A good meeting last night with an opportunity to say good bye to Dave 'Turbine Blade' Wilkins and news of plans for several wind turbines at Brogborough. I must burrow my way into Central Beds Planning Website to see what is going on.
http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/planning/apps/default.aspx
(if you are interested)
There was a brief mention of the cycle path.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Cranfield Express column December 2010
My December column in Mr Hinson's splendid periodical: What a trojan he is. (That might be unduly complimentary to trojans but they did have the ability to focus I understand)
Parish matters
There was a strong turnout at Cranfield War Memorial last month and wreaths from fresh directions. It is impressive how Cranfield's schools, under new management, have been become more involved in the local community.
Holywell’s head Peter Haddon escorted a pair of pupils to the Memorial to lay a wreath on behalf of the school and a lower school wreath was laid by a teacher. Due to the renovation going on in the church, the service was held in the lower school hall. Hugh Symes-Thomson told the story about the blitz and Coventry Cathedral being resurrected.
The salvaging of scorched nails from the destroyed mediaeval timbers and their re-assembly as improvised crosses was a brilliant piece of imagination and intense symbolism. Along with the intact shell of the old Coventry Cathedral, the crosses are the equivalent of the preserved remains of the Frauenkirche in Dresden which was utterly obliterated in a bombing raid in February 1945. The estimated death toll there (carried out by the city council, just this year) was around 25,000.
Coventry and Dresden were eventually twinned and their links reflected a strong impulse towards forgiveness and rebuilding.
It’s the same with the tensions between Protestant and Catholic in Tudor England which boiled over into the Gunpowder Plot. There is still theological disagreement today both between and within these branches of Christianity but nothing like the murderous hatred of the 16th century. One exception to that was Northern Ireland in the late 20th century where I grew up. Nevertheless, despite atrocities by extremists on both sides, by army personnel and the B Specials (the Ulster Special Constabulary) eventually a civic dialogue has produced a fledgling peace.
This is why it was a surprise to find someone writing in Cranfield Express, last month, in slightly leaden verse, resurrecting the whole Catholic nightmare story about November 5th and revelling in the capture, torture and execution of the conspirators. As for the securing of the Protestant throne, another outcome close to the writer’s heart - I’m not sure many people are worried about that these days with many larger global threats and national concerns.
Remembrance Sunday and the Football Club's fireworks night are practically the only times the village assembles in some numbers and we need to find more opportunities to do that. I think, to be honest Halloween has taken over from GF Day and good riddanceto it. It ceased to be a public holiday in the 19th century. But I wouldn’t want the Football Club’s spectacular and successful firework display to stop for any reason.
Parish matters
There was a strong turnout at Cranfield War Memorial last month and wreaths from fresh directions. It is impressive how Cranfield's schools, under new management, have been become more involved in the local community.
Holywell’s head Peter Haddon escorted a pair of pupils to the Memorial to lay a wreath on behalf of the school and a lower school wreath was laid by a teacher. Due to the renovation going on in the church, the service was held in the lower school hall. Hugh Symes-Thomson told the story about the blitz and Coventry Cathedral being resurrected.
The salvaging of scorched nails from the destroyed mediaeval timbers and their re-assembly as improvised crosses was a brilliant piece of imagination and intense symbolism. Along with the intact shell of the old Coventry Cathedral, the crosses are the equivalent of the preserved remains of the Frauenkirche in Dresden which was utterly obliterated in a bombing raid in February 1945. The estimated death toll there (carried out by the city council, just this year) was around 25,000.
Coventry and Dresden were eventually twinned and their links reflected a strong impulse towards forgiveness and rebuilding.
It’s the same with the tensions between Protestant and Catholic in Tudor England which boiled over into the Gunpowder Plot. There is still theological disagreement today both between and within these branches of Christianity but nothing like the murderous hatred of the 16th century. One exception to that was Northern Ireland in the late 20th century where I grew up. Nevertheless, despite atrocities by extremists on both sides, by army personnel and the B Specials (the Ulster Special Constabulary) eventually a civic dialogue has produced a fledgling peace.
