend.  The fence is the only barrier from the road for visitors picnicking around the windmill, including children, and the gap caused by the damaged fence has become more worrisome during summer months. 

Thanks to Mike Cooper at County Highways for responding positively to a request to get this fence repaired - especially as it has been difficult to determine where responsibility for the job lies.  Budgets are tight and the agreement to put this job on the Highways To Do list is much appreciated.

At long last, work has commenced on a disabled access ramp from the car park to the northbound platform at Meldreth Station.  This follows on from extensive communication between Orchard Transition Service and Meldreth Manor School, and First Capital Connect, aiming to provide Meldreth’s substantial number of disabled young people to have better access to rail service.

Access to the southbound platform is more complicated, but discussions are ongoing and any progress will be reported.

Many local people feel that Meldreth should be a flagship rail station for disabled access, given the tenacity and determination of young people at Meldreth Manor School and  Orchard Transition Service to make the very most of all opportunities.

From November, residents at Burtons in Meldreth who have been locked into an arrangement with one LPG supplier, Flogas, will have the option to shop around.  A change in rules regarding LPG to metered estates is to change.  Flogas has written residents with information, and Cambridge Housing Society, the landlord, is aware.

This past year has seen some Burtons residents unable to afford the cost of fuel for heat and hot water. To make themselves more competitive, Flogas will be offering price fixing until April 2010.  Please ring Flogas on 0116 264 9089 if you’d like further information.

September is around the corner, and soon it will be time for post-16 students to think about their annual ‘discount’ rail card.  Travelling from Meldreth to Cambridge for a year will cost a student £580; the price from Shepreth or Foxton is a little less. 

First Capital Connect tell us that this fare is substantially discounted from the full adult fare.  That may be true, but it is hardly affordable.   The fare needs to be brought down.

Meanwhile, our local authority is not supporting student rail travel in our villages. County Council discussions with First Capital Connect on a contribution to student discount fares were suspended when the County did away with its Rail Development Officer post.  Further, the Council does not allow students to access Education Transport Subsidy money for rail travel, so long as their place of residence has a bus service - even just one bus per day.  So, if a bus exists, then Education Transport subsidy can be accessed for bus travel only. 

Why should students who can’t afford rail - which runs every hour or more - be forced to travel on far less convenient bus times?

Meanwhile, a Catch-22 situation prevails, as bus service is unlikely to increase for villages lucky enough to have rail - as anyone with a pensioner’s bus pass will be only too aware.

There will be plenty to talk about when Cambridgeshire County Council finally meets First Capital Connect - I’ve asked the County to invite FCC to reopen a dialogue on rail issues local to us, and am hoping for a September meeting.

Melbourn residents and Village College parents may have noticed that for some months there has been no School Crossing Patrol person managing pedestrian crossings in Melbourn High Street before and after school. 

The position is vacant. Pay is £6.75 per hour with ten hours’ pay per week, though actual duty time is less - 8:20-8:50AM and 3:10-3:40PM.  Term time only, with CRB check.  Please contact Andy Swallowe on the County Council Safer Routes to School team, on 01480 375105.

Following the double yellow lines saga noted in the post below, which was raised during members’ question time at the July 21 meeting of the County Council, we’ve had an apology from Highways’ Executive Director on lack of communication by the Highways Department in response to parish councils’ efforts to solve a local traffic problem.   A site meeting with officers, to examine the situation and agree on the most effective solution, should have taken place much earlier on.

With parish council funding for double yellow lines from both parish councils long agreed, there is a public expectation that these will be implemented.  We’ve now been offered dates for representatives from Meldreth and Melbourn parish councillors to meet with a senior Highways officer on site in Station Road, to determine how to proceed. 

It seems that an increasing number of parishes are looking to fund minor highways projects out of their own precept, due to tight Highways budgets.  Clear procedures for implementing such schemes must be in place.

The Cambridgeshire Transport Commission has now delivered its verdict on whether Cambridgeshire County Council should continue its bid for some £500 million to give Cambridge and the surrounding area a modern transport system with reduced congestion and less pollution.  The package comes with the requirement to introduce a congestion charge.  Income from the charge would go towards further transport improvements.

The Commission, headed by Sir Brian Briscoe, has been collecting evidence since January - mostly in public.  Its recommendations are to go for the money and think big.  The proposal is to challenge the government to release the cash and then commit to implement a congestion charge once congestion has reached an agreed level.

The money would buy:

£325 million in public transport improvements with new bus routes, more frequent services and a £90 million scheme to improve and extend the successful Park and Ride scheme.

£108 million to improve roads

£55 million to improve cycling and walking infrastructure

£11 million to provide improvements specifically for pedestrians

Sir Brian points out that Britain has tended to lack ambition in transport matters.  He asked why London and Newcastle are the only cities to have a metro system.  Why not Birmingham?  And you could ask why it took so long for London to be connected to the high-speed Channel Tunnel rail link.  Let’s not even think of the improved rail link from Felixstowe to the Midlands and the A14, where we are at last seeing progress.

Meanwhile France is criss-crossed by TGV lines, the Swiss are well into their “basis tunnels” through the Alps, Milan and Barcelona have metros, Denmark is connected to Sweden by bridge, The Netherlands has enviable provision for cyclists and sensible vehicle restrictions in living areas.

