LITTLE GRANSDEN PARISH COUNCIL

Chair: Oliver Hipwell, Hill Farm, 8 Main Road, Little Gransden SG19 3DN Tel: 017944 547685 email oliverhipwell.lgpc@gmail.com (Elected 5 May 2022; Vice-chair; Biodiversity and Tree Officer)

John Jefferies, Ash Tree Cottage, Little Gransden SG19 3BP email jrjefferies@btinternet.com (Co-opted 12 May 2022 )

Mrs Noushin Rostami, 34 Primrose Hill, Little Gransden SG19 3DP emailnrostami.lgpc@gmail.com (Elected 5 May 2022; co-ordinator Friendship Club)

Emma Ward 6 Main Road, Little Gransden SG19 3DN emmaward.lgpc@gmail.com (Elected 5 May 2022; trustee and parish council representative for Little Gransden Village Hall)

Aston Cox, Gransden Lodge, Longstowe Road, Little Gransden SG19 3EB (co-opted 11 May 2023

Clerk: Sylvia Sullivan, 3 Primrose Hill, Little Gransden SG19 3DP Tel: 01767 677906, email clerk.lgpc@aol.com Office hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday

Wednesday 18 September 2024

Publix Xonsultation Bus Franchising

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Bus Franchising Consultation How to take part – please use the below options to participate: Option 1: We are holding six stakeholder events and would welcome your attendance at one of the events so that you can share your views. Please use this link to find out more information about the six events and to book your place at one of them https://forms.office.com/e/tUW5vmegdu. Option 2: You can participate online by visiting: https://cpca-yourvoice.co.uk/bus-franchising-consultation/ On the website you will find the relevant consultation documents, together with two questionnaires. A long questionnaire comprising 31 questions and a short one which comprises 11 questions. You can save your answers and return to your questionnaire if you would like more time to complete it. Option 3: If you would prefer a paper copy of the consultation documents or large print versions, please contact: consultations@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk or call us on: 01480 277180. You can also request a copy in the following languages: Polish, Lithuanian, Portuguese and Urdu If you would like to help the Combined Authority to promote this consultation, we are very happy to send you a package of leaflets and posters. If this is of interest to your organisation please email consultations@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk to request the promotional materials.

2024 Minutes of Little Gransden Parish Council meeting 11 July 2024

Minutes of Little Gransden Parish Council meeting 11 July 2024

Tuesday 3 September 2024

URGENT – Consultation on Application for Luton Airport expansion closes 6 September

