From our Reporter at the Parish Council Meeting
TOUGH BITS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON 08 SEPTEMBER 2005.
Refreshed after summer holidays, councillors sped through the business at a rate unprecedented in my experience, and probably in theirs too. Allen Alderson told us that the build contract for new ECDC offices has been tendered. The next news will no doubt reveal a dreadful overspending prospect. Dumped asbestos still remains in Cooper's Lane (one year on) but weedy kerbs now remain only in Lower End and The Beeches, all on my doorstep. Why? That's tough, but I don't deserve this.
The Red Lion plans to extend opening hours up to 24:00 on weekdays, and up to 02:30 on Fridays, Saturdays, Bank Holidays, etc. If you don't like it, tough - the period for valid objections has expired. Trees in Conservation Areas are protected, and that's tough if you have a neighbour's vigorous lime trees shading your home and dropping sticky muck everywhere. Let us hope that the Tree Officer is sensible enough to suggest removal and replacement with more friendly native species. The Cooper's Lane barrier (not boring you, am I?) was broken in 2003. The CCC decided to pay a contractor up front for a tough replacement. They can pay me up front any time they want, because it clearly imposes no obligation to act. This lane remains open, so feel free to use it whenever you want to. Don't send your protests to the officers responsible though, but straight to the CCC chairman, confusingly a woman (named in the last Crier). You could also mention it to our new CCC councillor (her name escapes me - the elusive Hazel Williams. Eds). It was noted that her attendance at PC meetings leaves something to be desired. The lamp at the church steps erected last year (?) has now been powered up, casting its friendly light, of only slightly different hue to the other street lights, on the steps. That particular exercise started in 1997, but we get there eventually. It is of course, as one would expect, in the very best of taste. Chris Riggs, tough acrylic paints at the ready, will restore the village sign for a modest sum. HH told us the post was recycled from the station and he should know - another little gem for the village history.
Now, if you wanted a few acres on which to keep horses, would you happily pay £5,000 per acre for soggy, peaty land under stubble, which needs sorting out and seeding, not useable until next year? And it needs fencing too. Let's say it's many miles from here, perhaps near Bedford? You may be wondering why the new owner of land at the Headlake Drove end of Little Fen Drove thinks the acquisition worthwhile, even though he lives near Bedford. He says it's for horses, and the tough new post and rail fence along the roadside would indeed stop horses from encroaching no more than about 1 metre over the highway boundary. Only 800 metres of new fencing left to go. Ouch! It's all beginning to look like an expensive exercise for horses!
In the last edition of The Crier, 3 options for the playing field's future were described and your comments invited. Some responses were ill-informed, raising problem scenarios that have long been foreseen and planned out. One correspondent wanted more time for an extensive study of village needs, and exhaustive discussions, etc. I have watched the unused field for several years, walked it with the Dad's Army of muck cleaners and sat through several exhausting discussions on this subject. That's what the PC is for (and the Annual Assembly). Further, rigorous examination of the details was conducted this time before the decision so, if you were not there, tough. It's too late now. Of those responding sensibly, a clear majority agreed on option 3. We shall at last have a secure field for our kids to enjoy under proper management, contrasting with a situation where we paid out about £17,000 for no benefit. That silly situation applies no more. This is a great victory for common sense.
(Tiger, tiger, Burwell bright, with Prior kids too. All right! All right!)