The report is available at http://www.cambstransportcommission.co.uk/Default.aspx.  A final decision will be taken by the County Council at its October meeting.

It may not be everyone’s idea of a hot topic, but when it rains too hard for too long, council-maintained drains often fall into the limelight.  Household flooding in Melbourn and Meldreth following a single sharp burst of July 2006 rain had devastating effects, and a thorough examination of the drainage network followed. 

The County Council is responsible for surface water drainage off the public highway, while South Cambs District Council maintains a certain number of drainage ditches for which it has had legal responsibility since the Enclosures Act of the late 19th century.  After the 2006 flooding, advice from both County  and District drainage officers who knew the intracacies of the local drainage network was invaluable - as was their willingness to come out to investigate with local volunteers on occasions too numerous to count.   Drainage has significantly improved in Meldreth and a Flood Avoidance subcommittee asks for advice from council officers in its local investigations.

So there was real concern in September 2008 when District Council decided to venture down the path of tendering out drainage services.  While looking for savings is always understandable, farming out a service for which local knowledge is so fundamental seemed short sighted. 

Nearly a year later, a lenghty tendering process has been completed.  The in-house drainage service also put in a bid, and scored the highest in terms of ability to respond effectively and value for money.  Hopefully this success will give a boost to the service which has had to cope with uncertainty for a good while.  Short sharp bursts of rain seem to be the new English weather, and we’ll need to keep our drainage services in good shape.

For a very long time, residents of Melbourn and Meldreth have contacted their councillors with concerns about a dangerous traffic situation along the stretch of Station Road where the two villages meet.   A regular line of parked cars inhibits the flow of traffic leading up the Melbourn’s traffic lights at the Cross, and in the other direction toward the A10. 

Last November, Melbourn parish council took the initiative to ask County Highways if double yellow lines could be put down on this stretch of road.  The answer was that Highways had ‘no problems with implementing parking restrictions along Station Road,’ but had no money to do so.  Melbourn and Meldreth parish councils got together and agreed to put in £600 each, with Melbourn agreeing also to cover legal costs.  This was then duly reported back to County Highways.

Months went by and no double yellow lines appeared.  Melbourn district councillors chased the matter up in the spring to no avail.  More chasing, and now we’re told that we can’t have the yellow lines after all — there is no convincing need for them, according to Highways. 

Residents go to the trouble of reporting a problem, parish councils go to the trouble of finding a solution - coming up with the dosh, no less! -  and then we discover that yes didn’t really mean yes after all.  So much for trying to jump through hoops to get things done.  

Meanwhile a serious traffic problem remains unsolved.

At a meeting of the Barrington Liaison Group July 9th, local residents and parish, district and county councillors heard from Cemex on the state of affairs at this mothballed site.  Environment Agency and County Council officers gave reports and answered questions.

Since the turning off of the kiln back in November 08, the site has continued to be used as a depot for Cemex - but plans are to suspend this activity in the near future, and employees have been given notice that their jobs are at risk. 

A site caretaker will remain, among things tasked with ensuring that the site is secure from a personal safety perspective.  Local councillors raised concerns about secure fencing near the dramatic drop from the Haslingfield hill footpath into the quarry.   Cemex-owned land also includes a separate site in Meldreth, situated alongside the A10, where a fishing lake on the site of an old quarry is causing concern due to tresspassers using the lake for swimming.  The lake is dangerous due to a web of old fishing lines and large dumped materials over many years, and Cemex plans to erect a six-foot fence around the perimeter of the lake for this reason.

In the short term, Cemex is closing up shop.  Several buildings are to be demolished and pit restoration work, involving importation of clay (meaning roughly two trainloads per day) is planned.   In the long term, Cemex will keep its options open in terms of quarrying, and would like to retain the disused rail line connecting the plant to the Foxton rail line. 

The Liaison committee meets next in January 2010.

County Highways have come up with an accident reduction plan for the A505 at Flint Cross, which was explained at a site visit attended by officer Graham Taylor, Cllr Tim Stone of Duxford, two Fowlmere School governors, and myself.

The essence of the plan is introduce ‘discipline’ to this stretch of road, where numerous unmarked turn-offs and slip roads create an unclear situation leading to accidents.  Mr Taylor agreed to visit local parish councils to explain and answer questions.  The project is funded to go ahead this financial year and it’s important that the opportunity be seized to avoid falling off the list - but equally it’s important that the scheme be one that will make a positive difference.

The budget for the scheme is £100K.  We queried the possibility of traffic lights but these would be prohibitively expensive and are therefore not being considered.

One element not included in the scheme which we queried on the site visit is a 50MPH speed restriction along the whole of the road in question.  While the scheme does not officially require consultation, a speed limit reduction would, and so this will go to the October meeting of the Area Joint Traffic Management Committee.  Highways would like to start the work around September, but the question of the speed limit restriction could cause a brief delay.

I’ve asked for plans of the scheme to be distributed to Heydon, Chishill and Melbourn Parish Councils, so please get in touch if you would like to see details for yourself.

