Issue No. 306 September 2013 Panser News PAMPISFORD’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER HARVEST SERVICE SP6XQGD\QG6HSWHPEHU3DULVK&KXUFK
$OO DUH ZHOFRPH WR HQMR\ D FHOHEUDWLRQ RI WKLV \HDUV KDUYHVW $Q\ FRQULEXWLRQV RI SURGXFH ZRXOG EH PRVW ZHOFRPH3OHDVHOHDYHLQWKHFKXUFKSRUFKRQ6DWXUGD\
Inside this issue... Ermine Moth Caterpillars. Jack Ellis Memorial Bench Annual Nature Reserve Clear Up. Four Confusions and Conclusions. Local Plan Consultation. MacDonald’s Interview. WI & much more Our Village Diary
September 2013
Mon 2 Local Plan Exhibition 2.30pm Spicers Pavilion, Sawston Sat 7 Duxford Air Show IWM, Duxford Sat 8 Duxford Air Show IWM, Duxford Tue 10 Mobile Library Van 10.55am for 20 mins outside church Thu 12 Parish Council Meeting 7.15pm Village Hall Mon 16 WI Meeting 7.30pm Village Hall Firefighters' Charity Laura Harden Sun 22 Harvest Service 4.00pm Village Church Tue 24 Pampisford Society 8.00pm Village Hall Art of Basket Making Eleanor Clapp weaves willow Mon 30 End of Local Plan Consultation
October 2013
Sun 13 Autumn Air Show IWM, Duxford Mon 21 WI Meeting 7.20pm Village Hall Harvest Supper & Food Bank - Wear Pink Tue 22 Pampisford Society Business & Social 8.00pm Village Hall Also see : www.pampisford.org.uk for diary, group and community information and the Church notice board for Sunday Service details
2 Hello from the Editor
Being editor of this issue came as a surprise in the middle of August but I was happy to step in! The article I have written is about, yet again, wildlife, and confronts four common mix-ups in the natural world which will hopefully help any budding naturalists. However I am not the only person to write about the local wildlife. There is a very interesting article about Ermine Moth caterpillars in Pampisford. Currently I have a little helper. Or should I say distracter and general mischief-maker? As anybody with a cat knows, most cats love nothing better than to come and ‘help’ when you are sitting at a table and – trying – to do something. Leo, who is my black cat that looks like he’s come out of Bedknobs and Broomsticks , has just finished his usual routine of walking along the keyboard and waving his unusually long tail in front of the computer screen and playing with the mouse cord, and is now sitting behind me and giving me a massage. Or should I say digging his claws into my back in a ‘friendly’ gesture? No greater love is that of a cat. But for now, sit back, relax, wherever you are, with or without a cat, and enjoy the issue.
Best wishes Katy
BIN COLLECTION DATES – SEPTEMBER
Black : Mon 2, Mon 16, Mon 30 Green/Blue : Mon 9, Mon 23
3 South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Final Local Plan Consultation
All the suggested sites for extra houses in this area are in the same part of Sawston, on either side of Babraham Road on the very edge of the village. You will by now have received your copy of the details, showing why local parish councils are not happy with all these plans.
Please see the map on the back of this issue. H/1:a, 200 dwellings, Dales Manor Business Park, the Parish Council approve . H/1:b 80 dwellings, Green Belt, Babraham parish, the Parish Council object. H/1:c 260 dwellings, Green Belt, Sawston parish, the Parish Council object.
Though we acknowledge more houses are needed in the area, this number concentrated in one part of Sawston will cause many problems, which we feel the planners are not taking seriously.
The last 2 sites are on Green Belt land and H/1:c is adjacent to the Pampisford Parish boundary. There is bound to be heavy congestion on Babraham Road, so many more cars will use Babraham Lane, Pampisford, to get to the A505. There will be pressure on services, schools, the Medical Centre and the centre of Sawston for parking.
