There’s lots of interest in what might happen to the Infants’ School site now that the school had morphed into a new primary school at Buxhall Farm. What no-one wants is that it simply gets demolished and replaced by housing.

There’s much affection for the building and many people have memories. There’s a very good profile in the Neighbourhood Plan, p122.

The site and the building are protected by a policy in the Neighbourhood Plan (policy HIM16) which is going to a referendum 6 May 21. The policy requires that the site be ‘safeguarded for community purposes’ with a preference for a medical centre. The building itself is amongst a list of ‘interesting buildings’ which are protected by policy HIM02.

In the Big Survey, the results of which underpin much of the Neighbourhood Plan, the community was asked for its priorities and the provision of good medical facilities was identified as the most important. 94% of respondents to the survey said that the availability of medical services was important and 54% said they were in need of improvement.

It’s been difficult to move matters forward in these Covid times but discussions have taken place with the Firs House practice, the County Council, the Clinical Commissioning Group, the Histon & Impington Community Land Trust and the Parish Council. David has been facilitating these meetings. He says: ‘all parties are keen on a good future. It seems that there’s a win-win opportunity to go for and I’m optimistic that there will be a good outcome’.

Note that the Neighbourhood Plan has not yet been ‘made’. It’s going to a referendum on the same day as the County Council elections and if it passes will then be a ‘material planning consideration’ in any planning application addressing land in Histon & Impington.