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)
Covid cases in Cambridgeshire schools are now at their highest since the start of the pandemic.
Over the last month County Council officers have been busy interpreting Department for Education updates and sharing these with schools. This has included Ofsted deferral arrangements, information on new laptops for schools, funding for supply cover, and transport requirements.
The Council has also updated guidance for schools on attendance during this period of the pandemic.
The announcement from the Prime Minister on Wednesday has not fundamentally changed the approach for education. All secondary school age pupils will be tested when they return to school. Secondary schools will be allowed a staggered start for the first week of term. The impact of Omicron is likely to lead to further measures in schools and Council officers plan to brief heads early in the new term.
The County Council is allocating vouchers to eligible families on 17 December from the Household Support grant. Each eligible pupil will be allocated £30 for each eligible parent. The Council is issuing letters, and translating them into the languages spoken by the highest numbers of eligible families. Two of these translations were done by County Councillors.
In addition to the food vouchers, the Household Support Fund also offers help with food, energy bills and other essentials to those earning less than £17,940 or on certain benefits. More information about the Household Support Fund here.
The first example of a Roman crucifixion in the UK has been found in a Cambridgeshire village.
The remarkable and historically significant discovery was made during archaeological excavations carried out ahead of a new housing development in Fenstanton, situated between Cambridge and Huntingdon. Archaeologists investigating a previously unknown Roman roadside settlement, which includes five small cemeteries, discovered in one grave the remains of a man with a nail through his heel.
Only one previous example like this of crucifixion has been found worldwide, in Israel, although two possible instances have also been claimed in Italy and Egypt. However, the Fenstanton example is the best preserved.
The exciting discovery follows on from previous historically significant digs across Cambridgeshire in recent years which have uncovered preserved Bronze Age buildings and artefacts at Must Farm in Whittlesey, pristine prehistoric occupation sites and burial monuments in Needingworth Quarry, and new Iron Age, Roman and Anglo-Saxon settlements that emerged during the course of the recent A14 road improvement scheme around Cambridge.
The grave of the man who was crucified was discovered during excavations in advance of a new housing development by Tilia Homes (previously known as Kier Living) south of Cambridge Road. The excavation was led by David Ingham of Albion Archaeology.
Osteologist (human bone specialist) Corinne Duhig from Wolfson College, Cambridge, said: “The lucky combination of good preservation and the nail being left in the bone has allowed me to examine this almost unique example when so many thousands have been lost. “This shows that the inhabitants of even this small settlement at the edge of empire could not avoid Rome’s most barbaric punishment.”
Inside the cemeteries, 40 adults and five children were buried, with a specialist study showing that some family groups were present. The Roman graves, now fully excavated, also included a number of archaeologically significant artefacts.
The results of the excavation will be formally published when analysis of the site’s finds and evidence has been completed. Speaking for Cambridgeshire County Council’s Historic Environment Team, archaeologist Kasia Gdaniec said: “These cemeteries and the settlement that developed along the Roman road at Fenstanton are breaking new ground in archaeological research.
“Burial practices are many and varied in the Roman period and evidence of ante-or post-mortem mutilation is occasionally seen, but never crucifixion.
“We look forward to finding out more when the results are published. Hopefully, there will be a museum exhibit to showcase the remains soon, and we are working to arrange this. We are grateful to the developer for funding these important investigations as part of their planning obligation.”
Chair of the council’s Environment & Green Investment Committee Cllr Lorna Dupré said: “This is yet another remarkable discovery in Cambridgeshire, proving once again what a rich history we have to share and helping to give the county international attention.
“I can’t wait to find out what the final results of the excavation will show, and we will look to find a permanent home for them so they can be put on display and inspire people for generations to come. “I would like to thank all involved in finding these artefacts and helping to preserve them.”
Background
Fenstanton is a quaint, historic roadside village whose High Street follows the route of the Via Devana, which linked the Roman towns of Cambridge and Godmanchester. In 2017, Albion Archaeology carried out excavations in advance of a new housing development by Tilia Homes (previously known as Kier Living), south of Cambridge Road. Some of the more noteworthy findings included enamelled brooches, large numbers of coins, decorated fine ware pottery and large amounts of animal bones displaying specialist butchery methods. These, along with a large building and formal yard or road surfaces, indicated the presence of an organised Roman settlement with obvious signs of trade and wealth. This settlement might have been maintained as a formal stopping place along the road to service travellers around which the village grew, and there is some evidence to suggest that it developed at a crossroads.
Forty adults and five children were buried in the five small cemeteries that dated to the third to fourth centuries AD, while three isolated burials and a cremation also occurred. Ancient DNA study of the skeletons identified only two family groups, despite this being a small rural settlement where you would expect many people to be related. A man and woman buried next to each other in one cemetery had a first-degree relationship – either as mother-son or as siblings – while two men in adjacent graves in another cemetery were second-degree relatives, so could be either half-siblings, uncle-nephew or grandfather-grandson.
Overall, the population had signs of poor body health, terrible dental disease and some showed signs of malaria. Evidence of physical trauma including fractures was also seen in most of the bodies. One particular skeleton of a man had been laid out in his grave like all the rest. However, a large iron nail penetrated the right heel bone (calcaneum) horizontally, exiting below the protrusion called the sustentaculum tali. His skeleton revealed other injuries and abnormalities that indicated he had suffered before he died, while his legs had signs of infection or inflammation caused by either a systemic disorder or by local irritation such as binding or shackles.