If you too are unhappy with these proposals please tell the planners, before 30 th September using the link below. http://www.pampisford.org.uk/LocalPlan.html
Thank you Aureole Wragg For Pampisford Parish Council
4 Ermine Moth Caterpillars Also at Pampisford
Readers of PN probably saw the local & national reports about the extraordinary Ermine Moth caterpillar swarm over the Bird Cherry trees on Jesus Green in Cambridge, & about similar swarms elsewhere around the UK. Well, it happened in Pampisford too …
Photo’ taken on 12 June when caterpillar colony at its peak.
During the past several years a small colony has bred each Spring on the hedge which screens the big compost heap in my back garden at 35 Brewery Rd. 90% of the ‘trees’ normally remain in leaf, but this year all the branches were stripped bare & completely shrouded with a thick silk-like web, as an unusually large colony developed during April & May. By late June, nearly all the caterpillars – cream with 02 rows of black spots – had pupated in the original web, or had migrated to pupate in smaller webs on the adjacent compost heap frame & side fence between 33 & 35. By mid July, hordes of small white Ermine Moths had emerged. Also by mid July, leaf growth was fully restored & the hedge was back to its normal, thick, green state, so demonstrably ‘no harm done’. PM
5 GOOD NEWS FROM OUR LOCAL MCDONALD’S
Following a letter sent by the Parish Council to McDonald's on the subject of litter and landscaping, Mr Claude Abi- Gerges, the franchisee, invited members to a meeting. This initiative was welcomed and representatives from Hinxton, Whittlesford and Sawston and our District Councillor, Tony Orgee also attended. The meeting on June the 14th, was hailed as mutually productive which is very good news. Mr Abi-Gerges is firmly committed to playing a positive role and contributing back to the local community. He agreed to be interviewed so we could find out more about his ideas. 1. What attracted you to the McDonald's franchise in the Pampisford locality? Firstly, Cambridgeshire in general and this area in particular have always appealed to me when I visited as a Director of Franchising, before becoming a franchisee. I was therefore very pleased when I was given the opportunity to own the McDonald's in Whittlesford, particularly with its light, airy and welcoming feel, and the family-like and friendly environment that you get from the staff and customers alike when you enter the restaurant. 2. It seems that you are sympathetic to our wish to retain natural surroundings and keep commercial intrusion as low-key as possible. Have you worked in a rural setting before? Yes, I started working in restaurants more than 17 years ago, and with time and hard work progressed to become a Director of Franchising. In this role, I oversaw around 130 restaurants in the South East, many of which were in rural surroundings. 3. We are so pleased that you are making a big effort to reduce littering. What schemes have you set up to educate the public and help deter them from dumping their packaging thoughtlessly? McDonald’s was the first restaurant chain to introduce daily litter patrols, which we did back in 1982. Each of our 1,200 restaurants in the UK conducts a minimum of 3 litter patrols each day to collect all litter, not just McDonald’s packaging. In addition, all of our packaging carry
6 anti-littering messages, and this is supported by signage in our restaurants and car parks.
Since I became the franchisee in Whittlesford, I have increased the frequency and distance covered by the daily litter patrols. I have two full time employees responsible to ensure that the car park and the surrounding areas are kept clean and tidy. My staff now cover a good stretch of the A505, and the A1301. I have also sponsored and installed anti-litter signage on the 3 roundabouts within close proximity of the store. In addition, I am looking to organise a ‘clean up’ event as part of the "Love Where You Live" campaign to raise awareness of the litter issue and to educate the public and young generations about the role they play in protecting the environment and the community they live in. I would welcome the input of the Parish Council and residents as to any areas of particular concern and any suggestions of where we should hold our ‘clean up’ event. 4. The bikers and families who stop by enjoy the outdoor seating and landscaping. Could the shrubs and small trees be increased to make it even more attractive? We employ a gardener, who comes to the restaurant once every fortnight to keep the landscape neat and tidy. It’s great that bikers and families enjoy the outdoor seating though – if they would like more shrubs or small trees, this is certainly something we can look at. 5. Your outlet is very popular. Is parking for your customers and staff adequate or do drivers sometimes look for parking on the BP site or use the exit road? Is there a way to improve this without spoiling the attractiveness of the site? The car park can be busy, particularly on Saturdays, which is why we have a 90 minute parking restriction in place. Unfortunately, because of space restrictions we can’t increase the size of the car park – but in the long-term, it may be possible to improve the layout. 