The NHS has identified groups of people considered to be at extremely high risk of severe illness if they catch coronavirus, and who therefore need to strictly follow ‘shielding’ measures.

Either the NHS or the County Council’s Co-ordination Hub have contacted the majority of those identified on the ‘shielding’ list to check what support they need to do this.

But there are still around 3,500 people in Cambridgeshire or Peterborough who haven’t responded fully to either phone or written contact – although there has been some contact with them.

If you are one of these, do remember you can contact the County Council’s Co-ordination Hub online here.

With the weather set to be warm and sunny for most of the weekend, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding people to follow the government’s advice to stay home, while also keeping fire safe.

Read more here.

Papers for the examination of the joint Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Minerals & Waste Local Plan are now published on the council’s Examination Page.

The Inspector who will examine the Plan is Stephen Normington BSc DipTP MRICS MRTPI FIQ FIHE.

The current assumption is that this will take place on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 September in the Conference Room at Peterborough City Council Offices, Sand Martin House, Bittern Way, Fletton Quays, Peterborough PE2 8TY. Sitting times are assumed to be 10.00-12.30 and 13.30-17.00 (Tuesday) and 10.00-13.00 and 14.00-17.00 (Wednesday).

Plans are being put in place with the hope of reopening all nine of Cambridgeshire’s Household Recycling Centres from next Monday 11 May.

The focus will be on safety for residents and staff, including social distancing, and the plans have been put together with Public Health England. Each recycling centre will have a detailed traffic management plan, drawn up with Skanska and in consultation with the police.

Further details will be provided later this week about what items each centre will take. Some of the key conditions of opening will include:

• A limit to vehicle numbers on site, like the limits on customers in supermarkets
• No more than two adults to be allowed to unload any one vehicle
• No staff assistance to unload vehicles
• No vans or trailers that require a permit.

It is advised that journeys to Household Recycling Centres should only be undertaken if waste or recycling cannot be stored at home without risking injury or harm.

People must not visit the recycling centres if they are suffering from Covid-19 symptoms, have anyone in their household suffering the symptoms, or have been diagnosed as having the virus.

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

20/00536/FUM
Little Downham
Green Acres Straight Furlong Pymoor
Construction of greenhouse for seed research and development, with small pump house and above ground water storage tanks.

20/00414/FUL
Mepal
Bedford House 14 Bridge Road Mepal
Construction of one four-bed dwelling.

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.

Responding to claims from the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, that the Government has gone well past its goal of 100,000 tests a day to combat coronavirus, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: 

The Health Secretary’s arbitrary target of 100,000 tests by the end of April was always a hostage to fortune, and the truth is, he missed it. It’s extremely disappointing the Government have decided to massage the metrics rather than admit they fell short, as this will only undermine public confidence.

Everyone wants the country to succeed in beating this awful disease but the British public won’t be so easily fooled by manipulation. It’s deeply regrettable but we’re still miles off the large-scale testing programme that will be an essential part of any plan to ease out of lockdown through a test, trace and isolate approach.

Liberal Democrats have long-called for the Government to be frank about what is and is not achievable, to ensure transparency and maintain public trust, but Ministers continue to play fast and loose with the truth.

The Health Service Journal revealed today how the Government changed the rules to make it look as if they had hit their arbitrary 100,000 tests.

And on Question Time on Thursday 30 April, Nobel prize winning geneticist Sir Paul Nurse described the 100,000 test commitment as ‘a bit of a PR stunt’.

The planning application by The Three Pickerels for a temporary marquee for functions, with outside bar and store, is due to be determined by East Cambridgeshire district council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday 6 May.

The planning officers’ recommendation is that councillors should refuse the application, for three reasons:

1. significant and demonstrable harm to the residential amenity of neighbouring occupiers, due to the excessive noise and disturbance;
2. inadequate parking facilities to sufficiently accommodate the volume [sic] of guests which the venue could hold; and
3. significant harm to visual amenity.

A previous additional reason for refusal, on flooding grounds, has been removed following the submission of a flood report.

The Government has announced how it is distributing the second round of additional funding to councils to help them meet the additional costs of Covid-19.

A first round of £1.6Bn was announced in mid-March, and a second round of the same amount in mid-April.

• Cambridgeshire County Council received £14,611,840 in the first round, and will receive £11,512,037 in the second round – a total of £26,123,877.
• East Cambridgeshire District Council received £43,432 in the first round, and will receive £894,826 in the second round – a total of £938,258.

Both councils are continuing to assess the ongoing financial implications of the virus, in terms of additional costs, lost income, and the need to adjust financial plans and predictions for the future.

Much of the county council’s additional costs will of course be for social care. Both councils’ future plans depend heavily on profits from house-building by their respective trading companies: This Land for the county council and Palace Green Homes / East Cambs Trading Company for the district council. With the housing market and the construction industry nationally in a state of considerable uncertainty, council financial projections are bound to need revisiting.

If you’re one of the many who are finding life difficult and stressful in these covid times, a new helpline is here to offer support.

Cambridgeshire Workplace Chaplaincy (CWC) has launched a free helpline for anyone in the workplace who needs help with stress and wants emotional support. 

All calls are anonymous. The service is available 9:00AM to 5:00PM Monday to Friday. Outside those hours you can leave a voicemail message if you would like a chaplain to contact you on a weekday.

CWC’s multifaith chaplains are a diverse group who are happy to provide support regardless of spirituality or religion – their aim is to listen and comfort. Please call 0800 246 5193 if you need support.

The Planning Inspectorate has dismissed an appeal against refusal of planning permission for development at 15 Martins Lane Witcham.

The application was for the demolition of the existing bungalow and outbuildings and their replacement by ten dwellings with a new access from Martins Lane.

The inspector found that the proposal ‘would not represent an acceptable form of development as it would result in significant harm to the character and appearance of the surrounding area’, and that the benefits of nine additional dwellings would be ‘significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the harm’ to that character and appearance.