The AGM of the Parish Council is on Thursday 18th April 2019 followed by a short planning meeting.The agenda for the Annual Parish Meeting can viewed here The planning agenda can be viewed here The next regular Parish Council Meeting is on Monday 13th May 2019.
The agenda for a PC meeting is published at least 3 clear days in advance; here is the one for April. For the regular monthly meetings, the clerk's report is also available to view before the meeting.
Gransden 2020 VisionGreat Gransden is in the process of establishing a Neighbourhood Development Plan, which is an opportunity for the community to have more say in the way the village develops over the next year. The Parish Council has delegated authority to a Steering Group to oversee this work, and there is a separate website giving information about progress, and details of steering group and other meetings - see 2020vision.gransdens.org/ | ||||||||||||||||
Great Gransden Parish Council
April 2019 - Error in Council tax bills explained
The recent council tax bills had an error in the way they showed the percentage increase in the County Council component of the bill. The following explanation has been issued by HDC - but basically, the error is purely in the explanation of how the figure was calculated, and NOT an error in the final amount that we all have to pay: Amanda Burns, Revenues and Benefits Manager, said: “Huntingdonshire District Council collects Council Tax on behalf of a number of organisations including Cambridgeshire County Council. These bills have been issued within the last week setting out the Council Tax amounts that are due to be paid in 2019/20, and details of these organisations and their charges are clearly stated on the bill. Following media coverage over the past few days, we can confirm that the total amount of Council Tax shown on residents’ bills and the respective amounts for each of the organisations is correct. However, the percentage figure for the increase in the County Council general charge has been overstated at 3.2%, rather than the actual 2.99% correctly requested by the County Council. Cash figures remain unaffected. As the amounts billed for are correct, there is no need for the Council to reissue Council Tax bills. Payments should be made in line with the instalment schedule shown on the Council Tax bill. Information about the Council Tax charged by other organisations can be found in the leaflet sent with the bill, or on the appropriate authority’s websites”. The reasons for the issue are as follows: National changes in 2016/17 enabled the County Council to levy an additional charge to meet Adult Social care pressures, and the funding raised is used specifically to provide adult care services. Any County Council tax increase in subsequent years is then calculated in terms of the increase on the previous year’s total charge; that is the Cambridgeshire County Council general charge plus the separate Adult Social Care element. The figure shown on this year’s HDC bill represents the Council Tax increase on the general charge without last year’s ASC increase included. This is in line with how the calculation took place prior to introduction of the Adult Social Care charge. This had the presentational effect of overstating the CCC general charge increase at 3.2%, rather than the actual figure which is 2.99% in real terms. Importantly the cash figure that people pay is absolutely accurate. This issue has now been manually addressed, and any future bills sent by HDC will show a 3.0% increase in the County Council’s General charge, as the law requires us to round the 2.99% increase figure to 1 decimal point. |
Cambourne to Cambridge Better Transport Project - Phase 2 Consultation
The consultation is now open and closes at midnight on Sunday 31st March 2019. The Cambourne to Cambridge Better Public Transport Project is divided into two phases, with a new Park & Ride facility along the A428 being developed in parallel. Following initial consultation in 2015, Phase 1 consultation took place in 2017/18. Your views are sought on Phase 2: the link west of the Madingley Mulch roundabout to Bourn Airfield and on to Cambourne, along with a new Park & Ride facility. Find out more about route planning for the Phase 1 section, running east from Madingley Mulch roundabout to Cambridge, at the Phase 1 Route webpage. Full details of the phase 2 consultation can be found at: www.greatercambridge.org.uk/transport/transport-projects/cambourne-to-cambridge/cambourne-to-cambridge-phase-2 |
Oxford-Cambridge rail link consultation
A public consultation has just started regarding the routing of a new railway between Cambridge and Bedford, part of the proposed new rail link between Oxford and Cambridge. The 'Have Your Say' page (eastwestrail.co.uk/haveyoursay) contains links enabling you to download a consultation document (the best place to start), a technical report, a picture of the 5 route options, and a feedback form - which can be filled in online, or you can download a PDF version and return that by post.
They say "Please submit your feedback by 11.45pm on 11 March 2019 when this consultation will close". Anyone can send in feedback - it is not limited to one reply per household - and people outside the area can also send in feedback, so you might want to tell friends and relatives about this.
