Tag: Histon & Impington Parish Council

  • Mixed reaction to heavy duty planters near ATM

    Mixed reaction to heavy duty planters near ATM

    Specialist planters designed to protect cash machines and stores from ram-raiders have been installed outside Histon Tesco Express. The location is one of 14 “high-risk sites” identified as part of a £100,000 initiative.

    Ram raiding is a type of burglary where criminals drive a vehicle into a building, often one with  a cash machine, to help them access property or cash to steal. It is said the heavy duty concrete planters can withstand the force of being hit by a vehicle or machinery. 

    The completed planters at the Cambourne Co-op. Photo: SCDC

    Two were installed at the Tesco Express on 11 April, one close to the ATM and another near the car park. But the Council has explained there has been a delay with planting because of heavy rain over the Easter weekend and that the guttering from the Tesco Express building has been leaking into one of the planters. 

    Advert

    A South Cambridgeshire District Council spokesperson said the Histon planters will be planted up “asap”, once the repairs to the gutter have been carried out.

    She added the same planters have been installed at the Co-op in Cambourne, and are “looking lovely, whilst doing an important job for our rural communities”.

    In the meantime, residents have commented on social media about the new Tesco Express planters, with one joking it had become “a water feature” since it was installed. Another described it as “a total eyesore”.

    ‘Total eyesore’ 

    Another planter has been placed next to the Tesco Express car park. Photo: HI HUB

    One resident said: “Tesco roof gutter has been overflowing at that point for ages, so will continue to receive excess water after rainfall until that is fixed. Even if holes [are] drilled to allow drainage for planting, the volunteers’ work to make this nice will be ruined.”

    SCDC says the planting and upkeep of the planters will be the responsibility of the Parish Council.

    Gutter to be fixed

    A Tesco spokesperson said: “We are working to fix the gutter at our Histon Express as quickly as possible, and thank customers for their patience as the work is completed.”

    He added the store remains open as usual and that Tesco will provide updates on the works progress. 

    The £100,000 funding for the project to install heavy duty planters across South Cambridgeshire District Council has been provided by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority. 

    READ MORE: Marking a community’s deep-rooted love for its trees

  • Assistant Parish Ranger – Parish Council

    Assistant Parish Ranger – Parish Council

    Histon & Impington Parish Council are advertising the following role:

    Assistant Parish Ranger to join the Operational Team. This important team work closely together to keep our villages clean, safe and tidy as well as maintaining and improving sporting and recreational facilities. Histon & Impington Parish Council is working towards Gold Standard Local Government Award and this important team is aiming for excellence in village maintenance and in all sports facilities.

    Part Time – 30 hours, regular weekend working required. Salary at Scale 4:  £12.65 per hour.

    Advert

    Closing date for application is Wednesday 30th April 2025.

    See All News From Histon and Impington Parish Council

  • Public hires to cost more for some Rec facilities

    Price increases for using the sports and pavilion facilities at the Recreation Ground will come into force next month. A lot of hire costs will remain the same, but there will be increases for a few facilities. The new prices apply to public hire arrangements only, with fees for clubs calculated separately.

    The steepest increase in public hire fees will be for the cricket pitches, which go up from £75 to £120 per match on the 1st square and to £100 on the 2nd square.

    The Parish Council, which sets the hire fees, says the increases have been made “to reflect the superior quality of Pitch 1” and that the new charges reflect those applied for cricket pitches elsewhere around Cambridge. The fact that a “cricket game lasts longer than football” is also factored into the pricing structure. 

    Advert

    Cllr Joseph Uttridge commented that these charge rises would be acceptable as long as the quality of the pitches is maintained. 

    Other increases

    Football, bowls and tennis hire by the public will also see increases, but by lower amounts. The cost of hiring a pitch for a football match will rise from £69 to £70 and the hourly fee for hire of the bowling green will rise from £9 to £15. 

