Remember - St Neots Town Council

Prioritie s
December 06
St. Neots Town Centre Initiative
St. Neots Town Council
www.stneots-tc.gov.uk
Newsletter of the St. Neots Town Centre Initiative and St. Neots Town Council working together
Christmas Lights
Switch on
Friday December 1st
Lots of fun and entertainment
with the big switch on of the
Christmas lights throughout the
town, see the centre pages for full
details of this annual spectacular.
Town News
New School and Children’s
Centres and Market Square
refurbishment.
Christmas Church
services
The Lights Festival
is sponsored by
TCMI
RWE npower &
the Chamber of
Commerce and Industry
Remember
Shop in St. Neots
this Christmas
Special Event Saturday Friday 1st December 06 Special Event Friday 1st December 06

2
Priorities
Chairman of the
Town Centre Initiative
John Davies
St. Neots Mayor
Cllr Paul Ursell
Editors
Roger Arguile and Philip Devonald
Imagery and articles submitted in this publication are subject to
Copyright from various sources and no reproduction of any part
of this publication is permissible without the prior consent of
St.. Neots Town Centre Initiative, St.. Neots Town Council and
TSGcs as a whole. Part thereof does not give permission for its use.
Tel: 01480 213555
Fax: 01480 218887
email: sales@tsgcs.co.uk
web: www.tsgcs.co.uk
Design, Repro, Print and Web Design,
105 Great North Road, Eaton Socon, St.. Neots,
Cambs PE19 8EL
St. Neots Town Council
www.stneots-tc.gov.uk
St. Neots Town Centre Initiative
The Chairman’s
Column
a message from John Davies,
Chairman of St. Neots Town Centre Initiative
FINDING THE LOST PRIORY OF ST. NEOT
By the time you read this we will have held our exhibition day. If you came we hope you
found it interesting. Those who did come would have been greeted and given a copy of our
new ‘The Lost Priory of St. Neot’ leaflet. If any of our readers want one they can get it in The
Priory Centre, the Library, the Tourism Office or The Museum. The old Priory made St. Neots
an important centre in the middle ages, gave us the Market (nearly 900 years ago) and one of
the best Market Squares in the Country; Not least the community that build up around the
Priory gave this Town its name. The Priory, after the Norman Conquest, reported to a Priory in
Bec in Normandy, so we get Bec Road. St. Anselm was a Prior at Bec and later became one of
the Archbishops of Canterbury as well as being a great scholar of his time and a Saint; so we
have St. Anselm’s Place. This area is also full of Priory references with Priory Road, Priory Lane,
The Priory Centre and The Priory Pub in the Market Square. You can not miss it really except
there is very little visible to show where this hugely important building was situated. There is
still a lot of information missing about where it actually stood and where the site extended
to. That is why phase two of our History Matters Project involves getting funding for an
archaeological investigation with a specialist company using ground penetrating radar to
locate the foundations of the Priory and answer a lot of old questions. A funding bid has
been submitted to the Lottery Fund and we should have an answer before our next edition.
OTTERS ON THE OUSE
The Otter is The Initiative’s symbol. Otters almost vanished from the region 30 years ago
but greater protection for river quality and positive approaches to recreating habitats is
seeing this much loved mammal returning to our local rivers. Until recently the best and
worst evidence were two dead otters found at the Mill at Little Paxton where it looks as if
these Otters were trying to traverse the route to or from the Paxton Pits Nature Reserve.
Better news from the Reserve is that they now get regular sighting ie two sightings in one
recent week. They do like their privacy so our group are looking at two local island sites
where holts could be built to attract otters. One of the sites involves tracing an owner so this
detective work is being done. When we can settle on a site we will then draw up the project
and seek funding. We have a funder who has already expressed an interest in helping us
the implement our Green Corridor Project. We will keep you informed as we process this
important project.
