District councillor for Sutton, Mepal, Witcham, and Wentworth (East Cambridgeshire District Council) and county councillor for Coveney, Little Downham, Mepal, Pymoor, Sutton, Wardy Hill, Way Head, Witcham, and Witchford (Cambridgeshire County Council)
Residents are invited to find out more about local nature recovery projects in a free event at Ely Library on Saturday 16 November from 10:00AM to 3:00PM.
There will be four talks:
10:00AM Witchford Climate Action Group
11:00AM Wicken Fen: peatland restoration
12:00PM Oxwillow: restoring farmland habitat
12:30PM Natural Cambridgeshire: doubling nature
There will also be a range of stalls including Wildlife Trust BCN, RSPB, Renew: Ely Cathedral Environment Group and East Cambs Climate Action Network. The event is organised in partnership with East Cambridgeshire District Council and East Cambs CAN.
Today I proposed a motion at the meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council about the safety of lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes, e-scooters, and other appliances. I was delighted that it passed unanimously. This is what I said.
“Many here today will be aware of the tragic death of a mother and her two children in Cambridge nearly sixteen months ago. They died in a fire which took hold rapidly in their home, when a faulty replacement e-bicycle battery caught alight. It had been purchased online after the original battery had been stolen.
Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly being used in a wide range of household goods. When they overheat—which they can do for a variety of reasons—this can lead to unstoppable thermal runaway, uncontrolled chemical reactions, explosions, and fires which are very difficult to control.
The importation of lithium-ion batteries into the UK without adequate requirements for independent testing is a particular risk, especially when bought online. While high street shops have a responsibility to ensure the safety of electrical goods they sell, online retailers do not. It is even possible to buy online electrical products no longer available on the high street because they have been recalled by the manufacturers.
Increasing use of lithium-ion batteries has led to increasing risk of fire. Fires in people’s homes, as in the Cambridge tragedy. Fires in waste collection vehicles. Fires at waste sites. A growing threat—to residents in their homes, to council waste crews, and to firefighters. Local authorities such as ours, and our partners are doing what we can to spread information. But it’s not enough.
Lord Foster of Bath and the charity Electrical Safety First have been calling for some time for changes in the law to improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries.
Firstly, there must be a regime of independent approval testing so that the UK public can be assured that the batteries they are buying are safe.
Secondly, there must be regulations for the safe disposal of lithium-ion batteries.
And thirdly, there must be adequate controls to address specific fire safety concerns. These include the safety of chargers, and of conversion kits such as those that turn pushbikes into e-bikes.
This motion asks that we, as a council, endorse the proposals by Lord Foster and Electrical Safety First.
Furthermore, it asks that the Chief Executive write to the Minister to encourage the Government to support new legislation; and to our partners in the Fire Authority, RECAP, and its constituent authorities, to spread the message and encourage them to make their own representations.”
Congratulations to the residents of Soham and Barway this evening on the passing of the referendum on their Neighbourhood Plan.
Soham and Barway join a growing number of communities in East Cambridgeshire—including Sutton, Witchford and Mepal in my own division—whose area is covered by a Neighbourhood Plan. These plans are a great way of enabling local residents to design and shape their places.
The East Cambridgeshire Community Fund will be open to applications between Monday 28 October and Monday 9 December 2024.
Grants are available to support local community groups to provide new, or develop existing, community services and initiatives that improve the quality of life for residents of East Cambridgeshire. They cannot provide capital funding for buildings but can be used to buy equipment.
Grants are available to cover up to 75 per cent of your project costs. The minimum grant is £250 and the maximum £1000.
Applicants must have a written constitution, a management committee with a Chair, Treasurer and Secretary, a bank account with a two-signatory requirement, up to date accounts, and an Equal Opportunity and Child Protection Policy where applicable.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is encouraging individuals to act now and check their National Insurance record to fill any gaps in their National Insurance records from 2006 onwards, to maximise their State Pension.
People have until Saturday 5 April 2025 to maximise their State Pension by making voluntary National Insurance contributions to fill any gaps in their National Insurance record between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2018.
HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions are encouraging people to act now and use the online State Pension forecast checker to see if they can increase their retirement income.
The service enables people to check if they have gaps in their National Insurance record, calculate if making a payment would increase their State Pension, and then make a payment if they wish to do so.
East Cambridgeshire District Council has published the following planning applications in the Sutton division.
24/00898/FUL Witcham Park House 2 The Slade Witcham First floor extension over existing flat roof.
24/00636/FUL Witchford 1 Clover End Witchford CB6 2XD Proposed porch to front.
24/00943/FUL Witchford 175 Main Street Witchford CB6 2HP Two storey side extension, part first floor extension at rear, raise roof level of remaining existing single storey element, replace existing conservatory. Porch over front door and new fenestration.
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);
East Cambridgeshire District Council has published the following planning applications in the Sutton division.
24/00748/FUL Coveney Commrooks Farm Straight Drove Coveney Change of use of land from ancillary recreational use to use for the stationing of a former railway carriage to be used for tourist accommodation—retrospective.
24/00721/FUL Little Downham 2 Pymoor Lane Pymoor CB6 2EE Single storey porch to comprise an entrance hall and WC.
24/00738/FUL Little Downham Land North East of 1 Seventh Drove Little Downham Proposed replacement dwelling.
24/00568/LBC Mepal Wisteria House 3 Brangehill Lane Mepal Front wall railings, replacement rendering on front elevation, cast iron guttering to front, trellis to front and associated works.
24/00588/FUL Sutton 5 Redwood Gardens Sutton CB6 2QN Two storey and single storey extensions to side and single storey extension to front.
24/00604/FUL Witchford 4 Field End Witchford CB6 2XE Single storey extension to rear and associated works.
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);
East Cambridgeshire District Council has published the following planning applications in the Sutton division.
24/00796/FUL Little Downham Commonside Station Road Little Downham Proposed extension to rear of existing dwelling with new access driveway.
24/00837/FUL Little Downham Fen Dale Adventurers Drove Oxlode Demolition of existing house and garage and erection of a two-storey house.
24/00870/FUL Little Downham Quince Cottage 5 Park Lane Little Downham Demolish existing single storey side extension and rear conservatory, and construct a two-storey side and single-storey side extension.
24/00826/FUL Witcham 14 Martins Lane Witcham CB6 2LB Internal and external alterations including proposed bay window. Garage conversion (retrospective).
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);
Great to visit Haddenham Youth Fusion yesterday at the Haddenham Recreation Ground.
Haddenham Youth Council really seems to be taking off, and is well supported by the Parish Council. I had a useful discussion with the members on their tombola stall about bus services—and won several prizes!
The police stand was a useful chance to catch up about some local Sutton issues, and to hear about the police cadet scheme. Some of the cadets were there to promote the scheme. The district council’s Community Safety Team was also in evidence, and I was pleased to get four out of the five questions right in their ‘True or False’ quiz.
There was a jobs theme evident too, with the Combined Authority’s Careers Hub and the Cambridge LaunchPad project connecting employers with young people interested in careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Health was also a prominent theme, both physical and mental, with representation from the Healthy You programme and Beezee Families, the local cricket club, the Our Voices youth advisory group, and the Cameron Grant Memorial Trust which encourages everyone, but especially young people, to speak up and ask for help with poor mental health. It’s named for Cameron, a young man who took his own life after a seven year battle with depression.
The Community Advice Bus—sadly now limited to Soham and Littleport—was on the scene, as was the Connexions bus, the Fire Service and a great climbing wall!
East Cambs Street Scene is currently delivering the usual black sacks for non-recyclable waste to all residents in East Cambridgeshire.
All sacks should be delivered by 31 August (we received ours this week). Residents will then have one month to report sacks not being received.
After 30 September, East Cambs Street Scene will not process reports of sacks not being delivered, and residents will be advised to make their own arrangements.
The calendar of collection dates will be delivered separately by the recycling crews during the first two weeks of September. It will be attached to the handle of the blue lidded bin. (Residents on the alternative ‘sacks only’ service will receive a copy in the post).
