Annual Village Assembly
16 May 2003.
The 25 people in the village hall included 2 councillors, so all of 23 villagers had enough interest in village affairs to make the effort. Would a licensed bar help?
Hard working County Councillor James Fitch's piece confirmed that there is lots of news - the new Parish Council, a new Chief Executive at ECDC, a new bit of cycle path, and a new settlement proposed near Cambridge (but not in our back yard), a new County Structure Plan and new local administrative boundaries. The new Fordham bypass starts (at last) in 2005, a new bend, without ice thank you, soon for Swaffham Bulbeck, a new terminal at Marshals Airport, new expansion of Park & Ride, not forgetting a new Police Officer, PC Butcher. Oh, and a new, third, lane for the A14 from Girton to Conington - a few miles up the A1(M) and down again? I may have got that wrong. Beacon status is the IN thing, awarded to ECDC for ICT, and to Bottisham VC for being very good indeed (Pass*). Our close relations in Reach have been elbowed aside in favour of closer links with Burwell. How many Burwell kids are there in our school? I'm sure this would not have happened if Reachees just drove more slowly through SP.
The always able District Councillor Charlotte Cain gave a masterly summary of local matters, including the problems of extending green credentials with more recycling, quite a challenge for the new energy conservation officer. There is now a European glass mountain. There are grants to pay for energy saving improvements to homes. We have a good Farmers' Market in Ely, though energy must be used to get there. A computer is on offer for SP if we can find a suitable location, and there is an ICT trainer available. Two would make a pair of trainers. ECDC is much preoccupied with housing needs, and looking into shared equity arrangements as an alternative to rentals. Increasing numbers of people cannot afford to buy their own homes, and there is a known need for 500 new affordable housing units in the area over the next 5 years (and everyone says "not in my back yard"). What do we think about Police Community Support Officers? Were they not called "specials" when we were younger?
Our PC Chairman outlined very local highlights of the year, reminding us of the expenditure needed to expel mucky travellers from the playing field and to prevent any future attacks. The roadside hedge has been cut down so they cannot hide behind it. Now we can afford the new climbing frame on the playground, with bouncy rubber matting for safety. The sagas of the Beeches Wall, and rubbish dumping down Whiteway Drove, both continue. An appeal against an enforcement notice there has been lodged, let us hope that it is seen for what it is - a load of rubbish.
After the PC's accounts, a lot of others were gone through. Many weddings raised income for the Village Hall, and the largesse of the Parochial charities was celebrated. Our very own Sports & Recreation representatives were sadly absent, but we know they are rolling in it, so would they please erect the goal posts on the playing field? The school was Ofsteded by inspectors who praised the teaching, and everything else despite funding problems. The Summer Fair will be held on 5th July. Be there. Just be there, that's all.
Kevin Glennon gave a run down on the Speedwatch campaign. Actually, he went through it at some speed, much too quickly, I thought. The speed monitors active now will substantiate the subjective impressions that many motorists in the village are indeed driving supersonically, with little regard for the safety of either babies on board, or pedestrians outside their cocooned mobile environments. Rumours that a Speedwatch sticker in the back window confers immunity from prosecution are unfounded, but I find that mine so interests other drivers that they get very close indeed to read it better. Other clever devices will later record licence plates for the prosecution of speedsters.
The serious stuff really came with a proposition by the owner of Dencora field that affordable housing could be built there. ECDC have indeed invited land owners to come forward for that very purpose, to satisfy the demand mentioned above. Nothing will happen without the agreement of our PC and, if you have views either way, please make them known. Charlotte Cane reminded us that 3 planning appeals for private housing development here have been refused (1985, 1993, 1999), most significantly because Lower End hamlet should remain clearly detached from the main body of the village, though other planning criteria for private development really cannot be satisfied there either. However, things may be different where there is demonstrable need, say 500 houses worth? Not all of them here, of course.
Another issue causing considerable public concern was the "obtrusive" noise of motor bikes on the same field. It was even suggested by a local victim that perhaps new housing over all of the field would be worthwhile to stop the nuisance. Things got quite heated, and various methods of approach, some of them legal, were proposed to achieve a solution. However, some progress was made by negotiation in a local hostelry later that evening ("much later" says the wife). We hope that common sense and consideration for others will prevail.