South Cambridgeshire District Council
Histon, Impington & Orchard Park Ward 
District Councillors’ Monthly Report – January 2025

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  
James Rixon:  Cllr.Rixon@scambs.gov.uk              07815 186507

Local Government Organisation – Devolution White Paper

The government published the devolution white paper on 16 December. There are many proposals for Combined Authorities and Mayors. One of the most significant proposals is the creation of unitary authorities where there are currently two tier councils such as in our region. It is expected that newly created unitary authorities would have populations exceeding 500,000 but there may be exceptions. The rationale for creating unitary authorities is expected efficiency savings and service improvements. The paper cites a PWC County Councils Network commissioned report. It emphasises maintaining community-level engagement despite the larger size of unitary authorities compared with our local district and city councils. A phased implementation approach is proposed.

The paper also discusses changes to the way that councils are funded including a review of the business rates retention system. The rationale given by government for creating massive unitary authorities is expected efficiency savings (£2.3 billion which is not a lot when you look at the cost of social care and health) and service improvements. Many councils are challenging this and expressing grave concerns about losing what is truly local in Local Government. It means there will be far fewer councillors each responsible for much larger areas. The outcome is that many people will not know who their councillor is and councillors will no longer have the sort of close relationship with their communities which we currently enjoy.

Additionally local government reorganisation takes years and costs millions of pounds to implement. During that time we are likely to see councils having to focus their resources on restructuring and away from a lot of the discretionary things they currently do such as helping people struggling with the cost of living.

Increased grant Funding for Electric Vehicle chargers 

Funding available from the Council’s Electric Vehicle charging grant has increased from £5,000, to up to £12,000 per project. This grant is open to parish councils, community groups and charities for public EV chargers in car parks associated with community buildings and village halls. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis and is open for the remainder of the 2024/25 financial year. We cannot guarantee the funding will be available into next financial year, so encourage those interested in applying to get in touch soon. For more information about this grant, please visit our website. If you would like to know about community EV charging more generally, please visit Electric vehicle charging – South Cambs District Council, where you can find a video by Steeple Morden Parish Council which explains how they installed their EVCP. You can also contact us on evcp.grant@scambs.gov.uk. (Cambridgeshire County Council is also offering fully-funded EV chargers to Parish Councils. Please contact them on electricvehicles@cambridgeshire.gov.uk  for more details.)

South Cambs Sustainable Food Network Summit – Save the date! 

The South Cambs Sustainable Food Network Summit is taking place on 19 February 2025 from 10am – 3.30pm. This one-day event will bring together those working in the local food system in South Cambridgeshire. At the Summit we aim to: 

• consider the main themes of sustainable food in South Cambridgeshire, and think about how we can build a stronger, more connected and resilient Sustainable Food Place; 
• take the first steps towards forming a sustainable food network; and 
• bring together local businesses, groups, organisations and individuals to discuss ideas and opportunities around sustainable food in South Cambridgeshire. 

To save the date, and for more information, visit our Eventbrite page.  We hope that this event will form the first step in our journey to becoming a Sustainable Food Place. 

Social care reform—but not until 2028

The Government has promised to ‘finally grasp the nettle on social care reform’, with an independent commission due to begin work in April. Proposals on a stable system for the long-term funding of adult social care in England have been needed for years. But these are unlikely to be delivered before 2028 at the earliest, the government has confirmed. The proposed commission, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, is not due to publish its final report until then. Meanwhile, councils and care providers across the country are saying this is far too long to wait for reform of vital social care services which are already on their knees.

Herbert Protocol

Have you heard of it? It’s a scheme the Police support that can help find people with dementia if they go missing. It encourages family and friends to keep a document that will help officers in the event a loved one goes missing by collating key pieces of information, such as a physical description, familiar places, health details and an up-to-date photo. Feel free to share this post and help spread the word about this important scheme. Keeping a completed form means you don’t have to try to remember the information when you are under stress if someone goes missing. And it saves time, so the Police can start the search sooner.

For more information or to download a Herbert Protocol form, visit the dedicated web page.

Climate Action Fair and Eco Fair

On 16 November the council held a Climate Action Fair at The Hub in Cambourne, bringing together a range of organisations that are taking action locally over climate change, including the RSPB, Action on Energy and The Liberation Cycle, and raising awareness of the many ways in which local groups can help address the climate emergency. Action on Energy is an initiative from several local councils that provides funding advice and guidance on energy efficiency in the home.

Following on from this, local group Sustainable Shepreth will be holding their second Eco Fair on Saturday 11 January (12noon–3pm) in Shepreth Village Hall.

Campaign – Support for Young Carers

The Digital Poverty Alliance wants to make more people aware of the support on offer to equip young carers with digital access and skills. The Alliance is not reaching everyone who could benefit so we are sharing this information and asking parish councillors to reach out to people you’re your communities who you think could be supported. More information is available on the Digital Poverty Alliance website.

