District Councillor Contact Details
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us using the details below.
Martin Cahn: Cllr.Cahn@scambs.gov.uk 07826 748407
Sunita Hansraj: Cllr.hansraj@scambs.gov.uk 07584 671322
Pippa Heylings Cllr.Heylings@scambs.gov.uk 07837 228416
Webchat
Webchat, in soft launch form, is now up and running well. This will be available 10am to 3pm and has a person on the end of it. It is expected that 3 times as many queries can be dealt with than by phone. It will cover all services except for planning at this stage.
Cambridge South Station
A further £200 milion has been allocated to the four-platform Cambridge South railway station at Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The fully accessible station is due to be completed by 2025 and is expected to welcome 1.8 million passengers a year.
Fly tipping
SCDC have had a big fly tipping campaign which has had a lot of press coverage. Fly Tipping carries a fine of £400.
Mobile Wardens
We have agreed to extend the current 3-year Mobile Warden grants for a further year while a full analysis of the current schemes takes place. This has turned out to be far more complex than anticipate because every scheme is different, and some appear to be failing. We don’t want to consider axing funding before we know that everything has been done to support the groups running the schemes to be as successful as possible. One half of our parishes are now covered but we need to improve the involvement of CCC and ICS.
The potential to save money for the NHS and social care service is valuable if we really do help to keep people well and happy in their own homes.
Four day week
The move to a 4DW by the waste service has gone without a hitch due to numerous precautions that were put in place to ensure that it was a smooth transition. There were 6 missed bin collections which says it all.
Cost of living work update
Based on quotes received and allocated budget, we plan to provide 630 electric blankets, targeting those with limited mobility who are struggling financially. Disability benefits and Council Tax Support data has been used to identify older people who are claiming a disability and council tax support. Also targeted will be working age people who claim the mobility element of disability benefit and council tax support. Any remaining stock will be handed out at the discretion of visiting support teams, housing officers and income maximisation officers. Fraud prevention measures are in place. It is hoped letters will go out in early October.
Landlord Incentivisation
We propose replicating a successful model from Bristol City which financially incentivises landlords to offer homes to Ukranians moving on from their hosts. The government Tariff will pay for this.
Water
Mr Gove’s water task force met for the first time. Stephen Kelly was included. It has been determined that there is not enough resource to implement the original plan to pipe water direct from Grafham are not viable, so the plan now has been amended to move water from the Grand Union Canal via Grafham Water to our area.
The SCDC Leader has been successful in raising the issues we are facing especially relating to the short-term impact on the current plan. The water supply problem has a particular local impact. Phases 2 and 3 of the Darwin Green development have been appealed for non-determination following an objection from the Environment Agency that increased demand from the new development will result in an increased pumping that will aggravate the situation with the aquifer and chalk streams. The public inquiry into this application will have far reaching implications for the local plan and other anticipated applications. The country park proposed for this development will be a major resource for North Cambridge and on the doorstep of Histon, Impington, Orchard Park and Kings Meadow. The decision will be made by the Secretary of State, and it would probably be of value to Parish councils concerned to make representations to the inquiry on what resources and facilities they want to see in the country park development in case the development is approved.
RAAC
We are told that no schools in Cambridgeshire have dangerous concrete.
Families encouraged to check for local cost-of-living support
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that more than three million households will be informed that they qualify for the Warm Home Discount. The automatic one-off £150 payment will help eligible, low-income customers in England, Scotland and Wales pay their energy bills over the winter. The government is today also relaunching the ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign, a public information campaign on how to save money on energy bills. This includes a collaboration with Amazon Alexa. Advice is available online via the Help for Households campaign website and through a public information campaign including billboards and radio adverts later in the autumn. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (16 October) launched its Household Support Fund Awareness Week to promote the good work that councils have done in delivering the scheme so far, and to encourage people to visit their council’s website for more information on support available in their area. DWP has produced a Household Support Fund awareness week toolkit – which contains social media materials, a downloadable poster, suggested newsletter copy and easy-read guidance to help councils promote the awareness week.
It All Adds Up campaign:
https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/energy-saving-advice/
Have your say in the South Cambridgeshire Polling District Review
South Cambridgeshire residents are being given opportunity to share their views on polling arrangements in the district.
The district council are now inviting comments, views and suggestions from residents and other interested parties on how they can improve polling arrangements in South Cambridgeshire. This includes feedback on the accessibility and suitability of their polling stations for voters with disabilities.
The focus is on ensuring polling districts and polling places are fit for purpose and that they enable and support effective local democracy.
Local authorities are required to review their polling districts and polling places and polling stations every five years. The last review took place in 2019.
Local Returning Officer and South Cambridgeshire District Council Chief Executive, Liz Watts, said: “We are urging residents to get involved and share their views on our polling arrangements in the district to ensure we are making it as easy and accessible as possible for you to have your say during elections.”
Further information on the review including a list of polling stations used and maps of the current and proposed polling districts can be found on the Council’s website at www.scambs.gov.uk/your-council-and-democracy/elections/polling-district-review.
Residents can respond to the consultation by writing to the Elections Team marked ‘Polling District Review’ either by email to elections@scambs.gov.uk or by letter to: Electoral Services, South Cambs District Council, Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, Cambridge, CB23 6EA.
All responses must be received by 27 November 2023. Any representations made during the review may be published alongside reports to the Civic Affairs Committee and Council and will help inform decisions made by those bodies.
You can only vote in elections if your name appears on the register of electors. Since May 2023, voters are now also required to show photo ID in polling stations. Find out more and how to register at www.scambs.gov.uk/your-council-and-democracy/elections.
ZOMBIE FEST
A Halloween themed event was held in the Holiday Inn field on October 28th and this produced a considerable response due to the noise impact on residents in Orchard Park.
It is important to determine the extent of the nuisance when considering whether further action should be taken to prevent a repeat. If residents have concerns they can make them known using the following links:
https://forms.scambs.gov.uk/LICENCEHOLDERLICENSEDBUSINESSORPREMISESCOMPLAINT/launch
hiopcouncillors 