1970s – a decade of local government reorganisation and locally focused action
The Local Government Act 1972 reformed the structure of local government and impacted significantly on the Council’s work. It changed its name to become the Cambridgeshire Community Council, covering the new county of Cambridgeshire.
“We are concerned that there could be some lack of leadership and loss of rural identity as a result of smaller districts disappearing.”
1972 Annual Report
Concern for rapidly expanding villages
There were concerns over rapidly expanding rural communities as new homes were being built for those moving-in, seeking an ‘idyllic’ rural lifestyle. The Council researched the problem by looking at those Cambridgeshire villages scheduled for extensive development. The report noted:
“A growing social problem particularly amongst wives in the new estates tied to their homes by babies and young children. There is also a difficulty in integration between the newcomers and the older village residents. It suggested more could be done through the assimilation of amenity groups and the production of village guides and newsletters.”
1974 Annual Report
A shift from co-ordinators to supporting locally focused action
Cut-backs in local authority expenditure meant that there was more local acknowledgement of the value of self-help and voluntary effort. There was a shift in the Council’s work from being co-ordinators of a wide range of county voluntary organisations into direct locally-focused action. For the first time, the Community Council employed specialist community development staff, ‘Countryside Field Officers’, to work alongside communities to encourage community self-help.
Two other community initiatives were also introduced to encourage self-help, local pride and community volunteering.
The best kept village competition was launched in the mid-1970s. The competition was not about finding “the most beautiful village, nor the most ancient, nor the most picturesque, just the one that is best cared for” and “its aim is to involve everyone in the village, encouraging them to take greater pride in their surroundings.”
Support was given to develop village appraisals, which involved asking community members their views on a range of issues. This allowed the community to then put together an action plan and work collaboratively at local level to resolve issues and improve services.
The 1977 Silver Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II provided a further opportunity for communities to come together for street parties and events. Its legacy left many feeling a better connection to their own community and this served to accelerate the development of new community activities and facilities.
Economic decline and political change
By the end of the 1970s, against a backdrop of economic turmoil and political change, there was much concern, both nationally and locally, about ‘rural deprivation’ and loss of services such as transport and the closing of schools, shops and post offices. The need for self-help and local action intensified.