CHANGES ON THE HIGH STREET
It’s amazing how things change so quickly. Marks and Spencer opened but we lost Iceland
which was a pity because many people used it. The Post Office closed which is part of a
national Royal Mail policy though in St. Neots the equivalent facilities will transfer to Martins,
which like M & S, will boost that end of the High Street. People are worried by the Martin
ability to provide a good service. We will have to wait and see. All the inputs to Royal Mail
have at least put them on their metal to watch this aspect of the change. Elsewhere Power
House have closed because of the national collapse of that business. Smaller shops have
closed, like the sad loss of the last butcher, but new retailers are already lined up to replace
them and add some variety to the site. Urban Sports have closed but issues over the long
lease may delay a replacement in the short term. The loss of the Post Office does open up
the opportunity of a new large retail unit which we would welcome and we will be talking
to Royal Mail about this option. Though it is not a High Street issue we will be fascinated to
see what becomes of the wonderful Georgian Brook House, now refurbished and on the
market. We have discussed a number of options with the owners, who are members of The
Initiative, and these talks continue, The Old Falcon is now sold and we will be talking to the
new owners. This is one of the last pieces in the jigsaw for a vibrant market square, with Nero
now opened. All change but new opportunities could mean a better Town Centre and next
year the Planners start studying the Priory Zone with the area around the Waitrose Car Park.
Regards
John Davies (Chairman of St. Neots Town Centre Initiative)

The Mayors’
Column
a message from Paul Ursell,
Mayor of St. Neots
Dear all,
First of all I would like to express my strong support for the campaign to save Hinchingbrooke
Hospital and in particular the Accident & Emergency Department. In my view any proposal that
includes the transfer of this department to Addenbrookes or Peterborough hospitals would put
patients lives at risk. The additional time taken to transport patients to hospitals further away
could affect their chance of survival. I hope that the health authority will listen to the concerns
of local people and abandon any thought of closing and/or transferring this vital service.
All councillors share peoples concerns about anti-social behaviour such as graffiti, littering
and dog fouling together with illegal parking and cyclists riding on pavements. In an effort to
take action against the minority who cause these problems for the majority, the Town Council
is considering the possibility of employing Town Wardens to patrol the town and where
necessary to take action against those caught damaging our town or causing a nuisance. We
would very much welcome your views and comments on this subject.
All town council seats are up for election on 3rd May 2007. St. Neots is a growing town with
many important decisions to be made which will affect its future for many years to come. It is
therefore important to engage people in the democratic process and encourage participation
and involvement at all levels. If you would like to find out more about becoming a local
councillor you can either visit our council offices and talk to a member of our staff, telephone
our Town Clerk on 01480 388911 who will be pleased to talk to you or visit our website at
www.stneots-tc.gov.uk.
An important aspect of being Mayor is to raise money for local charities and good causes. I am
therefore pleased to advise you that my Charity Ball held on 7th October 2006 raised nearly
£700. The event would not have been a success without the support that I received from local
people that bought tickets and the many local businesses and individuals who kindly donated
raffle prizes. To them all I would like to express my heartfelt thanks.
Finally may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a prosperous
new year.
Paul Ursell Mayor of St. Neots
3
Winter
Entertainment
At The Priory Centre
A galaxy of stars to visit the centre
November
10th Nov Chas and Dave 8:00 pm
17th Nov
Voulez Vous
Abba Tribute Band 8:00 pm
24th Nov Georgie Fame 8:00 pm
December
2nd Dec
ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT
Blues Band Brothers
Tribute Band 7:30 pm
St. Neots Chamber
of Commerce and Industry
It has always been important for the local
business community to meet and share
information and views. On some issues it
may be necessary to take a common position
to put the business point of view. In St.
Neots we had the Civic Trust Vision Report,
commissioned by the Huntingdonshire
District Council. This recognised that St.
Neots, already the biggest Market Town in
Cambridgeshire, would continue to grow
from 28,000 now to about 35,000 by 2016
with further growth after that. St. Neots is
seen as one of the growth points in the
Cambridge Sub-Region. We regularly hear
from the Planning Department on the way
the Town is likely to change to adapt to this
high growth pattern. We have speakers on
a wide range of topics, both on business
aspects as well as other areas such as the
environment, the local Green Corridor
project, etc.
All this is very stimulating, believe me,
but we also needed a perfect venue
with good food to set it all off. And we
have found it in the Robinson Executive
Centre with its ultra smart meeting
rooms and its award winning food, all at
a very reasonable £10 per person. The
next meeting is November 21st which is
fairly soon if you have just received this
copy of Priorities. If you are part of a local
business, and coming for the first time,
then the meal is free. Just ring me now on
01480 214779 to book a place.
