Dear residents,

I hope that you’re all well and enjoying the milder spring weather. This is an edited version of my report to parish councils within my division.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Preparing for Adulthood

Young adults across Cambridgeshire with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), have helped design an event called Preparing for Adulthood, for 14 to 25-year-olds with SEND, as well as professionals, parents, and carers. The event will be an annual one, providing information and resources to empower young adults with SEND and their families and carers. Highlights include information sessions on job coaching advice, mental health and wellbeing, networking opportunities, and accessible information, as well as a range of fun activities.  

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Communities, Social Mobility & Inclusion (COSMIC)

Domestic abuse survivors with learning difficulties

A campaign has been launched to find carers for people with learning disabilities who have experienced domestic abuse. 

The initiative—the first of its kind in the country—is a joint scheme between Cambridgeshire Shared Lives and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Partnership. Its aim is to recruit Shared Lives Domestic Abuse Carers who will be self-employed with the scheme paying their fees. Carers can offer support just for a few hours in the daytime, for an overnight stay, or for an extended break.

sharedlivesplus.org.uk/scheme/cambridgeshire-shared-lives-scheme/Preparing

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ENVIRONMENT & GREEN INVESTMENT 

Regional Flood & Coastal Committee

Cllr Lorna Dupre, Chair of Environment & Green Investment Committee, attended a meeting of the Anglian (Great Ouse) Regional Flood & Coastal Committee in late April. She reported that an unusually large number of residents were present, for an item on the agenda scheduled for just ten minutes—dilapidation of sluices at St Ives and Brownshill Staunch, where some of the gates have had to be left stuck in the down position, affecting water levels. Government funding for maintenance isn’t anywhere near enough—we were told that the Environment Agency received one-tenth of the funding they asked for from the Government.

Vape recycling

Vape recycling has been introduced at all of the council’s Household Recycling Centres. The new bins offer a safe, environmentally friendly way for residents to dispose of single use and reusable vapes. These are taken to a facility where materials are separated and cleaned before being sent for recycling. 

Anything containing batteries, including vapes, should never be placed in waste or recycling bins at home. Disposable vapes contain lithium-ion batteries which can catch fire if damaged. Three million vapes are currently thrown away each week across the UK, and research shows that electrical items including vapes disposed of in the wrong bin cause more than six hundred fires every year in refuse collection vehicles and at waste sites. ***********************************************************************************

HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORT

Gulleys found!

The joint administration of the County Council continues to turn round the highways failures of the previous incumbents. A report to the council’s Highways & Transport Committee on 30 April said, “through regular review of the road network, there [have] been a further 1,855 gulleys added to the programme which had not been previously plotted on the system”. 

Local Highways Improvement

The Local Highways Improvement panels have been going ahead over the last few weeks for the county, the results will be received by the Local Highways Improvement working group, and successful bids recommended to the council’s Highways & Transport Committee on 2 July. 

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Traffic Management Centre (TMC) 

The TMC responded to 80 incidents on the road network throughout Cambridgeshire in March covering 20 weekdays. This is a decrease to February’s figure and that of March 2023. 

Please see the table below which illustrates the number of incidents over the last 6 months, compared to the same period last year;

Incidents by month/year 

	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar
2022/23	88	207	140	167	138	132
2023/24	109	144	81	163	126	80

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PLANNING (including consents)

Sunnica solar farm

The statutory deadline for the Secretary of State to decide the application for this huge solar farm stretching from Red Lodge to Burwell was moved on yet again, this time from Thursday 11 April to Thursday 20 June.

WARD NEWS – HIGHWAYS

New Local Team:

• Local Highways Officer: Sarad Budd – Please note new LHO joining 13 May 2024
• Local Highways Officer: Aaron Boddington

Quarterly Highways meetings 2024 dates 

• Friday 12 July 12noon – 1.30pm
• Friday 1 November 12noon – 1.30pm

Hatton Road works  

Repairs continue for the works being carried out by L&Q Estates and they are going to construct three new Entrances into the ponds areas. The works commenced 15/04/2024 and due to end 31 May and could include work on a Saturday morning. Details are on One Network https://one.network/?GB138130168. Traffic will be manual controlled 09.30 – 15.30 and removed at night replaced next day if needed. They will work their way down to the new roundabout constructing the other two entrances. Signage be for work starts. I have not seen much disruption to the traffic to date and there has been no report to me or on Facebook.

A14 Bar Hill roundabout repairs 

TTRO 26-645 for the repairs took place last weekend, removing the ramps that have emerged as the bridge construction settles.

Currently no further updates by village/town, due to Police & Crime Commissioner elections and Annual PC/TC meetings throughout April/May.

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

NOTE: Homes England areas in Phase 2 Northstowe including South Access Road West and new B1050 roundabout – any estates or maintenance issues should be report to 24/7 helpdesk number 0845 603 1485. The number is manned 7 days per week 24 hours per day and all calls are placed in an auditable system to ensure matters are progressed.