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FROM YOUR COUNTY COUNCILLOR
The Care Act 2014 represents the most significant reform of
care and support in more than 60 years, putting people and
their carers in control of their care and support. For the first
time the Act will put a limit on the amount anyone will have
to contribute towards the cost of their care. Some of the key
provisions and implications of the Act are:
1.
Clear legal entitlements to care and support, includ-
ing giving carers a right to support for the first time to put
them on the same footing as people for whom they care.
2.
Revised national eligibility criteria setting out the mini-
mum level of eligibility at which Local Authorities must meet
the care and support needs of an individual or a carer.
3.
Set out in law that every one, including carers, should
have a personal budget as part of their care and support
plan, and give people the right to ask for this to be made as
a Direct Payment.
4.
A new cap on care costs, setting the maximum
amount that people will have to pay for care within their life-
time at £72,000.
5.
Deferred payments to ensure that nobody has to sell
their home to pay for care within their lifetime.
6.
New duties to ensure that no-ones care and support
is interrupted when they move home from one local authori-
ty area to another.
7.
A new statutory framework for adult safeguarding,
setting out the responsibilities of local authorities and their
partners, and creating Safeguarding Adults Boards in every
area.
Some areas of the Care Act will come into legislation in
April 2015. If you would like any further information please
contact me.
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 for-
ward to meeting any resident who would like to come and
speak to me. I am not holding a surgery in October.
Cllr Julie Wisson
County Councillor Buckden and the Offords
07725 791459, 01767 677837
julie.wisson@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH (NHW)
Local Crime.
Although the crime rate in the Buckden area remains satisfyingly low, the St Neots Police report that it has recently seen
an increase in burglaries from sheds and garages in the rural villages around the town. They offer a tempting target as
they are often remote from houses, are relatively easy to break into and usually contain valuable garden machinery, tools,
bicycles and toys etc. Despite their vulnerability, they are invariably poorly protected and It seems opportune, given the
onset of longer nights, to repeat some basic precautions. If you already have an alarm system, have your outbuildings
linked to it - otherwise fit a separate alarm to each building - these are available cheaply at DIY outlets. Make sure pad-
locks are of the ’shielded’ type on which it is difficult to get a bolt-cropper. Hasps and staples and any other fixings should
be bolted through the wood and into a metal fixing plate on the inside using security headed bolts. Secure all windows so
they cannot be prised open. Add an extra security device to up-and-over garage doors which rely on a central lever/lock
as they are usually made of diecast metal which can easily be shattered. Valuable items should additionally be secured
inside the buildings and security marked. Needless to say, all property should be covered by insurance.
Thatch fires.
Although the instances of thatch fires in Brampton and The Offords in August will be old news when this is published, it is
worth noting that the arsonists have not, to our knowledge, been identified. It seems sensible for those owning thatched
houses to have appropriate intruder lighting/alarms and easily accessible fire fighting equipment.
Contact details.
Report an incident or suspicious behaviour to the new single non-emergency number 101. Call 999 if a crime is in pro-
gress or threatened.
Your village NW Coordinators are:
Clive Williams 811828 and Richard West 811467
FROM YOUR DISTRICT COUNCILLOR
PROPOSED BUCKDEN-GRAFHAM WATER CYCLE/
FOOTPATH
The recently published Buckden Village Plan identified
the residents’ number one priority as the need for a cycle/
footpath between Buckden and Grafham Water. The stat-
ed aim was “Improve the safety of cycling and walking
between Buckden and a primary recreation centre”. I was
asked by the Parish Council to form a small Working Par-
ty of interested residents in order to explore ways of
achieving this aim. Although I asked for volunteers two
months ago I have received only one offer of help. If the
Council is to have any chance of achieving support and
funding for this project it is essential that it demonstrates
wide spread support. At the moment it would seem that
we cannot do this. Please, if you are interested in this
project and feel that you could help to achieve it, contact
me.
HDC STAFF
During the summer period there have been several
changes to senior staff at HDC. It is hoped that these will
result in a smoother and better delivery of HDC services.
Please let me know about any problems with services to
the village.
GREEN BINS
I have received several complaints about the collection of
green bins which I believe have been satisfactorily re-
solved. Please contact me if you have any issues with
waste collection.
ONE LEISURE CENTRES
HDC has given assurances that all of its leisure centres
will remain open but that they must increasingly become
financially self-supporting.
Regards
Terry Hayward (Cllr)
Buckden Ward, Huntingdonshire District Council
01480 810974
terry.hayward@huntingdonshiredc.org.uk