Nigel Brittain Chairman
21st Dec
Comedy Club 7:00 pm
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
23rd Dec Steeley Span 7:45 pm
31st Dec
Welcome in the New Year
with The Soul Patrol 8.00 pm
Tickets available at the Box Office,
The Priory Centre, Telephone 01480 388 922

Special 4 Event Friday 1st December 06 Special Event Saturday Friday 1st December 06
Sp
Christmas Light Switch on
Programme
on the Market Square
5.45 pm
St. Neots Community
College Band
6.00 pm
Sarah Robertson –
solo singer
6.15 pm
Stageworks
6.30 pm
St. Neots Parish Church Choir
6.45 pm
Shop Window
competition results
7.00 pm
BIG Switch on
7.15 pm
AJs Dance Academy
7.30 pm
Emerald Sky Girl Band
Friday December 1st 2006
One of the biggest events of the year will soon be
here again – the Grand Christmas Light Switch-on.
Once again there will be a full programme
of entertainment and we are expecting a
crowd of more than four thousand people
to throng the streets of St. Neots to see the
procession, watch the entertainment and
enjoy the thrills of Jamie Harris’s fun-fair.
During the week leading up to the switch
on the annual competition will take place
for the best dressed Christmas shop
window which is sponsored by the Town
Centre Initiative and the Chamber of
Commerce and Industry.
All the old favourites will be coming
along – Father Christmas, the pantomime
characters from ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’
will be riding on the open-top bus, the
majorettes, Ollie the Otter and Spike the
Hedgehog, the Carnival Court and many
more, all led by the St. Neots town Crier will
make their way to the Market Square.
Father Roger Arguile will once again
compère the show which starts at
5.30 pm with the lights being
switched on at 7.00 pm.
Christmas – the same but ever changing
Christmas is coming and there is nothing
we can do to stop it. It is a time for parties
and fun; it is a time to renew our sense of
wonder. There is also a huge amount of
preparation including endless shopping
and expense; the heavy drinking that often
accompanies it; and, finally, the complaints
about forced jollity, commercialism and
too much religion. In spite of all this,
Christmas remains a focus of celebration
in this dark time of the year and an
opportunity, which no one is forced to
take advantage of, to revisit that sense of
mystery which surrounds our lives.
The Christmas story could never have
been a news item, soon to be forgotten.
Attempts to explain it (even to explain
it away) do not move us. Instead we
endlessly reinterpret it: a refugee family;
scientists – the astronomer wise men
– who nevertheless come to worship;
working families and night shift workers
who are also invited. And children: the
giving of presents to the Christ child turns
into a toy bonanza for the kids.
The search for relevance leads us to
remember charities, especially those which
minister to the homeless and hungry. Our
minds, and sometimes our prayers, turn to
the search for peace as we remember this
year’s wars, which may be the same as last
but with a few more added. Ireland at least
seems calm.
Likewise, the churches, which have been
telling the same story for nearly two
thousand years, will be looking for a new
angle. The story remains the same but ever
changing: God so loved the world that he
gave his only Son.
Fr. Roger Arguile

ecial Event Friday 1st December 06 Special Event Saturday Friday 1st December 06
5
Christmas Services
St. Neots Parish Church
December 17th
5.00 p.m. Christingle Service
Christmas Eve
8.00 a.m. Holy Communion
9.30 a.m. Sung Eucharist
6.00 p.m. Lessons & Carols’
11.30 p.m. Midnight Mass
Christmas Day
8.00 a.m. Holy Communion
9.30 a.m. Celebration Eucharist
(with children in mind)
Eaton Socon Parish Church
December 3rd
4.00 p.m. Christingle Service
December 17th
6.30 p.m. Carols by Candlelight
Christmas Eve
8.00 a.m. Holy Communion
4.00 p.m. Crib Service
11.30 p.m. Midnight Communion
Christmas Day
9.00 a.m. Holy Communion
10.30 a.m. Family Communion
Eynesbury Parish Church
Christmas Eve
5.30 p.m. Children’s Crib Service
by Candlelight
11.00 p.m. Midnight Mass by
Candlelight
Christmas Day
9.30 a.m. Sung Holy Eucharist
United Reformed Church
17th December
4.00 p.m. Festival of Lessons
and Carols
Christmas Eve
11.00 a.m. Festival service
for all ages.
