5 / 28
5
Buckden Roundabout
December 2017
FROM YOUR COUNTY COUNCILLOR
The County Council decided in October to reduce its expenditure on services for the youngest children and most vulnerable
families by £900,000 rather than the £1 million originally proposed. This was hotly debated for four hours and in the end the
majority group (Conservatives) got the policy through against the combined opposition of Liberal Democrat, Labour and Inde-
pendents.
My efforts to draw people’s attention to the longer-term effects of cutting services in this way fell on deaf ears! I argued that, if
we fail to help those youngest children most in need of support, we are not only making life less bearable for them and their
parents, we are building up future costs for society. Research shows conclusively that every pound invested in vulnerable chil-
dren in the first three years of their life repays society many times over by the time they become adults.
This is just the first of many battles ahead as the Council seeks to find £35 million of savings from the current year’s budget, at a
time when demand for services is increasing and costs are going up. This trend cannot go on much longer and I will be discuss-
ing the local implications with the parish council over the coming months.
On a more local and day-to-day level, I continue to respond as best I can to specific concerns raised by residents, pointing them,
where appropriate, in the direction of the best officer to give them an answer. The joint efforts of Terry Hayward and myself in
relation to A1 improvements continue and will probably do so for some time yet.
Christmas 2017 comes at the end of a year of unprecedented national and international turmoil but I hope that, for you and
your families, it brings a period of rest and relaxation and we can only hope that things improve in 2018.
If you wish to raise any local matters with me personally and would welcome a face-to-face conversation, I come to the Aragon
Room in the Village Hall at 7 p.m. on the evening of the parish council meeting, the 2
nd
Tuesday in the month. At other times,
please ring me on 07765 833 486 or write to me at peter.downes@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
Peter Downes, County Councillor for the Brampton and Buckden division
FROM YOUR DISTRICT COUNCILLOR
DISTRICT COUNCIL POLICY MAKING
The Council is currently considering its policies for car parking in the area and the provision
of houses for the homeless. They are also finalising the local plan which will have a great impact on where and how houses and
other developments will affect us. I will try to keep residents fully informed on these matters but there is much information in
the Council and other websites.
LOCAL FOOTPATHS
I have often used this page to encourage residents to take advantage of the excellent ROW that we have
around us. To enjoy them safely there are one or two simple rules that should be followed especially when walking through or
round fields where cattle are present. It is important to remember that the local countryside is a working environment. We
should all be mindful of and respectful of the farms and their animals and ensure our own safety. Equally the farmers have the
responsibility to erect a sign by a footpath to warn walkers that there are cattle in the field. When walking near cattle the fol-
lowing advice is important:
DO:
•
Stop, look and listen when entering a field, look out for any animals and watch how they are behaving, particularly bulls
or cows with calves. I have even known rams to be frisky at certain times of the year.
•
Try to avoid getting between cows and their calves.
•
Move quickly and quietly, and if possible walk round the herd.
•
Be prepared for cattle to react to your presence, especially if you have a dog with you.
•
Keep your dog close, on a lead and under effective control.
•
Remember to close any gates behind you.
•
Report any frightening incidents or attacks to the land owner and to the County Council.
DO NOT:
•
Do not hang onto your dog if you are threatened by cattle - let it go and the cattle will chase the dog not you.
•
Do not put yourself at risk by walking close to cattle.
•
Do not panic or run – most cattle will stop before they reach you. If they follow just walk on quietly.
If you encounter a problem with livestock please report it to Cambridgeshire County Council
on the link https://highwaysreporting.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/
If you have any queries about the above or would like to talk to me about any other matter please don’t hesitate to contact me
on either 01480 810974 or
terry.hayward@huntingdonshire.gov.uk
With best wishes, Terry Hayward, District Councillor for Buckden, Stirtloe, Diddington, Southoe and Midloe
From Your Councillors