6. Healthy eating is an important factor especially for children. What menus have you that encourage a well-balanced diet? In recent years, we have worked hard to reformulate our menu and to extend the range of choice on offer. 75% of our Happy Meal items are classified as not high in fat, salt or sugar, according to the UK Government’s Nutrient Profiling Model. Indeed, on our menu, we now
7 offer porridge, salads and wraps, as well as carrot sticks and fruit bags – and our drinks menu features mineral water, orange juice, and organic milk. Much of this is sourced locally – including 100% British and Irish beef, and 100% British RSPCA Freedom Food Pork as well as the majority of our potatoes. 7. We are delighted that you want to be involved in our community. How do you see this working? I think hosting a meeting with the four Parish Councils, and District & County Councillor Tony Orgee was a great place to start! My intention is to build a solid relationship with the community by getting involved in areas which will hopefully enhance the image of Whittlesford and the neighbouring Parish Councils. My staff and I are also looking forward to the forthcoming ‘clean up’ event. In addition, McDonald’s on the whole does a lot of work with grassroots football. The majority of our restaurants are ‘twinned’ with local teams and, under the guidance of the FA, I am currently in the process of identifying a local football team to work with.
Thank you for seeing your role as one that can cooperate with the surrounding villages.
We wish you well in your enterprise and look forward to working together towards mutually beneficial outcomes.
AJ ______
Village Hall matters ……..
Did you know that …
the hall now has a new boiler.
8
Four Confusions & Conclusions
There are four main confusions in the British natural world that puzzle many as to which is which. The first is a common question: dragonfly of damselfly? Generally dragonflies have shorter and stockier bodies than damsels and they also have dissimilar wing shapes while damsels do not. However, if these are unrecognisable during flight (which I find hard) you can always rely on the difference when they are at rest: dragonflies usually hold their wings open when they are taking a pause from flying and damselflies hold theirs closed. The next confusion is also common, but more so among birders: kestrel or buzzard? This usually arises when the birds are flying high and are too far up to see clearly. But there is one thing that buzzards never do: hover, which happens to be the thing kestrels always do. Buzzards also like to mew, so if your bird is making a sound like a kitten, it's probably a buzzard. But they aren't the only birds that get confused with one another. The two water birds moorhen and coot regularly mislead bird spotters. There is one simple difference: coots have white beaks, and moorhens have red beaks. Swifts, swallows and martins are also three fast-flying birds easy to muddle. Swallows are usually easy to distinguish once you know how. They have beige tummies, blue backs and a brilliant red chin, not to mention a fabulously forked tail that can’t be missed even if the colours can. But that leaves us with martins and swifts. The difference is that martins have white on them, and swifts are blatantly brown all over (although they often look black when they are flying up in the sky). But there are two martins, house and sand. Sands are
9 brown and white and houses are black and white. Simple, one thinks, but in practise it is quite hard to tell them apart. Luckily there is one major difference. Location matters when it comes to martins. House martins nest in buildings, like swallows and swifts, but sand martins don’t. They prefer to house themselves in river banks and occasionally quarries. So now that's been cleared up, one can get on with nature watching with, hopefully, a bit more clarity.
Katy Ellis
Nature Reserve Autumn Tidy
Volunteers needed to help with the annual nature reserve tidy-up!
Anyone welcome to help with clearing of paths and general tidy up of Pampisford's nature reserve on Brewery Road.
Planned date is Saturday morning 19 th October.
Contact Justin Marsh on 01223 832033.
10 DRAFT PAMPISFORD PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES Meeting: 11th th July 2013
Chairman: Aureole Wragg Clerk: Nina Zealey, Tel: 833037
Present: Graham Berridge (Acting Chair), Heather Fordham, Anne Judd, Justin Marsh, Tony Orgee (DC), and Nina Zealey (Clerk).
Open Forum : None.
MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING.