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Rural Watch is out and about
The Parish Council has been sent a message by Richard Braddick about 'Rural Watch' which we think is worth drawing to the attention of our parishoners. If you wish to participate, please get in touch with Richard using the contact info below.  One vehicle was stopped and a small amount of drugs seized and a report of a male standing in a driveway late into the night was checked out and all was found in order with the male. Patrolling vehicles checked farms, businesses, villages and remote lanes and tracks throughout the night and I am pleased to report that very little suspicious activity was found. The watch will be out and about again later this month, if you feel you would like to join and help deter crime in your community please email me. WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP DETER RURAL CRIME. Kind Regards Richard PCSO 7101 Richard Braddick St Neots Safer Neighbourhood Team St. Neots Police Station | Dovehouse Close | St. Neots | Cambridgeshire | PE19 1DS Mobile: 07921-094801 Call: 101 Richard.braddick@cambs.pnn.police.uk |
Survey re West Street development
Following the recent exhibition regarding the proposed development off West Street, Carter Jonas have set up a web site, where you can download a copy (in PDF format) of the information boards shown at the meeting, and also complete a brief online survey. If you do not wish to fill in the survey online, they have contact information for sending in comments by email or post, and you can download a printable copy of the survey form. They ask that comments are submitted by Sunday 9th December 2018, and the Parish Council encourage parishioners to make the developers aware of their feelings for or against the proposals by then. UPDATE, January 2019: The developers have now submitted an application (see reference 18/02720/OUT on the district councils planning portal), and comments are due by the 29th of January. There will be a special meeting of the parish council on January 23 to discuss this. |
2019 meeting dates
At the December 2018 meeting, the Parish Council agreed that the 2019 meetings would folllow the normal pattern of the 1st Monday of the month (except when this is a bank holiday, when the meeting will be delayed one week). This means the next meeting will be on the 7th of January, with subsequent meetings on February 4, March 4, April 1, May 13, June 3, July 1, August 5, September 2, October 7, November 4 and December 2. The Annual Parish Meeting was put down for the 18th of April. As usual, extra planning meetings may be scheduled as necessary. |
An update regarding the HDC Local Plan
The Parish Council have received an update from Huntingdonshire District Council on the status of the local plan. This is given in its entirety below, and the attachments mentioned can be accessed by following the links. We are now in receipt of further communication from our Local Plan Inspector which is attached and you will see it is a bullet point informal letter of the modifications he recommends be made in order to find the plan sound. As part of the Examination process we had to robustly justify our Objectively Assessed Need for housing and demonstrate that out Local Plan target of 20,100 homes is the correct number. From the outline of modifications from the Inspector you will be able to infer that that at this stage of the process he does not challenge our position on our overall housing numbers having carefully considered the evidence from the entire examination process. As a result he is not suggesting our housing numbers need to be increased and therefore we do not need to include/ find additional sites and he has removed the category of Local Service Centre (Alconbury, Bluntisham, Great Staughton). The Inspector has provided a trajectory along with a supporting note and that is available on the Council’s website http://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/planning/new-local-plan-to-2036/examination-of-the-local-plan/letters-tofrom-the-councilinspector/ There are a couple of key points you need to be alive to:
Next steps:
As we get further information we will of course update our
website. In the meantime, if you have any further queries, please do not
hesitate to contact the Planning policy team via email at local.plan@huntingdonshire.gov.uk |
Potton Ltd, Eltisley Road - Planning Application
An application for outline planning permission for the erection of 38 custom/self build houses with roads, services, attenuation pond and infrastructure and full planning permission for the erection of 5 custom/self-build show houses with sales centre & car parking following demolition of factory and offices. The application REF. 18/00958/FUL can be viewed on HDC's online planning portal: https://publicaccess.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/online-applications/ UPDATE: The closing date for comments/observations was 13th June 2018. |
A428 development - route announcement
 The preferred route: Orange Orange route and latest information
please click here to view more details:
UPDATE, February 2019 - route announced.
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Audit of the Parish Council's Accounts
Sections
1 and 2 of the Parish Council's Annual Return for 2017/18 is available
to view on the Parish Finance Annual Records page along with an
explanation of public rights including the rights of inspection. |
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