Reflections on the St Neots Neighbourhood Forum

The Monday meeting was again not very well attended. With less Council Officers and Councillors, though there was a few Council candidates in attendance, the numbers seem to have diminished again. These are about to become very important meetings under the Localism Bill currently going through Parliament.

The meeting itself. The Police did a very good presentation pointing out recorded crime is falling in St Neots. The Night Time Economy stats show St Neots being rather peaceable at night with less crime than other Towns within the Division. Rather good to know. There was concern was over parking at The Paddocks. Not much the police can do unless County decides to put in parking restrictions.

We had a presentation from Youth Development about the changes going on and the cuts to services. The main point seems to be the Skateboard Park which riled a couple of residents.

There was a Budget update from the County Council from Cllr Hutton who made a very good presentation listing some of the cuts coming to St Neots, which was mainly the buses. Cllr Hutton said she would fight for money from the New Homes Bonus the County was getting to come to St Neots.

There was a Budget update from the District Council which looked at the cuts. Cllr Rogers said the New Homes Bonus would be spread around the District rather than to the areas where the New Homes Bonus is coming from. HDC's St Neots Customer Service Centre will be saved from the cuts but with some reductions. Some bits over Ian Leatherbarrow's MBA on the rates and whether Chief officers should have credit cards.

A man from Luminus gave a presentation of Neighbourhood Management in Eynesbury which seemed to about the awards given out to 28 various groups. Not much about Neighbourhood Management.

There were a few Neighbourhood issues and nothing really on future issues.

The date of the next meeting is 25th July 2011 at the Great Gransden Meeting Room.

I don't know what the answer is to attendance. It seems when there is a big issue like wind farms lots of people turn up. Whatever HDC is doing now isn't making the ordinary public want to attend these meetings.