A MOVE to turn Cambourne from three villages into a single town has been deferred by councillors but The Hunts Post is offering you the chance to have your say. At the meeting of Cambourne Parish Council last Tuesday, councillors were asked to consider th

A MOVE to turn Cambourne from three villages into a single town has been deferred by councillors but The Hunts Post is offering you the chance to have your say.

At the meeting of Cambourne Parish Council last Tuesday, councillors were asked to consider the area's identity issue and debate if the three settlements should unite.

In notes prepared for the meeting, parish clerk, John Vickery, stated: "At the moment, there is a confusion of identity caused by the size of Cambourne. There is a growing number of people who see Cambourne as a town rather than a village. This needs to be resolved to give Cambourne back an identity."

Moving from villages to town is straightforward. Under Section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972, the parish council could opt for town status and notify South Cambridgeshire District Council.

However, this would come with a financial burden. Mr Vickery said Cambourne would have to take on the cost of the civic functions associated with a town council, although this status would not provide the councillors with any additional powers or responsibility.

The advantages of becoming a town are few. It would establish a more formal identity for Cambourne and would allow the area to have a mayor.

Unsurprisingly, the prospect failed to generate much excitement.

Cllr Howard Fall told the meeting: "I'm trying to work out how this will benefit residents. I can only see it working in favour of the developers so they can say 'we have produced a town instead of a village.'"

Cllr Roger Hume added: "I recommend we ignore it. I think it is too premature for Cambourne and it is something that could be looked at in the future."

The council deferred the issue until after the next parish election and added that the next time the topic appeared on the agenda, residents would be consulted.

You can send your opinions to: editor@huntspost.co.uk or write to: The Hunts Post, 30 High Street, Huntingdon, Cambs, PE29 3TB.