    Use of the hard and grass courts for tennis will go from £9 to £10 an hour, or £13 to £14 with floodlights on a hard court. But fees for using the hard court for netball will remain the same. The new prices are broadly in line with Orchard Park, where the tennis courts cost £10, and the price of a court for netball is £20. Slight discounts are available for residents and block bookings.

    Commercial hire of the H&I Rec for activities such as training courses will remain at £13 per hour, though use of the changing rooms will rise from £13 to £16.

    Club fees

    With the exception of the bowls club, all the village sports clubs using the Rec will see price increase too. These will range from £8.25 for the croquet club to £938 for the tennis club. 

    The increase to the cricket club will be £504, while Histon Hornets will see a £439 rise. 

    Tennis representative Jane Fidler commented that the tennis club was “surprised” by the 12.4% increase, and a meeting with the club was due to discuss the fee in more detail. 

    For full details of the charges for and availability of Recreation Ground facilities hire, see the Parish Council website. 

    READ MORE: Rec development proposals omit pump track

  • Rec development proposals omit pump track

    Councillors are being asked to approve further spending on consultants to produce another report on options for the development of the Rec.

    The Wellbeing Recreation and Leisure Committee (WRL) will be asking a meeting of the Full Parish Council next week for the go-ahead to contract work for a new Masterplan for the Recreation Ground based on “several potential constituent ideas” – but a pump track is not on the list of ideas for consideration.

    Development proposals

    Advert

    The ideas being put forward include new uses for the former groundsman’s house at 12 New Road, which has been empty for over a year; the Parish Council Compound, where equipment is stored; a tarmac car parking area; and increased and improved office space, meeting space and Council staff rest space.

    Also on the list are the play area, a perimeter path around the Rec, a new surface water management system to improve drainage and improvements to the Pavilion.

    The tennis facilities are up for consideration again after Councillors backtracked on plans to replace the grass courts with four all-weather surfaces, and suggested that some of that land could be used for parking.

    Pump track not included

    A notable absentee from the list is a pump track.

    The demand for a pump track in the village was first identified in a 2021 Parish Council survey to determine priorities for recreation and leisure facilities in the village.

    Then in 2023, in a consultation by the Pump Track charity, residents identified The Rec as the most popular location for siting a pump track, and residents were subsequently told by the Parish Council that this would be considered.

    Despite a commitment that the WRL Committee would review and reconsider the provision of a pump track on the Rec, this was never put on a Committee agenda.

    No progress has been reported since, despite Cllr Davies, Chair of the Rec Development Group (RDG), telling the WRL Committee that he would recommend that a pump track on the Recreation Ground should be included in a review of future uses of the Rec.

    Request for approval

    Thousands of pounds have already been spent with surveyors Wilby and Burnett, who have been working with the RDG – a working party of the WRL Committee – since 2023 to create a Masterplan for the Rec.

    But the committee believes that circumstances have changed sufficiently to require an “updated quote from surveyors” to conduct the work again, based on the ideas now being put forward. They are asking the Full Council meeting on Monday 17 March to approve spending on a further report on options by August/September 2025.

  • Fairer funding policy to benefit community groups

    A Parish Council budget of up to £1,000 could be available for voluntary and community organisations in the village to apply for, if the Council’s draft Donations Policy is adopted. This is double the maximum of £500 under the current policy.

    A separate Grants Policy is being proposed for supporting the work of “groups making a real difference for
    residents where the need is for financial support.” These Grants would be unlimited in size, and the work wouldn’t be viable without Council’s support.

    Annual opportunity

    If the draft donations policy is approved at Monday’s meeting of the full Parish Council, Councillors will in future consider applications for donations just once a year in November, rather than twice a year in June as well as November.

    The change has been introduced to ensure that all requests can be assessed fairly and consistently, with the outcome of funding applications less affected by the amount of money remaining in the donations budget at different stages in the financial year.

    Only projects relating to a specific ‘one-off’ local event could exceptionally be considered outside the annual review.

    Who could apply?