The newly established Common Stream digital image archive, together with precious personal family photographs, have been stolen from the garage of Gordon Baxter in Foxton.  Back-up discs too were taken.

It’s bizarre and perplexing that something without great monetary value, yet so personal to so many people should be targetted.  A huge effort had gone in to launching the Common Stream local history club earlier this year, which to its credit intends to regroup.  A date has been set for  September 9th, 7PM, at Foxton Village Hall, and all are welcome.

Gordon writes, “The theft of my stuff is tragic and I would like it back and would offer a reward - especially for the irreplaceable pictures of my kids taken since they were born and of course to Foxton Image Archive.  All taken on discs worth no more than a few quid.  The key message is that thieves are active in the community - don’t keep your backups near your computer and perhaps use one of the oneline storage facilities such as carbonite.com.”

Meanwhile, please join the Common Stream group on September 9th - the more the merrier, and tea and biscuits will be served.  A £1 donation will be requested to help cover the cost of the hall.

The largest service area at the County Council is Children and Young People’s Services (CYPS).  This covers schools, social services and youth development.   Some of these services are difficult to access, the number of schools and their individual complexities are breathtaking, and the five districts that make up the County remit are diverse  - including some of the most affluent and deprived areas in the country. 

Children and Young People’s Services is scrutinized by a committee made up of councillors and co-opted members - including three school governors.  At the moment we’re looking at potential topics to include in our work programme for the coming year.  If you have concerns about the County’s service in any of these areas, please get in touch: susanvandeven@yahoo.co.uk.

The County Council has finally come up with a proposal for improvements to the Flint Cross junction on the A505.  The project is now being costed.  Cllr Tim Stone (representing Fowlmere) and I will be meeting with officers on July 10, and will report back. 

I mentioned in an earlier post that I’d attended my first meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council - the annual meeting at which appointments for the coming year are made. 

I didn’t mention that it got rather heated at times, as the ruling Conservatives and opposition Liberal Democrats debated the issue of openness and transparency.  The Lib Dems proposed that the council’s Policy Development Groups be held in public, but were overruled.   Coming in as a new broom, it was an odd discovery that these committees were closed to the public.  The Lib Dems won’t be taking part in the PDGs in their present form.

The Bishop of Huntingdon was there too.  He gave the opening prayer, listened to the debate, and came to the conclusion at the end of the meeting that he ought to carry on praying for politicians.  You can read his account at http://bpdt.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/praying-for-politicians/.

A new non-emergency police telephone was introduced June 15, to accommodate call packages with free local calls:  0345 4564564.   The old number, 0845 4564564, will continue to work until April 2011. 

The emergency number stays the same: 999.

You may be wondering how your new County Councillor is spending her time in these first weeks after the election.  It is a combination of jumping into a fast-running river and taking time to plan ahead.

Locally, I am attending parish council meetings, to get an overview of village concerns, and arranging meetings with all of our school heads to find out what issues I ought to be putting on my radar.  I’ve been in contact with my predecessor in order to take over on-going casework.  

At the County Council, I’m attending training sessions where needed, and requesting senior officer meetings, especially in areas where there are local concerns - I’ve made appointments to see two lead officers in education and social services, and another regarding public transport and rail issues.  I’ve also been in contact with the head of library services.

I’ve attended my first full council meeting, which was the annual appointments meeting.  A leader and chairman were elected, both of which are political appointments made by the ruling Conservative group.  The Council is comprised entirely of political party affiliated members - 42 Conservatives, 23 Liberal Democrats, two Labour and one Green.

The Liberal Democrat group meets once per month to discuss policy issues, and judging by the first meeting these discussions consist of lively debate and consensus decisions.  The job of local representation is straightforward:  stay in touch with local residents, learn what the issues are, and figure out how to solve them.    Getting the best for local people means working together. 

Hoping to keep a balance between the villages and Shire Hall, I’ve joined one County Council committee - Children and Young People’s Services Scrutiny Committee, which covers education and social services.  Locally I will be focussing on individual casework and of course the headline community concerns in our villages.

I’ll be continuing to send out my monthly email newsletter - please contact me if you’d like to be on the distribution list.  Feel free to get in touch any time if you have any queries or concerns, and I will try to point you in the right direction.

The European Elections are now out of the way and we can all get on with Euro-bashing as normal.  Should we? 

Once again it is UKIP who made the news - apart from the BNP, for whom the European Union is a convenient peg on which to hang its bigoted appeal to the disaffected.

It’s UKIP’s distortions and the Conservative’s actions in removing themselves from the right-wing core group of the European parliament to join another yet-to-be-formed far right wing which cause the most concern.

UKIP have said all we need to do is leave the European Union and set up a “simple trade agreement” with it.  Not so simple as that.  Switzerland and Norway know that the cost of trading with EU countries is the adoption of a common set of technical standards dictated by the EU.  There is no hiding behind protectionism and markets remain open.  And we would have no clout in negotiating with the USA and China.

