A message from Bek – our former village postman

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To the Barton Community: I just wanted to take the opportunity to let everyone know that, with great regret, but with an excited heart I have had to hand in my notice to Royal Mail and start a new chapter.  I’m sorry I haven’t been back to see you all since July but due to an injury I was signed off until my very last day.

I would like to thank you all for making me feel very welcome when I first arrived in 2014.  I already miss all the chats.  Getting to know you all has been an absolute pleasure.  You have all felt more like family than just customers over the last few years and Barton village and the people will always have a very special place in my heart,

Take care of yourselves and best wishes in every way.  Unfortunately me and social media don’t seem to get on so I’ll leave my number and email at the bottom if anyone would like to check in every now and then  and have a chat.

Bek, your postie and friend

07950378438

Skate Ramp Out of Use

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The Skate Ramp is out of use as the decking is being replaced. We will let you know when it is back in use.

Keep Eyes Open for Crime

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There have been a spate of crimes committed in Barton recently. A resident on Kings Grove had a break-in. There have been a number of catalytic converter thefts in the village and a Comberton resident was subjected to a “second hand” car scam that took place in Barton.

The second hand car scam is when a potential buyer visits and an accomplice tampers with the engine to make it look as if there is a major fault such as a head gasket failure. The aim is to drive down the price and pick up a perfectly good car for a bargain. Once sold, the car is taken away and the “fault” easily fixed. The car can then be resold for a large profit. See 1st February “The One Show” where this scam was explained with the help of Doug. Doug’s scam occurred several weeks ago at a property in Barton.

Police are again focusing on Catalytic Converter thefts:

  • Look out for vehicles jacked up (especially in the middle of the vehicle)
  • Listen out for the sound of metal being cut. There may be a vehicle nearby with the engine running and two or three people involved
  • But please don’t approach this people, they have been known to be violent in the past and may even be carrying weapons
  • Instead, call us on 999 and share the vehicle number plate and any other details that could help us

You can read more about catalytic converter theft on our website.

Please be vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour to the police on eCops or via Cambridgeshire Police website.

We had a report of suspicious behaviour on the High Street. A resident saw a suspicious car being parked outside their house. It was a black BMW 3 series, and the driver kept looking at the house and back repeatedly. The driver was taking notes. The car was parked for about 20 minutes. Has anyone else seen this black  BMW?

 

Extraordinary Parish Council Meeting

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There will be a Parish Council meeting on Thursday 26th January 2023. Primarily this is to discuss a response to the planning application 22/05506/FUL (Construction of stabling facilities, outdoor riding area, access track, hardstanding, change of use of land from agricultural to “mixed agricultural and equestrian” for private equestrian use).

 

All members of the public are welcome.

Pick up Dog Mess!

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20 bags of dog dirt were collected from Barton Recreation Ground football pitch before the match Saturday morning. Would you want your children to play football on a pitch covered in dog faeces?

Please pick you your dog’s poo and remind others to do the same if you see anyone not clearing up after their dog.

Failure to do so could result in up to a £100 fixed penalty notice fine or up to £1000 if the case goes to court.

 

 

 

 

 

Beware of Fraud

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It’s only 5th January and we’ve already received eight reports of fraud since the start of the year…

  • One incident involving a victim who paid hundreds of pounds for a dog from a lady on Facebook, but the dog never arrived
  • Two banking protocol incidents where staff from local branches have contacted us with concerns for their customers who have tried to send large sums of money to people they’ve met online
  • An incident involving a lost driving licence used fraudulently. The genuine owner received penalty points for a parking offence he never committed using a vehicle he never owned
  • And finally, reports of a rogue trading incident in Peterborough!

 

Fraud is a vast and ever-evolving area of crime, and one which our officers are fighting every day.

For more advice on the different types of fraud and how to protect yourself and your loved ones, visit the dedicated pages on our website.

Potholes

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Please continue to report minor road damage on the CCC Highways site. Many potholes opened up on all our roads after the frosts a few weeks ago. Highways have marked up many of them for repairs but please report any that have been missed. The website is minor repairs.

 

A new 30 mph sign has been ordered for Wimpole Road. This has been down for some months now and we will continue to keep our MVAS sign on Wimpole Road until a new 30 mph sign has been installed.

Police & Crime Commissioner Survey

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As your elected Police and Crime Commissioner, an important part of my job is to set the budget for policing for the coming year. That means making sure the Chief Constable has the resources he needs to effectively police Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

We are all aware of the tremendous pressures caused by the current cost-of-living crisis however it is important to remember that inflation applies to policing as well, with police vehicles, fuel and training all costing more than they did this time last year.

Police funding comes from two main sources: around 56% from central government and the remainder from the policing part of council tax, paid for by local residents.

Whilst we continue to face these financial challenges, we need to remember that our police officers and staff continue to work tirelessly to keep us all safe.

The good news is we have seen police officer numbers continually rise to record numbers (1,732 expected by March 2023) across our county. This is due to both the government’s national police officer recruitment programme (which pays for those new recruits) and the increase paid by you in your 2022/23 council tax bill which ensures officers have all the necessary training and equipment to carry out their jobs effectively.

I would be grateful if you could take a few moments to give me your views as I consider increasing the policing part of the council tax by 5.8%. This equates to 19p per week for a property in Band A, or 29p per week for a Band D.

This would enable the Chief Constable to support, train and equip the record number of officers we have in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

You can find the survey on my webpage – it runs until Friday 13th January 2023 at 17:00

If you would prefer to give your views by telephone, please speak to a member of my team on 0300 333 3456 or email: .

Many thanks for your time.

 

Darryl

Elves Out and About

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Have you spotted elves lurking in the bushes? Some are hiding in the snow while others play tricks inside.

 

Please send your photos if you spot any and my own little elf will load it on our website.

Bin Collections

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As a result of the snow and ice, Greater Cambridge Shared Waste bin collection crews were not able to empty bins on some streets today. Bin lorries have only been able to safely empty bins on those streets that have been gritted as it is too dangerous and slippery for the vehicles to drive down un-treated roads. The freezing temperatures have also had an impact on the trucks themselves – with bin lifting mechanics failing. The safety of bin crews must come first.

 

If all the bins on your street have not been emptied, we will not be able to return until the next collection day so please bring your bins back in and put them out again on your next collection day. Bin crews will then do their very best to remove additional waste left alongside wheelie bins for these properties when they come back for your next scheduled collection. For blue bins, this means one transparent clear sack of recycling plus one bundle of cardboard. Put any glass inside the blue bin and bundles of cardboard must be of a size which will fit inside an empty bin with the lid closed. For black bins, this will be up to two extra black bin bags for those households that need it. Bin crews are not able to collect additional green bin waste that is not in an authorised additional green bin.

 

The bin crews are working hard to try and empty as many bins as possible, and Greater Cambridge Shared Waste apologise for any inconvenience. The freezing weather conditions are making their jobs especially hard at the moment.