Brief History
This organisation was established in 2007 to serve the community by bringing the issues of village residents to the attention of authorities that may be able to resolve them. Its committee meets bimonthly in Prickwillow Village Hall and elects its officers at an Annual General Meeting each January. Committee members have been able to represent Prickwillow at its Parish Council, Ely City Council and to be elected to the District Council, in the past. This has given a voice to the people of Prickwillow and provided them with closer links to the activities of the local authority who, in turn, can address the needs of the village.
The 18th AGM was held on Wednesday, 24th January 2024 at 7.30pm in the village hall. Annual reports from the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer were received and the officers were re-elected, with the Secretary resigning. Nominations, with proposer and seconder are invited for this post.
As a Community Interest Company, we now have access to more grant bodies and have registered with a new, free, bank account.
The meetings are regularly attended by representatives from Ely City Council, ECDC and Cambridgeshire County Council. It operates on a shoestring budget of a small grant and some annual fund-raising. The agenda comprises matters raised by village residents.
Officers for 2024:
Chair – Sophie Deltour (07955 746219) – please leave a message and I will get back to you
Secretary – David Ballard (davidballard01@yahoo.co.uk)
Treasurer – Pat Del Grazia (07786 247560)
Please contact any of the above if you have any questions about the function of the PVCIC.
The focus this year will be on having more community events, having a new memorial to civilians who died in the war, a bus shelter for school children and tree maintenance.
Representatives on Ely City Council (Ely North Ward): Richard Morgan, Rupert Moss-Eccardt, Caoimhe Ni Dhonaill, Rebecca Ward, Ross Trent
Councillors – City of Ely Council
Committee meeting dates for 2024, all at 8.00pm in the village hall: -
Tuesday 14th May
Tuesday 16th July
Tuesday 17th September
Tuesday 12th November
The 19th AGM is scheduled for Tuesday 21st January 2025 at 7.30pm. ALL WELCOME. This is followed by the January Village CIC Meeting at 8.15pm.
The new committee will be elected and new ideas for 2025 discussed. If you wish to stand for any office, and have attended 3 or more meetings, please provide your name, and the names of your proposer and seconder to the secretary in advance of the meeting.
Village Newsletter
This is produced to keep residents informed of events and meetings in the village and is distributed to all properties monthly. For a small fee, anyone wanting to place an advert in the newsletter can contact Mike Wilson at mike.tollhouse@gmail.com. Thank you to all the advertisers who support the newsletter.
Broadband
Prickwillow received its new broadband infrastructure in December 2014, connecting up to a hundred properties in the hub of the village. Residents now have a greater choice of providers. There is no marketing of suppliers through the village council. More detail of the changes on www.connectingcambridgeshire.co.uk. A further service is available by Air Broadband, for out of reach properties, see www.airbroadband.co.uk.
BT have since installed a second broadband cabinet with another 96 new lines and a new connection from the Putney Hill Road which has given access to residents at Ely Road.
Hard to reach places in the UK are eligible for additional funding towards the cost of installing a Gigabit-capable cable to their premises when part of a group of households or businesses. Check if you qualify on www.gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk
Farm Traffic
G’s Farms have implemented a tracking and recording system for all their farm machinery vehicles, each labelled for easy recognition and monitored for speed. This is now restricted to 20 mph through the village. We thank the farmers for attending to this so promptly and decisively. Anyone noticing poor driving, speeding above 20mph or drivers using mobile phones can report the date, time and vehicle label via one of the committee members.
St Peter’s Church
The Church has been sold to a private buyer as a residential property. There is the potential availability of its main hall for some community art projects, at the discretion of the owner – now called Prickwillow ArtSpace. It partakes in the annual Open Studios events.
Village Sign
The village sign was officially unveiled at a ceremony on June 3rd, 2017, by Dame Ottoline Leyser, who lived in the village and in whose husband’s memory, Stephen Day, the idea of the sign was initiated. There was a large gathering in the fine weather and a social event at Hiam afterwards. Every component and aspect of the sign, from design, build, treatment, surrounding brickwork and planting was provided by residents of Prickwillow. We can all be very proud. Following a car accident in August 2017, in which the raised bed was severely damaged, the sign has had to be rebuilt and replanted. Thanks also to Virginia Mull for caring for and providing the planting.
INAUGURATION OF VILLAGE SIGN
Speed Calming Measures
The proposal put forward by our Parish Council to the County Council for consideration in respect of funding for speed calming measures at the entrances to the village from the Ely Road, Shippea Hill Road and Putney Hill Road approaches, has been approved and implemented. There are now sets of gates with speed signs at the three entrances to the village and 40mph approach zones of 400 yards before the 30mph limits apply.
VCAEC
The Village Council is officially a member of the The Ely and District Volunteer Centre. This group uses volunteers to run the East Cambs Social Car Scheme and the Helping Hands Gardening Scheme. If you would like to help with either, please contact: –
volunteer@vcaec.org.uk or call 01353 666166.
It also offers information on grants, funding, training courses and resources from ECDC.
Achievements of the residents via Prickwillow Village Council
In the past 15 years, the following wide range of topics have been addressed: –
a) the cutting of communal grass areas, maintenance of verges encroaching on pathways, provision of dog litter bins;
b) the repair of broken pavements, extension of pavements and walkways, access to allotments
c) the overhaul of the crumbling structure of the War Memorial, maintenance of its green surround, associated memorial service and door-to-door poppy collection
d) assessment of village needs from a questionnaire to all residents
e) new ownership of a Speedwatch scheme, with checks by village volunteers scheduled at intervals over the many months
f) listed buildings and those of historic or cultural interest including the Baptist Chapel and the Drainage Museum
g) implementation of high-speed broadband in the village
h) regular fund-raising activities in association with the Village Hall committee
i) a new village notice board
j) ownership and development of the phone box into an Art Space
k) substantial road repairs at Lark Bank
l) slowing and reduction of farm traffic through the village to 20mph
m) protection for the village green from turning lorries
n) creation and erection of a new village sign
o) coppicing of the Sycamore tree near the memorial
p) implementation of speed calming measures in the village
q) stopping the unnecessary ‘hooting’ of trains
r) renovation of the War Memorial
s) installation of a defibrillator at the village hall
t) planting of 70 trees to commemorate the Queen’s Green Canopy Jubilee
u) planting of a Cornus contraversa ‘Variegata’ (wedding cake tree) on the village green in commemoration of HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with memorial plaque
v) available accessible ramp & access to the War Memorial
w) formal registration as a Community Interest Company – Sep 2023
x) more social events – Picnic in the Park, Harvest Supper, Xmas Quiz
y) travel survey to assess bus, cycle and safety needs
z) new bus shelter for school-children at Kingdon Avenue installed September 2024
aa) memorial plaque to commemorate the two children who died in the plane crash of 1945
bb) building of access steps at Padnal and Branch river banks to secure the public byway on top of the slopes
cc) repainting of the Phone Box Art Gallery
CURRENT ISSUES UNDER DISCUSSION
a) representation on the Queen Adelaide crossings Action Group committee
https://phase2b.elyareacapacity.com/queen-adelaide-level-crossings/
b) speeding issues on Lark Bank
Anyone wishing to advertise in the village newsletter should contact mike.tollhouse@gmail.com