Local Councillors

District and County Councillors’ Report

Foliage, Kneesworth Road

Foliage obstructing the advance warning of the Kneeworth/Whitecroft/ Fenny Lane junction, along Kneesworth Road before West Way, will be cut back by Highways.

Broken Drain Covers, Whitecroft Road

Highways will be repairing a second broken drain in Whitecroft Road near Marys Way. The first, last month, took a long time in spite of being logged as an emergency.

Gulley Cleansing (drains) – a sign of the times

It’s a shocking state of affairs when the County Highways no longer has a dedicated budget for preventive gulley cleansing, meaning that there is no automatic cyclical maintenance for drains on the highway. While central government offers one-off grants for ‘capital projects’, meaning building things, these grants no longer feed into council revenue budgets, meaning maintenance for infrastructure. Instead, councils must find funding through their own revenue funding such as council tax and investments. This has been a fundamental change over the past ten years in the way public services are funded. On the matter of drain maintenance, any work on gullies needs be commissioned via the Local Highways Officer’s budget. It’s important therefore to highlight, direct to Highways, any pooling or other concerns around individual drains. Please Google ‘Cambridgeshire Report a Fault’ to find the reporting page. We’re very lucky in having such a proactive Parish Councillor in Pat Gilmore, who has developed an excellent relationship with the Highways team and who is assiduous in reporting faults. Please note that SCDC have taken on ‘street cleansing’ in its broadest sense, including spending a couple of weeks in each zone, and then returning after about ten weeks. A rota for work in patches has been set up here: https://www.scambs.gov.uk/ environment/street-care-and-cleaning.

Highway Code: consultation on safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians

Another in the suite of government initiatives to encourage active travel is the consultation on the Highway Code, which runs until Tuesday 27th October 2020. To see the links to the full consultation document and ways to respond, please Google ‘Review of the Highway Code.’

Coronavirus: Return to School

Our schools and colleges have been doing a phenomenal job by remaining responsive to a constantly changing situation and changing guidance, not forgetting the amount of form filling that goes with all of this, while on reduced staff capacity. Here’s what the Local Education Authority, is saying ahead of autumn return to school: Education Leads at Cambridgeshire County Council have been reviewing government guidance around the re-opening of schools for all year groups in September, and are confident the necessary measures will be in place to welcome back all pupils. The guidance sets out the steps that all schools need to take to ensure all pupils can return to formal education after the summer. Schools will be asked to implement a new Public Health Englandendorsed ‘System of Controls’, which build upon the protective measures that have been in place throughout the pandemic, helping to reduce the risk of transmission. Other updates include guidance on how schools manage their social ‘bubbles’ to minimise contact between pupils and staff groups. The size of these bubbles may now increase to incorporate whole classes or even year groups, provided there is clear separation between these groups and others. The increase will allow teachers to work with more children, meaning no child should miss out on lessons. Staggered start and ending times will help ensure bubbles are not mixing, with each school able to apply flexibility in a way that works for staff, parents and children. They will also be given freedom to adapt the curriculum, to ensure they can address any gaps in skills and knowledge of those pupils who have not been able to attend through the lockdown period. Schools will be asked to revisit their risk assessments, giving careful consideration to what adaptations they may need to make to their buildings or teaching practices, to safely accommodate their returning pupils. Keyworker parents and those of vulnerable children who kept their children out of school through the lockdown have not been fined, but under the new guidance powers will be reinstated from September, giving schools the option to fine parents if they think a child’s absence is not justified.

Most schools have remained open throughout the pandemic, so are experienced at this by now and are on track; and the NHS Test and Trace process is embedded in all schools. There are some very considerable hurdles yet to overcome – not least that of school transport, something about which government has as yet provided no guidance, nor any financial support.

PPE is Not Recyclable

Residents are being asked to make sure disposable face coverings and masks are put in their black wheelie bins at home, to help control the spread of Coronavirus and prevent contamination of recycled materials. The Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service, a partnership between Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Council, is expecting a rise in disposable face coverings in waste collections after these became mandatory in shops. The service has already seen disposable PPE such as face coverings, masks and gloves in the blue recycling bins, despite none of these items being recyclable. Disposable PPE can be put in litter bins outside shops, but if there isn’t one, they need to be taken home and put in the black bin. Advice has been published on the Government’s website, and it is important to remember that if you are suffering from Coronavirus symptoms, any medical waste and PPE should be bagged separately and left for three days before it is put into your black bin.

North East Cambridge: very big changes ahead

Local Councils have drafted plans for a new city district in North East Cambridge, which could create 8,000 homes and provide space for 20,000 jobs over the next 20-plus years. They now want to know what residents and businesses think of the draft plans. The councils’ vision is for the area between the A14, the Guided Busway and Cambridge North station to be a walkable and lively mix of homes, workplaces, services, and green spaces that is inclusive and fully integrated with surrounding neighbourhoods. The plans by the Greater Cambridge Planning Service, a partnership between South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridge City councils, developed in collaboration with stakeholders and communities, build on case studies from around the world on creating low-carbon, low-car-use districts.

As part of a formal statutory consultation, leaflets are being delivered to 20,000 homes across the local area to gain residents’ feedback. The Councils are running online Q&A sessions where residents can find out more about the proposals and ask questions to the team. The draft plan is published online where people can comment. See https://www.greatercambridgeplanning.org/emerging-plans-andguidance/north-east-cambridge-area-action-plan. A vision video is available on the same page. Everyone can help shape the future plans for North East Cambridge by visiting the above web page and submitting comments during the consultation, which runs until 5.00pm on Monday 5th October. As always, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or concerns.

Jose Hales, District Councillor Susan van de Ven, County Councillor

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