Your County Councillor

COUNTY COUNCIL LETTER

 Mid June / July  2002

It is amazing to find that East Cambs. District Council was excluded from discussions before the planning application was heard by South Cambs. Planning Committee on June 5th.

At the last moment the Director of Planning at East Cambs. DC and I protested vigorously that it was premature to decide so important a matter affecting our East Cambs. villages without consulting local County members, ECDC, the parish councils and the people themselves.

Partly as a result of these and other objections the South Cambs. Planning chairman deferred the consideration of the terminal application for wider local talks which will involve us. At the same time South Cambs District Council are inviting Marshalls to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment to clarify all the issues which have hitherto been clouded by rumour and misinformation.

Round here we are all particularly worried by the threat of excess noise, night flights and traffic congestion on the roads nearby. The new terminal is aimed to be located a little further out on the airfield side of Newmarket Road, just to the east of the new car sales development opposite - a location offering easier access and more parking than the existing crowded site.

Anyway, there is now time for proper understanding of all the matters and my colleagues and I are looking to set up a public meeting as well as detailed discussions with our parish councils.

The new TRAFFIC SIGNALS are now working at the Quy junctions of the A1303 and B1102 roads. It is to be hoped that this will cut the accidents at that junction which were far too numerous (12 since 1999). It is also a tremendous relief to me to see the completion of the cycle way/ foot path between Lode and Swaffham Bulbeck. The hazards on that fast road with its notorious icy bend were all too obvious to cyclists, walkers or horse riders. We are fortunate to have avoided serious accidents there in recent years. My next priority is to connect the two Swaffhams with a proper joint use path.

I am pleased to report that SOCIAL SERVICES in the county were recently praised by the Social Services Inspectors within a year of being taken off Special Measures. The children's services had been in crisis since the Rikki Neave case but are now rated highly - an excellent result.

The County will continue to aim at high quality services for both young and the ever increasing number of frail elderly surviving into advanced old age.

At the same time, for those in between, there is good and useful information on benefits for families from Hereward Housing and the Citizen's Advice Bureau, both in Newmarket on 01638-663305 and 01638683500 respectively (or from ECDC at Ely for Housing and Council Tax benefits),

Some of you may know that the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire and Rescue Service has been looking for two sites for new stations within Cambridge's boundaries. The idea was to sell the ageing Parkside site to fund the building of the two new stations. We got half way to our goal with one potential site at Homerton Street (junction of Hills Road, Cherry Hinton Road below the railway bridge), but in spite of extensive search failed to find another on the opposite side of the city to give adequate fast response to emergencies.

Finally, earlier this month, the Fire Authority met at Parkside to decide to explore the possibilities of refurbishing the existing station and expand it to allow for additional living accommodation both for the benefit of the fire service and the local community. Assuming the plan goes ahead there should be no break in the handling of emergencies.

As there is now no likelihood of a new station anywhere near the Airport, this leads me to believe there should be no knock-on threat to the Swaffham Bulbeck or Burwell stations. Nevertheless, we are short of volunteers to join the retained part-time local firemen's ranks and anyone suitably fit who would be prepared to consider answering this need will be very welcome. If you are interested, speak to one of our local firemen or contact me and we can then tell you more.

On the SOCIAL SERVICES AND EDUCATION sector it was nice to attend the opening of the Bottisham Village College Sensory Garden . It is primarily aimed at children and adults with disabilities and sensory impairments, but of course it will be open to all. Funds come from the National Lottery, our local authorities and businesses.

Also, at the College there is now a discussion between the .governors and the Director of Education regarding the size of the College. Governors are concerned at the number of places over-subscribed this year and we see no slackening of demand locally. It may not be easy to get Government money to finance expansion when there are schools nearby in Cambridge that have spare places.

On July 1st the Duke of Edinburgh opened the JUBILEE CYCLE PATH from Newmarket Park & Ride to the City centre. He didn't know it, but in a sense he also opened the Bottisham to Quy link at the same time. I cycled to the Park & Ride and back for the ceremony and the path rides well. It needs white flashing to mark it at night and grassed verges. Both will be done.

Now we have a nucleus of paths between our local villages can we please persuade relatives and friends to use them. I am particularly concerned about youngsters coming to and from the Bottisham Village College, some of whom still use the main roads.

James Fitch

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