The invitation to meet with Anthony Browne MP for South Cambridgeshire came out of the blue. I am not one to turn down opportunities to raise issues that concern my residents to those in authority who might be able to help. So I accepted the invitation and also invited all the parish councils too!
Four parish councils accepted the invitation, Caldecote, Bourn, Longstowe and Little Gransden. So on 19th August, we all put on our best zoom faces and had the meeting with our MP.
Prior to the meeting, I had asked for suggestions of questions I should raise from the Facebook groups of the villages. I used the feedback to prepare a list of questions to ask Mr Browne
We discussed a range of topic including superfast broadband provision, provision of footpaths to link the smaller villages to the larger ones, speeding, rural crime vis-à-vis response of the Police, hare-coursing, help to businesses that fell through the cracks of government support, the proposed changes to planning, East West rail and the requirement for more housing being in conflict with his assertion of reducing development, his response to the Black Lives Matter issue, support for the arts and Wysing Arts especially, contact with parish councils.
Little Gransden PC Chair raised the issue of the slow build out of superfast broadband to the village by Openreach. This government vouchers that some have been able to obtain is set to expire in March 2021. The vouchers are meant to offset the cost of installing the fibre broadband. The MP offered to liaise with ministers if the Chair would send him a letter expressing those concerns and the request for the extension.
Bourn Parish Councillor raised the issue of providing infrastructure ahead of or inline with building out new developments. This was in reference to the new village at Bourn Airfield. In addition, he raised the issue of the proposed East West Rail (EWR) station near Cambourne, where it would go and how people would access it from nearby villages. It would require more cycle and footpath connections which he agreed to help secure.
Mr Browne indicated that whilst no decision has been made yet on the final location, he favours putting the new station toward the north of Cambourne. I asked how he squares his enthusiasm for EWR with his claims of not concreting over the district. Building a new station requires at least 25,000 new homes to be built to pay for it. And this is in addition to the number of houses that the government expects the district to build as part of its emerging new local plan. At this point Mr Browne talked about how the housing delivery numbers could be negotiated and that he would be discussing with Ministers.
The Longstowe PC Chair raised the issue of speeding along the A1198, of increasing concern. The MP acknowledged it was difficult for Highways to make speed limit changes on a road like that. He indicated that speed watch by residents could help change the situation and improve driver’s observance of the speed limit. The Police do sometimes monitor that stretch of road.
I raised the issue of the request by Longstowe and Bourn residents who wish to have footpaths along the B1046 to link both villages. Also Kingston who want a link to Toft. I asked him what he was going to do about the letter from Wysing Arts Centre. He had not seen it and asked me to send it to him, which I did after the meeting. Wysing would also like a footpath to Bourn and support from Government for the Arts industry.
The discussion also touched on the Cambourne to Cambridge busway, Mayor Palmer’s claim to have an alternative other than going through Coton, and how the CamMetro proposals would fit in with proposals for East West Rail (EWR).
Mr Browne indicated he would discuss the potential route for the C2C along the A428 to Girton and then down the M11.
I raised the issues of rural crime and the poor response from the Police, especially to hare coursing.
I also challenged him on his silence on the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives matter campaigns, He claimed he had written some articles, but I only ever saw one – about the long overdue toppling of the Colston statute in Bristol. I emphasised that as his constituent, I did not feel he was supportive on that matter.
We hope Mr Browne will do as he said and raise these issues with Ministers. I will be chasing for updates.