This is why it was a surprise to find someone writing in Cranfield Express, last month, in slightly leaden verse, resurrecting the whole Catholic nightmare story about November 5th and revelling in the capture, torture and execution of the conspirators. As for the securing of the Protestant throne, another outcome close to the writer’s heart - I’m not sure many people are worried about that these days with many larger global threats and national concerns.
Remembrance Sunday and the Football Club's fireworks night are practically the only times the village assembles in some numbers and we need to find more opportunities to do that. I think, to be honest Halloween has taken over from GF Day and good riddanceto it. It ceased to be a public holiday in the 19th century. But I wouldn’t want the Football Club’s spectacular and successful firework display to stop for any reason.
Monday, 22 November 2010
Marjorie Cotton
See below my article in Cranfield Express about Marjorie (Dot) Cotton's invitation to a royal rave up in Windsor Castle. Long overdue recognition for a lot of hard work by Marjorie on the Vill Hall.
Cranfield resident Marjorie Cotton made a special trip to Windsor Castle, last month, as a guest of her Majesty the Queen. The former village GP, now masterminding the village hall refurb, was nominated by the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC).
The invitation also reflected the work she has done in setting up the Hands Across Cranfield volunteer scheme. The reception was for those who have worked to support rural communities throughout the United Kingdom. More than 300 people took part. One woman came from the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides.
Marjorie told Cranfield Express she was ‘thrilled’ to receive the invitation: “This recognition will galvanise the village and give it hope,” she said. There was the inevitable panic about what to wear and the excruciating security precautions, including strict photo ID before she could even get inside the Castle.
“They make absolutely sure you are who you say you are.” Once inside, however, the ancient glories of the Royal Household were progressively revealed. “We went through the Armoury and the Waterloo Chamber and then into St George’s Hall where the fire broke out in 1992. Everything was fresh and beautifully done. I’m going to come back as a tourist with a guide and study all them paintings.”
Marjorie met the Queen and exchanged the traditional royal small talk. She also chatted to the ladies in waiting who had time for a more extended conversation.
“They were talking about the royal wedding – everyone was so pleased. There was a nice atmosphere and everyone was very welcoming.” The refreshments were, as expected, tiny and exquisite, including little mouthfuls of salmon from the approved royal fisheries, all helped down with a mouthful of champagne.
Delise Ball, chair of Cranfield Parish, said the Royal recognition was long overdue. “Marjorie works really hard for the village but much of it is invisible and everyone is so pleased that she has had this honour.”
Cranfield resident Marjorie Cotton made a special trip to Windsor Castle, last month, as a guest of her Majesty the Queen. The former village GP, now masterminding the village hall refurb, was nominated by the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC).
The invitation also reflected the work she has done in setting up the Hands Across Cranfield volunteer scheme. The reception was for those who have worked to support rural communities throughout the United Kingdom. More than 300 people took part. One woman came from the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides.
Marjorie told Cranfield Express she was ‘thrilled’ to receive the invitation: “This recognition will galvanise the village and give it hope,” she said. There was the inevitable panic about what to wear and the excruciating security precautions, including strict photo ID before she could even get inside the Castle.
“They make absolutely sure you are who you say you are.” Once inside, however, the ancient glories of the Royal Household were progressively revealed. “We went through the Armoury and the Waterloo Chamber and then into St George’s Hall where the fire broke out in 1992. Everything was fresh and beautifully done. I’m going to come back as a tourist with a guide and study all them paintings.”
Marjorie met the Queen and exchanged the traditional royal small talk. She also chatted to the ladies in waiting who had time for a more extended conversation.
“They were talking about the royal wedding – everyone was so pleased. There was a nice atmosphere and everyone was very welcoming.” The refreshments were, as expected, tiny and exquisite, including little mouthfuls of salmon from the approved royal fisheries, all helped down with a mouthful of champagne.