Before we could start the meeting, Graham Berridge was proposed, and agreed by all present, to be the acting chair of this this meeting, in the absence of Aureole Wragg. 1. Apologies: Aureole Wragg (Chair), Peter Draper, Nigel Upton, Peter Topping (CC) for personal reasons. 2. Declarations of interests with regard to items on the agenda. None 3. To sign and approve minutes dated Thursday 13 th June 2013, signed by GB. 4. Matters Arising from the Previous Minutes: GB said that Affinity Water is a group of 3 companies amalgamated and is more relevant to the Saffron Walden area than ours. There is no need to respond to their survey as it is not relevant to our parish. AJ said we would like to take up the Owl offer to plant bulbs and we need more detail on how this will work. Town Lane between the trees would be a lovely place to plant daffodils for the spring. 5. Reports by County and District Councillors. TO reported that the Cabinet Meeting of 26 th June approved the draft of the Local Plan. He said that the Local Plan represents a strategic view up until 2031. TO attended and spoke against the two housing development sites proposed on the outskirts of Sawston and Babraham. These will intrude into the Green Belt envelope around Sawston, there will be traffic consequences through Church Lane and Babraham Road. There will be additional pressure on services in Sawston, which are already at capacity or very close to capacity, primary schools, parking in Sawston centre, and the medical health centre. The youth are underprovided with recreational space in Sawston. The foot ball stadium was
11 turned down on traffic and green belt issues. And these housing developments will generate traffic all week, versus just when there are football matches twice a week. TO urged us to attend the Local Plan exhibitions. The next one in Sawston is on 2 nd September, Spicers Pavillion, Cambridge Road from 2:30 to 7:30 pm. You can also let your opinions be known online at www.scambs.gov.uk/ldf/localplan . The deadline for you views is 5pm on 30th September 2013. In response to a question, TO said Marshalls Airport will stay in Cambridge but there will be 1700 houses built north of Newmarket Road, called “The Wing” development. There was a time when Marshalls were thinking of moving out of Cambridge and selling the airport for the development of housing, so now this will not happen. 6. Planning Applications: The Conservation Officer, Andrew Robley, called the clerk to update the Parish Council on progress, and he later sent an email, which was circulated, detailing the final resolution of the planning issues at Black Bird Cottage, High Street, Pampisford. It was agreed that GB furnish the wording for our response: “Thank you for your comprehensive review of the work carried out for the retrospective Planning Application S/0491/13/LB (Blackbird Cottage, 12 High Street, Pampisford). We are satisfied with the balanced assessment and the reparation work requested. Certainly in the future the Council will be much more alert to work being carried out on Listed Buildings in the Parish without Planning Applications being submitted. As this is important from a conservation standpoint, would it be possible for you to contribute a short article on the need for and responsibility of developers in relation to conservation of Listed Buildings for our Parish Magazine?” AJ had a list of 20 listed buildings in Pampisford. 7. Finance: Community Account as of 28 June 2013: £5054.39, Money out £1232.17, Money in: £132.51 (£1.46 stopped) Bills: Dale Home Works £30 switching the notice boards, CGM Ltd £263.72, Duxford Hire &Supply £99.52, Grounds man: £211.10, Clerk: £292.12. Receipts for village picnic £34.90 were put through the letter box without a name. Later it was determined it came from Anna Rehfisch, so will sort it out in September meeting. Res. as of 28 Jun 2013: £10,481.13, with interest earned of £1.31. 8. Local Plan Consultation – Final Chance to express your views on 19 th July and 2 nd September 2013 at Spicers Pavilion, Cambridge Road. AJ reports on Sawston Planning meeting held on 4 th July 2013 re: large numbers of houses on the green belt land in Sawston. See TO report above. AJ reported that a