Likewise the movement of people is likely to continue to be dictated by European rules.  We don’t have the power of the United States to become an “awkward squad.”  Earlier this year the Swiss held a referendum on whether to exclude workers from the newer states, as is permitted by European law.  The people decided to continue to let them in.  The upside of us having to abide by Europen laws, even if we have “only” a “simple trade agreement” is that those hundreds of thousands of Brits living in France and Spain wouldn’t have to apply for residence permits or come home.  At least that’s the thought.

And as for money, world markets remain open. We may reject the use of the Euro but money will continue to flow across borders, whatever its colour.  It’s not likely to flow our way very much if we don’t represent a good trading base.

The real difficulty of the “simple trade agreement” is that by isolating ourselves from Europe Britain becomes irrelevant.  We lose persuasive powers in the fight against climate change, our influence on foreign affairs is severely diminished, our fight against international crime and illegal immigration becomes much harder.  We would no longer take part in many cross-Europe research and development projects.  And of course we would entirely lose any influence within Europe to reform European institutions.

And the Conservatives’ move out of the mainstream and away from broad co-operation with major European parties may play well in the Eurosceptic press but damages Europe and diminishes Brtitain’s influence.

With Cambridge Central Library’s long awaited reopening scheduled for September, and with Great Shelford Library also shut due to refurbishment work (we are told until late October), Melbourn Library is the place for anyone wishing to access books and other library materials over the summer.  

The library is situated in a freshly painted aqua blue portacabin adjacent to the entrance of Melbourn Village College in The Moor, off Melbourn High Street.   New volunteers have been coming forward to join the library team and there is a definite buzz about the place with new ideas being put forward - please get in touch if you would like to get involved.  This is a community driven library service for residents in our wide cluster of villages.

 You can either visit the library and select items from its regular stock, or go to the www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk website, clicking on Leisure and then Libraries, where you will be directed to the on-line catalogue.  Browsing and selecting items which are then sent to Melbourn Library for collection is easy - like anything, you just need to get started. 

If you have queries, please visit the Melbourn Library for help from a member of staff - open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2:30-4:30, Thursday from 5-7, and Saturday from 10-12.

On June 4th, news was announced that South Cambridgeshire District Council tenants had voted a resounding ‘No’ on the proposal to transfer the council’s housing stock to a new housing association, a move that would have been irreversible.  The news was widely reported in the local media - including the Cambridge News and the BBC - though coverage on the District Council website has been subdued. 

This comes in contrast to a vigorous and prolonged campaign by the Council to promote transfer.  One resident commented today, “The Council even printed t-shirts for staff with the name of the new housing association on it, when we hadn’t even voted for it yet.”

Upwards of £800,000 of our money has been spent on this ‘consultation exercise.’   Fifteen councillors have signed a motion of No Confidence in the Council’s leadership, which will be debated on Thursday June 18th at an Extraordinary Meeting of Council. 

For Cllr Sebastian Kindersley’s clear and insightful account of events, click here.

Cambridgeshire County Council Election 

Thank you to the many residents who have wished me well, or given time to deliver leaflets and knock on doors on my behalf, in the County Council election campaign.  It has been a true team effort - so very many thanks to all! 

With a successful result, the focus now turns to getting to work as a new County Councillor for our seven villages.   There will be lots to learn and I intend to be a hard-working new broom.

The result

Susan van de Ven: 1717

Conservative: 1347

Green: 227

Labour: 155

While good news had been hoped for last month - paperwork was underway to sign on a new tenant for Shepreth shop (including the post office) - that has now fallen through, and the premises are still on the market.  We hope that in spite of inevitable closure on June 5th, this will be temporary.  It is understood from the estate agents that new expressions of interest have been made.

Meanwhile, elderly and vulnerable residents face the difficulty of having to venture beyond their usual easy access to the shop and post office for daily services.

The Post Office is recruiting for a new subpostmaster/mistress, and does not intend to look for new premises.  This means that they are happy for the normal shop premises to continue, and this is good news for potential new tenants.  If you are interested, please visit the Post Office webpage where details for the Shepreth vacancy are listed.   The website had neglected to update a deadline of April 17, 2009 for expressions of interest.  Susan has asked for that date to be changed and the Post Office human resources team have said they would give July 6 as a new date - and intend in principle to keep looking until a new subpostmaster is found. 

Susan has written to First Capital Connect to inquire whether the rail operator would allow basic rail tickets to be sold in village shops where there is no village station master presence - an idea proposed by Railfuture, the regional rail user group, on a visit to Meldreth Station last month.  This would of course benefit village shops and rail users alike. 

The Estate Agents managing the letting of the premises are Redmayne, Arnold and Harris, based in Cambridge and available on Tel 01223 323130.

While these are hard times, the shop premises are ideally located.  Shepreth is a small village but has much traffic passing through, and the potential is there for a new lease of life for this important village service.  There is a wonderful feel to the place, which is at the heart of the community, and no doubt any new shopkeeper would have a good foundation to build on.

A range of rail-user issues have been highlighted this past year, culminating in the successful campaign to protect opening hours at Meldreth Station Booking Office.   

Local concerns include rising ticket fares and the absence of a meaningful student ‘discount’ fare for college bound students needing to commute into Cambridge, inadequate ticket machines at all three stations, and car parking problems - whether unused pay and display systems at Meldreth and Shepreth or nuisance street parking in residential areas.  A host of other points were raised at the public meeting with First Capital Connect’s Managing Director in Meldreth on March 3rd, and a good inventory of concerns is now on the record.

