The minutes of the last meeting of the Gamlingay Neighbourhood Police Panel, held in Gamlingay on 21st April 2010, are downloadable below.

The Parish Council has asked South Cambs District Council for an increase in the number of Parish Councillors from 7 to 9.

At the present time, the Parish Council believes that we have insufficient councillors to cover the many responsibilities which face our village.

Barrington Green poses innumerable problems, obligations and opportunities: Barrington Parish Council is the Corporate Trustee for The Green Charity which manages the Village Green and the Permitted Ways to the houses requiring access.

We are trying to respond to the declared outcomes from the questionnaire which formed our Village Plan, by extending the work that we do.

Too many responsibilities devolve upon the Chairman and the Clerk. We need help!

Neighbouring parishes of similar size have 9 councillors, and do not have a Village Green to manage in addition to the usual Parish Council responsibilities.

Our County Councillor Sebastian Kindersley and our District Councillor David Bird support our request. They attend our Meetings and see what we do.

We seek the support of Barrington residents for our request. Our Minutes are published in the Village Newsletter so that you can see what we do and how we respond.

We would welcome receiving your views on our request: you can write to us at the address above or send an e-message to pc@barringtoncambs.com

The Parish Council want to bring you up-to-date with regard to the above proposed development.

The field owned by CEMEX adjacent to Challis Close and Challis Green has been the subject of ongoing discussions with the Green Charity for many years with regard to a possible housing development. It is outside the village development area but does qualify for affordable housing. The South Cambridgeshire District Council is prepared to give Outline Planning Permission for 32 dwellings to be built, with a future potential for a further 7. The field access road is of insufficient width for the required County Council approved highway.

CEMEX has asked The Green Charity to exchange part of the Village Green, approx 0.4 acres (1,618 sq m), referred to as the Access Land, for an adjacent piece of land 0.21 acres (860 sq m). In addition, CEMEX would donate an area of land covering 1.8 acres (7,282 sq m), being the central area of the development, on completion to The Green Charity for incorporation into the Village Green, together with an Establishment Sum of £9,688 towards its future maintenance and the sum of £125,000 less the Establishment Sum. A valuation of the Access Land was provided by the District Auditor.

The Green Charity and its Custodian Trustee Barrington Parish Council have been consulted in detail on the S106 Agreement. We are confident that this working relationship will be continued for the detailed Planning Application which would ensue.

The Green Charity has no hesitation in trying to achieve deregistration of the 0.4 acres, because the gains for Barrington are so high. First and foremost is the opportunity for Barrington to have 32 affordable dwellings. For nearly 50 years, property prices in Barrington have been higher than in surrounding villages, influenced by the impact on the village and its way of life of our very large Village Green. People on low incomes have no possibility of purchasing a home in Barrington, so our children have to move away. The need for affordable homes has been substantiated every time a housing survey has been conducted in Barrington by the District Council and it was highlighted in the responses to the Village Plan questionnaire.

Secondly, the 0.4 acres access land is at the north eastern edge of the Village Green and is crossed by a tarmac Permitted Way access road to the 8 Challis Close residences. In addition a narrow Safer Routes to School tarmac footpath crosses this area; a proper footway to the School forms part of the Planning Application. The Parish Council promotes the continued rear access to our thriving School because of the traffic problems and restricted footway on Haslingfield Road.

Thirdly, a village meeting held last year showed the tremendous support from residents for the housing development. The perimeter area of Village Green to be given up for the access land will be greatly surpassed by the gain in land from CEMEX.

If you have any queries, please contact the Clerk.

Barrington Parish Council, as Trustee to The Green Charity

Clerk to the Trustee, 3 Shepreth Road, Barrington, Cambridge CB22 7SB
Tel: 01223 870786

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Biological Records Centre are co-ordinating a pond survey, and hoping to involve as many parishes in this survey as possible. The aim is to map all of the ponds - including as many garden ponds as possible - and gain some general information about them regarding the species present. For example about the amphibians which see around a pond like a frog, toad or grass snake; do you have fish in your pond; do you see dragonflies/damselflies around your pond. All you have to do is to complete a pre-printed postcard with your pond information. To obtain a prepaid postcard, please contact the Parish Council on 01223 870786 or 870593, email tfletc@aol.com and we will send one to you.
Barrington Parish Council