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FROM YOUR COUNTY COUNCILLOR
As I write this article in December, the lack of gritting through Yelling and Toseland is causing a problem with
treacherous icy rural roads causing accidents and I am hoping that common sense will prevail and the road will be
gritted routinely on a nightly basis should it be required.
The council has a seven-year contract with ECON who supply the council with new gritters every year from No-
vember through to April each year. This year the routes the gritters will travel along have been revised to reflect
the challenging financial pressures that face the council. The gritting routes have been designed to make sure all
strategic routes have been gritted as well as all major roads such as to hospitals and schools. (Roads such as
A14, M11, A47, A1 and A428 are gritted by Highways England).
The new routes cover over 1,000 miles of the county’s roads and can be viewed at
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/
wintergritting
. Plan your route to work in winter conditions based on the routes that are gritted; in this area the
B1040 and B1046 will be gritted. Cambridgeshire sees differing temperatures and weather conditions across the
county which is why this year the county has been divided into 3 sections, North/East, South/West and City.
Gritting will then be tailored to meet the local needs and based on the conditions in these 3 areas rather than on
the county as a whole. There is also an army of more than 70 local volunteers who help treat their local area when
temperatures drop to freezing and below. If you would like to volunteer in your local community to help treat local
areas, please contact me.
Submitted by
County Councillor Julie Wisson
Tel 01767 677837
mobile 07725791459
Julie.Wisson@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Working with
District Councillor Richard West
Cllr Barbara Boddington, Huntingdonshire District Council
Tel 01480 811467 mobile 07841866630
Tel 01480 880929
richard.west@huntsdc.gov.uk
barbara.boddington@huntsdc.gov.uk
FROM YOUR DISTRICT COUNCILLOR
Hinchingbrooke Hospital
Residents will already know that the respective boards of the hospitals concerned agreed the plans for the mer-
ger/takeover of Peterborough, Stamford and Hinchingbrooke hospitals. We must be vigilant in our efforts to en-
sure that the promises that there would no loss of services are kept.
Devolution
All of the Cambridgeshire Councils have accepted the plans for Devolution. This means that there will be an elec-
tion for our first Mayor in May. This will take place at the same time as our County Council elections. Boundary
changes mean that Buckden, Brampton, Stirtloe, Diddington, Southoe and Midloe will now form a new County
Council Ward.
Buckden/Offords Level Crossing
We continue our efforts to have the level crossing replaced by a bridge. As I have already reported the District
Council accepted my motion about the need for a speedy resolution to the problem. I am very glad that our Coun-
ty Councillor, Julie Wisson, is proposing a similar motion at the next full County Council meeting. I understand that
during the recent traffic survey during a period of 120 minutes in the morning the gates were closed for 69
minutes!
Tree Warden Co-ordinator
Buckden Parish Council has always appointed a Tree Warden who is not necessarily a member of the Council.
This person has received support and training from the HDC Tree Warden Co-ordinator. The evidence of the suc-
cess of their combined efforts can be seen around the village. Unfortunately HDC are planning to disestablish the
post in order to save money. Richard West, the ward councillor for Gransden and the Offords, and I are pressing
the Cabinet to reverse this decision.
An Apology
I have just returned from a very busy High Street where the Christmas lights have just been turned on. Obviously I
should have added this event to my list last month of times that the village 'gets together'. My congratulations to
the organisers.
May I reiterate my good wishes to all residents for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. Please do not hes-
itate to contact me about any local issues on 01480 810974 or terry.hayward@huntingdonshire.gov.uk
Terry Hayward, District Councillor for Buckden Ward