Skate Ramp Out of Use

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

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

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.

Cat hit by car on Comberton Road

A tortoiseshell cat with hazel eyes was taken to Hardwick vet today. It was hit by a vehicle on Comberton Road near Hines Close. It seems to be recovering but has a broken jaw and cracked tooth. It is not chipped. Does anyone know who this cat belongs to?

Car Park Opening Festive Period

Christmas car park hours:

Please kindly note that from 20/12/22 to 2/1/23, the car park gate will be opened at 10am and closed at 6pm.  Normal hours will resume in the New Year.

Merry Christmas and best wishes from all at Barton Parish Council.

Blue Bins Only?

Due to freezing temperatures that have dropped as low as -7c, despite their best efforts our crews have not been able to collect all bins since Monday 12 December 2022. This is particularly the case on smaller / side roads that have not been gritted. On many occasions, it has simply been too dangerous for our large bin collection lorries to travel down these streets. Additionally, temperatures have been so low that the bin lifts on the back of our trucks have on occasion frozen solid and stopped working.

So, for those properties on a street where bins were not emptied during the week commencing Monday 12 December 2022, we will be doing our best to return next week (week commencing Monday 19 December 2022) to empty them. Please note that this only applies to blue and black bins. We have limited resources to provide additional collections so unfortunately have to prioritise black and blue bins over green.

If all the blue or black bins on your street were not emptied between Monday 12 and Friday 16 December, please put these back out on Sunday evening / first thing Monday morning and we will do our best to empty them by Friday afternoon (23 December). If by Friday it/they have not been emptied, then we apologise but will not be able to return until the next scheduled collection day.

The Council is aware of which whole streets were missed because of the mapping software used in bin lorries.

Bin Collections

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.

Reminder Barton Greenways

The consultation on Barton Greenways closes Friday midday, so now is your last chance to have your say. The Parish Council has submitted their input which includes comments gathered over the last few weeks following the public sessions on the scheme and also meetings with various groups.

Please continue to consult with the Parish Council on this and any other concerns you may have within Barton Parish.

Reminder Barton Greenways Consultation

Reminder that Barton Greenways Consultation closes this Friday (2 December 2022) at midday.

 

Over 40 people attended the public drop in session at the village hall last Thursday and comments and views were noted by the GCP Greenways team and Parish Councillors present.

 

 

 

Catalytic Converter Threat

By now everyone must be aware of catalytic converter thefts but this is just a heads up. Late last night a neighbour saw three men messing with the neighbours car and shouted at them from his front door. He was threatened with an iron bar so shot back indoors and called the police. The heads up is this, DO NOT approach them as they are potentially very dangerous. They seem to be targeting villages again so please stay away and stay safe. Call the police and remain indoors.