Approximately 125 people attended the public meeting, and 1,069 signed a petition to keep Meldreth Booking Office open.  It is clear that those who added their voices to the campaign represent a wide cluster of villages, and depend upon Foxton, Shepreth and Meldreth Stations to get to work or school.

If you would be interested in joining a rail user group that would endeavour to campaign at the local and national level for protected and improved service from our three stations, please send an email susanvandeven@yahoo.co.uk.   You don’t need to commit to attending any meetings;  names on a list will be our starting point.   If you feel you could offer some time to help run the group, please indicated this in your email.  Ideas and advice always welcome.

Ahead of a visit to Ely Cathedral where he spoke about his recent book on the economic crisis, The Storm, Vince Cable met with Lib Dem candidates standing in the upcoming local elections.  Characterisitically, he had thought-provoking things to say in response to current economic and political concerns.  Some of the issues discussed:

Affordable housing shortage and homelessness:  We have countless empty homes (many of them designated as shared-ownership on new development sites, others private) and councils must be allowed to make these available to people in serious need of shelter.  The web of rules and regulations governing every step of housing standard and allocation are, ironically, often an impediment to putting people into homes.

Young people and the recession:  Under the veneer of a comparatively affluent part of the country, the effects of the economic recession are making themselves felt in many households.  Very soon a huge number of young adults will finish college and university and will find themselves unable to get a job.  

Proportional representation:  This must be part of a package of sweeping reforms to our parliamentary and electoral system.  There is a danger that if the Labour government introduces a referendum on proportional representation, public anger against the sitting government will translate into ‘No’ as a form of symbolic protest.   It is important to stay focussed on considering the fairness of a system of proportional representation, which among other things would do away with the phenomenon of safe seats.

Public services and hard choices:  Whoever takes power in the next general election, there will be huge cuts in public services.  Now is the time to make hard choices about cutting unwanted and unnecessary expenditure.  As a result of the banking bailout the government is deeply in debt and it’s time to challenge major expenditures like ID cards and Trident.  Local councillors must think ahead.

No political party is above criticism:  Vince Cable commented that ‘no political party is above criticism.’  At the end of the day governments are run by groups of people, and any new grouping of ’independents’ will inevitably evolve into a formal political organisation. No one has all the answers and it is beneficial to work as a part of a group where ideas are challenged and shared.  It seems to me that we must create the best political parties we can. I find that locally and nationally, the Lib Dems continue to listen, discuss and respond at ground level.  

Residents have been in touch to raise concerns that they are unable to board the bus from Shepreth and Meldreth to Royston, which lacks both wheelchair access and a low climb step.  They have pointed out that Cambridge city busses are well-equipped for disabled access - and say that these features should be standard.  Considering that the bus caters particularly to retired people, these seems a particularly unfortunate oversight.

Another difficulty in boarding the bus is the now regular line of parked cars outside Meldreth Station car park, blocking access to the bus’s pick-up point.  This concern has been brought to Meldreth Parish Council.

Please get in touch with any other access issues you are concerned about.

Home-Start is a locally based voluntary organisation offering support, friendship and practical help to families with children under aged five.

Parents often feel overwhelmed or exhausted by the stresses and strains of every day life, and often have no close family members nearby to provide encouragement and breathing space.  Home-Start links a well prepared and supported volunteer with a family, offering regular home visits tailored to individual needs.  Volunteers can offer a listening ear, play with children, or accompany a family on outings or appointments.  Please get in touch if you would like support, or if you would like to train as a volunteer: Tel 01763-262262 or email admin@hsrsc.co.uk.  Home-Start’s offices are based at Valley Farm, Station Road, Meldreth.

The next training session for new volunteers will take place at Bassingbourn Barracks on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9:30-2:30, from 15th September to 14th October.

Speeding traffic is a very local problem affecting particular bends and stretches of road, and also one of the most commonly raised concerns in our villages.

Getting County Highways to rectify a particular local speeding problem isn’t so easy.  Discussing and inspecting are one thing, but solutions are another.  Speed limits are beyond the control of parish councils.  We are told that it is too expensive to change speed limits, due to legal and other costs, and so it rarely happens.  Meanwhile people are understandably anxious about accidents waiting to happen.

This is where strategic policy needs to respond to overwhelming evidence of a widespread local problem.  The Lib Dem manifesto includes changing policy on speed limits, making it easier for parish councils to have the power to reduce speed limits, and also to provide increased resources for enforcing them.

Meanwhile, though it may seem futile to raise concerns, it is important to do so - a bank of specific locations where speeding a problem will help to push policy in the right direction.  And fighting corners - literally and figuratively - has to happen! 

Please go to www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk and then ‘A-Z of services’ at the top of the page - follow the links.  Or ring 0345 045 5200.

Potholes seem as abundant as rabbit holes these days - whether one is braving the A10 cycle path, trying to navigate a decent pushchair route, or just crossing the road. 