Delise Ball, chair of Cranfield Parish, said the Royal recognition was long overdue. “Marjorie works really hard for the village but much of it is invisible and everyone is so pleased that she has had this honour.”
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Submission to IPC on Covanta
The proposals are contrary to sustainable principles of local disposal of waste. They are contrary to long standing strategies of returning Marston Vale to a the rural setting it was before brick making started. There will be a huge growth in vehicle traffic from the surrounding region if the scheme is commercially successful. The application does not make any proposal for use of sustainable transport i.e. rail.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Chasing
The university has 14 days to pay over the S106 money for the traffic calming before debt recovery starts. And we are doing yet another chase on the quiet lanes.
Allotments
Things I didn't know about allotments:
- If we set one up and we want to move people on because it will become a burial ground, we have to find them somewhere else. This dates back to legislation in the 1920s designed to provide protection to those who suffered under enclosures in the 19th century - "the deserving poor".
- Think about water supply - A horse trough with ball valve is the best way of stopping hose pipe maniacs.
- A pole (aka a rod or perch) is 300 sq ft.
- Allotments tend to be either five poles or 10 poles.
- Subletting or joint tenancy is not good practice.
- No cockerells, goats etc thank you. Chickens will attract foxes and their food if left lying around will bring in rats.
- All dogs on leads.
- You can mono-culture - e.g just vines.
- The Flitwick allotment shop is behind the leisure centre in Flitwick.
Dave Empson who did the presentation at the Parish Council last night on behalf of the Flitwick Allotment Association was brilliant - very knowledgeable, good humoured and to the point.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Cemetery extension
We have an update from Frosts about the cultivation of the cemetery extension.
"Further to our recent correspondence, here's an update on the progress to
the cemetery extension area.
We have carried out the spray application and it taken very well, we will be
shortly carrying out the next stage of cutting the excess grass and turning
over the soil.
"Once this is done we are going to leave this to over winter (i.e. let the
frosts etc break down soil, because of the nature of the soil in this area
being untouched of a period of time).
Which will make for better cultivation results in early next year when the
conditions are right (weather dependant),
"Then finish off the levelling and Seeding."
Parish Council tonight
Parish Council tonight is starting off with a presentation at 7 pm by David Empson of the Flitwick Allotment Association about the joys and pitfalls of setting up allotments. I understand there are big issues about whether you allow dogs on and the size of sheds.
We are still trying to purchase land from the Diocese of St Albans to eventually extend the cemetery but which, in the medium term, could offer scope for allotments. It would be an excellent stewardship of land which is basically doing nothing at the moment. We have not had a formal response to our offer yet.
We are still trying to purchase land from the Diocese of St Albans to eventually extend the cemetery but which, in the medium term, could offer scope for allotments. It would be an excellent stewardship of land which is basically doing nothing at the moment. We have not had a formal response to our offer yet.
Monday, 15 November 2010
Remembrance Sunday
Strong turnout at the War Memorial yesterday. I shared the civic wreath laying with Alan Bastable (Central Beds) in weather that seemed like it was OK for November but got chillier. I was impressed at the way Cranfield's schools, under new management in the last couple of years, have been more involved in the local community. Holywell head teacher Peter Haddon escorted a couple of pupils to the Memorial to lay a wreath on behalf of the school and a lower school teacher also laid a wreath. Due to the renovation going on in the church, the service was held in the lower school hall.
Hugh Symes-Thomson told a good story about the blitz and Coventry Cathedral being resurrected though he did talk about the bombing on "England". My father's house in Belfast was destroyed in the Belfast blitz of April May 1941. I'm sure sure it was just an oversight.
Remembrance Sunday and the Football Club's fireworks night are practically the only times the village assembles in some numbers and we need to think of more opportunities to do that. A job for the Parish Council maybe? Time to start another to do list.
