Report for November from Firouz Thompson, Cambridgeshire County Councillor
Dear Residents,
Please find below my latest report which is an edited version of my ward report to parish councils.
BE WINTER WISE
‘Be Winter Wise’ returns for the winter season, helping Cambridgeshire residents keep warm, safe and healthy throughout the colder months.
The focus of the campaign is on preventing winter illnesses, coping with the cost of living, and staying safe during the winter weather. It will provide practical help and guidance with the issues that face so many people at this time of year.
The Cambridgeshire County Council led campaign will have advice on:
- Help with the cost of living such as warm hubs and Pension Credit
- Ways to protect your health, including vaccinations
- Tips on how to heat your home efficiently
- Where to find free physical activities for all the family
- Advice on preparing for extreme weather, such as freezing and flooding
- Winter gritting schedules and staying safe on our roads
Supermarket vouchers will once again be available for children eligible for free school meals during the school holidays, and the council will be signposting to partner organisations who provide essential winter support. Social media posts will feature campaign motif Olly the Owl.
*************************************************************************************
FULL COUNCIL – 22 October
The council debated four motions proposed by councillors, and agreed them all unanimously.
- Fairer police funding and domestic abuse awareness. Cambridgeshire is the fourth lowest funded police force, with local taxpayers funding about half of the budget.
- Changes to planning processes for long-term schemes to adapt to new situations.
- Addressing safety risks from lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters, endorsing third-party testing, safe disposal regulations, and fire safety controls.
- Reviewing the aftermath of National Highways’ A14 project, calling for responsiveness and resolution of outstanding issues.
The council also agreed to:
- Apply for a Transport & Works Act Order for the Cambridge South East Transport project, which includes a busway between a new travel hub near the A1307/A11 and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, passing through Granta Park and nearby villages. The proposal passed with 33 votes in favour and 15 against.
- Establish a new Shareholder Sub-Committee within the Assets & Procurement Committee to enhance governance and accountability where the council holds significant shares.
*************************************************************************************
STRATEGY, POLICY & RESOURCES Quality of Life Survey 2024
Most Cambridgeshire residents continue to feel happy and safe in the county, well connected to their local communities, and believe it’s a great place to raise children, according to the County Council’s second annual Quality of Life survey.
However, cost of living remains the issue of most concern, with almost half of residents using less heating, and a quarter cutting back on nutritious food in the past twelve months.
The survey was commissioned from national independent market research agency Think Insights. This year the council carried out this work in partnership with Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, South Cambridgeshire District Council, and Cambridge Ahead. 5,500 residents took part in the survey—1,100 in each of Cambridgeshire’s five districts to give a representative view across the county.
In addition to the survey, this year the council engaged with some specific groups including those with lived experience of homelessness, the criminal justice system and drug or alcohol dependency as well as those under the age of 18. A general online public survey allowed any resident to take part.
The council will use the survey to increase its understanding of what is important to local residents and to inform council decisions. More information and statistics can be found here: Quality of life survey 2024 | Cambridgeshire County Council
BUDGET
The council’s current position forecasts an overspend of £9.6M for the current financial year—that’s 2 per cent of its budget. The county council’s estimated budget gap for next year (2025/26) has increased from £23.5M to more than £39M, largely due to a combination of increasing demand for services, inflationary pressures, and uncertainty over future funding from Government.
Over the last ten years, the council’s core government funding has reduced by 70 per cent in real terms. Combined with more steep rises in inflation and a surge in demand for services supporting some of our most vulnerable residents, this has added further cost pressures to the council. *************************************************************************************
Household Support Fund
Every year the County Council manages a fund called the Household Support Fund which is aimed to support individuals who are in receipt of benefits. The fund has different tranches of application and is currently asking for applications from ‘Trusted Partners’. Direct applications will be opening soon so please do keep an eye on this, as it is a very popular and helpful pot of money that we can tap into.
*************************************************************************************
HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORT
Maintenance work continues on 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 will start shortly, and will involve clearing the vegetation to allow the barriers to be installed. The barrier replacement work, which will require lane closures, is expected to start in November and continue until at least February 2025.
