{"id":5901,"date":"2026-03-11T09:40:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T09:40:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/?p=5901"},"modified":"2026-03-13T10:19:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T10:19:38","slug":"over-monthly-report-march-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/over-monthly-report-march-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Cambridgeshire County Council Monthly Report  March 2026 \u2013 Cllr Luis Navarro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The County Council\u2019s Assets &amp; Procurement Committee has approved a new partnership with developer <strong>Prologis<\/strong> to support the next phase of growth at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Cambridge Biomedical Campus Expansion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The proposal puts forward <strong>67 acres of County Council\u2013owned land<\/strong> to deliver:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>New space for life sciences research, development and innovation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Co\u2011working laboratory facilities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Learning and skills training spaces<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A dedicated skills and training centre<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Serviced apartments for key workers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Offices for life science support companies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The plans also include investment in <strong>transport infrastructure<\/strong>, <strong>green space<\/strong>, and a <strong>community fund<\/strong>. Subject to planning approval, the project will generate a future commercial return that will help support essential council services and strategic priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Two New Special Schools for Cambridgeshire<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cambridgeshire County Council has formally asked the Department for Education to continue with the delivery of two new special schools in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Gamlingay \u2013 Greensands Academy Gamlingay<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>March \u2013 Lime Academy March<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both schools had previously been approved by the DfE and are expected to provide a much\u2011needed <strong>270 new special school places<\/strong> across the county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>New Data-Led System to Tackle Poverty<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Council has agreed to procure a data-driven platform to better identify low\u2011income households who would benefit from <strong>income maximisation support<\/strong>, ensuring residents receive all financial entitlements and reducing avoidable household costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This follows the May 2025 recommendations of the <strong>Cambridgeshire Poverty Strategy Commission<\/strong>, which emphasised the importance of early intervention to prevent crisis, stabilise budgets, and strengthen long\u2011term financial resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Evidence from South Cambridgeshire District Council<\/strong>, already using a similar system, shows strong results:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nearly <strong>1,000 additional successful claims<\/strong> for residents in the last 12 months<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Worth <strong>over \u00a3500,000<\/strong> in their first year alone<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Estimated <strong>\u00a34 million lifetime value<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Systems elsewhere show a return of <strong>over \u00a3400 per \u00a31 invested<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new platform will focus on early identification to prevent residents from falling into hardship, and reduce future demand for more costly crisis services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Safe Disposal of Batteries<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RECAP, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership, is urging residents to recycle batteries and battery\u2011powered electricals safely after a rise in fires caused by incorrectly discarded lithium\u2011ion batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent local incidents include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A fire at <strong>Thalia\u2019s Alconbury waste transfer station<\/strong> at New Year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>13 bin lorry fires<\/strong> in Cambridgeshire over the past year<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">National figures show:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Over <strong>1.6 billion<\/strong> batteries were thrown away in 2023<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More than <strong>1.1 billion<\/strong> were hidden inside everyday household items<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Waste\u2011related fires have risen <strong>71% since 2022<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Batteries should <strong>never<\/strong> go in general waste or mixed recycling. Residents are urged to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use designated battery recycling points<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tape damaged terminals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check local schemes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recycle at Household Recycling Centres, supermarkets, DIY stores, and any shop that sells batteries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More information:<br>https:\/\/www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk\/residents\/waste-and-recycling\/battery-disposal<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Pothole and Road Defect Update<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Council continues to respond to the unusually high number of road defects reported in the last two months. This is a <strong>national issue<\/strong>, with repair crews in high demand across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the week beginning <strong>9 March<\/strong>, the County will deploy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>30 repair