The County Council has been trying to repair some of the worst pot holes that emerged from the cold snap last winter.  The overall situation is very bad, given the fact that the Highways budget for road maintenance has been inadequate and roads have been allowed to deteriorate to such an extent. Clearly some roads and paths are in particularly bad shape.

It’s important to report potholes in your neighbourhood to get them on the repair list.  ‘Dangerous potholes’ that meet Highways emergency criteria must be repaired within 24 hours.

You can report a pothole or gash in the pavement or road by phone or on-line - ring 0345 0455212, or go to www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk and go to the ‘A-Z of Services’ link at the top of the page.  Look at ‘Pavements’ or ‘Potholes’ or ‘Roads’ and follow the links to ‘Do it on-line.’  You will be asked to report a specific location. 

If you think the pothole is dangerous, you will need to measure its area and depth - this will help to ensure that it is dealt with on an emergency basis.  This can of course be somewhat infuriating as often there are great gashes stretched across the road which aren’t deep enough to qualify, but which wreck tyres, etc, nonetheless.  Nevertheless, please be sure to report any problem you are concerned about - the council will be more compelled to respond to a pattern of problems if it is confronted with a bank of specific evidence.  What we need to be aiming for in the long run is proper maintenance rather than rushed, emergency repair jobs.  

You may feel like cracking up from exasperation - but it’s important to go through the bureaucratic steps in order to get the message across.

On May 5th, the director of Railfuture East Anglia, the regional rail user group, came to Meldreth Station to meet with Susan and discuss our local rail campaign and how we might work together.  A number of issues were discussed, not just about Meldreth Station but also Shepreth and Foxton.  All three stations are well used and should have a good future, but we need to ensure that this potential is realized.

Meanwhile, parking woes continue, with Station Road, Foxton, particularly hard hit.   While there is a history of rail commuter parking there, the situation got worse when car park charges were introduced at Shepreth and Meldreth.   First Capital Connect offered a £1 per day charge at Meldreth for a three month period from March 30th, but this has had no significant effect on bringing commuters back into the car park and taking them off residential streets.  It seems that many of the commuters who use our three stations come from outside the area — some London commuters seem to be avoiding Royston, where the Station car park is simply too expensive.  Hence the overspill parking in our villages.

Other matters remain on the table.  Susan has written to Passenger Focus to ask for an update on their review of First Capital Connect’s problematic ticket machines, and we are in continuing contact with FCC on improvements to disabled access.   Thanks to everyone who has written in with local updates and concerns.

Recently, Susan has become aware of a number of housing association residents finding it difficult to afford their bills for Flogas (LPG), which provides their heat and hot water.  These are housing association homes outside the village framework and off the mains gas grid. 

By law, mains energy suppliers may not simply switch off power when someone can’t afford the bills.  But the same rules don’t apply to LPG brought in to an on-site tank or in cyclinders.  In a couple of cases, power has been switched off and residents have been trying to cope without heat and hot water.

The housing association was required, at the time these homes were built, to comply with the Code for Sustainable Homes in terms of types of energy supply allowed.  Extending the gas grid was too expensive, and choices were limited. 

Susan has been in contact with the housing association and with specialist officers at the District Council who are able to offer advice about fuel supply. 

UPDATE:  Susan now understands from residents that the housing association has announced a reduction in LPG rates.  She has written to the housing association asking for details and is waiting for a reply.

Thank you to residents who responded to the appeal published in Susan’s monthly email newsletter, for new volunteers for local groups.

The Melbourn and District Library, which serves all our villages, now has two new volunteers to help keep the library up and running.  The Melbourn and Meldreth Luncheon Club has a new volunteer driver (coming from Foxton) to take elderly residents back and forth to the Vicarage Close Sheltered Housing community room for Thursday lunch.  This is greatly appreciated.   Both groups would be delighted to have more volunteers step forward, so please get in touch any time.

If you would like to receive Susan’s monthly newsletter, please contact her at susanvandeven@yahoo.co.uk.

Parents of children with all types of disability often face intense frustration in getting appropriate care provision from the local authority - in our case, Cambridgeshire County Council.  Local voluntary groups designed to help parents of disabled children would be happy to hear you, especially if you feel that no one else is listening - and to help point you in the right direction.  Please contact ‘Pinpoint’: Tel 0751 741 9761 or mail@pinpoint-cambs.org.uk, or ‘Contact a Family’: Tel 0808 808 3555 or info@cafamily.org.uk.

Cambridge Science Festival speaker Professor David MacKay, whose book Sustainable Energy: Without the Hot Air is available free on line, was the guest speaker at a Lib Dem-sponsored Supper Club on Friday April 24 at Foxton Village Hall (as advertised previously in Susan’s Focus newsletter).  

A group of 70 guests, including primary, secondary, sixth form and university students, green groups from Girton, Histon and Impington, Milton, and Comberton, and local residents, heard Professor MacKay’s practical and engaging analysis of how to make the numbers add up in terms of clean energy to meet our needs.  Lib Dem County and District Councillors too helped make up the audience and listened to Professor MacKay’s alternative ideas for energy policies.

Look out for Professor MacKay at next autumn’s Cambridge University Festival of Ideas.  Susan has a loan copy of his book if you are interested.

