From our District Councillor
COUNTY COUNCIL STRUCTURE
By the time you read these notes we are almost certain to have a new way of
tackling County administration and services. Subject to Cabinet and Council
agreement, the Chief Executive will be supported by three Directors and 23
Chief Officers, producing a saving of two Directors and a dozen senior
officers. The savings will, we are assured (!), be ploughed back into the
departments concerned. On your behalf I shall be watching to see how this is
achieved.
The other main County change will be a redrawing of the elected members' seats. Because of the large increase in population in Cambridgeshire over the last twenty years, there will be ten extra councillors at 69 (compared with 59 now). The result is that nearly all boundaries will be altered. Round here, Bottisham and Lode will be cut away from the rest of the present Divisions, leaving Burwell, Swaffhams and Reach in its own group, while Bottisham and Lode will be merged with all the other villages south Newmarket within East Cambs. That means that Bottisham and Lode will tie up with Burrough Green, Westley, Brinkley, Dullingham, Stetchworth, Cheveley, Woodditton, Ashley, Kirtling and all their attached hamlets like Upend and Saxon Street! This arrangement may look sensible on a map, but I cannot see a lot of common interest. The main criterion for these rearrangements is to ensure that all County Divisions will have, as far as possible, a similar population. However, the new Burwell Division is expected to have an electorate of 6050 in 2007 compared with 7350 for the other Division to be known as Woodditton - hardly comparable in my view.
The difference is emphasised by the fact that Burwell Division will have one County and four District Councillors, compared with five District and one County Councillor for Woodditton Division. I am told that the final decision on boundaries will be made a little later on this winter after the Boundary Commission has finally put its recommendations to the Government. It is now unlikely that any further changes will be accepted.
POWERLINE ACROSS THE FEN
Last month I wrote that the County Development Committee would hold its final debate on the route of a second 132kv power line across the fen from Burwell via Swaffhams, Reach and Lode to Horningsea and thereonwards to provide much needed supplementary power in Cambridge, the Science Park and developments in the close-by villages.
After the best part of two years debate between ADF and largely hostile villages (including ours) and the County and District Councils concerned, the route was finally accepted last month as the best solution, following an agreement over a substantial landscaping plan. The route is nearly parallel with the existing line, although the towers will be staggered rather than next to those already existing. I spoke to the committee as local member, pointing out my original anxieties on landscaping, wildlife and archaeological grounds were now calmed after I had seen the detailed new landscaping proposals at the recent Burwell exhibition. I was also reassured on the protection of wildlife and archaeological grounds. The final decision lies with the Environment Minister.