Denis Payne has been elected as the new Chairman of the Parish Council following the retirement of Bill Easy. We have asked Denis to introduce himself and to update us on what our Parish Council is doing. "I've been an Impington resident since 1979, when Jan and I moved into Burrough Field. Our son, Ben, was born in 1980, and we have lived in Impington Lane since 1984. I have always worked locally, in the computer field. Jan is a musician, particularly involved in church music, and both she and Ben play the organ at St Andrew's from time to time. I joined the Council in 1995, and regular readers of Impington News will have seen my name against the reports on Arbury Park, where a lot of my time has been going. In addition, I have got Impington on the Internet, and have been working on possible celebrations and projects for the Millennium. At the moment, the Parish Council is spending its time on both local and also wider County and national matters. We, of course, continue to look after the Cemetery, and jointly with Histon, the Recreation Ground. Consultation on planning applications is a statutory duty, where our concern is not only for the local impact, but also the pressure on community facilities and infrastructure at a time of little investment from the County Council. The wider involvement is very much in the planning arena, not only Arbury Park, which isn't over yet, but also the Local Plan, which guides development in South Cambridgeshire, and the Cambridge Capacity Study, about development in the County to 2016. We are also commenting on the Government Paper 'Modernising Local Government'. Looking to the future, we are in the process of installing a bus shelter in New Road, and we are hoping, with Histon, to start a `Safer Villages' initiative, to help to reduce crime levels and improve safety. On traffic issues, we hope to persuade the County Council to take action to reduce the use of back roads as `rat-runs', to improve traffic flow and safety, particularly for cyclists. We continue to look, with Histon and other groups, at whether and how we should be celebrating and commemorating the Millennium. 1999 sees the next Parish Elections, and, because of population growth, the Council will increase from 9 to 11 Councillors. Please consider whether you would be prepared to become a Councillor - it is a valuable and rewarding job which is important for our Parish. From time to time a Councillor resigns between elections - we often then `co-opt' a replacement - please let me know if you would be interested in filling one of these vacancies. Members of the public are always welcome to Council meetings, which usually take place on the third Monday in the month, in St Andrew's Church Hall. If you would like to speak on a particular subject, please contact us in good time so that space can be made in the agenda. As always, I am delighted to hear from anyone in the Parish, on the matters currently before Council, or on subjects which you think Council should be progressing. Please give me a call on 233577, or via e-mail at , or write to me at 48 Impington Lane, CB4 4NJ."
New charity for Village Minibus The Red Cross Minibus has plays an important part in the lives of many village residents and has done so over the last 20 years. Recently, the Red Cross informed the local minibus support group that the long-term future of the bus could not be guaranteed. This follows a major national strategy review and re-structuring of the Red Cross. We were anxious to preserve this valuable local facility and so we have formed a new charity - Histon & Impington Community Minibus - to take over the ownership and operation of the present minibus. The residue of the Muncey Bequest, which purchased the first minibus, will be transferred to the charity. We are working with the Red Cross towards a hand-over on 30 June. Our prime objective will be to enhance the service for the elderly, who will have priority of use. All arrangements with regular users will continue as before. We are also keen to promote the use of the minibus by other groups, especially at times when the bus is not regularly used, such as evenings and at weekends. The minibus relies on volunteer drivers. We intend to provide good driver training and to simplify the procedures for registering as a driver. New volunteers would be very welcome. The replacement of the present minibus is a priority for the charity. Newer models offer more comfort for the elderly, and other improved features. For further information please contact Neil Davies on 232514.
© Impington News 1998 |