Hugh Symes-Thomson told a good story about the blitz and Coventry Cathedral being resurrected though he did talk about the bombing on "England". My father's house in Belfast was destroyed in the Belfast blitz of April May 1941. I'm sure sure it was just an oversight.
Remembrance Sunday and the Football Club's fireworks night are practically the only times the village assembles in some numbers and we need to think of more opportunities to do that. A job for the Parish Council maybe? Time to start another to do list.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Parish council powers
From Private Eye
Most parish councillors can only dream of this kind of power. We have been struggling for for three, four years to get a 'quiet lane' in Lodge Road, attended endless meetings and listened to many reports about officials who have not returned our phone calls or emails.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Wind turbine
Central Beds' development management committee approved the Marston Millennium Park's application for a 120m high wind turbine today. There was a lengthy debate and contributions from Marston Parish Council, CPRE and Tony Talbot of the Park Trust. Most the councillors who spoke were against it with the exception of Tom Nichols, sustainability portfolio holder and Nigel Aldis. There were references to efficiency, the value of a single turbine, the colour and whether it would result in extra traffic through Marston. There was some silly stuff like the man from the Campaign for the Preservation of Rural England who warned of turbines falling over and catching fire. And there was some blatant nimbyism from those who thought turbines should all be sent to sea. Tony Talbot said the turbine was appropriate to a post industrial landscape and justified it on the basis that climate change weas the biggest threat to a setting like the park.
Cranfield Parish Council,when it considered the application had voted to support it |(by a narrow majority)
Despite the imbalance of speakers, in the end it was a tied vote and the chair cast his vote in favour of approval.
Cranfield Parish Council,when it considered the application had voted to support it |(by a narrow majority)
Despite the imbalance of speakers, in the end it was a tied vote and the chair cast his vote in favour of approval.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Bus seminar
I went to the Central Beds bus seminar this afternoon, at the Rufus centre. It is clear that further public transport services face the axe but we were subjected to a lecture about choosing between greening society, reducing social isolation, helping economic development or helping the most disadvantaged as criteria for subsidising buses. The facilitator then insisted we take a vote about which was most important and the least important and carefully recorded the results. To every challenging quesion he replied 'Will you write that down?' (on a post-it note). He actually came across as a rather ineffectual woodwork teacher struggling to control the boys during the last class of Friday afternoon. But it was utterly pointless in getting to grips with the threat to our bus services.
Friday, 5 November 2010
A history of Cranfield in 400 words
I'm working on an intro to the new village directory. I've come up with the following so far:
Cranfield is a large village with a population of around 5,500 set halfway between Milton Keynes and Bedford. The parish includes Wharley End, the home of Cranfield University.
Historic roots go back to the Domesday book, reflected in the part-Norman Church. Like any community with such a long history, there have been many phases in its development. Ecclesiastical ownership of the Cranfield estate passed to local gentry after the reformation. There was small-scale brick making and a strong conconformist presence, including Quakers, in the 18th century. Ancient methods of land-use and tillage came to an end in the 1840s with formal enclosure of agricultural land. Later in the 19th century, the village’s historic, listed schoolhouse was built by the Church of England and the village hall was opened in 1911.
In the 1920s the growing Marston Vale brickworks offered significant new employment and gradually Cranfield became less remote from the surrounding area as transport links improved. The RAF base in 1937 and the successor College of Aeronautics in 1946, were dominant landmarks in the 20th century and remain so today as the airfield and Cranfield University.
In the 21st century the village is set in a busy, economically active region criss-crossed by major transport routes. That marks it out as classic commuter territory. Yet Cranfield sits on a distinctive plateau, surrounded by beautiful countryside and picturesque lanes. Culturally too, it retains its own unique identity with strong local opinion about decisions taken elsewhere that affect its quality of life. The Parish Council is at the heart of that continuous public discussion and there is vigorous community life.
