November 2014

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FROM YOUR COUNTY COUNCILLOR
November and December will be budget setting months
and across all local authorities there will be some diffi-
cult choices and decisions to be made.
The first few years of cuts make an organisation more
efficient in the way that organisation runs as it looks to
make efficiencies and ‘cuts the fat’. In 2013 the Local
Government Association laid the foundations of their
response to the challenges that public services face
with their campaign, Rewiring Public Services.
Rewiring Public services is an ambitious campaign
which provides much needed solutions to how local au-
thorities can deliver public services with an ever tighten-
ing fiscal environment. Smaller budgets and ever in-
creasing demands on those smaller budgets have made
it necessary for local authorities to think of innovative
ways in which less can provide more.
From this background comes projects such as ‘Making
Assets Count’ in which partners come together to un-
lock potential in under used assets. Local authorities
are already pooling recourses and sharing services to
make themselves more efficient and work to a leaner
budget.
With this in mind, the County Council have debated 3
motions on October 14 th 2014 proposing that the Coun-
ty Council make further savings by moving to a unitary
authority.
As I write this article the debate has not taken place so I
am unable to give you the outcome of these debates in
this months article.
The level of further savings that the County Council are
required to make will start to impact on the level of ser-
vices that the council can provide and so it is even more
vital that all avenues be explored in trying to find solu-
tions to the age old problem of making less go further.
Please be advised that residents can come along to the
Buckden village hall on the second Tuesday of the
month at 6.30pm for an hour to speak to me. I will be in
the Aragon room and no appointment is necessary. My
next surgery will be held on Tuesday 11th November
2014 and I look forward to meeting any resident who
would like to come and speak to me.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.
Julie Wisson
County Councillor Buckden and the Offords
07725 791459, 01767 677837
FROM YOUR DISTRICT COUNCILLOR
BUCKDEN POST OFFICE
I have received numerous complaints about the ser-
vice provided by the Post office in the One Stop
Stores. I have spoken to both the PO's Senior Stake-
holder Manager for the East of England and the One
Stop Area Manager. The latter admits that the ser-
vice provided has not been satisfactory and I have
arranged to meet him on Saturday 11th October to
discuss the situation.
A1 SAFETY ADVISORY GROUP
I am now the Chairman of the Group which met re-
cently to discuss various issues concerning the A1.
The Police representative reported that over 1,500
motorists had received either points or 'speed train-
ing' for exceeding the 60 mph limit on the A1. The
Southoe members reported that it was now easier to
enter and exit the Village. This appears to indicate
that the new average speed cameras are a success.
Questions continue to be raised about the speed of
traffic approaching the Buckden Roundabout.
The Highways Agency representative provided an
update on the future plans for local trunk roads in-
cluding the A1. We emphasised the need to have the
A1 problems properly identified in The Cambridge-
shire Long Term Transport Strategy and the High-
ways Agency Route Strategy Evidence Report. I
have been asked to contact our MP and that for NE
Bedfordshire to ask for their support for an Action
Group to represent the villages along the route be-
tween Sandy and Brampton Hut.
A14
I continue to press for a common sense solution to
the pollution and congestion problems that will arise
when the viaduct over the Brampton Road is re-
moved.
PROPOSED BUCKDEN TO GRAFHAM WATER
CYCLE/FOOT PATH.
I have now received the names of over ten residents
to volunteer to join a Working Group which will meet
for the first time on Thursday 16th October in the Vil-
lage Hall.
With best wishes
Regards
Terry Hayward (Cllr)
Buckden Ward, Huntingdonshire District Council
01480 810974