From our Reporter at the Parish Council Meeting
A MULTITUDE OF HAPPY LAUGHING PARENTS AND CHILDREN POURED DOWN THE HIGH STREET
as I made my way to the Parish Council Meeting. What a joyous throng! I later
learned they had been to a school play. It must have been a sell out.
The same could not be said of the PC Meeting with three members missing. But both district/county councilors were there together with the usual two loyal members of the public.
All appears to be going exceptionally well on the local scene. At present there are no travellers in Swaffham Prior; the cemetery tidy up is moving ahead rapidly following John Norris raising the need not so many months ago; work on the speed control aid at Mill Hill will begin in January; and the buses have been reprieved though no-one was quite sure of all the details and you might need to "go to the website"for the latest thoughts. One thing is clear - all those bus timetables recently distributed need amending, otherwise they are almost valueless. Stagecoach must have been so pleased to have got rid of them!
That is the good news. Less fortunate is that the CCC is only having a 1.9% increase of the government grant compared to the County Council average of over 4%. Hazel broke the news that the government grant per person in Suffolk is £8.87, in Norfolk it is £12.88, in Essex it is £3.47, and in Cambridgeshire it is a mere £1.73. Geoffrey appeared to know the reason and separately he might inform us in the Crier. ECDC reported equally dire news and it seems that any spare money may go towards the Country Park in Ely.
A surprise item was the announcement that there is a planning application for a change of use of the Zoar Chapel and School to residential purposes. This is a shame because this wonderful little building has a special place in the hearts of everyone who attended a Cambridge Voices concert there in September 2001. Now in some disrepair and of limited usage it appears there is no alternative.
Times are all a-changing. Since New Labour came to power an extra 800,000 public servants have been employed and 3069 new offences have been introduced. Margaret Beckett has just announced that from next April every house vendor must have the full Hip in place before going on to the market; mothers on benefit with a child more than 12 months will have to show they are trying to get a job; primary schools must move to themed "areas of learning". Is there anyone who thinks these changes are sensible - apart from the people inflicting them on us?
And there is nothing we can do as the number of little quangos, committees and busy bodies appear to increase. For example the minutes of the November PC meeting recorded that:-
- The Cambridgeshire Compact is a countrywide partnership agreement between statutory bodies such as councils and the voluntary and community sector. It held some events in November to raise awareness and encourage volunteering.
- Cambridgeshire Together meeting. This examined the role of Parish, Town and City Coumcils in Cambridgeshire and local strategic partnerships. The partnerships are working together to improve the quality of life for those who live, work, learn and travel in Cambridgeshire with priorities of managing growth, creating economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, safer and stronger communities.
- Separately Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Cabinet has over the last few months been carrying out a National Survey of Third Sector Organisations. Inevitably "This survey is a chance to have your say on the things that matter." The survey "will measure the performance of local government against a national target to create 'An Environment for the Thriving Third Sector'."
I don't know whether any of the above will be effective but I have my doubts following the expensive and relentless promotion of Parish Plans by Central and Local Government. While we have no say on any of the above organisations we should be able to have some say on local Parish Plans. Sadly both our district/ county councillors have kept mum on the questions asked of them in the Crier. It was easier to get a comment from Harriett Harman about the Speaker!
What I am saying is that if we cannot receive any answers from our own highly respected and effective representatives then what chance do we have to obtain honest responses from government officials and ministers. I think it is all a question of money. Happy New Year.