News

The meeting started at its new time of 7pm with all councillors present, the District Councillor Grenville Chamberlain, David Thompson from the planning department and a member of the community. In the open session David outlined the current situation with the progress of the Grace Crescent development. Up to 98 dwellings are planned however this is a maximum and it may actually be less than this number. Currently the issues being considered are water drainage, an archaeological dig, landscaping, overall design, highways safety, means of access and environmental health. The planning application will be considered by the planning department at South Cambs on 1st March. There will be District Council and Parish Council representatives there on behalf of the village.

Grenville also reported that there will be a meeting at the school on the 7th March organised by the residents of St. Neots Rd regarding the route of the proposed bus way from Cambourne to Cambridge. Heidi Allen cannot attend but will be sending a representative.

The clerk had received one application for one of the two vacant posts on the PC and it was decided to co-opt Dean Wellbelove onto the council, he has been a councillor in the past, and we look forward to welcoming him at the February meeting.

The Egremont Rd play park will have a new colourful metal fence put up around the enlarged footprint ready for the initial phase of the redesigning and revamping of the play equipment. The Hardwick Play Parks group have worked hard to get the scheme off the ground and the PC is pleased to help them financially with this first step.

Further investigations into the bad drainage from the changing rooms will continue at HSSC but as this is a long standing problem both the PC and the committee of the club are exhausting all the possible reasons and professional help is also not proving to resolve the issue. It is becoming a costly recurrence which both parties hope to sort out as soon as possible.

A resident of Dry Drayton drew the attention of the Council to two planning applications along St Neots Road beyond the Dry Drayton Roundabout in the area between the road and the A428. One application was for warehouses and the other for Self storage units. The Parish Council opposed both applications on the grounds of traffic and because this area might be required as a possible route for the busway into Cambridge.

The next meeting is 28th February at 7pm in the Community Room.

6 Parish Councillors and 5 member of the community attended the December meeting.

During the public session Grenville Chamberlain, our District councillor, carefully explained the reasons for the burnt out building on St. Neots Rd not yet having been demolished.

It needs a certificate of authorised demolition to be taken down and this can only be given once the gas supply is disconnected. A date with the gas supplier was agreed and for reasons unknown to us the gas company did not turn up. The adjoining business will have to have their gas supply temporarily stopped for a few days while this operation takes place and they have only agreed to this once heating for their business is no longer needed. A new date is set for May 2017. Both the Parish Council and Grenville are powerless in this situation but enquiries will be made as to whether portable heaters could be supplied sooner to bring the date forward.

2 councillors have offered their resignation since the last meeting and there will either be a by-election or co-option to replace them.

Hardwick Playparks group presented their new design and new footprint for the improvement of the Egremont Rd play area. The PC didn’t challenge the plans and will wait for a like for like quote for the first stage of work and advice from the clerk.

Carter Jonas responded to the objections from the PC to the Grace Crescent development after listening to their response the PC still objected on transport grounds and parking for residents of Grace Crescent but did acknowledge the provision of facilities for the community.

Tony Gill will talk to Radio Cambridge regarding the cuts to road gritting through Hardwick and shortly after the meeting the County Council agreed to keep Hardwick to Comberton on its gritting route.

An outline planning permission for 155 dwellings off St. Neots Rd has been submitted to the planning department. There was a lengthy discussion and the PC objected initially on the grounds that there is not enough information regarding planning obligations and we will reply once these are given to us by the planner.

The new possible routes for the busway which will connect Cambourne and Cambridge via Hardwick were discussed and residents views were considered. A likely route is between the A428 and St.Neots Rd. which is quite narrow in places but with good landscaping, sound barriers and a stop for Hardwick is the preferred route of the PC.

The next meeting is 24th January at 7pm and a budget planning meeting on 31st January also at 7pm.

The meeting began early this month at 7.15pm with a presentation from the City Deal Transport Department outlining the possibilities for the bus route which will go from Cambourne to Cambridge. The route which would be closest to Hardwick could pass between the A428 and St.Neots Rd.

Grenville reported that SCDC is in favour of the devolution of powers for East Anglia and that we are only months away now from securing the local plan.

Circle Housing have submitted an outline application to SCDC for the housing development on St.Neots Rd

Carter Jonas and the Grace Crescent application will hopefully be considered by the Planning Dpt. in January 2017. The section 106 benefits to the village have been revised and these include a subsidised bus route through the village for 5 years and a community building.

Hardwick PlayParks have a grant already in place for a toddler swing and it is hoped that the PC will help the charity with new fencing around the park. This was deferred to the next meeting.

3 new bins will go next to bus stops on Main Street and St.Neots Rd and the bench near the bus stop outside the hairdressers will be cleaned.

Following a letter from a resident, regarding anti social behaviour at the skate park , the PC will endeavour to keep the area as clean as possible and contact the police at Cambourne to let them know of our concerns.

The Hardwick Happenings magazine will continue to be supported by the PC but the section of their budget from which funding comes will change following advice from the clerk.

A Fish and Chip van will return to the village on a Friday on the forecourt of the shop.

The December meeting will be 13th December at 7pm, the Budget meeting on 31st January at 7pm and the next PC meeting on 24th January 2017 also at 7pm.