If you are reading this as a newcomer to Cranfield we want to welcome you to the village and introduce you to local activities and services – sport, recreation, churches, civic affairs and education, for instance. If you are a long-standing resident this guide aims to offer up-to-date information on every aspect of local living and help you to enhance your life and, hopefully, make a contribution to general wellbeing.
The guide itself is a reflection of the Parish Council’s aim of making sure that everyone who lives in Cranfield and Wharley End feels at home here and can take full advantage of everything we have to offer.
The truly vulnerable
Central Bedfordshire Council's £12m cuts are announced
More than 100 jobs are expected to go at Central Befordshire Council as £12m is cut from its 2011-12 budget. Money-saving changes will include more volunteers for youth services, an end to the mobile library and switching off street lights. The council executive said it would try to save money through becoming more efficient.
Its the little things that Central Beds says it will cut that are most miserly. Did I get it right that there will be no disposable bags for food waste? Homework clubs are being hit and the mobile library service will be sitting on bricks in the future. But there is plenty of other stuff involving schools and social care. This is on top of the totally over-the-top comprehensive spending review. All the way through there are recurrent expressions 'statutory minimum service' and the 'truly vulnerable'. I dread to think what a tiny constituency the 'truly vulnerable' are but clearly there is a wider circle of needy, and marginalised people who will now not make the cut and are expected to help George O with his deficit reduction plans. Don't grow old, get sick, be young or need a lift.
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Community safety
Nice to see Dave Rollings, Central Beds crime reduction officer at the PC last night. Dave has been off for a while but he was in good form. The issues remain the same of course, drinking and debris in the recreation ground racing up at the Tech Park. Ken Matthews reported that some kind of traffic humps at the tech park might be a step nearer.
The question has come up about keeping the community safety committee going. It was originally a public forum when I first got involved with access to funding. But membership was transient and the funding was a bureaucratic headache. At one point we had to bid jointly with Stotfold and Sandy for money for kill-your-speed wheelie bin stickers. I must have spent weeks on emails agreeing specs and looking at bids from printers. Then there were always further delays. There are still some bins around the villages with these stickers on something happened in the end.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Traffic calming
The traffic calming saga goes on.
I would hate to try and calculate the number of hours we have spent going round the houses on this one. Just when it was all systems go it appeared that the "Section 106" money payable because of Tech Park development was not there because the university argued the trigger (occupation of offices) had not been reached. We then understood that this had been overcome and the money was available.
Now an Amey engineer has told us that on discovering the hold-up he told his staff to stop working on further modifications. As far as he is concerned there is no budget. It would appear that we are still two days away from a complete set of drawings of the revised scheme. And there is no sign of them coming. Its enough to make me believe in conspiracy theories.
I would hate to try and calculate the number of hours we have spent going round the houses on this one. Just when it was all systems go it appeared that the "Section 106" money payable because of Tech Park development was not there because the university argued the trigger (occupation of offices) had not been reached. We then understood that this had been overcome and the money was available.
Now an Amey engineer has told us that on discovering the hold-up he told his staff to stop working on further modifications. As far as he is concerned there is no budget. It would appear that we are still two days away from a complete set of drawings of the revised scheme. And there is no sign of them coming. Its enough to make me believe in conspiracy theories.
Cemetery benches
I am struggling at the moment with a 'bench policy' for the cemetery. Burial plots are obviously very precious places to those whose loved ones are buried there. Some people never visit graves but there are others who can't stay away. Strong feelings arise.
We don't want a completely regimented site. At the same time graves can become surrounded by clutter and festooned with bits and pieces. Our bench policy is aimed at dealing with anyone bringing garden furniture to place near the grave of a family member.
However convenient it is, it is not ultimately going to work if that happens all over the place. So, back to the drawing board.
We don't want a completely regimented site. At the same time graves can become surrounded by clutter and festooned with bits and pieces. Our bench policy is aimed at dealing with anyone bringing garden furniture to place near the grave of a family member.
However convenient it is, it is not ultimately going to work if that happens all over the place. So, back to the drawing board.
