Cllr Luis Navarro, County Councillor for Over, Northstowe, Longstanton, Oakington & Westwick
Over Monthly Report – April 2026
This report provides a brief update on recent discussions and decisions at Cambridgeshire County Council, alongside information on support available to residents and upcoming opportunities for parish involvement.
Policing and Community Safety
At its recent meeting, the County Council agreed to oppose any proposal to merge local police forces into larger regional or national bodies. Councillors expressed strong support for keeping policing local, accountable, and responsive to community needs.
The Council called on the Government to focus instead on:
- Increasing funding for neighbourhood and community policing teams
- Improving national standards for police vetting
- Investing in modern technology to improve efficiency
- Strengthening support to tackle rural crime
- Retaining visible local police desks within community hubs
Local Government Reorganisation
The Government has now announced decisions on Local Government Reorganisation for Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Hampshire.
In each of these areas, new unitary councils have been approved with populations below the Government’s previously stated minimum size of 500,000 residents. In Norfolk and Suffolk, existing district boundaries have also been split, despite earlier suggestions that this would be unusual.
Given these changes, there is considerable interest in what the Government will decide for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with an announcement expected in early July.
Help with Oil Heating Costs
The County Council has received £708,000 from the Government to support households struggling with the cost of heating oil. This funding is ring‑fenced and forms part of the Council’s Crisis & Resilience Fund, with applications managed by the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation.
The scheme is aimed at households on low incomes who rely on heating oil and urgently need to top up their tanks.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Live in Cambridgeshire
- Use heating oil to heat their home and/or water
- Have 150 litres or less of oil remaining
- Be receiving, or eligible for, one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Income‑based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Eligible households can apply for up to £400, although the amount may vary depending on the price of oil. Payments are intended to be made within 48 hours of receiving all required evidence, although high early demand may cause some delays.
If funding allows, the Council hopes to extend support later to households slightly above benefit thresholds or with particularly high energy needs.
Residents can apply directly, or be referred by an organisation that has assessed their situation. Applicants will need to provide proof of address, income, and the need for an oil top‑up.
Further information and applications can be found via the County Council website: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/council/communities/support-with-the-cost-of-living
For residents whose incomes are above benefit thresholds, Citizens’ Advice Rural Cambridgeshire offers an income maximisation service: https://www.citizensadviceruralcambs.org.uk/
Nature Recovery and Parish Involvement
Cambridgeshire County Council has launched a new initiative called “Nature Recovery – From the Ground Up”, which supports parish councils and community groups to develop Community Nature Recovery Plans.
These locally produced plans help communities set out priorities for improving nature and wildlife, such as:
- Restoring habitats
- Creating wildlife corridors
- Increasing land managed for nature
As part of the project, all parishes will have free access to Parish Online mapping software until March 2027, enabling them to map projects, identify opportunities for collaboration with neighbouring parishes, and contribute to county‑wide initiatives.
Cambridgeshire currently has one of the lowest proportions of nature‑rich land in England. The county’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy aims to double this over time, making local action especially important.
The first phase of the project runs from July 2025 to March 2027. While only a limited number of parishes will receive direct support initially, all parishes are invited to use the resources and register interest for future phases.
More information is available at: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/climate-change-energy-and-environment/improving-the-natural-environment/nature-recovery-from-the-ground-up
Potholes and Road Defects
The Chair of the County Council’s Highways & Transport Committee, Cllr Alex Beckett, has written a helpful article explaining why road conditions declined during the winter, the extra action that the council has taken and the challenges facing councils in maintaining highways. I hope that residents will find it informative:
https://notesfromalex.substack.com/p/why-are-the-roads-so-bad-right-now