Problems with the Number 26 bus, which runs between Royston and Cambridge, stopping at Melbourn High Street, Shepreth opposite Country Homes and Gardens, and Foxon Memorial, and Harston High Street, have been flagged up by residents who depend on it.

The last bus back from Cambridge leaves at 18:40, which is fine if one gets off work or college around 6PM, but useless for anyone needing to leave Cambridge later in the evening. 

We may be told we have the option of taking the train home at night instead, but for pensioners who travel free by bus, and for anyone on a tight budget, the train is simply too costly.

The stop at Shepreth is very awkwardly situated, on an unpaved, unlit and lonely verge quite a distance from residential areas and a walk across the notorious Frog End/A10 Junction for anyone needing to get into the main part of the village.  Some months ago the verge was damaged and still awaits smooth out - at the moment there is a significant tripping hazard.  In winter months, the stop is dark at the end of the day, making things all the more difficult.

Susan would like to write to Stagecoach with these concerns, but would first appreciate knowing any other problems that bus users have.  Please get in touch at susanvandeven@yahoo.co.uk.

We understand from First Capital Connect that Elaine Holt is leaving her job as Managing Director and will be replaced by Jim Morgan on Monday, April 6th.

We hope that Mr Morgan will respect the open door of communication on local rail concerns established during the past few months. 

Meanwhile this month, meetings will continue with FCC officers on disabled access issues and overspill parking and traffic difficulties created by the imposing of car park charges.

A message from Shirley and Alison at the shop:  “We will be leaving the shop on June 5th.  If anyone is interested in taking over the shop, please ring us on 01763263279.”

Following the public meeting at Meldreth in early March, at which First Capital Connect Managing Director Elaine Holt listened to questions and concerns from members of the public, FCC has taken steps to address some of the issues placed on its table.

Car park charges at Meldreth will be lowered to £1 per day for a three month period, starting March 30.   While this offers a limited respite only, it could be an opportunity for commuters to demonstrate to FCC that £1 per day and a car park at full capacity is more profitable than a £2.50 daily charge and a car park almost empty.   We understand that many commuters come from villages further afield, and would be grateful if you could help demonstrate to FCC that a £1 car park charge is better for everyone.

FCC have also said they wish to look more closely at disabled access issues and will be coming out in mid-April to meet students and staff from Meldreth Manor School and Orchard Transition Service. 

FCC have already been out to review the awkwardly positioned cycle wheeling channel.  Frustratingly, due to stringent health and safety constraints, it cannot be altered in any way.  A decision was taken to leave the channel where it is for those cyclists who are able to use it - the channel does show some signs of wear and tear, indicating that it is being used at least by some. 

An appointment has been made for FCC to look at parking and traffic difficulties around the villages - including Station Roads in Foxton, Melbourn and Shepreth, as well as Meldreth - resulting from rail commuter parking in residential areas near the station.  

Student discount fares is another issue waiting to be addressed.  Significant changes depend also on the willingness of Cambridgeshire County Council to consider allowing Education Transport subsidies to be claimed by students travelling by rail, and not just by bus. 

It is not expected that all of these issues will be solved.  However, FCC is taking first steps in fulfilling its pledge to address local concerns.   We hope that the County Council will also agree to find ways of taking small steps forward.

Burlington Press has announced that it has gone into Administration, and has been forced to cut 51 of its staff of 79.   This means very tough times for local people who have been employed until now at this landmark business in Station Road, Foxton.  Because the printing business generally is facing huge cuts generally - Cambridge University Press recently announced massive cuts in its printing division - ex-employees are being forced to think about re-training for new careers, at a time when jobs are hard to come by.

We now await further news.

The Melbourn and District Villages Association, which looks after our local library, is working hard to find new premises, having recently been given a two-year extension in the portable cabin in which it is presently houses.  The library receives support from Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton and Melbourn parish councils, and books and IT support from the County Council.  It depeds on volunteer staff to keep the library open.

The library is looking urgently for volunteers to do a two-hour shift per week behind the counter, serving members of the public.  Volunteers would serve alongside another person and therefore would not be alone.  This is a rewarding place to work, bringing contact with all corners of the community in congenial surroundings.  Please ring Susan on 01763-261833 if you are interested.

Melbourn Library is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2:30-4:30, Thursdays 5-7 and Saturdays 10-12. More information is available at http://melbourncambridge.co.uk/library/.

Elaine Holt, Managing Director of First Capital Connect, opened her remarks at the March 3rd public meeting in Meldreth with an announcement that the booking office at Meldreth Station will remain open on Saturdays from 8:45-1:15, and Mondays to Fridays from 7-11:15.  This is a less dramatic reduction of opening hours than FCC proposed in early January, and a direct response to public outcry - expressed in our petition of 1,065 signatures and, according to FCC, more letters and emails than they have ever received from a single community. 

The meeting was standing-room only.  Residents represented a large number of villages which depend on Meldreth Station, and put forward blunt and forthright questions for nearly two hours.  FCC had neglected to communicate when its recent changes to rail service were put into place, but clearly got the message that local people expect proper consultation and proper communication.  Other pressing issues discussed: 

1. The non-sensical parking charges at Meldreth and Shepreth Stations, which are now only 25% full at best and which have resulted in parking and traffic chaos in our Station Roads (not only in Meldreth and Shepreth, but also in Foxton and Melbourn).  Susan asked Elaine Holt for FCC’s business cases on both car parks and intends to follow this up.