12 committee of parish councils will get together to discuss the wider impact of this development on local villages and she also expressed her worry about poor quality build of houses with very small rooms and lack of parking facilities. The schedule of exhibitions are on the Pampisford website. 9. Blocked drains in Brewery Road – AW reported that there have been problems in the sewage drains along Brewery Road, blocked by nappy liners and the like, leaving a disgusting mess to clear up outside 30 Brewery Road, near Sealmasters. An article will be written for the Panser News. Anglian Water has been contacted and there will be a 6 monthly drain cleaning rota set up. One parishioner feels there may be a systemic problem that needs to be addressed in the structure of the drains. 10. Meeting with Mr. Byrne of Eastern Counties Leather – AJ and AW were shown around Easter Counties Leather’s site on London Road, and Mr. Byrne explained some of his plans for improving the site. He had responded to the issue of untidy signs by placing two upright boards with all the signs organized on it. He had told AJ that the large pine tree had a TPO on it as AJ is keen to ensure that significant trees are protected. 11. Sealmaster - noise item from Annual parish meeting. - AW has written a letter and is awaiting a response. 12. Picnic Table progress. JM has found a picnic table by Evershed Products with walk through benches and made with recycled materials. It looks like wood, however it should last longer than wood, without much maintenance. The figures he suggested were £354 plus VAT for the table, £55 for delivery, and additional costs for installation hardware and labour. Rough estimate is about £500 for everything. AW will contact Jack’s relatives for their views and donation towards the project. Hopefully other sponsors will be willing to make contributions. 13. Village Hall update on boiler meeting – GB & AW were present and they went through 3 quotes for the boiler and chose the quote that was the best fit, had a longer warranty, which turned out to be the middle value. Mr. Potts will install the boiler. JM confirmed that Mr. Potts installed his boiler to his satisfaction. 14. Environment: a. Playground progress on repair to see saw seat – JM said the seesaw seat in the Brewery Rd Rec was broken sometime between 7th April and the RoSPA inspection a few days later. There is no debris or clue as to how this seat was broken. JM The broken seat will cost £86.50 to replace. The 100 Club may be
13 willing to offer a contribution to repair the seesaw seat and they may also be willing to contribute to the picnic table as well. AJ will follow up on this. b. Babraham Road Hedge cutting – There is no more news as there has been no response from the estate that owns the hedge. c. Low hanging branches in Church Lane Rec, obstructing grass cutting contractor’s work. NZ to contact David Hunt to trim off some of the lowest hanging branches, with permission from the estate. d. Tree preservation Orders – AJ reported the suggestion by Andrew Grimmer to appoint a parish tree officer who notices if a tree is vulnerable. JM agreed to be the village tree officer and tell the PC if he notices any risks to trees which need action, particularly in the conservation area. AJ thought that it might not be fast enough as trees can be cut down so quickly. She also reported that we need the diameter and size of a tree to apply for a TPO, which can be applied for by anyone. e. Resurfacing of Brewery Road rescheduled for 8 th July 2013. The dates keep being moved, as indicated by the yellow boards posted on each end of Brewery Road-Town Lane. No other communication is shared with the Parish Council. f. Covered Litter bin upgrade for the recreation grounds? AW said she will contact Claude Abi-Gerges of McDonalds who expressed willingness to sponsor covered litter bins in our recreation grounds. 15. Neighbourhood panel meeting AW due to attend but last minutes was unable to get there – apologies for lack of news. 16. Correspondence by post: Direct Clerks and War Memorial Bulletins. 17. Date of the next meeting is Thursday 12 th September 2013.
------
Pampisford Society Meeting: Basket Making
Eleanor Clapp will be demonstrating the Art of Basket Making in the village hall on Tuesday 24 September at 8:00 PM.
14 Church Bells Diary
On 6 th July the bells were rung, during the morning, by many Cambridge ringers as part of the Annual Pampisford Ring, with some ringers visiting Pampisford for the first time.