    All formally constituted not-for-profit organisations running activities that directly benefit Histon and Impington residents could apply for a donation, subject to some financial eligibility criteria.

    Applicants are asked to describe the aims of their organisation or group, the purpose for which the funding is requested and the number of Histon & Impington residents who will benefit.

    Donations would usually be between £50 and £1,000 and applications from groups and organisations would be assessed on their merits.  

    Grant eligibility

    The draft Grants policy goes some way towards clarifying when the Council is buying a service, and when it is supporting a not-for-profit, charitable or volunteer organisation to achieve its objectives.

    Organisations looking for larger amounts of money would be able to apply for grants, which the Council would be able to award “at its absolute discretion”. The size of grants would be unlimited and fresh applications could be made each year, though multiyear applications for a maximum of 3 years could be considered.

    Among those ineligible for grants would be political parties, local groups where fundraising is sent to a central HQ for redistribution, and religious organisations, unless for purposes that don’t discriminate on grounds of belief. Any organisation with policies that the Parish Council deems to be unacceptable would be also be ineligible, as would activity likely to bring the Council into disrepute.

    Change implications

    The new policy would have significant implications for two organisations that currently receive over £25,000 a year from the Parish Council.

    Local charity HI Friends is currently being contracted under a Service Level Agreement (SLA), which would have to be terminated under the new policy, and less restrictive obligations placed on the organisation.

    Similarly, the current SLA with Connections Bus Project, which has been operating since 2017, would come to an end, and the charity would continue to be paid under the terms of the new Grants Policy until the end of the year.

    Councillors will be voting on adopting the new policies and the termination of SLAs for the Hi Friends and Connections Bus Project at their meeting on Monday 17 March.

    ,

    Histon & Impington clubs, societies, and organisations can request a Donation Application Form from the Parish Office or download it from their website. Applications must be received by 15th November.

  • Marking a community’s deep-rooted love for its trees

    Last weekend our community’s love for its trees was transferred into some very real results which will benefit our village for years to come. Amanda Borrill catches up with Dan Mace, the man at the root of so much of our village’s greenery, to hear more.

    The weekend of 1-2 March was a big one for our village tree population as the community came together to demonstrate, in very practical terms, their value to the people of Histon & Impington.

    Histon & Impington Parish Council donated most of the trees for planting, with a further three gifted by South Cambs District Council. Helping to plant them were a range of village-based groups; ably led by Dan Mace (well known for his work with Community Orchard/HI Trees) and assisted by Daphne Fisher.

    New growth at The Coppice

    Starting things off on Saturday, were residents of The Coppice who were keen to replace some of the diseased trees that had been removed recently, including the magnificent beech that used to grow at the road entrance. The first tree to be planted was a native oak, near the site of the removed beech. “Over the years this should grow into a wonderful tree, at least as impressive as the tree it is replacing”, explained Dan. The residents then moved on to a clearing at the Southern end of The Coppice, created by the removal of more diseased trees, and planted two hazels and a hornbeam.

    Coppice resident Stephanie Norris said, “the residents were sad to see the removal of the diseased beech tree at the entrance to The Coppice, so we were delighted to help plant a new native oak tree as a replacement. We’re looking forward to watching it grow over the coming years.”

    Across the community

    Sunday morning saw Dan, Daphne and Daphne’s family plant a Summer Sun Cherry near the War Memorial. “This English cherry produces large black fruit in July – either local residents or the birds should enjoy the fruit from this tree in the future”, added Dan.
    And, next on the list was Clay Close Lane where the tree planters put in a Norway Spruce and Scots Pine. “It was really great to see local people – both adults and children – taking pride in their green spaces and planting trees for generations to come”, Daphne enthused.

    Last, but most certainly not least, came Manor Field. “The Cubs did a fantastic job at Manor Field”, smiled Dan. “There are no plans to turn Manor Field into a forest, but we are planting a few specimen trees, well-spaced across the field. This is the third year the Cubs have planted trees on Manor Field – this year they planted three native hornbeams and replaced a silver birch that had died last summer.

