Cambridgeshire County Council’s

Cambridgeshire County Council's

Children and Young People Committee Decision Statement

Meeting: Tuesday 25th April 2023

Agenda item No 6. Future of Great Gidding Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School [KD2023/054]

It was resolved to:

a) approve the closure of Great Gidding CE (VC) Primary School on 31 August 2023.

b) approve, for children displaced by the closure:

– the provision of financial assistance in the form of home to school transport or a mileage allowance.

– the provision of a single per child payment to assist with the purchase of uniform for their new school.

Update on future of Great Gidding CofE (VC) School

Update on future of Great Gidding CofE (VC) School

Please note that the consultation period is open until 21st February. If you were unable to attend the meetings on 31st January or 9th February and wish to make a comment there still time through the Cambridgeshire County Council website – see link below

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/GGconsultation/

Future of Great Gidding C of E (VC) School – Extraordinary Meeting of Great & Little Gidding Parish Council

Future of Great Gidding C of E (VC) School - Extraordinary Meeting of Great & Little Gidding Parish Council

Extraordinary Meeting of Great & Little Gidding Parish Council regarding the possible closure of Great Gidding C of E (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School

At Cambridgeshire County Council’s Children and Young People’s Committee Meeting held on 17th January 2023 a decision was made to commence a 30-day consultation on the proposed closure of the Primary School in Great Gidding.

Download the proposal for closure:

Agenda item 4 – Great Giddings Church of England Primary School.pdf

Appendix 1 – Current financial forecast.pdf


Meeting to include Education Department representatives

As part of this consultation process, the Local Authority have committed to consult with the Parish Council and we as members of the Parish Council wish to ensure we are representing the views of our community. To facilitate this process and provide opportunity for members of the community to engage, Great & Little Gidding Parish Council will be hosting a meeting on Thursday 9thFebruary in Great Gidding Village Hall at 7.45pm. In attendance will be representatives from Cambridgeshire County Council’s Education Department as well as members of Great and Little Gidding Parish Council. In addition, our local MP, County and District Councillors have been invited to attend, as have representatives of each of the Parish Councils/Parish Meetings in the school’s catchment area.

We are keen to ensure that all interested parties have the opportunity to present their viewpoint.

Date of the meeting: Thursday 9th February 2023

Time: To commence at 7.45pm 

Venue: Great Gidding Village Hall

(PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE EARLIER than 7.30PM as there is a prior booking in the Village Hall).


Questions, comments and observations

Questions, comments and observations should be submitted to the Parish Clerk by 5.00pm on Friday 3rd February, these will be given priority at the meeting (we cannot guarantee that any questions/comments/observations received after that deadline will be heard at the meeting)


AGENDA:

  1. A presentation from representatives of the Education Department of Cambridgeshire County Council
  2. Questions from Great & Little Gidding Parish Council to the Education Department representatives
  3. Questions, comments and observations submitted by members of the community. (Any questions remaining at the end of the meeting will be forwarded to the Local Authority)
  4. Reminder of timeline
  5. 9.00pm. Close of meeting.

Chairman: Paul Hodson

Clerk:  Julie Trolove, Great and Little Gidding Parish Council, The Village Hall, Main Street, Great Gidding, Huntingdon, Cambs  PE28 5NU 

TEL: 01832 293 068 (answermachine only) 

EMAIL: ggparishcouncil@outlook.com

Julie Trolove, Clerk to Great & Little Gidding Parish Council
18th January 2023

Update 03.07.19 – Proposed Base Station Installation and Mast on Main Street

Update 03.07.19 - Proposed Base Station Installation and Mast on Main Street

A response from the Harlequin Group to the Parish Council’s Objection to the O2 Base Station and Mast proposal. We will be adding regular updates here from both the Parish Council and individuals. Keep checking the website.


I have received a response from Carolyn Wilson at Harlequin to the Parish Council’s Objection to the O2 Base Station and Mast proposal.  We fully intend to engage with Harlequin and Cornerstone over the coming weeks to offer less intrusive options for the siting of the mast.  As the situation evolves we will ensure that the Community is kept fully informed. 

