Report for December from Firouz Thompson, Cambridgeshire County Councillor
Dear Residents,
I hope that you’re all well and enjoying the festive season. I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Please find below my latest report which is an edited version of my ward report to parish councils.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT Funding
On 28 November, the Government released its Local Government Finance Policy Statement for 2025-2026. This outlines funding principles for local authorities for the financial year starting in April. Council tax caps remain at 3% for core tax and 2% for adult social care. The police precept cap is £14, and £5 for fire and rescue authorities. There are no caps for Combined Authorities or town and parish councils. Grant funding will change, and the Government plans to simplify the local government funding landscape in 2026/27.
Local Government Reorganisation
Proposals to review local government arrangements are coming over the horizon. In particular, all-purpose unitary councils are likely to replace the two tiers of county and district councils; and we are likely to see more directly elected Mayors in parts of the country which currently do not have them. There will be endless debate and consultations, and it is not clear to me that local government will necessarily be better as a consequence.
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CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
Special educational needs and disabilities funding update
Last month, the County Council’s Children & Young People Committee received an update on the 2023 ‘safety valve’ agreement with the Government, addressing rising costs for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The agreement includes a £49M Government contribution to the council’s SEND deficit, an additional £9M from council reserves, and £11.3M in capital for new SEND provisions in mainstream schools. Two new special schools will be built in March and Gamlingay by the Department of Education. Despite this, demand for Education Health & Care Plans has risen by over 46% in the past five years, leading to unmet terms and ongoing renegotiations. Many other ‘safety valve’ councils face similar challenges.
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STRATEGY, POLICY & RESOURCES
Quality of Life Survey 2024
I would like to provide a follow-up on last month’s survey update. The district analysis has now been published and is available on our website.
You can also access the direct link to the report here: Quality of Life Survey 2024 – District Report.
District break-down of the survey, is currently being worked on and when available will be shared. More information can be found here: More information and statistics can be found here: Quality of life survey 2024 | Cambridgeshire County Council
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ENVIRONMENT & GREEN INVESTMENT
Booking system for Household Recycling Centre
A new, larger Household Recycling Centre at Milton has been approved. The modern, split-level facility will be built on the site of the existing centre and adjacent land at Butt Lane. It will include a re-use area and more parking for cars and bikes. Construction is expected to start in autumn 2025 and will take around nine months, during which the site will be temporarily closed, and residents directed to alternative sites at Thriplow, Witchford, and Bluntisham. A temporary online booking system will be introduced to manage demand at these sites. The extension is partially funded by the Northstowe S106 agreement.
Flood funding for Internal Drainage Boards
Last month, the government announced £50M for internal drainage boards (IDBs) to improve, repair, or replace assets like flood barriers, embankments, and watercourse maintenance. This funding aims to reduce flooding risks for farmers and rural communities across England. Additionally, the government will review the funding formula for flood defences, with a consultation launching in the New Year to better address the needs of businesses and rural and coastal communities.
Community Energy Action Plan
The county council has approved a new Community Energy Action Plan which defines how the council will support communities in developing solutions of local energy supply. The eleven actions in the Plan are:
- Facilitate the set-up of a Cambridgeshire community energy cooperative.
- Provide match funding for feasibility studies.
- Employ a council community energy development officer.
- Offer guidance and advice to community energy groups.
- Broker customer relationships between community energy groups, host sites and customers for community delivered rooftop solar.
- Search for sites.
- Promote uptake of domestic energy efficiency grants.
- Raise awareness of innovative energy tariffs.
- Support neighbourhood uptake of domestic renewables.
- Promote domestic retrofit with private landlords.
- Continue education and awareness raising.
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HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORT
Maintenance work continues on the A1307 (the old A14) – between Swavesey and Huntingdon. A 40mph speed limit is in place between Swavesey and Huntingdon, this speed limit has been in place for some time and extensive maintenance works are required before it can be lifted. The verges have now been cleared, the vegetation has been stripped back and some of the drains have been cleared. However, these works have not been completed as quickly as originally expected as our highways officers have uncovered the need for further drainage work. Some of the drains are not clearing properly and more drains have been discovered which weren’t listed on the original plans.
Further ecology survey work started recently. During this time, traffic management will be in place. Following the survey, some trees, which are posing a risk to the carriageway, will need to be removed. New seeds and mature trees will be planted elsewhere at a more suitable location.
Another priority is the barrier work required between Godmanchester to Huntingdon section. The preparation for this work involves clearing the vegetation to allow the barriers to be installed. The barrier replacement work, which will require lane closures, is expected to continue until at least February 2025.
Winter Preparations
Preparations for winter are well under way with the county council’s fleet of 37 gritters and two quad bikes on stand-by to keep the county’s roads, paths and cycleways safe for residents in the colder months.
The team’s annual preparatory ‘dry runs’ are now complete. The council’s salt barns are fully stocked with 10,000 tonnes of rock salt ready for the start of the cold season, and grit bins across Cambridgeshire have been refilled. The council maintains over 108,000 drains across the county, and has been clearing and repairing these where necessary before winter sets in.
Crews will be on standby across the council’s four winter service depots at Huntingdon, March, Whittlesford and Witchford, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, between now and April 2025. Around seventy community volunteers also go out to help grit paths and pavements to keep them safe for those on foot.
WARD NEWS
TRANSPORT: Busway Crisis
I am continuing to talk to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to confirm the timing of survey and continue to raise issues with Stagecoach after putting up a post on social media last week, current issues being outlined by residents and discussed at Northstowe Town Council meeting in November are:
- buses are not aligned with London trains, especially in the evening, waiting around for 50mins
- 5 Bus needs to be double decker during peak times, as it is being used more by residents, arriving full by the time it reaches Bar Hill and leaving residents at the bus stop
- 5 Bus is working well, but too slow
- concerns about ticket seller at the Longstanton Park and Ride if they are not able to get on buses – what happens for refunds.
- Long waits during evening peak times at Drummer Street, Cambridge Science Park
- Buses still unreliable, not turning up or arrive full
- Double Decker needed for A bus, but there are bridges at the southern section – not sure what the solution to this could be, as coming off road would add more time, and changing buses would be more disruptive
- Bus journey time to Addenbrookes is taking 1.5-2hours, 3.5/4 hours of travelling in one day, by car it would take 60mins return!
- Ticket seller working well, but middle doors should open for dismounting
MEANWHILE on the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is developing a Fen Roads Economic Impact Assessment for Peat Soil Affected Roads. This is something I have been asking the Combined Authority to get involved in, given how important our peat soil affected roads are to our area.
The Combined Authority has also received an update on the project ‘to address existing and future challenges around capacity and road safety’ on transport corridor between Ely and Cambridge. The Department for Transport asked the Combined Authority to put forward a preferred option that includes both junction improvements and dualling, and a lower cost alternative option. Further work is in progress or about to begin, and is expected to conclude by the end of January.
More than £10 million announced for better buses in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – was the good news announced by the Government on 17 November. Details of the funding are still being worked through, but potential improvements could include more frequent services, bus fare schemes, building on the success of the Tiger Card, improvements to bus stops and customer information.
CONTACT DETAILS
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the above, or any other matters.
Firouz Thompson, County Councillor for Longstanton, Northstowe, Over and Oakington & Westwick Email: firouz.thompson@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2066298150052161/ – Longstanton, Oakington and Northstowe https://www.facebook.com/libdems3rdMay18 – Over & Willingham
Report a highways fault – Cambridgeshire County Council
Report a flood – www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/business/planning-and-development/flood-and-water/report-aflood