    Planting for future generations

    “The Cubs are super-enthusiastic, ask loads of great questions and, at about 8-years old, stand a good chance of being able to return to the trees when they’re fully grown in decades to come”, reflected Dan wistfully. “I probably won’t live to see these trees fully grown, but hopefully the Cubs will. Of course, at 8 years old it is hard to imagine being as old as 58, so they settled for returning on their 18th birthdays to enjoy the shade of the trees they’ve planted,” he laughed.

    Cub leader Maria was delighted that there was another opportunity for the Cubs to plant trees, and she and Dan are already starting to think about their planting plans for next year.

    “It was a great weekend”, Dan shared, “and it was amazing to be able to plant a few trees right across the village. Huge thanks go to both our Parish and District Councils for funding these”.

    Gallery of photos from across the weekend. All permissions given. Photos copyright Dan Mace.

    Get in touch

    Tree planting season is over for this year, but Dan is keen to continue to help with further tree planting in 2026. If you know of somewhere that would benefit from some new trees, please do get in touch with Dan directly.

    Email Dan Mace at dan.r.mace@gmail.com. Read more about the Community Orchard here and explore HI Trees here.

    READ ALSO: HI Trees introduce the mulch-o-meter for community tree care day and Planting for Posterity

  • Parish Councillor – Parish Council

    Parish Councillor – Parish Council

    Histon & Impington Parish Council are advertising the following role:

    Parish Councillor to join the Parish Council. To be considered, residents must meet a set of eligibility criteria and are asked to write to the Clerk by Wednesday 12 March with brief reasons for wishing to stand. The Council hopes to fill this vacancy at their next meeting on Monday 17 March.

    See News From Histon and Impington Parish Council

  • Parish Council vacancy creates opportunity for new blood

    Parish Council vacancy creates opportunity for new blood

    Residents interested in having more say in local decision-making have a chance to join Histon & Impington Parish Council for a limited period, without having to stand for election.

    The recent resignation of former Councillor Walter Davey created a vacancy that will be filled by co-option, meaning Councillors can select an individual of their choice on the electorate’s behalf. The Council hopes to fill this vacancy at their next meeting on Monday 17 March.

    To be considered, residents must meet a set of eligibility criteria and are asked to write to the Clerk by Wednesday 12 March with brief reasons for wishing to stand. 

    If more than one applicant comes forward there would be a vote amongst existing Council members to fill the position.

    The person co-opted would serve until May 2026, when all Councillors’ terms of office come to an end and an election will be held.

    Structure and responsibilities

    Full Council meetings are held on the third Monday of the month, except August, December and April, and Councillors can choose Committees and Working Parties to join, depending on their interests.

    There are currently six Committees, all of which have vacancies:

    • Planning and Development (1 vacancy)
    • Nature and Biodiversity (3 vacancies)
    • Wellbeing, Recreation and Leisure (2 vacancies)
    • Highways, Drainage and Formal Spaces (1 vacancy)
    • Employment and Development (1 vacancy)
    • Finance, Governance and Legal (2 vacancies)

    These Committees are responsible for taking decisions and making recommendations that are then presented to, scrutinised by and ultimately approved or rejected by Full Council meetings.

    In addition, there are two working parties at present, one examining future uses for the Recreation Ground and the other considering possible approaches to youth provision in the village. The working parties report to committees, or sometimes direct to Full Council.

    To discuss the Parish Council vacancy, call 01223 235906.

    To apply for co-option, write or email to The Clerk, Histon & Impington Parish Council, The Parish Office, Histon & Impington Recreation Ground, New Road, Impington, CB24 9LU or email clerk@hisimp-pc.gov.uk .

    The deadline for applications is noon on Wednesday 12 March.

