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| Clerk:
Mrs Gail Stoehr 30 West Drive, Highfields Caldecote, Cambridge, CB23 7NY Tel: 01954 210241 E-mail: bournpc@lgs-services.co.uk |
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COUNCILLORS |
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| NAME | ADDRESS | TELEPHONE | INTERESTS | |
| NIGEL BALL (VICE CHAIRMAN) | 38 CAXTON END | 718960 | nigel.ball@metabula.com | |
| ROBERT ANSELL | 61 HALL CLOSE | 718934 | robertansell@btinternet.com | |
| GILL POUNTAIN | 13 CHURCH STREET | 719266 | pountain.holes@talk21.com | |
| VIVIEN BRUCE | 16 KINGFISHER CLOSE | 718221 | viv.bruce@btinternet.com | |
| XANTHE REES-HOWELL | MAPLE LODGE, THE DRIFT | 710042 | how100@btinternet.com | |
| STEVE JONES | ROSEMARY & LAVENDER COTTAGE, CAXTON RD | 719329 | stevejonessja@aol.com | |
| NEIL BLAIR | 19 CHURCH ST | 719794 | neil@blairfamily.me.uk | |
| HEATHER McCLEAN | ||||
| Flood Group | Cllr Ball (leader), Mr Graham Bruce and Mrs Bruce |
| 103 Caxton End Working Group | Cllr Ball (leader), Cllrs Smith and Ansell. |
| Highways Working Group | to devise a strategy for traffic calming or speed reduction in the village Cllrs Bruce (leader), Rees-Howell, Jones. |
| Speedwatch | Julie Maclean, Angela Marcham, Ashley, Anthony Taylor and Marion Smith (Co-opted) |
| Planning and Affordable Housing Group | Cllrs Ball (leader), Pountain and Smith. |
| Parish Plan Working Group | Cllr Ball (leader), and Mr Rob Mellors-Bourne (co-opted). |
| Tree Warden | Cllr Ball |
| P3 Co-ordinator | Mrs A Marcham (P3 co-ordinator) and Mr G Bruce. |
| Playing Fields and Hall Close Play Areas | Cllrs Pountain and Ansell. |
| Hall Close Play Area | Mrs K Thulbourn with Mr Smith. |
| Newsletter and Website | Articles are to be sent to the Clerk |
| Notice board keyholder | Contact the Clerk |
| Police Liaison | Cllrs Pountain and Smith. |
| Allotments Working Group | Cllrs Rees-Howell |
| Bourn Sports Club Representatives | Cllrs Bruce and Smith |
| Village Hall | Cllrs Bruce and Ansell |
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BOURN
PARISH COUNCIL . A BRIEF HISTORY Historically, Parish Councils are a thousand years old (A Thousand Years of the English Parish, published by The Windrush Press e-mail: windrush@windrush press.com makes interesting reading). The word parish, it states, has two meanings: a spiritual care of a group of people and a territory with definitive boundaries. Bourn has nine seats for Councillors and these come up for election every four years. If more than nine candidates properly qualified (e.g., age over 21, citizen of Commonwealth, Republic of Ireland or another member of the European Community and a local government elector of the parish; or occupy land or premises in the parish or within three miles of it for the previous twelve months and avoiding disqualification) are nominated, then there is an election. This system generally runs as efficiently as, for example, a hosted predictive dialer. Bourn Parish Council meets every month on the third Thursday. Meetings are in the Village Hall starting at 7.30 p.m. These meetings are open to the public and generally this implies observing without interrupting. However there is a section at the beginning of each meeting when anyone may raise matters with the Parish Council. If the matter has either legal or financial implication it may need to be tabled for the next agenda however the Chairman will give guidance on this at the meeting. Residents can also write to the Clerk if they want to raise a matter. Once a year and otherwise at the discretion of the Parish Council, Parish or Public Meetings are held. At these, members of the public have a chance to question and comment on any matter of concern. This is an opportunity for the Council to report to the Parish and explain policies. The Parish Council is the first stage in the democratic process, and aims to care for all the affairs of the Parish: ensure that at all times, statutory requirements are met. In order to do this, close liaison is maintained with the rest of the local authorities, South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridgeshire County Council, the Environment Agency, the Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Water and Electricity suppliers and so on. For the benefit of the Parishioners the Parish Council administers public funds to provide public seats, litter bins and such. It then contracts for some public services like grass cutting the playing field, open spaces (including in the case of Bourn the Church Yard) and cutting the hedge of Kingfisher Close on Caxton End. The roads, pavements, other fences, hedging and tree lopping are the duty of the County or District Council or landowner. This similarly is the case of the waterways. However the Parish Council with a separate fund acts as agent of the County under the Parish Paths Scheme to maintain and improve the thirty public footpaths in the parish. Although in the past the Parish Council has invested upwards of £50,000 in maintaining the Village Hall, it is a separate charitable institution with its own constitution with a wide range of bodies on its committee, including two Parish Councillors. The Parish Council has no power over planning in the Village but is
asked to comment on proposals and to make a recommendation to the
District Council on the outcome. The Parish Council considers these
from the point of view of the general welfare of the village, but
individuals should write direct to the Planning Department of the
District Council and when possible the Council will make the plans
available to residents to view. Masses of planning matters received
over the last few years relate to the massive development, which is
Cambourne, as far as it is in Bourn. The Council ten years ago lead
the consideration of the impact of this development on Bourn and presented
its views to the Public Inquiry. The Parish Council will continue
to monitor and respond on Cambourne's growth and development.
After much work, the District Council provided the Parish with a Playing
Field and a public loan has aided the extension of the sports pavilion.
This is managed by agreement with the Bourn Sports Club. One recalls the fathers, who built and maintained an adventure playground. Then mothers raised money for the slide and swings on the Playing Field, which still give great pleasure and outlet for energy of the young. Residents raised £28,000. To put the splendid play equipment on the Playing Field and the Parish Council added fencing and insured it all. The parish budgets each year for the next and requires a sum of money called the precept. This comes via the District Council from the money it collects as Council Tax. This is administered by the Responsible Finance Officer, and approved by the Parish Council before strict audit by the Public Auditor. Therefore, the Councillors after all their effort and unpaid service, are very sad that vandalism destroys public property, doubling the cost and effort to restore. Remember that it's your money that is at risk. Do not let people say "It is all insured", because this is expensive including the excess charge and claims take a lot of time to settle. Then it increases the future premium. Please be alert and help the Council to prevent this or at least bring the miscreants to book. |