SOUTH Cambridgeshire District Council is to work with Melbourn Parish Council over the future of a village car park As reported in The Crow last month, the parish council is currently exploring the possibility of taking over the car park in the High Stre

SOUTH Cambridgeshire District Council is to work with Melbourn Parish Council over the future of a village car park

As reported in The Crow last month, the parish council is currently exploring the possibility of taking over the car park in the High Street.

Last week parish councillors held a meeting with district council officers, and rep-resentatives from the police.

Cllr Clive Purbrook, from the parish council, described the outcome as "positive".

He said: "It was a good meeting, and the district council seem quite happy for us to take over.

"As a parish council we are keen to go ahead, but nothing has been decided yet.

"We need to look into the costs in more detail so we know what we are getting ourselves into, in terms of how much upkeep of the car park would be," he said.

A spokesman for the district council said: "South Cambridge-shire District Council and Melbourn parish councillors are working together with Cambridge-shire police to ensure that the car park in Melbourn is safe and pleasant for residents and visitors to use.

"Options under consideration include a range of potential improvements to the car parking area and possible changes to lease-holder arrangements."

Melbourn is seeking to follow the lead of several other parish councils in South Cambridgeshire, who have become "custodians" of car parks in their villages in exchange for a nominal yearly fee paid to the district council.

Cllr Purbrook believes something needs to be done to combat anti-social behaviour, which takes place in the area.

"There have been problems with anti-social behaviour in the car park for quite a few years," he said.

Parish council chairman Cllr Donald Mowatt had previously said that the car park site was "becoming a bit of an eyesore".