  • Church could relocate to Histon

    A Cambridge church could be moving to Histon’s Vision Park, if a change of use planning application is approved. South Cambridgeshire planners are currently considering the proposals to convert three office units at 1-3 Trust Court into a “place of worship”. 

    The City of David Church – which is described as a “vibrant, multicultural pentecostal church” – needs to relocate because its current home at The Paddocks is set to become a research and development facility. 

    Relocation 

    A planning statement supporting the application explains: “The Redeemed Christian Church of God (otherwise known as RCCG) City of David Parish in Cambridge is a vibrant, multicultural church which is currently based at The Paddocks employment area on Cherry Hinton Road.

    “Due to plans to redevelop The Paddocks into a research and development facility the Church has been given notice to vacate the building by March 2025 hence the need for new accommodation. 

    “Units 1, 2, 3 Trust Court are ideal for the Church with ancillary offices as well as serviced offices to rent out.”

    Plans 

    Drawings for the proposals show the ground floor offices will be knocked through to create a main hall, two reception areas and WCs. A family friendly area with a creche, sensory room and nursing room are included in the first floor plans, as well as a gallery, coffee area and office space. More offices are proposed for the building’s second floor. 

    Proposed opening hours for Sundays are 9am-2pm, with Worship Service between 11am-1:30pm. The food bank is suggested for Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings. Evening events are planned Tuesdays-Thursdays. The planning document explains a congregation of 150 is expected on a Sunday and points out the “busiest time is when surrounding offices are closed for the weekend”. 

    Transport

    The Church employs 11 staff and has 16 part time volunteers; seven staff with four cars are said to be “associated with the church office element during the working week”. The site has 26 car parking places, and is accessible by foot, bicycle and public transport. Eighteen new cycle parking spaces are also being proposed with the application.

    The planning statement said: “The Church already actively implements a range of travel measures designed to reduce dependence on the private motor car e.g. lift sharing and provision of a community bus. In addition, some of the congregation are local and will walk or cycle to church.”

    The majority of the Parish Council’s Planning and Development Committee voted in favour of approving the application on 18 February, with six votes for approval and one vote against. The Local Highways Authority commented there should be “no significant adverse effect” on the surrounding area.

    Fundraising

    Towards the end of last November, the Church launched a fundraising campaign to raise £200,000 towards its new home. The “New Church Home” page on its website explains the support would go towards expanding the food bank services, enhance IT and training courses and help for other community initiatives. 

    The Church’s recent change of use application was validated by South Cambridgeshire District Council on 3 February, 2025. The reference number on the planning portal is 25/00305/FUL.

    The City of David Church was approached for comment. Eddisons is the applicant’s agent. 

    READ MORE: Footpath construction to go ahead after a 14-year lead-in

  • Swings re-open at The Green

    Work to replace two sets of children’s swings in the play area at The Green has been completed, with all now fully open to the public again.

    Contractors for the Parish Council began work on replacing the swing sets on 24 January and completed the job this week, having removed the old sets and assembled the new equipment. Weather conditions allowed for the replacements to be installed on schedule and the work was undertaken in fenced-off areas.

    Removal for safety

    An annual external inspection of the play area at The Green and the Rec last August found several issues with the old swing sets and basket swing, giving them a high-risk rating and leading to the seats on all the swings being removed straight away.

    The inspection found that parts of the timber on the structures had rotted, connecting lugs (on the chains) were worn in some cases, there was damage to the surface beneath the swings, and grass mats were missing or loose.

    Metal replacements

    Swings back in action at the Green.

    Quotes were sought initially for removing the posts and replacing them with new wooden ones, with metal feet to prevent them rotting in the future.

    But when the costs of replacing the entire wooden sets with metal sets were found to be comparable, and this option to be easier to maintain and covered by covered by a longer guarantee, the Council chose this instead.

    READ ALSO: Rec development plans on the agenda for Council Committee meeting | HI HUB

    Correction 10/2/25: The basket swing at the Recreation ground Play Area has not yet been replaced as the Parish Council is still deciding what equipment is going where.