2. Complete neglect in the area of disabled access, starting with a dropped kerb for the northbound platform.  A dropped kerb will now be installed, within the next two or three weeks, and Susan asked Elaine Holt to commit to a dialogue with Meldreth Manor School and Orchard Transition Service, for finding short and long-term solutions to disabled access to the southbound platform.

3.  A student discount scheme which is outrageously expensive and thoughtlessly structured, providing free travel at weekends and on holidays rather than focussing on affordable travel when students need to get to and from school.  FCC refused to concede at all on this issue.    County Councillor Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure, Matt Bradney, had been invited to the meeting, but did not attend.  FCC had been in discussion with the County Council about creating a student discount package, but that ended when the County made its Rail Officer post redundant.   Susan will be pressing for a reopening of this dialogue with the County Council - which, after all, collects our taxes and could be offering our students Education Transport Subsidy for rail travel.

 A whole range of other points were taken and Elaine Holt has promised to get back to Susan on actioning these. 

 Thank you again to the hundreds of residents throughout our community who together have forced FCC to listen to our concerns - and may it continue.

We knew last autumn that the County Council had decided that certain parts of the Chishills no longer met its criteria for road gritting, and now residents have experienced the full implications of this lack of service.  It is understood that some children missed more days of school than necessary, due to road conditions.  No doubt residents in the wider area will be aware of other specific problem areas concerning gritting.

The County Council’s Scrutiny Committee will be addressing the subject of gritting at its next meeting on March 25.  The Lib Dem team is endeavouring to collect as many reports of gritting problems as possible, so that the subject is properly addressed.  Please post any local problems you are aware of at:  http://www.cambridgeshiregrit.wordpress.com. 

One of the concerns that has been raised is the volume of salt used, and its potential environmental damage - any ideas on this matter would be much appreciated.

At a time of deep financial uncertainty, the Tory-run District Council has rejected calls to postpone the housing stock transfer process for a year - citing the fact that they have already spent well over half a million pounds on the consultation stage, and don’t want to see that money going to waste.

Lib Dem councillors feel that clarity must be brought to the financial situation.  It is by no means clear that there would be enough money to deliver promised improvements to to existing houses for our tenants and to compensate the rest of the council so that it is left in a viable sate without its council housing.

Let’s not forget that this is the most serious decision the Council will take in many years.  If the Council persuades tenants to vote ‘yes’ without all the information they need, there will be no opportunity to change minds later on.

The Barrington Liaison Group, a local community watchdog group concerned with air quality, road safety, planning and other issues surrounding the cement works, met in January despite the plant’s closure late last year.  Susan went along as district councillor for Shepreth and Meldreth.

The meeting was informed that there are at present no planning applications concerning future use of the site, and that the plant is being mothballed, with a view to keeping Cemex’s options open for the near future.

Sadly, contrary to some reports, most of those made redundant have not found new jobs.  With big and small cuts at a whole host of other local businesses, including some on Melbourn Science Park, at Johnson Matthey, Jewsons, and others, this is perhaps not surprising, and only highlights the difficulties many residents are facing in the current economic recession.

A meeting of the Neighbourhood Police Panel took place at Bassingbourn Village College on January 20th.  This quarterly meeting is open to the public and is an opportunity to voice your concerns directly to the police.  The panel meeting covers police issues in our cluster of villages, as well as villages in the Bassingbourn area.

The main areas of concern highlighted by police and residents were anti-social behaviour in Melbourn car park, the recent break-in at Meldreth One Stop shop, an increase in theft from private sheds and outbuildings, drivers using mobile phones, cyclists out at night without lights, nuisance parking, and the loss of continuity in our Police Community Support Officer presence. 

Our police team have been conducting local concentrated pull-over events, checking drivers  and issuing fines for driving without seatbelts, driving without insurance, driving with faulty headlamps, driving with mobile phones, and outstanding offences.  They have also been conducting breathalizer tests.  They report a startling number of fines and points on licenses issued, and feel that the events have had a significant impact.

If you haven’t already signed up, ’E-cops’ has proven a good means of communication between police and residents.  Go to www.cambs.police.uk/signup/ecops/.  Inspector Chris Savage emphasized that without residents reporting incidents, the police cannot react.  The police telephone contact number is 0845 456 4564.

Since the panel meeting, it has been announced that our new PCSOs for the Melbourn beat are John Coppard and Shaun White. 

The date of the next panel meeting has been changed to Monday April 20th, at 7:30.  This will be held at Melbourn Village College.  All welcome.

In December, Melbourn Parish Council voted to allocate a piece of parish-council owned land off London Road for use as BMX trails.  Planning permission is required and we now await the outcome of a planning application.  The site would benefit BMX riders from the wider community, so thanks are due to Melbourn PC for steering this project to benefit all of our local young people.  Efforts continue to find other suitable sites in other villages, particularly for younger children who would benefit from being closer to home - similar to the BMX track at Foxton Rec.