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)
Do you have a skill which you could turn into a small business supporting people who need care at home?
Cambridgeshire County Council and Community Catalysts are helping local people set up small businesses providing care and support to people in their homes.
The Community Catalysts project is part of the wider Happy at Home project across East Cambridgeshire, which aims to support older people across the county to be happy at home for longer. There are a series of community events taking place and you are welcome to take part, either in person or online, all details below.
First Round of Events
Monday 13 September, 19:00-21:00 Littleport Village Hall, CB6 1GZ
The latest newsletter from the Environment Agency about the Ouse Washes barrier bank works.
For more information please visit the Environment Agency’s webpage at https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/east-anglia-c-e/ouse-washes-section-10-works/
There are 325.9 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population in Cambridgeshire, as of Friday 10 September. That’s a 7.7 per cent increase on the same time last week.
The national average is currently 338.3 per 100,000, and the regional average is 306.5 per 100,000.
District by district
Fenland 395.8 per 100,000, DOWN 1.7 per cent on last week
Huntingdonshire 368.2 per 100,000, UP 5.6 per cent on last week
South Cambridgeshire 313.2 per 100,000, UP 18 per cent on last week
East Cambridgeshire 277.2 per 100,000, UP 13.1 per cent on last week
Cambridge 259.9 per 100,000, UP 6.6 per cent on last week
Public health professionals expect rates to rise in the coming weeks as schools return.
Cambridgeshire County Council is continuing to support schools, as well as other settings such as care homes, in their response to COVID.
Vaccinations
The Council and the NHS are also focusing on getting people vaccinated, as this is the best way to keep people safe and reduce infection levels.
In Cambridgeshire, vaccine take-up varies by district. In Cambridge uptake is much lower than is desirable, with rates around 25 per cent behind the rest of the country. Elsewhere in the county, vaccination rates are largely in line with the national average. If you are eligible but haven’t had both jabs yet, you can
book online at www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19
The following planning applications in the Sutton division have been published by East Cambridgeshire District Council.
21/01158/FUL Little Downham Quaker Farm Main Drove Little Downham Replacement dwelling.
21/01327/AGN Little Downham Studfold Downham Common Little Downham Construction of a Dutch barn.
21/00791/FUL Sutton Cherry Cottage 67 The Row Sutton New house and garage with associated works, following demolition of existing buildings.
21/01301/CLE Sutton Site south east of 91 The Row Sutton Improvements to site access track.
Further information can be found on the district council’s planning pages. If you would like to respond formally to the council about any planning application, comments should be addressed to the district council and not to me. Comments may be made
online using the council’s public access web page (the link above);
The following planning applications in the Sutton division have been published by East Cambridgeshire District Council.
21/01196/FUL Coveney 26 Main Street Coveney CB6 2DJ Construction of three detached dwellings and associated works, provision of parking, and private amenity space.
21/01267/FUL Coveney 4 Main Street Wardy Hill CB6 2DF Two-storey and single-storey rear extension, loft conversion including raising ridge height.
21/01243/AGN Little Downham Green Acres Straight Furlong Pymoor Provide hard access on to the site.
21/01225/FUL Little Downham 1 Holme Lane Little Downham CB6 2TR Garage conversion, single storey front extension, external changes, and internal alterations.
21/01137/ARN Little Downham Head Fen Farm Head Fen Pymoor To convert existing agricultural storage to two-storey dwelling with car port of previously approved 17/00731/ARN.
21/01054/DEM Mepal Mepal Outdoor Centre Chatteris Road Mepal Demolition of all buildings at the former Mepal Outdoor Centre.
21/01208/FUL Mepal Land at Mepal Engine Bank Mepal Change of use of reservoir, woodland and open space to private recreational use, and construction of outbuildings (retrospective).
Finally, an application (21/01136/RMM) has been submitted for the details of the outline planning permission for land north of 22 Marroway Lane Witchford. And a Certificate of Lawfulness (21/01236/CLE) is being sought by the developers of the former Kings of Witcham garage site in Witcham, where demolition was carried out in advance of the discharge of some of the conditions on the application.
Further information can be found on the district council’s planning pages. If you would like to respond formally to the council about any planning application, comments should be addressed to the district council and not to me. Comments may be made
online using the council’s public access web page (the link above);
As part of its Community Flood Action Programme, Cambridgeshire County Council is updating its riparian* guidance document to make it more useful for those living next to a watercourse.
As this document is aimed at residents and landowners, the Council wishes to seek their views and get a better understanding of their awareness of riparian issues.
