August 2023

4 Buckden Roundabout August 2023 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. Introduction of a Charge for the Green Bin Thank you to those who have contacted us to raise concerns about the proposal by Huntingdon District Council (HDC) to introduce a charge of £57.50 for the first Green Bin. We un- derstand that HDC face significant budget challenges. Howev- er, the Council have asked HDC to reconsider this proposal. We do not believe there has been adequate consultation with residents and the potential consequences have not been fully considered. It is not to be introduced until April 2024 giving time for a re- think and further consultation. By the time you read this the outcome of an HDC vote will be known. Buckden to Brampton Cycleway We are pleased to announce that work has started on im- provements to the Buckden to Brampton section of the cy- cleway that goes from the village to Huntingdon. These im- provements will include the creation of crossing point which will make using the path safer. The work should be complet- ed in time for the children returning to school in September and hopefully these improvements will encourage cycling to and from Hinchingbrooke school. We thank all the Councillors who, over the years, have lob- bied for this work to be carried out. The funding comes from the Active Travel Fund administered by Cambridgeshire Coun- ty Council, the HDC Strategic Community Infra Structure Levy (CIL), Buckden Parish Council and Brampton Parish Council funds. These improvements were a key priority identified by residents for the use of the CIL funds we received from build- ing development in the village. Tree Survey The latest tree survey has been carried out and we are pleased to say that most of the trees Buckden Council is re- sponsible for are thriving. There is however some work that needs to be carried out and that will be done shortly. The full tree survey will be available on our website in the next month. Speedwatch This project is on going in several sites around the village. We are pleased that the police have approved some more loca- tions and that we have some new volunteers to help. We still need more! Trees and Bees Leaflet The Parish Council has produced the latest in its series of leaflets to help residents enjoy walk- ing in and around the village and developing their own green spac- es. The latest leaflet is Trees and Bees. We have identified 5 trees of interest around the village and the leaflet contains QR codes for you to use to find out more about each tree. We will be placing QR codes by the trees in the next month. The leaflet also shows the areas where wild- flowers have been planted. These not only look beautiful but support bees and other insect life. Keep an eye on our website, there is so much there, including other leaflets such as: Plant a Tree, the Historic Buckden Walk, the Roundabout Buckden Walk which includes a leaflet for each season and one for children to use as they walk the paths. Look too on the website for the Actions for Nature Sea- sonal Calendar showing things you can do each month to im- prove the biodiversity in your garden. Last but not least, we will shortly be producing information to help you create a water feature in your garden. Council Donations The Council have made donations to: • support the upkeep of the Knot Garden at the Towers, • the MAGPAS Air Ambulance Service. Councillors We have one vacancy for a Parish Councillor. If you are inter- ested, please contact the Clerk for more information. Churchyard and Cemetery Safety testing of the memorials in the Cemetery and Church- yard has been slightly delayed but will begin very shortly. As mentioned last month we will be contacting family members directly where possible to make them aware if a memorial is unsafe and to discuss next steps. If you have any queries about memorial safety testing or where responsibilities lie, please contact assistant.clerk@buckdenpc.org.uk. More in- formation can be found on our website. Council Meetings The next Council meeting will be at 7.00 pm on Tuesday 12th September. There is no meeting in August. 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 con- tacting 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 is operating 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.