Flooding—Storm Babet and after

Now that Storm Babet has passed, Cambridgeshire County Council is reviewing all the flood incidents reported to it on Friday and over the weekend.

A number of residents have contacted me about local flood-related issues, and I’ve shared the information I have with the County Council’s Highways department and Flood & Water team.

If you have been affected by flooding at the weekend, and haven’t reported it to the County Council, please do so, as it’s really important to build up a full picture of what happened.

You can report flood issues affecting your home or property here. This is not the place to report flooding in an emergency.

You can report highways-related flooding (blocked road drains, sewers, gullies, for example) here.

Black sack delivery reminder

This year’s black sack delivery to East Cambridgeshire residents should be complete by Tuesday 31 October.

Residents will receive a roll of 52 sacks. If you require any further black sacks throughout the year, these can be purchased in any supermarket (or ask on local Facebook groups whether anyone has any spare). Please use only black sacks, as this avoids any confusion with any kerbside charity collections taking place at the same time.

If you have not received your black sacks by 31 October, please contact the district council before 30 November to report your sack delivery as missed. After 30 November, the council will no longer be re-delivering black sack rolls.

Can you reduce the amount you put in your black sacks? Remember, food (cooked or uncooked) and garden waste goes in your green bin, and mixed dry recyclables in your blue bin. Please see the council’s web pages for more information about what can go in your blue and green lidded bin, how to compost at home, or advice on reusable items such as nappies. You can also contact the council Waste Team for advice by emailing waste@eastcambs.gov.uk.

Could you get help to insulate your home?

If your home has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of D to G, and if you are in council tax band A-D (in England) you may qualify for cheaper (or even free) insulation.

The government has launched a £1 billion ‘Great British Insulation Scheme’ to help some families insulate their homes.

Families in lower council tax bands with less energy-efficient homes will be offered upgrades such as roof, loft or cavity wall insulation.

You can use an online checker for the Great British Insulation Scheme to find out if you are eligible. The tool will ask a series of questions – including how you heat your home, whether your home has solid or cavity walls, and if you are receiving any benefits.

You can be a homeowner, landlord or tenant (either renting privately or from a housing association). If you’re a tenant, speak to your landlord before you apply. You’ll need their permission before any insulation can be installed.

A separate online checker has also been launched for the Home Upgrade Grant, which will help people in off-gas-grid homes with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D to G. The grant provides energy efficiency upgrades and low carbon heating to households in England.

If you use the online checkers you will then be referred to either your energy supplier, for support from the Energy Company Obligation programme and Great British Insulation Scheme, or your council for the Home Upgrade Grant.

Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 fund to accept applications from next week

Rodney Burton / Grunty Fen Farm, Wilburton, Cambs / CC BY-SA 2.0

On 26 August the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced that farmers can sign up for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) from 18 September.

The SFI pays farmers for taking actions that support food production, farm productivity and resilience, whilst protecting the environment.

Pre-registration ensures farmers are supported to have all necessary information in place, so they are ready for when the scheme starts to accept applications from 18 September.

Free advice to help small businesses cut energy costs—just two sessions left

Small business in Cambridgeshire? Concerned about your energy use? Don’t miss out on your FREE low carbon business support this July.

This is your final opportunity to take advantage of this invaluable programme with expert guidance, hints and tips. Whether you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency, or explore new green technologies and practices, this programme is designed to help you.

Over the two days you will learn how to start your own low carbon journey, measure and monitor how your business can cut carbon, how to carry out a basic energy assessment, how to measure your business’s carbon footprint and take steps to reduce it, and learn about low energy technologies that could reduce energy use and cut costs.

Cambridgeshire County Council is currently delivering this Low Carbon Business Support programme in partnership with Deyton Bell & PECT (Peterborough Environment City Trust). The final sessions are on Tuesday 4 and Thursday 6 July at ‘New Shire Hall’, the County Council’s HQ at Alconbury Weald.

  • “This is a really overwhelming subject matter particularly at the start of the journey however the trainers have removed the fear and replaced it with fun” Lisa Mawditt
  • “This session provided a very useful introduction to a relatively new subject for me, there were lots of useful take aways and practical tools which will help us on this journey” Oli Bachini

This programme has been made possible by funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the St Ives Park & Ride Smart Energy Grid project. More information about the project and the programme can be found at 

Apply online at https://lowcarbon.deytonbell.com/

Work set to begin tomorrow on damaged phone mast at Haddenham

Image: Rodney Burton / Water tower, Haddenham, Cambs / CC BY-SA 2.0

Work is set to begin tomorrow (Thursday 8 June) to restore the phone mast on the water tower at Haddenham. The reinstatement is expected to be complete and operational on Thursday 22 June.

Many residents of Haddenham, Sutton and surrounding villages have been without mobile phone signal since early May following damage to the tower which hosts the mast.

Before the recent bank holiday two new microwave links were installed adjacent to the damaged water tower to provide some connectivity, with all connections having to be re-laid. The main site however still needs to be reinstated with the full complement of technology, and Wireless Infrastructure Group has been instructed to proceed with the works.

This has been a very challenging site as the main structure, where all the equipment was installed, was severely damaged and needed to be repaired prior to the completion of the remaining technology installation.

Battery storage proposal for Littleport

SSE Renewables, in conjunction with the landowner, are proposing to construct and operate a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and associated infrastructure on land at Martins Farm, Littleport CB6 1EJ.

Construction and operational access to the site will be taken from Crouchmoor Drove, off Hale Drove. The associated equipment comprises:

  • ​Battery Storage Units
  • Transformer Substation
  • Water Storage Tanks
  • Site Fencing, Access Gate and CCTV
  • Landscape Mitigation and Hedgerow Planting/Enhancement
  • Acoustic Fencing and Mitigation (if necessary).

A public consultation event is scheduled for Tuesday 27 June 2023 at Littleport Leisure Centre, Camel Road, Littleport CB6 1EW. The event will start at 15:00 and conclude at 19:30. The event is open to the public, and you do not need to register in advance.

More information about the proposal, and the consultation event, at https://www.southerybess.co.uk/

Help our Fire Service plan for the future

Residents and business owners are being encouraged to give their views to help shape Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service’s plan for the next five years.

The service has launched a consultation which is available in the Consultation section of the Fire Service website, and which is open until the end of July.

More information on the Fire Service’s Community Risk Management Plan at https://www.cambsfire.gov.uk/news-and-incidents/news/2023/06/2023-06-06-help-shape-the-future-of-your-local-fire-and-rescue-service