Grass cutting
The attached map provides a breakdown of Grass Cutting responsibility across the Parish.
Your Parish Council cuts the areas it is responsible for once (marked Blue on the map) every two weeks during the growing season (typically March to early November)
Burials and cemetery management
The attached provides details of availability and occupancy of plots within the open section of the graveyard in the grounds of Fenstanton Parish Church.
Current charges for burials and internments for FY 2021/22 are shown below.
Whilst the upkeep and repair of monuments and headstones is technically the responsibility of the families of the deceased, in many cases there are no known descendants. In these situations, your Parish Council has taken responsiblity for maintaining these along with the public areas and monuments.
For a wider search of historical records of Cambridgeshire, including births, deaths and marriages, go to: www.camdex.org.uk
Public footpaths
The attached shows the public footpaths and bridleways within the Parish. This includes Permissive paths.
The Parish Council cuts the grass along the footpaths three times over the Spring and Summer months
Litter and dog waste bins
Your Parish Council manages litter picking and the upkeep and emptying of a number of the litter and dog waste bins around the village. This is currently contracted for ten hours a week, but will shortly be increased with the deployment of an additional ten bins in areas where litter and dog fouling is a persistent problem.
Huntingdon District Council is responsible for emptying historic litter bins, including those along the High Street, Clock Tower area. See map for details
In addition, your Parish Council has co-ordinated Village clean-up days, involving a significant number of volunteers from across the village. New equipment and safety signs has been bought to facilitate future events.
Children’s play areas and open space
Chequer Street Playground
Pitfields Close Playground and open space
Hampton Close Open Space, including outdoor gym
Headlands Play Area
Maytrees Open Space
Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) – shared with School
Maintenance of the clock tower and village pond
Car parks
Chequer Street Car Park
Hampton Playing Fields Car Park
Hedges, verges, trees and Parish upkeep
Your Parish Council is responsible for only those assets and services described above. All other hedges and trees that border publicly accessed areas are the sole responsibility of the adjacent Landowner. Verges are typically the responsibility of the Highways Department. Whilst the Parish Clerk is able to request that an adjacent Landowner should tidy or cutback overhanging hedges or branches from public areas, or keep verges tidy, he/she has very limited powers, if any, to compel them to do so. It should be noted that in some circumstances due to land ownership being remote, the owners or operators of some areas remain unknown or difficult to locate
Localism Act 2011
A significant change in the remit of Parish Councils occurred as a result of the Localism Act 2011. It extends the power of Parish Councils, to ‘do anything that individuals generally may do‘, as long as that is not limited by some other Act.
In Fenstanton this has primarily allowed your Parish Council to:
- List Assets of Community Value, and should a situation arise, bid to take these over;
- Manage the ‘local’ content of the Community Infrastructure Levy (15% of the total levied);
- Have greater involvement with and provide more support for local community and volunteer groups;
- Take on additional services where District or County provision has waned;
- Work towards eligibility to become a Parish Council with full ‘General Power of Competence’, allowing further freedom to act on behalf of the Fenstanton community.