INFORMATION from RELAS: There are two issues that are threatening our region from Luton Airport's applications. Please encourage your residents to action them both asap: A) Closing on 11 September, feedback to Civil Aviation Authority(CAA) about the airspace change(Ad6) B) Closing on 6 September, comments via email to Inspectorate who is consulting public before approval of the Expansion of Luton Airport Planning Application Below is information supplied by RELLAS group for Item B) RELAS Guide Urgent: Submit Your Feedback on Luton Airport Expansion DCO Planning Application You have only until September 6th, 2024, to submit your feedback on the critical issues surrounding Luton Airport's proposed expansion and airspace changes. This is your chance to influence decisions that will impact our communities for years to come. Important Links and Submission Details • Details on the latest stage of the process can be found here: national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/TR020001 • Feedback must be submitted via email to: lutonairport@planninginspectorate.gov.uk Why You Should Act Now We strongly believe that the two major issues currently under review—the AD6 Airspace Design Consultation and the DCO Planning Application for Luton Airport expansion—are closely linked. However, the regulatory bodies responsible for these matters have different roles: • The CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) handles airspace safety and compliance with aviation rules. • The Planning Inspectorate oversees infrastructure planning, including expansion proposals like Luton’s. Despite their separate remits, it is clear that airspace and infrastructure cannot be considered in isolation. No expansion should proceed until the AD6 airspace design is proven safe and effective. Key Concerns: 1. Timing of the Consultation The timing of this consultation, taking place during the peak holiday season, is highly problematic. It limits the ability of residents, representatives, and politicians to provide meaningful input. 2. Misaligned Deadlines There is a troubling mismatch in deadlines: • September 6, 2024: Deadline for the DCO Planning Application. • September 11, 2024: Deadline for feedback on the AD6 Airspace Design Consultation. This raises serious concerns about whether decisions on infrastructure will be made before the airspace design has been fully evaluated, potentially compromising safety and the process's integrity. 3. Poor Performance Metrics Eurocontrol data already identifies Luton as the worst-performing London airport in terms of noise pollution and environmental impact. Approving further expansion under these conditions is irresponsible unless substantial improvements are made. 4. Impact on Local Communities Residents in Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, and Bedfordshire have reported severe disruption due to the current AD6 airspace design. These issues must be resolved before any expansion is considered. 5. Tactical Airspace Behaviors There is growing concern over the tactical behaviors observed in Luton’s airspace, with flights occurring at all hours, often just minutes apart. No increase in arrivals should be approved until Luton Airport complies with the AD6 consultation standards. 6. Infrastructure and Airspace Are Inseparable While the Planning Inspectorate and the CAA may claim to have distinct roles, the truth is that Luton’s expansion plans cannot be considered in isolation from the airspace issues. The airspace must be safe, effective, and fit for purpose before any infrastructure decisions are made. Call to Action: We urge the Planning Inspectorate to review the RELAS report (RELAS_AD6_Stage_7_Common_Submission_version_1.0), which has already been submitted to the CAA as part of the AD6 consultation. This report provides critical evidence of the problems caused by the current airspace design, as well as detailed recommendations for improvement. The Planning Inspectorate must hold Luton Airport accountable for addressing these concerns before any infrastructure approvals are granted. Submit Your Feedback by September 6th This is your last opportunity to ensure that both the airspace and infrastructure are safe and suitable for our communities. Your voice matters—let’s make sure it’s heard. • Email your feedback to: lutonairport@planninginspectorate.gov.uk • Deadline: September 6th, 2024

URGENT - Feedback on Luton Airport Airspace Change required by 11 September

INFORMATION from RELAS: There are two issues that are threatening our region from Luton Airport's applications. Please encourage your residents to action them both asap: A) Closing on 11 September, feedback to Civil Aviation Authority(CAA) about the airspace change(Ad6) B) Closing on 6 September, comments via email to Inspectorate who is consulting public before approval of the Expansion of Luton Airport Planning Application Below is information supplied by RELLAS group for Item A) Urgent: Final Opportunity to Provide Feedback on Luton AD6 Airspace Change Deadline: 11 September Time is running out to make your voice heard regarding the London Luton Airport AD6 airspace change. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is now conducting the final review of this process, and your feedback is critical. Since its implementation in 2022, communities across Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, and Bedfordshire have faced a dramatic decline in quality of life, with aircraft now descending as close as 3 minutes apart, up to 18 hours a day. Independent data from Eurocontrol confirms that Luton Airport is the worst performer among London airports on key operational and environmental metrics. Why Your Feedback Matters Luton Airport has submitted data to the CAA for the Post Implementation Review (PIR) that benefits its own interests. It is vital that you counter this with feedback that reflects the reality of what local communities have been enduring. How to Submit Your Feedback: 1. Click here: https://airspacechange.caa.co.uk/PublicProposalArea?pID=51 2. Scroll down and select the ‘Provide Feedback’ tab at the bottom. 3. You can provide up to 6000 characters of feedback in the first box, addressing key points. 4. If you have additional documents (e.g. the RELAS report), you can mention them in the second box. 5. Important: State that the CAA can obtain the RELAS_AD6_Stage_7_Common_Submission_version_1.0 report by emailing info@relas.uk. 6. Once submitted, please email Relas at info@relas.uk to confirm you’ve provided feedback. This helps us track overall participation. Key Findings from the RELAS Report The 42-page scientific report commissioned by RELAS offers a detailed counter-analysis of the PIR data submitted by Luton Airport. Although the report is restricted, here are the critical points: • Noise Pollution: The new flight paths are causing severe noise pollution, negatively impacting the daily lives of residents. • Non-Compliance: Luton Airport has not fully adhered to regulations, particularly regarding noise management and airspace changes. • Evidence: The report includes comprehensive data on noise levels and flight patterns, illustrating the harm caused to affected communities. • Recommendations: A full review and potential redesign of the AD6 airspace are necessary to mitigate these issues. Recommended Solutions Based on RELAS findings, we suggest the following measures: 1. Operational Management: o Implement smooth, quiet descents and ban routes requiring excessive speed brakes. o Limit descent rates to 2,000 ft/min, especially at night. o Avoid concentrated flight paths over narrow areas in short periods. o Enforce penalties for flight path deviations and use of extended flight patterns when necessary. 2. Noise and Environmental Impact: o Stop repetitive disturbances over communities (e.g., loops, tight turns). o Penalize airlines not using noise-reduction technology, particularly for older aircraft models. o Improve noise monitoring standards and enforce stricter night flight restrictions. 3. Compliance and Monitoring: o Establish an independent body to monitor and address complaints. o Require monthly public reports on noise and CO2 efficiency. o Apply consistent regulations across all London airports. 4. Speed and Altitude Management: o Enforce a maximum approach speed of 220 kt and prohibit speeds over 250 kt, especially at night. o Improve the complaints system to provide accurate aircraft altitude data. 5. Community Engagement: o Strengthen the complaints process and remove restrictive policies, such as the ‘one reply only’ rule. o Form regional working groups with community stakeholders to ensure better planning. o Increase transparency in air traffic control and decision-making. 6. Halt Airport Expansion: o Pause any plans for Luton Airport expansion until performance metrics are brought in line with Stansted and Gatwick. Call to Action This is your last chance to influence the final decision on the AD6 airspace changes. Please submit your feedback before 11 September and help ensure that the voices of impacted communities are heard. Together, we can push for fairer skies. RELAS

