Village Land – What’s Available and What’s Possible
Several residents have recently raised questions about land in the village and what could be done with it. It’s great to see such interest in shaping our community spaces.
To clarify, the Parish Council owns very little land. This includes:
• The children’s play area
• Land surrounding the Village Hall, including the play-ing field.
• Village Green (grass area in front of Church)
However, please note the playing field is subject to a covenant stating it can only be used as a playing field. It cannot be sold for development or incur any change of use. It is to be available to the village as a playing field in perpetuity.
All other land in the village is either privately owned, owned by Huntingdon District Council or forms part of the public highways, which falls under the responsibility of the County Council.
The Parish Council are always happy to hear ideas and explore possibilities within these boundaries. If you have suggestions or questions, feel free to get in touch.
While the Parish Council cuts grass on its own land, it also maintains strategic areas around the village to:
• ensure safe access to footpaths
• improve road safety by keeping sightlines clear for drivers
• enhance the overall appearance of the village, help-ing it to look tidy and welcoming
Huntingdonshire Civil Parking Enforcement
Effective 1st August 2025
Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) is set to gain new powers to enforce parking rules locally, following confirmation from the Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Green-wood MP.
From 28th July 2025, Huntingdonshire will become a Civil Enforcement Area. While this does not change where people can or cannot park, it does mean that powers to enforce existing parking restrictions will be available to the local authority.
Until now, responsibility for parking enforcement has rested with the police. With Civil Parking Enforcement in place, council employed Civil Enforcement Officers will be able to issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for offences such as parking on double yellow lines or in disabled bays without a valid blue badge. This change is aimed at improving traffic flow, boosting compliance, and ensuring parking spaces are used fairly and safely.
The police will retain powers to enforce dangerous or obstructive parking, parking on pedestrian cross-ings and zig-zag lines and moving traffic offences such as speeding or driving through ‘no entry’ zones.
Local Highways Improvement – We Need Your Ideas
The Local Highways Improvement (LHI) programme covers all districts in Cambridgeshire and invites any groups or organisations that represent the local community to apply for funding. The schemes are community driven and give local people the opportunity to put forward proposals for highway improvements in their area.
The schemes are delivered by the County Council on a joint funded basis and applicants can apply for funding of up to either £25,000 for complex projects or £10,000 for non-complex projects, as a contribution to their scheme. The applicant is expected to provide a minimum contribution of 10% towards the total scheme cost. The 2026/27 LHI application round will open from the beginning of November.
Please note the Parish Council are still waiting for the results from the 2025/26 round where we applied for funding to provide village gateways on the Breach Road approach to the village from Ellington and on the Buckden Road approach to the village from the direction of Buckden and the A1.
The Parish Council is preparing to submit a new application to the LHI Scheme and is keen to hear from residents about what should be included. In previous years, successful bids have brought us:
• MVAS units
• Improved road signage
This time, we are exploring further options – such as speed reduction on Church Road / Hill, which has been raised as a concern by several residents. Your feedback is vital. If you have any ideas or concerns about specific locations, please get in touch:- clerk@grafhampc.org
Parish Council Meetings
The next meeting of the Parish Council is to be held on Tuesday 2nd September 2025, 7.30pm in the Village Hall.
Cllr Ian Gardener
Chairman, Grafham Parish Council