Greater Cambridge transport consultation now open

The Greater Cambridge Partnership Making Connections 2022 consultation on transport in and around Cambridge is now open. Between 17 October and 23 December 2022, everyone living in Greater Cambridge and the travel to work area can have their say on the proposals.

You can find the survey, information about the proposals, maps, frequently asked questions, dates of public meetings, and ways to share your thoughts here.

It’s really important that residents from East Cambridgeshire—particularly those travelling into Cambridge regularly for work, study, or other reasons—read the proposals, then respond.

There will also be a drop-in event in Ely on Saturday 29 October for local residents to learn more about the proposals and have questions answered by a member of the project team. The event will run from 10:00AM to 1:00PM at Ely Library meeting room, The Cloisters, Ely CB7 4ZH.

The proposals are in three parts.

Transforming the bus network
From mid-2023, the Partnership proposes to transform the bus network through new routes, additional services, cheaper fares, and longer operating hours. These would include new bus connections for Mepal and Sutton to the guided busway at Oakington for onward travel into Cambridge. Hourly buses would serve Mepal, Sutton, Witcham and Witchford to Ely.

Investing in other sustainable travel schemes
Alongside the bus network, the Partnership propose to invest in new sustainable travel schemes, such as better walking and cycling links.

Creating a Sustainable Travel Zone
They then propose to introduce a Sustainable Travel Zone including a road user charge. People would be charged for driving within the zone between 7:00AM and 7:00PM on weekdays. The money raised would fund improvements to the bus network and other sustainable travel schemes. The Zone would be fully operational in 2027/28 but only once the first bus improvements are introduced.

You can email any queries about the proposals to consultations@greatercambridge.org.uk

Recent planning applications in the Sutton division

East Cambridgeshire District Council has published the following planning applications in the Sutton division.

22/01150/FUL
Sutton
13 Mostyn Close Sutton CB6 2QJ
Part conversion of a garage storage area to seamstress studio/workshop (retrospective).

22/00958/FUL
Sutton
Site south west of 16 Tower Road Sutton
Construction of a new dwelling.

22/01090/FUL
Witchford
Land parcel between Granny’s End Road and A142 off Marroway Lane Witchford
Construction of two three-bedroom bungalows with garage, parking and access road including acoustic fence.

You can find further information on the district council’s planning pages. If you would like to respond formally to the council about any planning application, please write to the district council and not to me.  You can comment

  • online using the council’s public access web page (the link above);
  • by email to plservices@eastcambs.gov.uk;
  • or by post to the Planning Department, The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, CB7 4EE

New reservoir site revealed

The site for the proposed new reservoir in the Fens area has been revealed.

The location is north of Chatteris near Doddington and Wimblington.

The reservoir is to be developed by Anglian Water in partnership with Cambridge Water and a formal public consultation period will begin on Wednesday 12 October.

https://www.fenlandcitizen.co.uk/news/fenland-is-chosen-as-location-for-major-new-reservoir-by-ang-9278059/

Your views wanted on health and care in Cambridgeshire

This just in from Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care System (ICS):

“We have launched a new campaign to hear from as many of our local people, communities and partners as possible. ‘Let’s Talk: Your health & care’ is for everyone living, working or studying in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who wants to have a positive impact on the future of health and care services across our area. By hearing from local people, we can better understand local issues and needs, and work together to tackle them. 

Whether you have a wide personal experience of health and care services, occasionally pick up a prescription, visit a local community service for advice, or haven’t had the need to use health or care services recently, we want to hear from you.   

We are writing a strategy that will shape the services and support we offer over the next five years. To make sure our plans meet your needs, we have drafted a few questions, on a range of topics that we would like you views on. It’s not a long questionnaire, and most people can complete it in around five minutes. The questionnaire can be accessed online, and printed copies are available on request from cpicb.comms@nhs.net  

We want to reach as many people as possible, especially people in communities we don’t regularly speak to or hear from. So please, share widely among your networks, colleagues, friends and family. Please also remember to complete the questionnaire yourself too! 

The insights and feedback we get will help shape our Health & Wellbeing Integrated Care Strategy​ and influence the future of health and care over the next five years and help us build longer term relationships with our local people and communities.​ 

Every question, comment or suggestion is welcome. 

The survey will close on Thursday 10 November. So that you can see where your views have had an impact, we will share a detailed overview of the insights we have gathered. Our strategy will also be clear about the influence your views have had.” 

Green energy project under way at Park & Ride

3D render of the solar car ports (Bouygues E&S Solutions Limited and Prospus Group)

Work is getting under way at the Babraham Road Park & Ride facility to transform the site into a renewable energy generator.

Solar carports will generate up to 2.5MW of clean electricity, extra electric vehicle chargers will be installed, and the site will provide green energy directly to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

The project will save 6,500 tonnes of CO2 over 25 years. Projects like these are important for Cambridgeshire in meeting its ambitious target to be net zero by 2045.

The council aims to complete the project by autumn next year. The Park & Ride facility will remain open throughout construction but at a reduced capacity. To reduce the impact to the site the project will be constructed in three phases, allowing 850 spaces to remain open throughout the build.

More information about the project at Babraham Road Park and Ride Smart Energy Grid – Cambridgeshire County Council

Social care services face ‘perfect storm’ this winter

Cambridgeshire and other county councils are calling on the Government to properly fund adult social care.

“Cambridgeshire County Council has today (Wednesday 5 October) joined councils across the country urging government to properly fund adult social care and its reforms.

The County Councils Network (CCN), which represents Cambridgeshire and 36 councils in county areas, has warned that drastically underfunded services face a ‘perfect storm’ of staffing shortages this winter, less availability of care beds and higher costs at a time when demand is increasing.