The Council has therefore prepared a short survey (five questions) for residents and landowners to complete. A link to the survey is here https://forms.office.com/r/5HQbNqGtba
The Council plans to keep the survey open until Thursday 30 September but this can be extended if necessary. In addition, the Council would be grateful for any photographs of watercourses that residents may have, to include in the guidance document. If anyone would like to submit photos, please email them to CFAP@cambridgeshire.gov.uk and include the name they would like to be credited as.
(*A riparian owner is anyone who owns a property where there is a watercourse within or adjacent to the boundaries of their property. A watercourse includes a river, stream or ditch. A riparian owner is also responsible for watercourses or culverted watercourses passing through their land.)
The following planning applications in the Sutton division have been published by East Cambridgeshire District Council.
21/01225/FUL Little Downham 1 Holme Lane Little Downham CB6 2TR Garage conversion, single storey front extension, external changes, and internal alterations.
21/01216/F3M Mepal Mepal Outdoor Centre Chatteris Road Mepal Construction of a crematorium and associated service and administration building, function building, memorial garden, natural burial areas, pet cemetery, car parking, new vehicular access from the A142 north of the site and landscaping.
21/01217/FUL Sutton 27 Mepal Road Sutton CB6 2PZ Proposed front porch, internal alterations, reposition garage with conversion and all associated works.
Further information can be found on the district council’s planning pages. If you would like to respond formally to the council about any planning application, comments should be addressed to the district council and not to me. Comments may be made
online using the council’s public access web page (the link above);
Cambridgeshire County Council needs more foster carers. Could this be something for you?
What is fostering?
Fostering means caring for one or more children or young people in your own home when they are unable to live with their family.
Foster carers provide a safe and secure home for children and young people of all ages. Foster carers come from a wide range of ages, cultures and backgrounds. Becoming a foster carer normally takes between four and six months.
Benefits of fostering
The Council offers
a generous mileage allowance, a setting-up fee for furniture and equipment, two weeks additional basic maintenance payments for holidays, birthdays allowance, a festivities allowance, and an initial clothing and school uniform allowance.
round-the-clock ‘out of hours’ support should you need reassurance.
a dedicated social worker who will provide regular supervision and support.
Did you know?
As a foster carer you could earn up to £44,720 plus benefits for looking after two children aged eleven or over, subject to experience, training, and your assessment.
What you need
There are lots of different types of fostering available for the right people and their families. You will need enthusiasm and commitment to support the needs of children and young people in care, as well as a spare bedroom. You will also need to be over 21 years of age. The Council urgently needs foster carers for teenagers, sibling groups, and children with disabilities.
Myth busting
There are a lot of myths around fostering. Don’t let these stop you from applying.
A WhatsApp trial at Cambridgeshire County Council to provide better information about road repairs has been a success.
Several months ago I asked County Council officers to try to provide more up to date information about road resurfacing. They’ve now come back to me with the results.
The weather can easily delay road surfacing programmes, which then need to be updated. This wasn’t happening as often as it could, leaving me – and residents – confused.
So a couple of months ago council officers and contractors set up a WhatsApp Group among themselves. The contractors posted information and pictures to the group at the beginning and end of each day. They also reported if they changed sites during the day.
Information Services officers used the information to update the Council website once a day. The Communications team and the Council’s Integrated Highways Management Centre posted the information on the relevant Twitter feeds. Real time closure information was fed through to satnavs via the one.network web platform. And the Council’s Contact Centre used the WhatsApp information to provide up to date information in response to customer enquiries.
The programme of works began on 28 June and ended on 28 July. During this time the Council and contractors used all the methods above to share information. The WhatsApp updates were prompt and successful.
So how did those involved think it went?
Officers managing the works could track the contractor more accurately, ask more informed questions, and respond better to enquiries.
The contractors felt this was a success and are keen to adopt the new system when they carry out works in Cambridgeshire. Their Micro Asphalt team want to use it for their autumn programme which will start in September.
The Integrated Highways Management Centre was happy as it could deal with enquiries much more quickly, though there were some issues with roadworks permits. Staff are also putting out information on Instagram.
Information Services staff were pleased, as they could update the website each day. They could do this more quickly and provide more accurate information. The Contact Centre felt it was particularly helpful for highlighting weather delays, and informing enquirers about these.
From a staff point of view the trial was a huge success, and will improve the information the Council provides about these works. Attempts to use Facebook were less successful due to the algorithms Facebook uses. Officers will therefore post information on Facebook about the works when they begin, and give links for current updates. I’m told all staff feel that their ability to respond to enquiries was greatly improved .
The autumn Micro Asphalt program begins in September, and staff will use this method again. Meanwhile the Council will look to provide links for parishes and councillors so that they can access the information and advise residents how to do so.
The new Joint Administration of Cambridgeshire County Council, and its Highways Chair Cllr Peter McDonald, are keen to improve the use of IT to manage the council’s highways. So I’m pleased this first project has got off to such a positive start.
