Longstanton Village

It is stressed that the flood map is 'a awareness-raising tool and should only be used as a first step in assessing flood risk'.  The flood map for Longstanton includes allowances for climate change and shows which areas may be at risk of some flooding during extreme events in the future.

Should you have a raw sewage crisis and should Anglian Water not respond within the committed timescale of 12 hours,  the senior AW employee has agreed that  you contact the District Councillor Alex Riley  by email ( alex [at] alexrileywines [dot] co [dot] uk  ) or  by telephone (01954 208000), inform him of the details and when you contacted the helpline – please leave a telephone number.  

There had been problems with the village’s sewage system for quite a number of years: at present our village is served by five pumping stations altogether. Two are situated in Rampton Drift residential estate, one is in Rampton Drift road itself, a fourth station is just opposite the entrance to Ladywalk and the fifth is located near the boundary with Willingham that is north of the new Guided Busway under construction. The closure of the ex-MOD's treatment work at Rampton Drift  meant that the parish sewage system catered for 280 extra dwellings, and, with the Home Farm phased housing expansion to the village being taken into account (at least 500 dwellings, of which half are already occupied), the pumping stations ccould not,cope with up to two and a half times as much effluent as they were originally built for. A single forty years old pipeline six inches in diameter takes the sewage out of Longstanton and carries the total effluent output by the time it reaches our  boundary with Willingham.

  Disposal of the village sewage is the responsibility of Anglian Water, a private company. The District Councillor informed the residents in December 2008 that: "The pumping station opposite Ladywalk had its upgrade completed mid-October and is now operating at a much higher capacity. Anglian Water (AW) are convinced that the new capacity will prevent any recurrence of the sewage pollution we have experienced in the past. Please make sure you let me know of any sewage problems and I will pursue these with AW."

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 You, Your Dog And The Law

Credit: ©2007 Dr Marian P Bond, SIDTC  08707653647

The following information is given to the St Ives Dog Training Club - Puppy Management booklet given to members on joining the club.

There are a number of laws that owners should be aware of:

IDENTIFICATION
Under the Control of Dogs Order 1992 every dog, while in a public place, MUST wear a collar with the name and address of his owner inscribed on it or on a disc attached to it EVEN if the dog is MICRO-CHIPPED or tattooed.

If a collar is not worn when out in a public place, the dog may be seized by the police and treated as a stray. Also the owner, and any person in charge of the dog permitting him to be in a public place without a collar, will each be guilty of an offence and may be prosecuted and fined.
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 allows for any dog to be seized as a 'stray' to be sold or destroyed if unclaimed after a seven day period.

CONTROL
Under the Animals Act 1971 a dog may be shot, without warning, by a farmer for worrying his livestock and the owner could face criminal prosecution for the same offence under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.

The Road Traffic Act 1988 makes it an offence to have a dog on a designated road without the dog being on a lead.

The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 allows local authorities to designate areas of land where dogs must be kept on leads, or where dogs are excluded and also places limits on the number of dogs walked by a single person.

The Guard Dogs Act 1975 makes it an offence to use or permit the use of a guard dog on any premises unless the handler, who is capable of controlling him, is present on the premises and the dog is under control. The dog must be secured so that he is not at liberty to go about the premises. A warning that a guard dog is present must be clearly exhibited at each entrance to the premises.

The Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) 1991 has two main sections:
Section 1 applies to four specific breeds of dog including 'the type of dog known as pit bull terrier'. Owners of these breeds have to comply with certain legal requirements, including having their dog registered, neutered, micro-chipped and tattooed. Unfortunately the pit bull terrier is not a recognised breed in the UK. As a result, many owners of cross breeds which resemble a pit bull terrier 'type' have been charged under the Act.
Section 3 applies to all dogs, making it a criminal offence to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place. This includes instances where the fear that an injury might occur. Owners found guilty under either section of the Act could have their dog destroyed, face the possibility of six months in prison and/or a fine (at present up to £5000).

RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP
Under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, local authorities have the power to introduce and enforce dog fouling byelaws under which a person in charge of a dog can be heavily fined for allowing dogs to foul in a public place. This designated land may include any land which is open to the air and to which the public are permitted to have access. An offence is committed if a person in charge of a dog fails to clean up its faeces. It is no defense to claim ignorance of the dog's actions, the law, or not to have a device available to remove the faeces. This could result in a prosecution and fine.

The Animals Welfare Act 2007 became law this year. In addition to addressing issues such as cruelty and dog fighting, probably the most important item for pet dog owners is the introduction of a legal 'duty of care'.
This requires anyone who keeps a dog to do so in a manner which protects both their physical and mental welfare. The Bill details these requirements, which include
• providing a proper diet, including fresh water
• providing somewhere suitable to live
• addressing any need to be housed with or apart from , other animals
• allowing animals to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
• protecting the animal from and treatment of illness and injury
If properly enforced the law should improve the lives of previously neglected dogs that, until now, have only been protected from 'physical harm' under the law.

For dog training information click on  www.dogclub.co.uk/regions/region-ee.php

 

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SCDC fixed penalty notice for dog fouling

South Cambridgeshire District Council is, on evidence, now issuing a £50 fine to the owner of  a pet failing to clean up its faeces in a public space.

Anyone who wants to report suspected dog fouling should call 0845 0450063

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Fly-Tipping 

The Parish Council has agreed to budget yearly for a sum of money to clean up the parish from litter up to twice a year after the grass has been cut alongside the parish roads and streets. This service is costly and the residents are asked to make sure that no litter is thrown out carelessly and to dispose of any litter in the numerous litter bins provided. These are emptied regularly.

Regular litter picking is not the same as fly tipping clearance

 Fly-tipping is the illegal and unauthorised disposal of waste. SCDC services will remove fly-tipping from public land. Private landowners can also ask SCDC  to clear fly-tipping but they wil be charged a fee for this service. The District Council aims to remove fly-tipping within three days and will prosecute the guilty party where enough evidence is gathered.

Blocked highways resulting from fly-tipping should be dealt with by Cambridgeshire County Council highways who can be contacted on 08450 455 212.

To report fly- tipping please:

• call 08450 450063
• e-mail env.health [at] southcambs [dot] gov [dot] uk
• or click here Connect: Environmental Health Online Services 

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Abandonned Vehicles, Graffiti, Noise, Pest Control, etc.

To ask South Cambridgeshire District Council for help with problems concerning:

• Abandonned vehicles
• Graffiti
• Light Pollution
• Noise
• Pollution
• Dogs
• Water
• Caravans
• Pest Control   

 Call 08450 450063 for advice or  click here Connect: Environmental Health Online Services 

For matters concerning:

• High hedges:  call 08450 455 216
• Litter:  call 08450 450 063 or e-mail env.health [at] scambs [dot] gov [dot] uk
• Needles and syringes:  call 08450 450 063 or e-mail env.health [at] scambs [dot] gov [dot] uk 
• Faulty street lighting:  call 0800 253 529 or e-mail street.light [at] transportation [dot] camcnty [dot] gove [dot] uk 

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  Neighbour disputes

SCDC informs the community that 'Cambridge Mediation offers free help to anyone living in the Cambridge area to solve problems about noise, pets, rubbish, fences, cars, children or anything else. Volunteer mediators have been trained to help people to solve their disputes. The service is impartial and independent of any other organisation such as the council or the police.'

To get in touch with Cambridge Mediation call 01223 302514

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A booklet  about the above  issues is available from SCDC in English and other languages. Call: 08450 450 500