A week earlier ringers from Saffron Walden came to ring. A wedding on 13 th July was celebrated by the ringing of the bells. The local Ladies Guild of bell-ringers rang a quarter peal. SL
News from the Church
Having lost the services of Rev Ruth Whitehead following her transfer to the South West we are continuing as usual with assistance from Judith Wright and Rev Jessica Martin from Hinxton and Ickleton respectively. We are also grateful for the assistance of Rev Phil Sharkey, who is the Hospital Chaplain for the Cambridge Area. In due course, under the terms of our Local Ecumenical Partnership, a new Minister will be appointed to the Whittlesford and Duxford LEP and will take over where Ruth left off. We apologise for the absence of any Service details on the cover of the last Panser News – due, apparently, to a “technical hitch”. In the coming weeks, we can look forward to our usual range of services we hope to suit all tastes! On 25 August the Worship For All Service will be taken by Rich Stein (no relation to the Seafood Expert!) who is a URC Minister under training and temporarily filling Ruth’s shoes in the area. This year our Harvest Festival Service has been brought forward to 22 September, at 4 pm. The purpose of this is to coincide this Service more closely to the time when the crops are gathered in and we hope that those of you who have vegetables, fruit and other produce at this time will contribute to the display in the Church. This year the service will be led by the Rev Dr Peter Graves, formerly of Wesley Chapel in Cambridge and Central Hall, Westminster. CR
15 Fund Raising for Jack Ellis' Memorial Bench.
The parish council is currently raising funds to commemorate long term Pampisford resident and local poet Jack Ellis.
It was felt that a fitting way to do this, given Jack's interest and observation of nature, would be to install a picnic bench in the Brewery Road recreation park.
Money donated will be used to buy a picnic bench made from recycled materials. It will also have a plaque attached to it, dedicated to jack's life in the village.
Please contact the parish council, should you wish to contribute and thank you to those who have already pledged money towards this.
PS: For anybody wondering, I bare no relation to Jack! Katy
16 Cambridge Building Society Community Magazine Awards
The Panser News was entered for CBS’s 15 th Annual Community Magazine Awards, and Karena and myself attended a very pleasant ceremony held at the Cambridge Rugby Club. There was a vast array of magazines representing villages, churches, schools and charities – some of which are very professional publications. Our neighbours, the Sawston Scene won the best editorial award. Well done to them.
We had the chance to chat with the other entrants and I was surprised that some Cambridgeshire village magazines are produced by very small teams, which made me realise just how much the community are involved in the Panser News with around 30 villagers contributing to the editing, distribution and general running.
We look forward to entering again next year. Well done to the Cambridge Building Society for putting on such an interesting and entertaining evening. CH
17 The WI Activities During the Summer
We had a June visit to the wonderful Flower Festival held at Ely Cathedral on Saturday June 22nd, travelling by coach to Ely gave members and friends a chance to wander round the exhibits, which included a length of water representing the river, stretching along the isle The many flower club members and local ladies had worked hard to create a blaze of colour and design. Thanks to Jean for the organisation of a splendid day out. This year the Garden meeting took place in the Challis Gardens on Monday 8th July. A warm evening and a variety of food provided a chance to chat and enjoy the picnic Thanks to the Challis Garden trust members for allowing us use the beautiful and well maintained garden. We held a fund-raising Coffee Morning on Saturday 17th August at Chapelfield Way Community Centre. We raised over £100 for the Sawston Medical Centre Friends Fund. Thanks to all the helpers! Our next meeting will be Monday 16th September at 7.30 pm in Pampisford Village Hall. Laura Harden will be speaking about the Fire Fighters Charity. We will be holding a bring and buy. SD
18
19 540 New homes on Babraham Road That’s a 15% growth of Sawston. This is your chance to to ex- press your views
consult the leaflet you have already received
Lynton Way for details or go to http://www. Babraham Road pampisford.org.uk/ LocalPlan.html Apologies if the Panser News arrives after the exhibition evening. We were unable to bring our print deadline forward. You still have time to re- spond until: 30th September Exhibition at Spicers Pavilion, Sawston Monday 2nd 2.30pm to 7.30pm September
PANSER NEWS is fi nancially supported by in house fundraising, donations from various village groups and our advertisers. The ideas and opinions expressed in Panser News are not necessarily those of the editors. This month’s Editors: Katy Ellis Next Month’s Editor: October 2013 Geraldine Stott: [email protected] & Anne Judd: [email protected] Article Deadline 23rd September Coordinating Editor: Chas Hunt, 38 Brewery Road. 01223 837750 / 0777 321 3814 An Ermine Moth [email protected] see inside . .