South Cambs District Councillor (SCDC) Bill Handley’s Report to Over Residents – December 2025
***Important reminder: Postal votes***
If you have previously had a postal vote and wish to continue to have one, please reapply now. www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote. If you have any questions or wish to cancel your postal vote, please email elections@scambs.gov.uk
Planning – Draft Local Plan Consultation
Local Plans are a statutory requirement for all Councils and form an important part of any future plans for the area; SCDC and Cambridge City Council are working together to create a single updated version for the ones adopted in 2018. The Local Plan is vitally important because it will show where new homes and workplaces could be built over the next 20 years – and how essential community facilities and public services would be developed to support the expected growth. It is even more critical this time, given the Government’s recent announcement of its plans for a Development Corporation and for substantial additional investment in our area to drive forward its ambitions.
The developing draft Local Plan consultation is now open and will remain live until 30th January 2026. There is much to read but it is all quite accessible and the summaries are useful. It appears that most of the development will be centred in places that are already known (e.g. Waterbeach, Bourn, Cambourne, NE Cambs and Northstowe) rather than in Over, but the wider consequences of living in an area to which companies and people wish to move are obvious and well covered in the Plan. There will be a number of public briefings which I will make you aware of as they receive the information. Please exercise your right to comment.
All relevant documents and links are here: https://www.greatercambridgeplanning.org/about-us/news/have-your-say-on-the-future-of-greater-cambridge-consultation-on-draft-local-plan-opens/
If you have any questions, please contact the Planning Policy Team: localplan@greatercambridgeplanning.org
Food Waste Collections Update
Early next year, the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service will begin rolling out its scheme for the weekly collection of food waste. This is to comply with new government policy, and the government is funding the new arrangements, not council tax payers. The first collection rounds will be operational in January 2026 but the ones for Over are not expected to start until autumn.
The council will soon begin a campaign to explain what the changes are and how they will affect people, using direct communications (post/hand delivery) as well as social media and other electronic means to ensure that the information reaches everyone. 5L kitchen caddies and 23L outdoor wheely bins will be provided to contain the food waste and collection days will not change. The food waste will be processed locally in a separate process to those used for black and green bin waste and will produce biogas, which will be used to generate electricity. A by-product of the process will be soil improver. I will bring more information to you as and when I receive it.
Local Government Review (LGR) update
As I mentioned in earlier reports, the government has decreed that all county, borough and district councils throughout the land are to be abolished and the services they provide taken by fewer, larger unitary councils. Following discussions between all councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, a number of different options were worked up which were recently discussed by SCDC at an Extraordinary Council Meeting. Following debate, the council voted to propose that “Option B” be recommended to government which would see South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City form one unitary council with a second one being formed by East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and Peterborough Councils. East Cambridgeshire District Council also favours option B, but other options have also been presented to government. The final decision rests with the Secretary of State which is planned for spring 2026 but it is likely to be 2028 before for the new unitary councils are fully active. Elections next May for South Cambs District Council seats will take place as normal, whatever the outcome.
Further information can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t_Bhi9qr2uTVb2BhIKqMRLGJ6BrCIJk4/view?usp=sharing
Award for the Local Planning Authority
The Greater Cambridge Shared Planning service (a partnership between Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District councils) has recently been crowned Planning Authority of the Year by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). This national award is for planning excellence and follows the award of Planning Authority of the Year (East of England) earlier this year. The RTPI Awards are among the most respected accolades in the planning profession. Everyone at South Cambs are immensely proud of the planning team.
Bill
Bill Handley
District Councillor for Over and Willingham
Phone: 01954 200287 (leave a message). Email: cllr.handley@scambs.gov.uk
