The following planning applications in the Sutton division have been published by East Cambridgeshire District Council.

21/00850/FUL
Little Downham
4 Park Lane Little Downham CB6 2TF
Demolition of garage and addition of two-storey side extension and extension to rear utility room.

21/00724/FUL
Sutton
32 The Brook Sutton CB6 2QQ
Proposed two-storey and single storey extension to side and rear.

21/00818/FUL
Sutton
Amberlea Country Kennels and Cattery Ely Road Sutton
Proposed replacement staff welfare facility and staff accommodation unit.

21/00813/FUL
Wentworth
Fen View Church Road Wentworth
Change of use of land to form two traveller pitches.

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);
• by email to plservices@eastcambs.gov.uk;
• or by post to the Planning Department, The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, CB7 4EE.

Cases

There has been a slight rise once again in the number of cases of COVID-19 in Cambridgeshire. All districts remain below the national and regional averages. It is a small rise at this stage and rates of the virus are much lower than in other parts of the country. But public health officials are keeping watch on the data and taking action where needed.

Cases per 100,000 population, week ending 5 June

• Cambridgeshire 16
• England average 47.7
• East of England average 24.2

Hospital COVID admissions across Cambridgeshire remain very low and there has been one death in the past month.

The Government should make an announcement shortly on the proposed lifting of more COVID restrictions in line with its ‘road map’. But the virus is still circulating and residents still need to take precautions.

Vaccinations

People aged 25 and over, or who turn 25 before 1 July, can now book their vaccine at www.nhs.uk. The latest statistics on vaccinations are available under the ‘weekly data’ heading on Statistics » COVID-19 Vaccinations (england.nhs.uk)

There has been some discussion nationally about whether children aged twelve and above might be vaccinated before the start of the new school year. A decision is still to be made on this.

Meanwhile, secondary school students should take a lateral flow test twice a week and register the result. More younger people, particularly those aged 11 to 24, are contracting the virus. It is really important people in this age group take regular rapid COVID tests.

Even if you have had both doses of the vaccine, you can still spread the virus and catch it. It is really important to continue to follow the rules even when vaccinated.

Testing

The Council continues to offer rapid tests from its mobile unit in a number of locations. You can see where the van will be each week at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/rapidtesting

Information

Do check the Council’s public health information messages

• on Twitter https://twitter.com/CambsCC
• online https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-19-overview

Cases

The past week has seen a slight rise in cases in Huntingdonshire, South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge. All districts are well below the national and regional averages. All rises are from a low base.

Cases per 100,000 population, week ending 29 May

• Cambridgeshire 11
• England average 32
• East of England average 20

Hospital COVID admissions across Cambridgeshire have stabilised. Just five patients are currently receiving treatment in hospital. There have been no COVID-related deaths recorded in Cambridgeshire since 30 April.

Increased instances of the Delta variant (previously the Indian variant) continue to be of concern nationally. The Government should announce on June 14 whether restrictions will be eased on 21 June as planned. Until then it is vital that we all follow the rules for Stage 3 of the roadmap.

Vaccinations

More vaccinations are being given across the country. It is vital that people have their second jab as soon as it is offered.

People aged 30 and over, or who turn 30 before 1 July, are now being called for their vaccine. Vaccinations can be booked online at www.nhs.uk. 532,596 people in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough have had at least one dose of the vaccine. 349,449 of these have had both doses.

Testing

Testing amongst secondary school pupils is not as high as it could be. Health professionals are encouraging pupils to take a lateral flow test twice a week. It is important to register the result. New posters will be in schools next week when students return after half term.

Information

Do check the Council’s public health information messages

• on Twitter https://twitter.com/CambsCC
• online https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-19-overview

The following planning applications in the Sutton division have been published by East Cambridgeshire District Council.

21/00804/OUT
Mepal
Land north of The Old Barn 13 Bridge Road Mepal
Outline planning application for appearance, scale and layout for construction of chalet style dwelling.

21/00702/FUL
Sutton
Ibbotts Garage 1 Ely Road Sutton
Change of use of part of garage showroom to wedding dress shop (sui generis to Class E) (retrospective).

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);
• by email to plservices@eastcambs.gov.uk;
• or by post to the Planning Department, The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, CB7 4EE.

Network Rail’s Ely area capacity enhancement (EACE) programme proposes to upgrade the railway to allow more trains to run through Ely. Phase 2 of the scheme is currently open for public consultation at https://phase2.elyareacapacity.com/

The programme’s aim is to increase capacity through Ely for up to ten train services in each direction per hour from the current level.

For this second round of consultation, Network Rail are inviting the public to comment on the options for development in the Ely south area. This encompasses

• part of the Soham branch line
• Ely Dock junction and Ely station
• Stuntney Road bridge
• Cutter bridge
• Common Muckhill bridge
• Kiln Lane level crossing.

The consultation also includes questions about bridge styles and information about construction, sustainability, and the environment.

