Author: Clerk

 East/West Rail Link from Oxford to Cambridge.

Councillor Bridget Smith, leader of South Cambridge District Council attended the February Council meeting and spoke about the ongoing focus of SCDC.

Amongst these Councillor Smith highlighted the east/west rail link between Oxford and Cambridge as being transformational for South Cambridgeshire.

This development could bring improved transport, opportunities for business and housing development.

Last autumn SCDC wrote to the Government, asking them to give full and thorough consideration to the environment when selecting the route .Councillors are urging people to make sure that they have their say during the consultation period recognising the information published raises a lot of questions which they will be asking the promotors on behalf of local communities.

To find out more about the Oxford to Cambridge rail link proposals and the routes for consultation visit:

https://eastwestrail.co.uk/haveyoursay

Willingham Action Group.

Willingham Action Group have applied for a grant which will enable them to purchase a number of Bird Boxes.

These will be placed around the village in order to help reduce the decline in native bird numbers.

More information will follow when the boxes arrive.

 The Ploughman Hall remains a very popular venue for parties and exercises classes.  Below is a list of the activities that take place regularly in the hall:

Mondays

9.30am – 10.30 am – Zumba/aerobics

10:45am – 11.45 am – Pilates

12.00 – 1pm – Mother and Baby exercise class

6pm – 8pm – Fitness, strength & conditioning circuits

8pm – 10pm Badminton

Tuesdays

6pm – 8pm – Fitness, strength & conditioning circuits

8pm to 10pm – Badminton

Wednesdays

7.30pm – 8.30pm – Keep fit/Zumba

Thursdays

9.30 am – 12.30pm – Adult Ballet

7pm to 8pm – Yoga

Fridays

9.30am – 10.30 am – Aerobics

10.30am – 11.30am  – Fitness pilates

8.30pm – 10pm Ballroom dancing

Lost and Found

Cambridgeshire police have joined police forces nationwide by ceasing to take reports of lost property and accepting only certain types of found item.

The changes took effect nationally from 1 February after the Chief Constables’ Council agreed it as a way of reducing non-essential demand and the associated costs and bureaucracy generated for call centres and front counters.

The police service has traditionally accepted the responsibility of recording lost and found property, despite there being no statutory duty to maintain a system of recording non-evidential property.

Found items dealt with by police have reduced and a consistent approach adopted across the country. This will help reduce call volumes and remove an unnecessary burden on policing.

If you have lost or found an item, visit the force website for guidance on what to do. Further detail on our lost and found policy is below.

Lost items

Any loss can be reported online at sites including:

www.lostbox.co.uk

www.immobilise.com

www.reportmyloss.com (for an insurance report)

For bicycles, register and report at www.bikeregister.com

Report UK Passports at https://www.gov.uk/report-a-lost-or-stolen-passport

Details of losses reported via these methods are made available to police forces across the UK.

If you have lost property in a public place/premises or on public transport, contact the location or service provider directly.

Found items

The following categories have been created for found items:

 Accepted

• Items capable of containing data e.g mobile phones and computers.
• Cash and wallets that are identifiable
• Unidentifiable cash
• Identity and personal documents

 We do not accept

• Bicycles
• Personal but unidentifiable items
• Clothing
• Keys
• Jewellery

For non-accepted items, with some exceptions, the finder can retain the property. They are under no legal obligation to hand in the property providing they have made a reasonable attempt to return it to the owner.

 

Our Parish Clock

Our Parish Clock has not worked since October 2018.  The Parish Council was able to identify only one clock company – Smiths of Derby – prepared to advise on and complete the work required to get the clock working again.   Smiths advise that the clock’s equipment requires a major overhaul.  It also suggests restoration work on the dial is carried out at the same time.  The Parish Council understands that this complex level of maintenance and renovation has not been carried out since the clock was provided in 1887 at a cost of £125.00.  It will be discussing these proposals and the budgetary implications during January.

Parking at road junctions

Vehicles parked on streets should not cause a danger or unnecessarily obstruct the road.    Parking is not allowed within ten metres of a junction or anywhere where the kerb is lowered.  This helps users of powered mobility vehicles, wheelchair and pram users.  The Parish Council receives residents’ comments about dangerous or unnecessary car parking close to the junctions of Saxon Way, Covent Garden and Bourneys Manor Close with the High Street.  It has been suggested that yellow lining is placed around these junctions to restrict this parking.  The Parish Council has investigated this. It has been advised that parking restrictions could be introduced but the police would not undertake routine enforcement.  Neighbouring parishes report that recently introduced parking restrictions, without enforcement, are often ignored.  The police are encouraging villages to approach the County and District Councils to seek de-criminalisation of these parking offences.  Parking offences could then be managed as a civil offence and enforced by traffic wardens.  The Parish Council will be discussing how it should respond to this situation in the village.  Vehicle users can also play a part by parking with a greater consideration of the needs of other residents and vehicle users.

Black Pit Drove: an update

Shortly before the Christmas holiday the South Cambridgeshire Principal Planning Enforcement Officer and a legal representative attended the High Court to seek resolution of this issue.  In the absence of traveller representatives, the Judge declined to reach a final decision.  It is anticipated that a further hearing will be held during January with a final judgement made at that time.

Reporting concerns

Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) and South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) are responsible for the following areas of our village life.  Contact SCDC to report Abandoned vehicles, Air Pollution, Dog Fouling, Fly tipping, Fly posting, Graffiti, Litter, Street Cleaning and Asbestos.  Use this online address:  https://www.scambs.gov.uk/services/environment

Contact CCC to report Potholes, Road/pavement surface, Flooding, Signs and street furniture, Street lights, Rights of Way, Hedges/trees and weeds (along the highway), Road works, Spillages/debris on the road, Traffic lights.   Use this online address: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/roads-and-pathways/roadworks-and-faults/

 The police can be contacted with respect to their non-urgent responsibilities by either telephoning 101 or using this online address: https://www.cambs.police.uk/report/

 Hedge cutting

We have been asked by Cambridgeshire County Council to remind residents to try to complete any hedge cutting or tree trimming by the end of February – certainly before birds start their nesting activity!