11.30 p.m. Christmas Eve Holy
Communion
Christmas Day
10.30 a.m. at Berkley Street Methodist
You are invited to take part in the Tree of Light
project. Join us and send a special message to
someone close to you. Your greeting / dedication
will be displayed in the centre of St. Neots, and on
the internet at www.rotarytreeoflight.org
All proceeds go to:
Dreamdrops, East Anglia Children’s Hospice,
St. Neots Mayor’s Charity Appeal
& locally supported Rotary Charities
For further details please contact
Alan Hurst (01480 218169)
or contact alanhurst@aol.com
Tree of Light
Eaton Ford Methodist Church
December 24th.
10.30 a.m. Carol Service
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
Christmas Eve
6.00 p.m. Children’s Mass
11.30 p.m. Carols
12 midnight Midnight Mass
Christmas Day
9.00 a.m. Christmas Mass
11.00 a.m. Christmas Mass
Berkley Street Methodist Church
December 17th.
10.30 a.m Nativity Service
6.00 p.m. Carols
Christmas Eve
10.30 a.m. Morning Worship
11.30 p.m. Christmas Eve
Communion at URC
Christmas Day
10.30 a.m. Family Worship
Eatons Evangelical Church
(at Crosshall School)
Christmas Eve
10.30 a.m. Family Carol
Service
Christmas Day
10.30 a.m. Christmas Morning
Family Service
Open Door Church
(at St. Neots Community College)
December 17th
10.30 a.m. Family Carol Service
(with drama and dance)
7.00 p.m. Carols by Night
(with drama and dance)
St. Neots Evangelical Church
Christmas Eve
6.30 p.m. Candelit Carol Service
Christmas Day
10.30 a.m. All age service
Rotary
TREE o f
LIGHT
St. Neots
Calendar 2007
Buy your local historical calendar as a
Christmas Present or to send away. Old
photos show the High Street in the early
1900’s, flooding in the Market Square,
three young lads cutting grass in 1880,
House Boat Corner around 1920, St.
Neots Rag Band, Mr Abraham’s Butcher
shop and lots more. Full of unique
photos and costing only £4 the calendar
can be obtained from St. Neots Museum,
St. Neots Library, Barratts Shop or from
the St. Neots Local History Society
The St. Neots Players are
proud to present
Jack and the
Beanstalk
By Peter Long & Keith Rawnsley
At the Priory Centre, St. Neots
A traditional pantomime
for the whole the whole
family love and enjoy with Dotty
Dame Trott , handsome Jack , the scary
Giant , and last but not least the faithful
old cow Buttercup. TV star K9 will be
making an appearance.
Wednesday 10th January to Sunday
14th January 2007, evening
performances every night, matinee
and evening performances at the weekend.
Tickets from the Priory Centre box office,
Priory Centre, St. Neots 01480 388922

6
Cambridgeshire
Community
Archives Network
Add your photos and your memories to
your community archive
Your community heritage is valuable and
fragile. Local and family history, in the form of
photographs, documents and memories, is all
too often lost to future generations. The aim
of this new community archive is to enable
individuals, groups and societies to record
online their valuable and fragile community
heritage in the form of photographs, memories,
documents ( written and oral), reminiscences
and films/videos. For St. Neots the hope is to
help document the Town, past and present.
Such an archive will belong to the community,
with the St. Neots Community Archive
Group, based in the Museum, as custodians.
Anyone can take part and it can be there for
generations to come, to add to and maintain.
The new digital local history collection will be
available at www.ccan.co.uk.
St. Neots is one of the first places in the County
to receive an archive, with the Library and
the Museum supporting the project. All are
welcome to join the new St. Neots group - start
adding your photos and memories to the
growing collection now!
For more information contact
Matthew Hall on 07766 510217 or email
ccan@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Grafham Water
40 years on
2006 marks the 40th Anniversary of
Grafham Water. Celebrations were marked
with an Open Day on Sunday 2nd July.