Sunday 1 September 2024

Agenda for Little Gransden Parish Council meeting 5 September 2024

Agenda for Little Gransden Parish Council meeting 5 September 2024 - Clerk's report included. .

Tuesday 30 July 2024

Swanwick Airspace Improvement Programme – Airspace Deploymant

Swanwick Airspace Improvement Programme – Airspace Deploymant On Thursday 11 July 2024, there was an update about Swanwick Airspace Improvement Programme – Airspace Deploymant. You can view this and give feedback at: https://airspacechange.caa.co.uk/PublicProposalArea?pID=51 The feedback closes on 11 September 2024. Posted by S Sullivan, Clerk to Little Gransden Parish Clerk

CCC public consultation on Active Travel Hierarchy

Dear Parish or Town Clerk/Chair I would like to make you aware of a consultation which has been launched by the Highways & Transport service at Cambridgeshire County Council. This follows proposals for a consultation which were presented to the Council's Highways & Transport Committee in January 2024. The committee paper can be found here: Document.ashx (cmis.uk.com). The consultation seeks input regarding proposals for an 'Active Travel Hierarchy'. The Active Travel Hierarchy looks to introduce a way of prioritising maintenance activities to better reflect the use of the highway network by walkers, cyclists and other non-motorised traffic. This will support the Council’s Active Travel Strategy and its ambition to make walking or cycling the natural choice for shorter journeys, in turn helping to reduce road traffic congestion, improve journey times, and contributing to carbon reduction in the County. We would like to invite your feedback on the proposals, so that we can better understand which active travel routes and public rights of way are considered important by our communities, and what maintenance activities stakeholders might like us to prioritise. This is a public consultation that is being promoted on the Council's social media channels. We would also appreciate you promoting this consultation locally in your parish communities, to encourage wide participation, so we can gauge residents’ views. The consultation is open for responses until Monday 16th September. I have attached a background document to this email, but you can also access the consultation website here: https://consultcambs.uk.engagementhq.com/active-travel-hierarchy. Please feel free to circulate this link amongst your local residents. You can do this by sharing social media posts that started from 22 July on the County Council's channels, which will be continuing in the weeks ahead. Please direct any questions about the consultation to assetdatastrategy@cambridgeshire.gov.uk Daniel Ashman - on behalf of the Highway Asset Management Team (Pronouns – he/his) Why have I put this here? Highway Records & Definitive Map Manager Highways Maintenance Service E: assetdatastrategy@cambridgeshire.gov.uk Box STA2101, Highways Depot, Stanton Way, Huntingdon, PE29 6PY Posted by S Sullivan, Clerk to Little Gransden Parish Council