Tenants and Trustees of the Parochial Charities got together over tea and biscuits last Wednesday evening. This was the annual occasion when the trustees get to hear what is on tenants’ minds – and vice versa.

We enjoyed a wide ranging discussion:

• Sarah Rann, Chair of Trustees, summarised our plans for providing further affordable housing. We intend to extend More’s Meadow. Next year we will submit plans for building up to 20 sustainable homes and making them available to Great Shelford people at affordable rents. Further details – as they become available – will be published on our website.
• The Charities have appointed Redmayne Arnold & Harris as lettings agent for More’s Meadow. RAH are there to collect rents and provide tenants with first line support.
• Our programme of refurbishment – including replacement of ageing boilers – is ongoing.
• Allotments: take up is low
• Traffic issues: some concerns were raised about speeding and roadside parking, especially near the T-junction on More’s Meadow.
• Street lighting on More’s Meadow is being replaced to resolve reliability issues.
• Rents are under review; the Charities aims to hold rents at 50% of the prevailing market rates.

We hope more tenants will join us at next year’s meeting; there were plenty of biscuits left over!