We have continued to provide 17.75 acres of allotments and 24 garden allotments.

The village green, playing field and roadside grass verges have been cut regularly and flower beds maintained.

The Cage was open for visitors from April to September on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons and is available for small exhibitions and group meetings. During the last year the Cage was the venue for a Pottery Exhibition and an Arts & Crafts Exhibition

Parson Drove Street Pride Group have undertaken projects during the year including litter picks through the village and clearing weeds from the churchyard and laying bark around the gravestones. Their current project is improving the Gateways to the village by replacing the Parson Drove signs and planting shrubs around the signs. We are very grateful to the group and the village volunteers for their efforts to improve and enhance our parish environment.

During the year Councillors have attended meetings representing the Parish Council on the John Bends United Charities, Leverington Feofees, Friends of The Cage, Amenities 95 Management Committee, Section 106 working group and Safer Routes to School Scheme.

The Parish Plan Action Group has up dated the Action Plan with achievements to date and continued to liaise with the Council together with other agencies and service providers to take forward remaining areas highlighted in the action plan.

Summary of the Council's Accounts for year ending 31 st March 2009

INCOME

Parish Precept £10,000
Concurrent Functions Grant from District Counci £5,670
Grass cutting grant from County Council £793
Recycling Credits £ 643
Allotments & Gardens Rent  £1,427
Bank Interest £476
Cambridgeshire County Council Grant £ 500
Miscellaneous £487

The total income for the year excluding VAT was £19,996

A copy of the full accounts is available upon request to the Clerk.

In addition to the general administration costs, professional fees and salary costs of approximately £11,163 expenditure on the following areas has also been incurred:-

The total expenditure for the year was £27,024 excluding VAT

What we did during 2008/2009

During the last year there have been 15 Parish Council Meetings and all Councillors have attended on a regular basis. 

Councillors have attended various meetings, events and information sessions on your behalf organised by Cambridgeshire ACRE, Cambridgeshire Association of Local Councils, Fenland District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, Neighbourhood Policing and Fenland Links.

The Council has made recommendations on 20 planning applications, and responded to various consultation documents on the Fenland Local Development Framework, Wind Turbine Development and Housing Strategy. A successful campaign to secure the retention of the local Post Office was instigated by the Council.

A streetlight has been ordered and will be installed at Church End in the near future.

A litter bin has been provided at Springfield Road and another at Church End opposite the Doctors Surgery.

The old bus shelter has been removed and a new one built. Grant funding of £5,000 was received from Fenland Links at the end of the previous financial year towards this project.

Councillors have held regular open surgeries for Parishioners in the Cage and quarterly newsletters have been produced and delivered to each household.