“ Thank you for the attached objection on behalf of the Parish Council, the points are noted and have been sent Cornerstone for their consideration. I understand the concern regarding the timing of our consultation at the start of the school summer break, however the operators are unable to put their project on hold for a 6/7 week period to accommodate this, we did try to get our consultation letters issued before the school broke up and have received an objection from the School Governors, which has also been passed to Cornerstone along with those individual objections received from residents to date.

I note the Parish Council’s desire to engage with us and Cornerstone to try to find a more suitable location for the mast and this offer is appreciated and I shall be recommending this offer is accepted and the alternative options are reconsidered. Of the alternative options listed in our letter would the Parish Council consider any of these locations suitable and we could reassess them, or would you have any other suggested locations we could look at?

I look forward to your response on behalf of the Parish Council at your earliest convenience.”

Nick Hill
Chairman
Great & Little Gidding Parish Council


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Proposed Base Station Installation and Mast on Main Street Great Gidding

Proposed Base Station Installation and Mast on Main Street Great Gidding

Please be aware that the Parish Council received notification on 18 July 2019 of a proposal for the potential siting of a Mobile Communications Mast and Base Station situated in the grass verge on Highways land close to the Old Chapel and close to the School.  

Nokia pre-application drawing

This is part of a pre-planning process where the Harlequin Group are acting as agents for Cornerstone and Telefonica and have offered the Parish Council the opportunity to comment on the proposal. The Parish Council have responded on 31 July and a copy of our response is available to view by downloading the file ‘Harlequin-31-Jul-19‘. We acknowledge that there is an ever increasing requirement for better communications, but our considered response aims to get Harlequin and the Communications companies to engage with us so that we can collectively achieve a better environmental solution for the siting of this mast and equipment. 

Base station and mast, Main Street, Great Gidding
Mock up of proposed base station and mast looking south on Main Street, Great Gidding
Base station and mast, Main Street, Great Gidding
Mock up of proposed base station and mast looking north on Main Street, Great Gidding

Obviously all of our residents are free to lodge an objection or opinion if they so wish and this can be achieved by replying directly to Carolyn Wilson at the Harlequin Group email: c.wilson@harlequin-group.com  or make your opinions known through our Parish Council email account GGparishcouncil@outlook.com.   We anticipate this pre-planning process may take some time,  possibly even several months or longer, but we will ensure that all Great Gidding residents are kept fully informed as this issue evolves.  

Nick Hill, Chairman, Great and Little Gidding Parish Council


Associated files to download


Aerial video and photos of Great Gidding School

Aerial video and photos of Great Gidding School

Short video of the C.E. Primary School in Great Gidding shot by Catalyst Video Services. The video footage was shot on Friday 25th March at the request of the school governors. Catalyst also produced a video survey of the school bell tower to check it’s structure.

Video

Aerial video of Great Gidding School

Photos

Great Gidding School aerial view 1

Great Gidding Primary School

Great Gidding Primary School

Photos: Great Gidding Gala Exhibition

Photos: Great Gidding Gala Exhibition

Saturday 13th July saw the opening of a two day art exhibition in St Michael’s Church as part of the Great Gidding Gala Week festivities. There was a wide range of high quality work from numerous villagers and also displays by Great Gidding School and the After School Club.

Thank you to all who took part and to the organisers for putting on such a good show.

Photos: Great Gidding School Summer Fete 2013

Photos: Great Gidding School Summer Fete 2013

What a cracking day for the school fete! Scorching sun brought lots of parents, children and village residents along to Great Gidding School on Saturday 6th July for the annual school fete.

This year a very special guest, Warwick Davis, kindly opened the fete and made us all laugh with his warmth and wit – along with some very unpretentious name-dropping! Lots of stalls displaying everything from temporary tattoos to tempting cupcakes kept everyone happy and the afternoon was a great success.

Summer Fete 6th July: opening by Warwick Davis

Summer Fete 6th July: opening by Warwick Davis

This years Summer Fete will be opened at 2pm by Warwick Davis, local celebrity best known for his film roles in Willow, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and the Harry Potter films.

Includes barbeque, tombola, coconut shy, raffle and refreshments

Location: St Michael’s School, Great Gidding

Description:
Opened by Warwick Davis at 2pm.

Start Time:
13:30