Monday, 1 November 2010
Street light repair
"I think that this is pretty poor performance & totally unnacceptable, given that the light is in a vulnerable location which needs illumination for security?
In the past we used to call the Parish Council Secretary because I think this light is probably funded by the PC but calling Central Beds has not been a good "customer experience" in this case.
Should we be calling the PC rather than Central Beds in fact ? With regard to "specialist equipment", 2 men + 1 ladder are all that is required or are we turning in to a nation of litigation-fearing pansies I ask?"
In the past we used to call the Parish Council Secretary because I think this light is probably funded by the PC but calling Central Beds has not been a good "customer experience" in this case.
Should we be calling the PC rather than Central Beds in fact ? With regard to "specialist equipment", 2 men + 1 ladder are all that is required or are we turning in to a nation of litigation-fearing pansies I ask?"
Well the parishioner who got in touch (above) has every reason to feel fed up as the complaint was made on 28 September and nothing has happened yet. The light concerned illuminates a pretty dark pathway. Anyway way one central Beds councillor, one parish council clerk and myself are all on the case. Hopefully this will survive deficit any reduction strategies.
I have to speak up for pansies incidentally as they are the hardiest plants in the garden, out in all weathers.
A421
Looks like the new A421 is nearing completion. At least you can see the signs for Cranfield now up on the side of the carriageway. Nice to have our existence confirmed. The turn-off from Junction 13 to Salford/Hulcote is dramatic and it has "Cran" in one of the carriageways. More proof that I didn't just imagine that I lived in there.
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Who was Guy?
The best we can say about the poem 'Remember Remember' in this month's Cranfield Express is that the writer should relocate to Northern Ireland circa 1968. The Orange Order would love this kind of pompous celebration of protestant ascendancy and catholics being hung, drawn and quartered after vicious torture. Catholics were seen in the late 1500s as the terrorist threat and it is true that if Fawkes and Catesby had been successful it would have been Britain's 5/11. On the basis of that one attempted outrage an awful lot of intolerance has been built, however.
So we should be grateful in some respects to Ms Cook for reminding us of what Guy Fawkes night is all about - a complete historical irrelevance in age when we have other more serious issues to hand.
So we should be grateful in some respects to Ms Cook for reminding us of what Guy Fawkes night is all about - a complete historical irrelevance in age when we have other more serious issues to hand.
Friday, 29 October 2010
Infrastructure Planning Commission
I received 30 copies of the Covanta application registration form this morning for Budgens and the Coop. The process for interacting with the application is pretty clumsy and you wonder why. However I thought the present government promised to get rid of the IPC. So why is it still here? Localism should mean local planning decisions.
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Update
American founding father Benjamin Franklin said there were only two certainties in life – death and taxes.
For the parish council, this translates as maintaining the village cemetery, tucked away in Rectory Lane and setting the budget every year.
The two are linked, like all parish council services, but there are ambitious plans for the cemetery in the future. That will require money (or ‘resources’ as they say in government) and that means careful budgeting.
With the village set to grow by say, 20 per cent, with the Home Farm – and who knows what other – development, parish councillors have been thinking about capacity in the existing cemetery, opened in the early 1990s. Interment of full remains (as opposed to interment of ashes) on the north side will soon be moving into an earlier extension which is due to be tilled and reseeded. An extension road was also constructed several years ago to allow access for hearses and mourners.
To ensure there is enough space, in the long-term, the Parish Council is hoping to buy some adjoining glebe (Church of England) land to the north of the cemetery. At time of writing we are still waiting to hear if the Diocese of St Albans has accepted our offer. If we are successful, however, the land could mean a chance to meet another need in the village – at least for a few years.
There has been a big interest in allotments in Cranfield and the council has had enquiries from quite a number of people. The new land, if a sale is agreed, would offer a medium-term location for allotments. This, in my view, would be only the start for a search for suitable allotments sites. The interest in freshly grown food from an identifiable place is now starting to link in with concerns about the economy, world food prices and massive damage to the global environment by, for instance, green beans flown in from Kenya.