Representatives from Anglian Water and
users of the reservoir can be seen here
cutting a special cake in the shape of the lake
at the Fishing Lodge. Ken Saxton, centre, was
the Chief Engineer for the Great Ouse Water
Authority who oversaw the construction of
the dam and reservoir in the early 1960s.
Our Polish Heritage
In St. Neots cemetery are a number of
graves of Polish servicemen and of a
number of civilians, all of them dating
from between 1946 and 1948. Most of
them date from 1947, so it will be the
60th. anniversary of their deaths next year.
How did they come to be there? Many
Poles escaped from their country in 1939
in order to join the British armed forces in
defence of their country. At the end of the
war, many others came as refugees, often
by very circuitous routes. Most countries
were unwilling to accept them as they fled
from Soviet occupation and Britain did so
reluctantly. Jan Sulkowski, who arrived at
Diddington, had been deported to a labour
camp in Siberia from his home in Eastern
Poland in 1940 and managed to get to
Bombay via Iran at the end of the war. From
there he eventually sailed to England. He
was sent immediately to the Polish Hospital
No 6 in Diddington to join some hundreds
of wounded Polish service personnel and
he died there on July 20th 1948 aged 61.,
and was buried in St. Neots cemetery. His
family subsequently settled in Canada
Most of those buried were not refugees but
were members of the Polish Resettlement
Corps, a unit set up by the government
for Polish servicemen who did not wish to
return to Poland and with the purpose of
getting them into civilian life. Unhappily
some died of their wounds. A few are buried
in Diddington, but about twenty are buried in
the town cemetery.
Others emigrated, some having done very
well: Barbara Marianowska, who was born in
Diddington camp in 1947 went back to her
parents’ homeland and became a member of
the Polish Parliament in 2005.
History Boards
People in the Eatons can now find out
how Eaton Socon and Eaton Ford has
changed in the last 200 years on the new
Heritage Boards researched and designed
by the Eatons Community Association
(ESCA). Eight boards are being placed
in various locations such as Eaton Ford
Village Green, Eaton Socon Village Green,
near The Eaton Oak, near B&Q, Bunny Lane
(Nelson Rd) and Eaton Socon Lock
Leaflets are available at St. Neots Museum
and St. Neots Library for the location of the
boards and plaques.For more information on
these and other history projects in the Eatons
please contact
Sue Jarrett, ESCA History Co-ordinator,
3 Collingwood Rd, Eaton Socon, St. Neots,
Cambs, PE19 8JQ.

Cross Keys Revival
The Cross Keys Inn is due to a face-lift. The
building is at present in a poor state, as it has
been for some time, having been made safe
with steel supports and the windows boarded
up. It was recently vacated by the CD shop
which used to occupy one of the bays.
The work should restore one of the most
historic buildings in the town. It got its name
from the fact that it stands on the site of the
Priory’s first Guests Hall. The Cross keys are the
sign of St. Peter and hence of Rome. It became
an inn probably in the fourteenth century
and was patronised by travellers through the
town. As the premier local inn it was almost
certainly the inn to which the Earl of Holland
retired for the night before the Civil War
battle in town in 1648 and at which he was
captured, reputedly in his undergarments.
During the 18th century it throve because
of the stage coaches which were passing
through. Teams of horses were changed for
the next stage of the journey and the inn
acted as a post office for the receipt and
distribution of mail. Through the period
from the 16th to the 19th century the Earl of
Sandwich had owned the inn, but he sold it
in 1848. It continued in business until 1982
when it finally closed down and became a
shopping mall. The building survives almost
intact with its 18th century brick frontage and
the interior displaying the beams of its earlier
form. (Rosa Young)
The building is listed (Grade 2) and
therefore, apart from planning permission,
listed building consent has to be obtained
for any works on it. It has also been
impossible to protect it against acts of
vandalism to doors and windows which
has taken place in recent times and it is
now in a dangerous state. The bay windows
are now coming away from the main
building and need to be partially rebuilt.
The District Council is therefore now
awaiting a structural engineer’s report so
that listed building consent can be obtained
and work done to rebuild the bays using
existing materials, but reinforced with steel
stanchions behind wooden window frames.