crews<\/strong>, including<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>4 teams working overnight<\/strong> (compared with the usual 7 daytime teams)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Challenges affecting repair efficiency include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Persistent wet weather reducing productivity and raising failure rates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Limited road\u2011closure availability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stretched internal resources<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increased time to respond to and mark defects<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite funding constraints, the Council continues to add investment where Government funding falls short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Roadworks Update<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>24\/7 closure of Twentypence Road<\/strong> (Wilburton\u2013Cottenham) for Anglian Water works has been lifted <strong>three weeks earlier than scheduled<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Works on the <strong>B1050 Earith Road, Willingham<\/strong> (Roseberry Holiday Park to the Willingham Co\u2011op) will run <strong>9\u201327 March<\/strong>, with closures <strong>8:00\u201317:00<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Peat Soil Roads \u2013 Parliamentary Update<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Local MP <strong>Ian Sollom<\/strong> highlighted the serious challenges posed by Cambridgeshire\u2019s peat soil roads in a recent Parliamentary question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Peat-affected roads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Can cost <strong>up to four times more<\/strong> to repair<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have significantly shorter repair lifespans<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pose safety concerns for residents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP<\/strong>, acknowledged the unique geological challenges and committed to raising the issue with the Roads Minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2026\/27 Highway Maintenance Programme<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The draft programme for 2026\/27 includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The programme includes <strong>works on Meadow Lane, The Lanes, and Unwins Lane<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Cllr Luis Navarro<\/strong><br>County Councillor for Over, Northstowe, Longstanton, Oakington &amp; Westwick<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The County Council\u2019s Assets &amp; Procurement Committee has approved a new partnership with developer Prologis to support the next phase of growth at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Cambridge Biomedical Campus Expansion The proposal puts forward 67 acres of County Council\u2013owned land to deliver: The plans also include investment in transport infrastructure, green space, and a community fund. Subject to planning approval, the project will generate a future commercial return that will help support essential council services and strategic priorities. Two New Special Schools for Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire County Council has formally asked the Department for Education to continue with the delivery of two new special schools in: Both schools had previously been approved by the DfE and are expected to provide a much\u2011needed 270 new special school places across the county. New Data-Led System to Tackle Poverty The Council has agreed to procure a data-driven platform to better identify low\u2011income households who would benefit from income maximisation support, ensuring residents receive all financial entitlements and reducing avoidable household costs. This follows the May 2025 recommendations of the Cambridgeshire Poverty Strategy Commission, which emphasised the importance of early intervention to prevent crisis, stabilise budgets, and strengthen long\u2011term financial resilience. Evidence from South Cambridgeshire District Council, already using a similar system, shows strong results: The new platform will focus on early identification to prevent residents from falling into hardship, and reduce future demand for more costly crisis services. Safe Disposal of Batteries RECAP, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership, is urging residents to recycle batteries and battery\u2011powered electricals safely after a rise in fires caused by incorrectly discarded lithium\u2011ion batteries. Recent local incidents include: National figures show: Batteries should never go in general waste or mixed recycling. Residents are urged to: More information:https:\/\/www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk\/residents\/waste-and-recycling\/battery-disposal Pothole and Road Defect Update The Council continues to respond to the unusually high number of road defects reported in the last two months. This is a national issue, with repair crews in high demand across the country. For the week beginning 9 March, the County will deploy: Challenges affecting repair efficiency include: Despite funding constraints, the Council continues to add investment where Government funding falls short. Roadworks Update Peat Soil Roads \u2013 Parliamentary Update Local MP Ian Sollom highlighted the serious challenges posed by Cambridgeshire\u2019s peat soil roads in a recent Parliamentary question. Peat-affected roads: The Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP, acknowledged the unique geological challenges and committed to raising the issue with the Roads Minister. 2026\/27 Highway Maintenance Programme The draft programme for 2026\/27 includes: The programme includes works on Meadow Lane, The Lanes, and Unwins Lane. Cllr Luis NavarroCounty Councillor for Over, Northstowe, Longstanton, Oakington &amp; Westwick<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":4813,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Cllr-Luis-Navarro.jpg?fit=585%2C696&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Tb23-1xb","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5901"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5914,"href":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5901\/revisions\/5914"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.overvillage.co.uk\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}