Residents Parking Scheme Consultation
There is a consultation opening on 31 October and running until 12 December on proposed changes to the County Council’s policy on Residents Parking Schemes. This is to attempt to make the policy marry up with the new Civil Parking Enforcement officers (traffic wardens) that have been operational in South Cambridgeshire since February this year. Some people approached us about implementing residents parking schemes in specific areas. If you, or anyone you know, feel strongly about this policy, please do comment – https://consultcambs.uk.engagementhq.com/residents-parking-scheme-policy-review
Winter Gritting Scheme
The County Council is always looking for people to volunteer to help with community gritting in the winter months. If you’re interested in this, please do register via the website or your local Parish Council – https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/roads-and-pathways/gritting-roadscycleways-and-paths/help-with-gritting-and-clearing-snow
WARD NEWS
Important Road Closure Notice: Gravel Bridge Road/Longstanton Road, Over
Date: Wednesday, 18th December 2024 Time: 9:30am – 2:30pm
Cambridgeshire Highways will be conducting essential road patching work on Gravel Bridge Road (from Ramper Road to Over 30mph zone) as preparation for a surface treatment scheduled in 2025.
Details: Road Closure: Full closure for one day, with restricted vehicular access during work hours.
Detour: A signed diversion route will be in place for through traffic. See also map below.
Stay Informed: Look out for advance notices on-site for up-to-date information, or contact Cambridgeshire County Council with any questions, details are on the letter sent to all nearby homes.
GOOD NEWS: these are works before the post surface treatments next summer. We will have further news on Glover Street/Long Furlong and parts of Fen End early next year.
TRANSPORT Busway Crisis
Stagecoach announced new Busway modelling. County Councillor Ros Hathorn (Histon & Impington) met with David Boden from Stagecoach to review the report and data.
The press release was as follows:
- Busway to gain extra buses to meet demand growth
- Two additional services registered
- Up to 58% passenger growth
- Three extra buses added in September
Cambridgeshire’s largest bus operator is adding more buses to the Busway due to increased passenger numbers. Last year, August to September saw a 7% increase; this year, it’s 20%, with morning peaks up to 58%. This rise has caused some customers to miss preferred travel times.
This September, many students from Long Road and Cambridge Regional College travelled on the Busway, with higher numbers from St Ives, Huntingdon, Swavesey, and Longstanton. Colleges finalize student numbers in August, after timetable changes can be registered.
To handle demand, driver-trained office staff duplicated key journeys at peak times. From November 3rd, two extra B services will run from St Ives Park and Ride to Drummer Street and back. Morning peak B services to Addenbrookes will drop from nine to five, and evening peak from four to three, increasing seats from St Ives and buses starting/finishing at Drummer Street.
This capacity increase follows the recent addition of three buses, one supported by the Combined Authority. Congestion remains a challenge, especially on Hills Road, where peak times can take up to 29 minutes compared to 9.2 minutes last year. Stagecoach East runs 99.5% of scheduled miles, but 70% of missed miles last week were due to congestion.
Darren Roe, Managing Director of Stagecoach East, said: “The Busway is crucial local infrastructure. We regret some loyal customers couldn’t travel at preferred times. We hope new buses will help more customers travel when needed. We encourage local organizations to share travel needs of students and staff. We will adjust services as travel needs evolve. Congestion remains a key challenge. Adding buses improves punctuality but not journey times. We urge further communication with utilities and local authorities on roadworks, parking enforcement, and road priority.”
1A and 5A bus route to be combined
I have been liaising with an Over resident and the Combined Authority, it seems that from 1 December this route will be combined, as the 1A bus operator did not wish to continue with the route, as such the Combined Authority have worked up a solution to award to Stagecoach to ensure continuity of service. Stagecoach operate the 5A currently, so for efficiency purposes we will be integrating the timetables.
The new timetable will travel in both directions between St Ives and Bar Hill, via Over and Willingham. It is mostly a 90-minute frequency, adjusted in the morning and afternoon to cater for the students that currently use the bus to get to Swavesey Village College.
Combined Authority Officers will continue to work with the operator (Stagecoach) to improve the frequencies for residents with the new, integrated timetable
Police Community Engagement Panel
Cambridgeshire Police hold quarterly public forums where they give updates on the service in South Cambs as well as take questions from the public. The next one is to be held online on 27 November at 7pm, this is a good opportunity to raise any concerns. To register for the event, follow this link – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/south-cambridgeshire-community-engagement-meeting-november-2024tickets-772923213137?aff=oddtdtcreator
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: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/roads-and-pathways/roadworks-and-faults
Report a flood – www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/business/planning-and-development/flood-and-water/report-aflood