The owners, an investment company,
will foot the bill. When completed it
will be restored to its original condition
and provide another example of the
improvements to the Market Square.
On the Buses
The concessionary fare scheme in
Cambridgeshire has changed. From 1st
October 2006, those eligible for a bus pass will
be able to travel FREE throughout the WHOLE
of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
Bus pass holders can travel for free between
9.30am and the last bus of the day (Monday
to Friday) and all day at Weekends and Bank
Holidays.
You qualify if you are:
• over 60 years of age
• registered deaf or without
speech;
• registered blind or partially
sighted;
• unable to obtain a driving
licence on medical grounds;
• on higher rate of Disability
Allowance or War Pensioners
Mobility supplement;
• suffering from a learning disability.
Where Do I Get my Pass?
You can obtain or renew your pass from
Huntingdon Council Offices (Pathfinder
House) or from the Cash Office next to the
Priory Centre, St. Neots.
For more information contact
HDC on 01480 388167 or
log on to www.huntsdc.gov.uk.
New School
for the Town
St. Neots is to have a new primary school. Legal
approval has yet to be given but the proposal
is that a new school with 210 places will be
provided for the families who will move into the
Love’s Farm Estate east of the railway line. If the
County Council cabinet agrees at its meeting on
December 5th. a public notice will be issued in
January and the decision finalised at the end of
February. The plan is that the school would open
in March 2008.
The Love’s Farm estate is planned to have 1,225
houses which is expected eventually to produce
some 300 children, larger than the planned
school could take. If all of these children went
to the new school it would have to be enlarged
– contingency proposals for this exist - but it is
envisaged that some families may move from
other parts of St. Neots and their children may
remain at their former schools. On the other
hand, because a percentage of the housing
stock is to be affordable housing, some of the
families are likely to come from further afield.
The Pilgrim Housing Society of Bedford is in
negotiation with the County to take on some of
the housing stock.
St. Neots has at present an overprovision of
primary school places of some 300 places many
of which are in the eastern part of the town. The
County Council nevertheless believes that the
community to the east of the railway line requires
its own school, not least because its transport
links with the rest of the town are limited. Some
anxiety has therefore been expressed about the
effect on other schools in the town.
The response the County Council is to use some
of the unused places for the establishment
of two Sure Start Children’s Centres, one at
Bushmead School and one at Winhills. This, a
spokesman from the County said, would ensure
good use of school premises and safeguard the
best use of Council finances.
‘Sure Start’ Children’s Centres are part of a
national initiative from government to provide
‘One Stop Shops’ for children from before
birth to the age of five. They are intended to
provide ‘seamless holistic integrated services
and information, and where [families] can
access help from multi-disciplinary teams
of professionals’. This would include early
learning combined with full day care provision
for children; child and family health services,
including ante-natal services; parental outreach;
family support services; a base for a child minder
network; support for children and parents with
special needs, and effective links with Jobcentres
to support parents and carers who wish to
consider training or employment.