Although crucifixion was common in the Roman world, osteological evidence for the practice is unlikely to be found because nails were not always used and bodies might not appear in formal burial settings. Unlike the most famous Christian example of the crucifixion of Jesus, who was unusually nailed by his hands and feet to a cross, victims or prisoners were more commonly tied by the arms to the crossbar of a T-shaped frame called a patibulum and their legs braced and tied, sometimes nailed, to either side of the upright post. This was part of a cruel, ancient method of slow punishment of both miscreants of shameful crimes and a vast number of slaves who were crucified because of minor misdemeanours. This form of punishment was eventually abolished by Constantine I in the 4th Century AD.
Corinne has researched the evidence of crucifixion from this period around the world, finding only three other examples: one from La Larda in Gavello, Italy, one from Mendes in Egypt and one from a burial found at Giv‘at ha-Mivtar in north Jerusalem, found during building work in 1968. Only the last one is a convincing example of crucifixion, she said, because the right heel bone retained a nail which was in exactly the same position as that from the Fenstanton burial. It was usual practice to remove any nails after crucifixion for re-use, discard or use as amulets, but in this case the nail had bent and become fixed in the bone.
Cambridgeshire has been granted an extension of its Covid ‘Enhanced Response Area’ status for three weeks, to Christmas Eve.
This does not mean more restrictions for local residents than in the rest of England. But it does mean continued intervention in schools. 42 per cent of all Covid infections are in the 0-17 age group. It also means continued support for vaccination teams, contacting households in areas of low uptake. And Cambridgeshire has benefited from extra communications on preventing Covid spreading.
The application to extend the county’s status was made by the area’s Director of Public Health, supported by leading politicians. Work in schools will include identifying close and household contacts, and enabling daily rapid Covid testing, including in primary schools.
Vaccination uptake in 12–15 year olds has increased rapidly in most areas during the county’s ERA status. “Pre-ERA we were considerably below both the England and East of England average for the numbers of 12–15 year-olds who were vaccinated. Now all areas in Cambridgeshire are above the England average, and most are also above the East of England average too,” the Director of Public Health says.
“We are pleased this extension will allow us to continue measures that have only just got going and need longer. This will support schools where there are significant issues with Covid until the Christmas break, and continue to drive up vaccine uptake.”
The following planning applications in the Sutton division have been published by East Cambridgeshire District Council.
21/01678/FUL Coveney 12 Park Close Coveney CB6 2DH Demolition of existing double garage to construct a two storey side extension. Internal alterations and new front porch to include WC.
21/01529/FUL Little Downham Barns adjacent to Spinney End 26 Straight Furlong Pymoor Proposed change of use and conversion of two existing builders yard barns to annexe and associated garage.
21/01595/FUL Sutton 3 Brookside Sutton CB6 2PT Proposed conversion of outbuilding plus single storey rear extension.
21/01708/FUL Sutton 14 West Lodge Lane Sutton CB6 2NX Ground floor battery store and solar panels to the side and rear roof elevations.
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);
East Cambridgeshire District Council is giving qualifying local businesses money left over from Government grants meant for firms struggling with Covid restrictions.
The Council says it ‘welcomes applications from businesses that are seeking to accelerate the growth of their East Cambridgeshire businesses and are in a position to do this during 2022’.
£616,425 was left over from six rounds of ‘Additional Restrictions Grant’ funding. If the council has not spent this by the end of March it will need to return the money to the Government.
Eligible businesses will be able to apply for a one-off grant of up to £30,000. This can be used towards
purchasing new assets to make the business more efficient
professional advice including training and development
repurposing safe working space for employees
and more.
The deadline for applications is 5:00PM on Sunday 12 January 2022.
Cambridgeshire County Council has revised its Flood Risk Management Strategy, and public consultation has now opened at Consult Cambridgeshire.
The County Council has a legal responsibility to develop and maintain this Strategy. It is now inviting partner organisations, community groups, and the public to have their say before the consultation closes on Sunday 23 January.
The new draft Strategy provides a high-level overview of types of flood risk in Cambridgeshire. It also provides details of relevant policy, legislation, responsibilities and resources.
The Action Plan lists priority actions for Cambridgeshire between now and 2027. The County Council will develop and assess details and options as these actions are carried out.
Cambridgeshire County Council’s flood team will be contacting community flood groups with known contact details, to make them aware of the consultation.
The following planning application in the Sutton division has been published by East Cambridgeshire District Council.
21/01649/FUL Coveney Land adjacent 2 Gravel End Coveney Construction of dwelling, associated parking, and new car port for 2 Gravel End Lane.
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);
East Cambridgeshire District Council will send in the wrecking ball to Mepal Outdoor Centre in the week beginning 7 December*, members of the Council’s Finance & Assets Committee will be told this afternoon.
The much-loved outdoor centre will be demolished by the Council to make way for its unwanted and unnecessary crematorium.
*And yes, we know the week doesn’t start on a Tuesday.
This week is Flood Action Week, and minds are turning to the flood events of last winter and the importance of avoiding a repeat.
The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Local Resilience Forum has published some useful advice for residents. The Forum is chaired by the Fire Authority, and is urging residents to be prepared and know in advance what to do.
For some, it may be transport, child care, or not being able to book online. For others, it may be anxiety, lack of information, or physical accessibility. CCVS are particularly keen to hear from those whose voices are seldom heard. This information will be helpful in addressing health inequalities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
CCVS are asking voluntary organisations, local groups, and community representatives to complete this survey on behalf of their communities. They will then feed back to those running the vaccination programme locally.
Anyone who needs help with the survey, would prefer a telephone interview, or has questions is welcome to get in touch with CCVS.
