Petersfield Area
Community Trust

• PACT:
• Homepage
• Events!
• Join us...
• Board of Trustees
• Newsletters
• Contact us
• Tour Petersfield
• Meet your neighbours
• Local Links
• Supporters
• Internet Access
• PACT in the papers
• Photo Gallery
• Advertise yourself!
• PACT ISSUES:
• Community Centre
• Planning Issues
• Local Amenities
• Millennium Project
• Traffic
• Local Shopping
• Homelessness
• Vandalism & Crime
• The Cemetery
• Youth Activites
• Older People

Good evening everyone. My thanks to you all for coming along to be with us
this evening. Before I comment on the last year of PACT's activity, I want to
share with you now what we have in store for you in the Public meeting that
follows our AGM.
We have assembled here, in this newly refurbished hall, some of the best
service providers that operate in Petersfield. Each organisation has very
kindly provided one or more representatives who will 'showcase' their business
and answer any questions that you may raise. This will be done as informally
as possible by encouraging the audience to mingle around the hall and engage
with the people on the stands as they wish. Refreshments will be laid on by us
and by some of the stands, so please do enjoy yourselves and make the most of
what we believe will be a very special evening.
OK. Down to business. Last year, I spoke at length about the concerns raised
about the proposed development of St Matthew's Piece.  If you remember,
Citylife's plans for an innovation centre were approved in Oct 2006 by the
Planning Committee of the City Council. PACT vowed to challenge that decision
by whatever legal means we could muster... and after a lot of research and
professional guidance, we found ourselves a first class environmental
solicitor, Richard Buxton, based here in Cambridge. He presented a challenge
to the City Council over 4 issues, resulting in the Council admitting defeat in
2 of them.
This astounding turnaround led to the planning decision being quashed. We are
still waiting for the Council to hear the same plans again, which is part of
the required legal process that they have to follow. This should have happened
by now, but I believe the Planning Dept. is still assembling their report. So
on this issue, we are still waiting for the case to be presented. Hopefully,
this time ALL relevant factors will be taken into consideration and we hope to
get the permission denied once and for all.
To underline our case, we have reminded the City Council that they have a
'Duty of Care' towards the residents that they represent... a duty that they
cannot ignore in favour of the pursuit of business interests. The needs of
everyone for open space, in what can only be described as a densely populated
area, must be recognised and not ignored.
Other planning issues are also of interest. The Young Street site has seen new
proposals put forward by a developer hoping to build student accommodation on
the site. PACT management committee were invited to an informal meeting some
weeks ago. The plans are interesting but opinions were starkly divided, and
PACT is therefore remaining absolutely neutral about the development. We will
encourage residents to voice their own opinions.
Older Peoples' activities in the Petersfield area have improved even further
over the year. They now include a monthly lunch organised by St Matthews
Church. This originated in the Petersfield Celebrates Age programme last year.
Intergenerational events have been popular & PACT in conjunction with
the Brunswick Nursery School again held a successful All Age Tea Party
in October as part of the Celebrating Age Programme.
I would like to remind you that all are welcome to come to the weekly exercise
class hosted by the Petersfield Active Ageing Group (PAAG) & to the Friday
morning Over 50s Club. The Cherry Trees Centre, which benefits local people in
a number of ways, is now being well used.
All ages enjoyed the magnificent summer event organised by PACT. This year's
Tombola was even bigger and better organised and boasted some amazing prizes.
I had great pleasure in helping people to find their prizes, especially the
lady who'd won the main prize... a computer supplied by Reboot.  She was truly
delighted. I want to thank Anna Lindsay for her outstanding effort in
organising the whole event. She's unable to join us here this evening, but her
efforts put over £300 towards community centre funds. She sends her apologies
and her warm greetings to us all, and looks forward to seeing everyone at next
year's Summer Event at the latest, which promises to be even bigger and better
even than this year's, given, for the first time, the active support and
involvement of both ARU and St.Matthew's School!
I would also like to thank the large number of local businesses who contributed
both prizes and food and drink to make PACT's 2007 summer event very special
indeed.
As you now know, PACT has become a registered Charity. It was an important
goal for us, as it has brought us one step closer to becoming an incorporated
body, giving us a legal status whereby we can take on the lease of the proposed
Community Centre.
The Centre is, I'm pleased to announce, closer than even we had hoped.  We have
discovered that we will have an important neighbour in adjacent
buildings... the Citizen's Advice Bureau.  They are planning to be in their
part of the development by 2009. One of the last existing businesses to be
re-housed has just got planning permission to move to Cherry Hinton, thus
bringing the development one step closer.
This means that our Community Centre should also be ready for us in 2009. We
have, as you know, been raising funds towards it for several years. Over the
next two years, we will raise our game and start sourcing funding from further
afield.
I invite you all to get involved in any way that you can. PACT is short of
people who have the energy to carry this project forward. We are looking for
Trustees to oversee its running and who can promote its use and make it the
success that it deserves to be. So this means YOU: come and get involved at
whatever level you feel comfortable, and become a part of this fantastic
opportunity to build our future. There are no superheroes in our team: there's
no requirement for amazing talents (though of course amazing talents are
equally welcome!!), just anyone willing to share enthusiasm and action. We're
simply ordinary people involved in an extraordinary venture: come and share our
journey!
On a final note, I want to thank Glenys Malyon for her guidance and wisdom in
the running of PACT. It is likely that she will be taking a 'back seat' over
the next year due to health issues that have held her back this year. Glenys
has shown great courage and spirit... if you ever wanted a local hero, then
Glenys gets my vote.
Thank you.