7

8
Who to Contact at
St. Neots Town Council
WARD COUNCILLORS
Eynesbury
R E Barnes
14 Chestnut Grove, Eynesbury, PE19 2DW
350848 bob.barnesc14@ntlworld.com
A R Boulton
19 Brampton Gdns, St. Neots, PE19 2DU
01380 388911
Mrs D E Collins
Bungalow 3, 3 Montagu Court, Eynesbury, PE19 2TJ
395056 Diana.Collins@huntsdc.gov.uk
A Hansard
78 Potton Road, Eynesbury, PE19 2NN
388942/350577 Andrew.Hansard@huntsdc.gov.uk
I P Taylor
19 Ireton Close, Eynesbury, PE19 2JE
217754 ianpeletaylor@btinternet.com
P K Ursell (Mayor)
12 Luke Court, Luke Street, Eynesbury, PE19 2TP
07770 645046 pk.ursell@ntlworld.com
Eaton Socon
D A Giles
6 Stratford Place, Eaton Socon, PE19 8HY
388931/392341 Derek.Giles@huntsdc.gov.uk
Mrs S A Giles
6 Stratford Place, Eaton Socon, PE19 8HY
388931/392341 Sandra.Giles@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Mrs I Hart
16 Marchioness Way, Eaton Socon, PE19 8DL
354220 eatonsocon@huntslibdems.org.uk
Mrs J Hayward
11 Collingwood Road, Eaton Socon, PE19 8JQ
210097 julia@ratbag.demon.co.uk
Mrs H J Rozanski
36 Knights Close, Eaton Socon, PE19 8DP
393409
Priory
M A Cooper
c/o St. Neots Town Council, Priory Centre, St. Neots,
Cambs PE19 2BH
R S Farrer
151A Crosshall Road, Eaton Ford, St. Neots PE19 7GB
404014/474202
Mrs M A Garner (Deputy Mayor)
13 Ferndale House, Ware Road, St. Neots PE19 1DR
477390
Mrs S R Lee
22 East Street, St Neots PE19 1JU
392065 sharon.lee22@ntlworld.com
Eaton Ford
D A F Cooper
378 Great North Road, Eaton Socon, PE19 8FP
213447 delboy.cooper@virgin.net
D Harty
10 Sambar Close, Eaton Socon, PE19 8QG
477202 david@davidharty.co.uk
Council Offices, The Priory, St. Neots, Cambs PE19 2BH
E-mail: mail@stneots-tc.gov.uk www.sntc.co.uk
Fax: 388915
Office Hours: 9am – 5pm Monday to Thursday, 9am – 4.30pm Friday
Town Clerk: Philip Devonald 388913
Finance Officer/Deputy Town Clerk: Margaret Sharp 388914
Priory Centre Manager: Helen King 388944
Operations Manager: Brian Gray 388917
Town Council’s Annual Report and Accounts
The Town Council’s Annual Report and Accounts are available for public inspection. You can obtain a copy from the
Council Offices or view the documents on-line on our website, www.stneots-tc.gov.uk. The Council’s budget and
priorities for this year are summarised below:-
Town Council Publishes its Accounts
St. Neots Town Council has published its annual accounts for 2005/6. These show that the Council services cost a
total of £510,000 in the financial year ending in March.
The Council spent the following amounts looking after and running it’s main services:
Cemeteries & Churchyards
£57,000
Grants to Local organisations
£34,000
Promoting the Town
£30,000
Running the Priory Centre
£133,000
Playgrounds & Open Spaces
£60,000
Highway & Footway Lighting
Improvement Schemes
£43,000
Running & Administrating
the Town Council including
Town Centre Management
£145.000
In addition the Town Council provides Public Toilet facilities with funding from the District Council and supports
various community services and activities such as the Library and Museum.
To fund this expenditure the Town Council received £566,215 from the local precept which forms part of the
overall Council Tax; this amounts to £20.57 per resident for Town Council services or £71.00 per band D household.
The excess expenditure was funded from Town Council balances.
If you wish to inspect the Council’s accounts you can do so at the Town Council offices next to the Priory Centre.
Telephone us on 388911 to make an appointment. For more information contact Margaret Sharp, the Council’s
Finance Officer on the same number or:
E mail her at Margaret.Sharp@stneots-tc.gov.uk
Priorities for 2006/7
• Progress the Eaton Community Centre project to a position where building work can start.
• Agreement on a draft Strategy and 4 year plan for adoption by the new Council in May 2007.
• Develop closer and more active partnership with the District and County Councils, including discussions about a
“Town Plan” for St. Neots.
• Develop the “double devolution” agenda whereby the Town Council takes on as many functions as it can where
added value and local accountability can be achieved.
• Find a site for a new cemetery.
• Develop an asset management strategy.
• Start consultations for new projects including a community centre for Eynesbury with youth provision.
• Improve the performance of the Priory Centre so that it does not need to be subsidised by the Council Taxpayer.
• Manage the enlargement of the Town Boundaries and seek to work in partnership with Eynesbury Hardwicke and
St Neots Rural Parishes in the interim.
• Undertake a comprehensive Corporate Governance Review.
• Continue to raise the profile of the Town Council and encourage community participation and continue to
support and encourage the Youth Town Council.
• Aim to achieve an award in Anglia in Bloom competition.
Town Council Open Day Thursday 19th October 2 pm to 9 pm at the Priory Centre. Come and see what we do!
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