Their warning comes as new analysis from CCN reveals that councils in England are set to face £3.7bn in additional costs in 2023 compared to 2021 to keep care services even at current levels, due to rising inflation, wage increases and demand.”

More from the council here.

Recent planning applications in the Sutton division

East Cambridgeshire District Council has published the following planning applications in the Sutton division.

22/01120/FUL
Little Downham
56 Main Street Pymoor CB6 2DY
Construction of single storey rear extension.

22/01113/FUL
Sutton
Land south east of 107 The Row Sutton
Proposed lake and associated works.

22/01030/LBC
Witchford
91 Main Street Witchford CB6 2HQ
Replace front door like for like, with toughened single glazing instead of original glass, and change the opening direction.

22/01123/FUL
Witchford
Ridgeway Farm Common Road Witchford
Demolition of existing dwelling and construction of replacement dwelling.

You can find further information on the district council’s planning pages. If you would like to respond formally to the council about any planning application, please write to the district council and not to me.  You can comment

  • online using the council’s public access web page (the link above);
  • by email to plservices@eastcambs.gov.uk;
  • or by post to the Planning Department, The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, CB7 4EE

Councillors unite to condemn Stagecoach bus cuts

(News from Cambridgeshire County Council at https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/news/members-united-in-condemnation-of-proposed-bus-route-cuts-but-holds-fire-on-offering-extra-funding)

A Cambridgeshire County Council committee was united in its condemnation of bus company Stagecoach’s decision to axe or reduce more than 30 services across the county calling it ‘appalling’, ‘scandalous’ and even ‘diabolical’.

But a proposal to allocate £1.7m of the Council’s reserves to a bus subsidy pot was not supported at this stage by the Strategy and Resources Committee today [Friday 30 September], which noted that Stagecoach had recently accepted government money to support its less profitable routes and had also posted notice of significant profits, as a Group, earlier in the year.

The proposal, put as an amendment by Cllr Chris Boden, which also recommended that the council ask the Greater Cambridge Partnership to match fund this sum, wasn’t supported by the committee ahead of a re-tendering process which is currently under way, pointing to severe funding uncertainties ahead for all the services that the council is responsible for.

The committee noted that the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA), the body responsible for public transport across the county, had begun a re-tendering process for the threatened routes, the result of which will be known on 19th October – the day before the next Strategy and Resources Committee meets. The CPCA has already pledged an additional £1.7m to secure the threatened routes from 30th October to end of March 2023.

Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, Leader of the Council, and Chair of the Committee expressed her outrage about the Stagecoach proposal and confirmed the committee’s sympathy with the spirit of the proposed amendment.

“There has been a terrific failure by government in handing over money to Stagecoach with no strings attached,” said Cllr Nethsingha. “While it is possible that there may be a need for more funding than the CPCA has indicated is available, it is currently unclear what the scale of that need might need to be, or how else it might be met, and we will know what this is by the time of our next meeting.

“I am pleased that Mayor Dr Nik Johnson has moved so swiftly. We will work with him to ensure funding is found to rescue these routes as soon as we know how much money will be needed, “added Cllr Elisa Meschini, Deputy Leader and Vice Chair of S&R.

“But it is incorrect to label our General Reserves as an ‘un-ringfenced account’, much less a “pandemic recovery account”. Our General Reserves are needed to protect us against the effects of the uncertainty currently rocking the markets, including interest rates and the costs of servicing our debt. We cannot commit them to any other specific purpose without more information at the present time.”

The fact that Stagecoach are able to simply withdraw services at such short notice is a massive problem,” Cllr Nethsingha continued. “I am writing to Government, specifically to Lucy Frazer MP, as Minister of State for Transport, to ask that the Government urgently review the current regulations which allow bus companies to simply cancel routes at such short notice and give Bus Improvement money direct to bus operators rather than the authorities who are responsible for them.”

“As a member of the CPCA Board I am pleased that the Board has stepped in quickly to tender to preserve the current routes. I am also pleased that the GCP has decided this week to consult on proposals which I believe will offer very much improved bus services across the whole Cambridge travel to work area, including options which would make franchising a realistic possibility.”

The full debate on the item can be watched here (646) Strategy and Resources Committee – 30 September 2022 – YouTube.

Recent planning applications in the Sutton division

East Cambridgeshire District Council has published the following planning application in the Sutton division.

22/00909/FUL
Witchford
8 Wheats Close Witchford CB6 2JQ
Car port conversion and demolition of outbuilding.

You can find further information on the district council’s planning pages. If you would like to respond formally to the council about any planning application, please write to the district council and not to me.  You can comment

  • online using the council’s public access web page (the link above);
  • by email to plservices@eastcambs.gov.uk;
  • or by post to the Planning Department, The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, CB7 4EE

Recent planning applications in the Sutton division

East Cambridgeshire District Council has published the following planning applications in the Sutton division.

22/01038/FUL
Little Downham
1 Matthew Wren Close Little Downham CB6 2UL
Proposed conversion of the existing two domestic outbuildings from a microbrewery (B2 use class) back to residential use.

22/00843/FUL
Little Downham
31 Cannon Street Little Downham CB6 2SR
Proposed rear extension and internal alterations.

22/00893/FUL
Little Downham
Holly Tree Cottage 96 Main Street Little Downham
Single storey rear extension.

You can find further information on the district council’s planning pages. If you would like to respond formally to the council about any planning application, please write to the district council and not to me.  You can comment

  • online using the council’s public access web page (the link above);
  • by email to plservices@eastcambs.gov.uk;
  • or by post to the Planning Department, The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, CB7 4EE