September 2024

4 Buckden Roundabout September 2024 Buckden Parish Council Buckden Parish Council News... Council Website For more information, please visit the Buckden Parish Council (BPC) web site at www.buckdenpc.org.uk . To automatically find out what is going on subscribe to our Newsletter service using your email address. Lucks Lane Community Planting Project As part of the Bloor Homes development there was a consid- erable amount of landscaping and planting which has contrib- uted both aesthetically and environmentally to the area However one of the structures built didn ’ t sit well with the surrounding countryside and buildings - the wall built at the junction of Lucks Lane,and Stirtloe Lane. The Parish Council has been looking at ways to soften its look, which at present is a wall of bright red engineering bricks. The plan is to carry out a planting scheme, with the help of volunteers, to hide the wall, whilst at the same time adding benefit to local wildlife. We are asking villagers for help. This will involve planting bulbs followed by perennial shrubs that will eventually cover the wall and provide an attractive entrance to Buckden. Our timeline is as follows: September - An area to the west of the 50 m wall with be stripped of turf and cultivated by a local contractor in readi- ness for the planting. October – Bulbs and shrubs to be planted as part of a commu- nity project where anyone can get involved. Date to be ad- vised. Spring 2025 – An area of wildflowers will be sown at each end of the planting scheme. If you ’ d like to get involved, and can spare an hour or two, please contact Deborah Whittall – deborahwhittall@hotmail.co.uk District Local Plan Our District councillor, Martin Hassall, has alerted us to the fact that HDC has started the process of making a new Local Plan. It has called for owners and developers to submit details of sites they wish to promote for building on. In Buckden a number of sites have been put forward. All of them contravene our adopted Neighbourhood Plan. However, the new Local Plan will override the restrictions set out in the Neighbourhood Plan. The consultation stage is likely to start around the end of September. The Parish Council has decided to re - establish the Neighbourhood Plan Advisory Group, to ensure that the Council ’ s views are heard by HDC at this consultation stage. If any resident would like to become a member of the Group, please email the Clerk at clerk@buckdenpc.org.uk . If you have any experience of Local or Neighbourhood Plan making, or planning generally, please give details in your email. Meeting with neighbouring Parish Councils From time - to - time issues arise which merit discussion beyond our village boundaries and for the Parish Councils to share knowledge and experience. We have therefore taken the initi- ative to invite 6 of our neighbouring Parish Councils for the first of what we hope will be regular meetings. Mill Road Many people are concerned at the speed of some drivers on Mill Road and we recently had a site meeting with Ken Billing- ton, our County Councillor, and an Officer from Cambridge- shire County Highways. We have made various suggestions and will keep you informed of any developments. The drivers of some Heavy Goods Vehicles still go the length of Mill Road before they realise that they cannot get across the bridges. We have asked County Highways to look at the need for more HGV signs. Martin Craddock Martin, who has been a Handyman with the Parish Council since 2013 has moved on to other things, we thank him for his work and wish him well. Council Meetings The next Council meeting will be at 7.00 pm on Tuesday 10 th September. The meeting will include a 15 - minute open forum. If you want to speak at the meeting, please let us know what you want to say, by contacting the Parish Clerk. You will get a three - minute slot. The Council Planning Committee will also meet if required. Agendas for both meetings are posted on the Parish notice boards no later than the Saturday preceding the meeting. Office opening hours The Clerk operates flexibly between the office and home. If you wish to meet with the Clerk, please call on 07483 033357. All of the papers and reports for Council Meetings are available on the Thursday before meetings on Council website www.buckdenpc.org.uk .This provides the opportunity to see the agenda, reports of work carried out by the Council as well as reports from our County and District Councillors. Any questions or comments on this report should be addressed to the Parish Clerk at: Buckden Parish Council, Buckden Village Hall, Burberry Rd, Buckden, PE19 5UY. Telephone 01480 819407 Email: clerk@buckdenpc.org.uk.