Apart from that, gardening is a great way to stay active without busting a gut in a sweaty gym. So it looks like a win-win-win situation.
We are inviting an allotment expert to a forthcoming meeting to check out the practicalities (maximum permitted size of sheds, are dogs allowed? etc). For more information email me on broadgreen68@btinternet.com or tel 01234 757689.
If all goes according to plan – big ‘if’ – parish council land could both feed parishioners and then bury their well-nourished bodies, eventually. Now that sounds like recycling.
Friday, 27 August 2010
High Street
High Street closed before I made it up on the bike so a quick reversal and then down Bourne End Road, Astwood Road College Road and into the uni. Round Shire Lane up to Nissan and back into the campus. Thank God the rain has stopped. But loads of gravel is still jumping around on College Road.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Cranfield Cemetery visitors/friends' group
Cranfield Cemetery is a key service provided by the parish council. The council has developed and invested in it in recent years in preparation for an expected growth in population. It has also redesigned and enhanced the memorial garden.
Unsurprisingly, there is a regular engagement with the public on the state of the cemetery and the facilities, some of it quite animated. In line with many other public service providers I am, therefore, proposing a visitors’ group, which would meet with a nominated parish councillor or parish councillors. The aim would be to hear issues and deal with enquiries and simultaneously to provide feedback to those concerned enough to attend. This would not exclude contact with the parish council on an ad hoc, day to day basis.
It might meet just twice a year plus a site visit during the growing season, perhaps. Non-parish council membership would be flexible and self-selecting. The group’s views would not be binding on the parish council in any way but ideally it should be listening to what its members are saying.
If the parish council agrees to this proposal I would place an advert in the October Cranfield Express seeking expressions of interest.
Friday, 20 August 2010
Hot material
My own experience of road resurfacing in Flitwick this week was daunting. On Monday morning, having dithered over a second cup of tea I left it a bit too late. By the time I got to Steppingley Road, Flitwick it was being closed off at the Tesco roundabout for about 200 metres. This handily blocked the entrance to the station car parks (rip-off First Capital Connect and value for money Cowlgrove). I decided to head for Harlington rather than cruise the suburbs of Flitwick looking for a spot. I cannot recall any prominent notices the previous week announcing that this was all happening and I have not the faintest idea how people who parked at the station and came back before 5 pm actually got out.
Vehicles are unable to drive over hot material
We are waiting, trembling, for the impact of road resurfacing on the High Street, next week. Bedfordshire Highways say:
I am pleased to tell you of highway improvements that are due to start in your area. The resurfacing of the High Street (junction of Mill Road to Merchant Lane) will commence 23 August and is expected to take 7 working days to complete.
Pedestrian access to / from properties affected by this restriction will be maintained at all times as will access for emergency vehicles.
Sunday, 8 August 2010
Farmers' market
Farmers market this morning. Bought 2 applies pies and a slice of carrot cake from Sue. The only stall. Anyone any ideas for what next?
News Central
I'm wondering what the future of News Central, Central Beds' quarterly newsletter is. Communities secretary Eric Pickles has asserted that there will be a crack down on what have been called 'Town Hall Pravdas' (Chicksands Daily Telegraph to give it is local variation) . It's hard to tell how much money will be saved but local government of whatever political persuasion has struggled to get a fair hearing with the local media. There is the added difficulty that the free papers do not necessarily reach everyone and there are plenty of people who are not internet junkies - unlike the parishmatters blogger! So how will people be informed both about what is being done and how they can participate?
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Wind turbines
It was interesting at the Parish Council on Wednesday there was no majority in favour of a protest about proposals for a wind turbine in Marston. A new collection of turbines are peeping over the trees in the direction of Emberton. Personally I believe we have to accommodate ourselves, at some point, to proximity to our sources of energy. Wind turbines are pretty benign compared to a multi-gigawatt power station either coal or nuclear.
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