Category Archives: General

Middle Level Commissioners public drop in events – 12-04-2024

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The Middle Level Commissioners will be holding two Public Drop-in events during April and May. We would like you to join us at these events.

The events will be held on:

25 April 2024                                              7 May 2024

The March Library                                     Ramsey Forty Foot Village Hall

City Road                                                      Ramsey Forty Foot, 

March, PE15 9LT                                        Huntingdon PE26 2XN

2.30pm to 6.30pm                                     2.30pm to 6.30pm 

We would like to invite you to join us at these events to find out more about The Middle Level Commissioners.

Our team will be on hand to explain more about:

  • What the Middle Level Commissioners do
  • How important our work is to the local community
  • History of the Middle level Commissioners
  • The upcoming bank raising and desilting works

Please feel free to share this invite with anyone you think might be interested and use the attached poster on any notice boards.

We want our event to be an inclusive and positive experience for everyone. Please let us know if you have any needs that require adjustment to ensure your full ability to participate by contacting us using the details below. We will do our best to accommodate everybody’s needs. Please be reassured that the information you share with us will be treated with respect and confidentiality.

For more information please contact: bankraising@middlelevel.gov.uk

Council Tax 2024/2025 – 08/04/2024

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Council Tax for Somersham 2024-2025

There have been a lot of comments on social media recently about the level of council tax in Somersham compared to other towns and villages. This has also led to some ill-informed comments and speculation. Hopefully you will find the following information useful.

Parish Councillors are elected by parish residents every four years to take decisions on behalf of the community. They receive no remuneration. The role is entirely voluntary. All meetings are held, and decisions taken in public every four weeks with agendas published beforehand. Each meeting includes a public forum where all are welcome. Meeting minutes and accounts are all published on the council website.

The parish precept, or Council Tax demand, is a simple calculation. It is the number and cost of facilities divided by the number of taxable properties.

In response to local expectations the council has over the last 25 years been proactive and ambitious, seeking to provide as much as possible for local residents. As a result, Somersham has far more to offer than any other village in this part of the county. This includes the Millennium Sports Facility, Norwood Recreation Field, Play Area, Multi-Purpose Sports Area, Squash Court, Car Park, Library, Lake, Nature Reserve as well as the Timebank and Changing Lives activities, plus a full time Lengthsman. Highway improvements have also been introduced in response to residents’ complaints about speeding traffic. These are all provided or assisted by your parish council and managed by staff (six members of staff in total) and an office.

As the village grows over the next few years, the number of tax contributing households will increase, without the need for any significant increase in facilities. This means that council tax should not need to rise as it has in the past.

Comparison has been made with St Ives which charges less Council Tax. St Ives Town has four times the number of properties, but their council does not provide four times the benefits. Market Towns are different in that they are seen as strategic settlements expected to cater for a much wider geographical area than the town. Consequently, the Sports and Leisure facilities, Library, Car Parks etc are provided by the County and District Councils, not the Town council. Market towns also qualify for grants from the Combined Authority.

Have your say: Electric Vehicles and Charging Points survey – 11/03/2024

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The Combined Authority has launched a survey asking the public to share their views on electric vehicles (EVs) and how best to meet the need for more charging points across the region.  With the transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles affecting everyone – whether they drive an EV or not – we’re encouraging as many people as possible to have a say. Please share the survey among your community noticeboards, publications and channels to help more people to take part.  Working with Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, we are developing an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy and will be applying to the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund to help build more charge points. The Combined Authority wants to make sure they are planned for in the right way, informed by people’s views. 
The Combined Authority’s vision for charging points is:  “For everyone in the region to have the necessary electric vehicle charging infrastructure available in the right place at the time they need. This charging infrastructure will be high quality, safe , affordable, environmentally sustainable and accessible. “ The survey only takes five minutes and can be found here, along with further information: https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/ev-charging/. People have until March 26, 2024, to take the survey before it closes. You can download our survey poster for sharing within your community and networks. There is a QR code linking to the survey. For those who prefer to email feedback, use transport@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk For responding by post, request a hard copy of the survey by emailing transport@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk or call 01480 277180. You can also read our news post about the survey here: https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/news/call-for-views-on-electric-vehicles-and-planning-for-more-charging-points/ Thank you in advance for any support you can give in sharing this survey. Combined Authority Transport Team 
Fill in the survey here