Of these, the most complex and controversial issue is likely to be the Kiln Lane crossing. More frequent train services would result in the Kiln Lane level crossing being closed for much longer periods each hour. Network Rail are therefore proposing to permanently close the crossing, and provide an alternative means of crossing the railway for pedestrians and an alternative means of vehicle access to commercial and leisure facilities. Network Rail are offering four different footbridge options for pedestrians, and two options for vehicles – a 300 metre long and ten metre high viaduct across part of the Ely Pits and Meadows SSSI and agricultural grazing land, or a 60 metre long vehicle bridge across the River Great Ouse with road access from Queen Adelaide Way. The latter option could mean diverting a public right of way along the bank of the river, and would require deep piling to support the bridge.

There are various ways for the public to comment, outlined here, and the consultation closes on Sunday 4 July.

Fascinating Fens Day 2021 is set for Saturday 19 June, with events taking place across the whole weekend from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 June.

There’s a programme of activities at https://fascinatingfens.com/celebrate-the-fens-day

I’m hoping to do the Crowland Abbey open day, as it’s somewhere I’ve never been before. What’s your choice?

Newmarket Road in Cambridge will be temporarily closed overnight between the Leper Chapel and Ditton Walk from 8:00PM to 8:00AM on Saturday 5 June. A contingency date of Sunday 6 June (same hours) has also been allocated to allow for any unexpected delays.

This is to allow work to continue on the installation of the underpass which will mean those using the Chisholm Trail will not have to use a pelican crossing to cross Newmarket Road – giving pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised users a safe crossing and helping motor traffic flow more freely along Newmarket Road.

The map shows the signed diversion route for cyclists and pedestrians across Coldhams Common or via Ditton Meadows using the jetty path. For pedestrians who are unable to use the diversion route there will be a free of charge shuttle service available from one side of the closure to the other. The service will operate every 30 minutes, for the duration of the road closures. It will run from outside the Honda Garage on the City side of the closure to outside Cambridge United on the Barnwell side of the closure. The service will be in line with COVID guidelines for public transport.

Please be aware that bus services in the area may be subject to change. For the most up to date information please check directly with Stagecoach via the link below https://www.stagecoachbus.com/regional-service-updates/east/cambridgeshire

Phase one of the Chisholm Trail, which will link Cambridge North Railway Station with Coldhams Lane, will open later this year. 

The following planning applications in the Sutton division have been published by East Cambridgeshire District Council.

21/00773/FUL
Sutton
85 The Row Sutton CB6 2PB
Change of use of a building (C3 dwelling house) to two separate dwelling houses. Erection of single-storey front extension to Plot 1 and erection of two-storey side extension to Plot 2.

21/00765/FUL
Witchford
27 Sutton Road Witchford CB6 2HX
Demolish existing ground floor accommodation and rebuild new ground floor extension.

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);
• by email to plservices@eastcambs.gov.uk;
• or by post to the Planning Department, The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, CB7 4EE.

Rates of COVID-19 continue to decrease across the whole of Cambridgeshire, and in every district they are now well below the national and regional average.

At four cases per 100,000 population for the week ending 22 May, Cambridgeshire is well below the England average of 23.6 and the regional average of 18.6.

Hospital admissions are still low and there have been no deaths since the end of April, which remains encouraging.

This looks encouraging, but past experience shows that this can change very quickly so it is still important to follow the rules and understand that getting back to a more normal way of life depends on all of us and the actions we take.

As previously reported, Fenland District Council, Peterborough City Council and South Holland District Council will be focusing on the food production, packaging and distribution, and general warehousing industries, lower paid workers and those on zero hour contracts who have higher rates of infection. These groups of workers often experience wage and job insecurity that affects willingness to be tested and to self-isolate if positive. In addition, they often experience overcrowded accommodation and travel to work arrangements that are not COVID-safe.

People aged 30 and over, or those who turn 30 before 1 July, are now being called to book their vaccine which they can do so at www.nhs.uk. The latest statistics on vaccine delivery for local authorities are available under the ‘weekly data’ heading on Statistics » COVID-19 Vaccinations (england.nhs.uk)

People are also still being called to have their second vaccine – it is vital to have both doses to give the best possible protection.

The Floodmobile commissioned by the OxCam Property Flood Resilience project arrived in Alconbury this morning, showcasing dozens of practical measures which can be fitted to domestic properties to reduce the risk or impact of flooding.

Pumps, flood doors, self-closing air bricks, non-return valves, and more were on show, and flood resilience expert Mary Dhonau OBE (@floodmary on Twitter) was on hand to demonstrate them.

With a large number of local properties in Cambridgeshire flooded at Christmas and New Year, and in many cases not for the first time, this information is extremely useful, not least when engaging with insurers and loss adjusters about what it’s possible to do to improve your home’s resilience after a flood event.

The Floodmobile will be a star attraction at a number of ‘flood days’ across the area between Oxford and Cambridge over the course of the year – and when it’s not required for these, it will be available to bring to local communities.

Meanwhile Mary Dhonau’s website includes an excellent e-book full of illustrated stories from homes and businesses who have made adaptations to help them recover more quickly after a flood.