A Councillor's Comments - September 2003

Like many of you reading this, your councillors have returned from their annual summer holidays refreshed and ready to make decisions on the behalf of the community.

New Town Council Website
Your council has leapt into the 21st Century and now has it’s own Website and E-Mail facility www.soham-tc.gov.uk. I must stress that this site is not in competition with the award winning Soham On-Line Community Website www.soham.org.uk but rather to complement it and also to link in with East Cambridgeshire District Council www.eastcambs.gov.uk, Cambridgeshire County Council www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk and Soham Town Forum in line with the national E-Government scheme to get every council on-line by 2005. The Town Council would welcome any comments or suggestions from you, so please do contact us in any of the following ways:- E-Mail: , Telephone: 01353 723472 or write to Soham Town Council, PO Box 21, The Pavilion, Fountain Lane, Soham, Cambridgeshire, CB7 5PL alternatively you can pop into the office at The Pavilion which is open Mondays to Fridays from 9.00am until 1.00pm. Communication in this modern age is a wonderful thing, if we don’t know what your problem is - we can’t act.!!!

Affordable Housing
Affordable Housing Planning approval has been sought for 18 dwellings on land off Bancroft Lane with necessary parking and landscaping to preserve the more rural nature of this site. Another site has been identified on land between 53 & 55 Fordham Road. The council have given their full support to meet the very real need for this type of housing within Soham.

The Reading Maze
The Council donated £300 toward this very successful summer reading challenge. The financial support from the Council enabled the Soham Library to employ specially designated staff to promote reading and book based activities. Well over a 100 children participated and the weekly activity sessions were very well received. 56 children will be awarded certificates and medals for reading and discussing at least 6 books during the school holidays - this is a record for Soham and the staff are delighted.

Hanging Baskets
A partnership between Soham Town Council, The City of Ely Council and the City of Ely & District Horticultural Society, supported by a grant from East Cambridgeshire District Council, has bought forward the fantastic hanging basket displays which have been enjoyed during the summer in both Soham and Ely. This partnership was a first for 2003, the partners hope it will be possible to provide similar or even better displays next year providing ECDC continue their current Level of financial support.

Soham Festival Proposal
In conjunction with Soham Benevolent Association a Festival has been suggested in the run up to next year’s May Bank Holiday - Soham Carnival & Heavy Horse Show. A series of major events are planned in the week leading up to the actual Carnival with a number of local organisations already having offered their support. This event is still very much in the planning stages and details have yet to be finalised. The Town Council has given it’s agreement in principle to repeat the extremely successful Family Disco & Firework Display as a Finale to the Carnival that was staged for the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002. Kindest Regards,

Fiona Ross
Soham Town Councilor