PARISHES in Crow country are producing action plans to tackle everyday village problems – and speeding is residents main concern. Whaddon, Great Chishill, Little Chishill, and Bassingbourn each received a £1,500 grant to produce parish plans, thanks to t

PARISHES in Crow country are producing action plans to tackle everyday village problems - and speeding is residents' main concern.

Whaddon, Great Chishill, Little Chishill, and Bassingbourn each received a £1,500 grant to produce parish plans, thanks to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) which has made £1million available nationally to help communities have more control over their affairs.

The plan involves residents identifying their priorities and setting out an action plan to tackle them.

In Whaddon speeding is the main worry.

They want regular speed checks and a reduction of the speed limit to 30mph.

Parish clerk Yvonne Albery said: "The speed limit is currently 40mph through the village but at rush hour more than 200 cars travel through the village over the speed limit."

The village would also like to create a traffic management scheme that will relieve the danger at the junction of Whaddon Gap with the A1198.

"At rush hour cars have had to wait up to 50 minutes before they can pull out onto the road," Mrs Albery said.

The parish would also like to employ a litter picker, build a pavement at the top of Bridge Street, and introduce new sports at the recreation ground.

Plans will be discussed at the next parish council meeting, but funding will have to come from Cambs County Council and Cambs Highways.

County Councillor Linda Oliver said: "It's essential people respect speed limits in villages. It's a complaint I receive far too frequently.

"I am also concerned about access on the A1198. It's a difficult junction and since the Baldock bypass opened there has been more traffic."

- A parish plan is currently being carried out in Great Chishill and Little Chishill. Once residents have returned their questionnaires, the council will identify their priorities.

Parish clerk Cynthia Buckland said: "Our main worry is speeding through the village. We already have a 30mph speed limit - however there are certain people who ignore it."

Over the past four years 3,000 parishes have benefited from the parish plan scheme, including Meldreth, where a pavement warden team was formed, a part-time litter picker employed, and the social car scheme extended.

- Bassingbourn has also received £1,500 to carry out a parish plan.

Any South Cambridgeshire parishes who would like to apply for a parish plan grant should call 01353 860850.