Harston Residents Group Meeting 15.6.21
Present: Joy Richardson, Brian Williamson, Hilary Roadley, Peter and Gaynor Hayde, Rupert Pearce Gould, Jan Nanor, Claire Cock-Starkey, Chris Rogers, Sandy, Jane Moir-Porteous, Trevor Hopkins, Carole Stafford, Paru Naik, Mereike and Fabio Herzog, Lewis Jones, Margaret Greeves, Tim Arnold, William Hurrell, Tess Jones, Elaine, Ranjit Kurrie, Linda Littlefair, Sue Stafford
Apologies: Martin Kreitzer, Linda Churchman, Beki Korb
Traffic & Transport:
Update on EWR
RPG –correction, email address is ewrharston@gmail.com
Outcome of questionnaire: 262 questionnaires completes = 672 residents
Excellent response from HPC. Many thanks to Dom. It’s on HPC website
CCC response sent in late. Similar content to HPC response.
No one supporting north route in the councils. Should ask them about it
EWR said they will feedback on the non-statutory consultation. The Statutory Consultation will start later this year and action will be needed on that.
May need to be further survey of Harston regarding the connection of Newton and Harston at Station Road.
EWR Working Group will contact everyone who helped, including the school, and Dal at shop who collected hard copies to say thanks.
Summary of current situation will be sent out by EWR Working Group.
BW –Thanks to volunteers who delivered the questionnaires.
Speed: SID is recording speed and volume of traffic on London Road
One to go up on station road. HPC is waiting for someone to be trained re the SIDs for further monitoring to take place.
Church St: Brian has asked local people living on Church Street what they do about traffic and footpaths.
Lorries destroying the pavements as they often have to mount the kerbs.
Rupert PG would like traffic to be counted and that it is a big issue for the village.
Gaynor thinks drivers parking inconsiderately in front of surgery and blocking people in need to be tackled and that HRG should work with PC on this.
Trevor says the pavements are in a terrible state for wheelchairs or people with pushchairs. A neighbour in a wheelchair is struggling to leave their house.
Sandy from PC says a SID can be placed there to count the traffic.
Jane volunteered to help Brian with a survey of people in Church Street to discuss the issues facing the street.
Brian says at present we should just collate evidence and put forwards some solutions to put before the PC and County Council.
Chris also mentions vegetation over growing and that the council should be able to formally ask them to cut. He also suggests double yellow lines and a narrowing of the road to increase the footpaths and prevent people from being able to park without blocking the whole road.
Peter says it is really up to the County Council and that it is them that we should be complaining to and asking for action.
Joy also suggests the transport group talks to the Doctor’s surgery.
Hilary says that it has been suggested that double yellow lines be put in but this would encourage people to drive faster and in fact the cars parked in the road do at least make the traffic slower.
Rupert asks if anyone objects to removing one pavement. Brian says it would not be a good idea.
Beech Farm will be up for development soon and so that might impact traffic further.
There was the idea to make parking opposite the doctors but the County Council has now put it up for sale as a self-build house. Hilary suggesting we ask about this again.
Jane says that space is simply not big enough for enough cars to park and would be hazardous.
Chris says we should look at putting in speed humps and perhaps a counter by the surgery to show how many parking spaces are free so people are encouraged to use the surgery car park rather than the street.
Joy also suggests the road could go to 20mph.
Mareike Herzog also asks to be added to the Church Street group.
Foxton Travel Hub: The engagement period will be postponed but no explanation has been given.
Trumpington Travel Hub: In planning, expecting it back at the end of the summer.
Communications:
Newsletter: Thanks to everyone who helped with the survey
Smarter Cambridge launched a petition calling for GCP to pause all their current busway and park and ride schemes in light of Covid. https://www.smartertransport.uk/petition-gcp-2021/
Also thank people for helping to garden at the churchyard.
Gardening: Margaret reports that lots of good work was done in the churchyard and lots of nettles have been cleared but more still needs to be done.
Greener Harston: Once covid opens up more we’ll be trying to get the group going a bit more. Meeting last Saturday of every month and clearing more places around the village. Hilary suggests asking for more feedback on which areas we should tackle and ask for more volunteers.
Community activities: Next litter pick on 19th September 2021. Joy points out its harvest festival at the church so Peter suggests changing to 12th September.
Litter accumulating at the shop: PC looking at alternatives bins and ways to collect more of the litter to keep the area tidier.
Zero Carbon: Paru is doing a course on zero carbon to reduce carbon in the area. South Cambs trying to get net zero but it has worse emissions than the English average. 60% of the changes needed to be made to get us down to net zero need to be made on an individual or household level.
Joy says South Cams magazine has an advert for zero carbon community grants and she asked if Paru could take charge of this. Paru said yes.
Sandy says PC are looking at areas to plant more trees.
Hilary suggests thinking big and perhaps looking at the abandoned gravel pits on Button End as a nature reserve. Or Tim suggests small wind turbine or solar panels. Tim also mentions that Harstonites are stuck with few sustainable transport options as no buses. Hilary also says that she is happy to help with zero carbon project. And Jan too. Paru to write something for the newsletter.
Village warden scheme has new referrals and phone buddies scheme is continuing.
Gaynor is doing a community chest scheme application for litter picking equipment.
Heritage: Buildings of interest. Harston has no conservation area and so developers can just knock down interesting buildings. Hilary has created a list of buildings of interest which she is trying to get the council to adopt as then buildings will be listed as heritage assets. But since covid this has stalled.
Rupert says lots of local villages such as Foxton have neighbourhood plans and that affords them some protection, especially in regards EWR. RPG suggests that Harston goes ahead and gets one. Tim says his experience has been that South Cambs don’t put much store by them and it’s a lot of work. Hilary says that a neighbourhood plan has to put forward more development than is currently put forward so that’s something that needs to be considered. It is a lot of work and although the heritage part has been done there’s a lot more to do. You would need a committed team to see it through. Joy suggests for next meeting that Hilary, Rupert and Gaynor to try and find out what would be involved in a village plan and try to move it forwards.
Planning applications: Vujon was turned down.
Planning application for Porsche garage. Aston Martin are going and Porsche want to develop the site further with electric charging points at the front. Gaynor asks that Sandy give all residents of New Road an opportunity to see the large plans.
PC: There are now internal committees on the PC with transport, planning, food hub etc. Sandy will let us know who is on each committee when it’s decided.
Hilary notes that vans are parking on grass strip by Harston House and it has ruined the grass. Hilary asks if PC could put in some posts. Also posts in the bit between the BP garage. Hilary asks if Greener Harston could be allowed to put in some posts by Harston House as this would stop people parking there. Sandy to bring it up with PC.
Next meeting: Tuesday 20 July at 8pm