Useful information – Flooding

SCDC’s Scrutiny and Overview Committee recently discussed local drainage, flooding and mitigation of water pollution. One of the tasks to come out of that meeting was to provide South Cambridgeshire’s parish and town councils with some helpful information and tools to support them – particularly when it comes to flooding.

Who is responsible for what and who should I contact?

It can be confusing and time-consuming to work out who is responsible for what when it comes to investigating and regulating flooding. The handy flowchart from Cambridgeshire County Council as the Lead Local Flood Authority shows a clearly defined list of responsibilities and contact details on the website. The idea of this flowchart is to help you identify an issue relating to flooding and make contact with the appropriate organisation. We hope it will help with more isolated or local emergencies related to sewerage or surface water issues, which can present challenges for residents who don’t know who to contact to find help.

Watercourse rights and responsibilities

If there is a watercourse on, next to or under a property you own, then you could be a Riparian Owner. The deeds for your property or land may tell you if this is the case. However, even if your deeds do not say you are responsible for an adjacent watercourse, the law will assume you are. Waiver of responsibility only applies where a title deed states specifically that you are not responsible. This means you are responsible for its maintenance to ensure it flows freely without obstruction, pollution or diversion, and you should also maintain your side of the riverbank.  A map of all watercourses in Cambridgeshire is available on the County Council website. You can also read more about rights and responsibilities as a riparian owner.

Foul Drainage

Any parishes that are experiencing sewer drainage issues should email Anglian Water at their Public Affairs mailbox on public.affairs@anglianwater.co.uk

Frozen green waste bins

At this time of year there is a risk that the contents of green bins can freeze and stick to the inside, preventing the bins from being emptied properly. The council’s web pages on bins and recycling contain some advice on how to minimise the risk of your bin freezing. Please circulate this and keep residents informed to help minimise this frustrating problem. In January and February the green bins will be emptied once a month and from the beginning of March, they will be emptied fortnightly.

Net Zero Villages Grant Scheme

The scheme offering a total funding pot of £362,547 has been launched by South Cambridgeshire District Council to help rural communities become low carbon, more sustainable and more resilient to the effects of climate change. The initiative, funded by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, provides grants ranging from £20,000 to £100,000 to support transformative, community-led projects. With climate change at the forefront of global and local concerns, this grant scheme is designed to support the district’s villages in taking meaningful steps towards reaching net zero and securing a more sustainable future.

The Net Zero Villages scheme will fund capital projects under the following themes:

• Energy Efficiency and Generation – Examples include installing insulation, LED lighting, solar panels, wind turbines, or battery storage for renewable energy.

• Low Carbon Transport – Initiatives such as community-run electric shuttle buses or other sustainable transport solutions.

• Nature-Based Solutions – Projects like green roofs, walls, or tree planting to cool and enhance community spaces.

Eligible projects must improve community assets and reduce carbon emissions, such as retrofitting village halls, enhancing public transport access, or implementing green infrastructure.

The grant is open to community groups, parish councils and rural businesses across South Cambridgeshire.

Council Tax increase for vacant properties

From April 2026, Council Tax will be doubled on long-term vacant properties in South Cambridgeshire as an incentive to bring the estimated 2600 empty properties in the district into use. Exemptions exist for properties that are on the market, subject to probate, or are under renovation. This approach has been used successfully by other councils to bring properties back into use and is expected to help address the high demand for housing in the district. It is estimated that the change will generate an additional £100,000 a year in income for South Cambridgeshire which will help support vital frontline services.

High Street rental auction powers

The government has introduced new powers for local authorities to bring unused commercial premises into use through High Street Rental Auctions. These create a ‘right to rent’ for businesses and community groups, providing access to town and village centres. It is too early to understand how effective this legislation will be in bringing vacant premises back into use, but I would like to work with Parish Councils to explore the options now available.

Help for people working with health problems

The District Council has worked in partnership with neighbouring councils to launch a free programme called WorkWell, offering help to anyone struggling to find or keep a job due to health problems. This is a valuable initiative that seeks to improve the lives of those affected, to work with the wider community to understand and overcome the barriers involved, and to help boost our local economy.

Menopause friendly accreditation

South Cambridgeshire District Council has recently been independently accredited as a menopause friendly employer. This is an important step in the council’s drive to ensure that it is an inclusive and supportive employer. For more information on the Menopause Friendly Accreditation, please visit https://menopausefriendly.co.uk/

UK-wide Day of Reflection

A UK-wide Day of Reflection for the COVID-19 pandemic will take place on Sunday 9 March 2025. The COVID-19 Day of Reflection is an opportunity for communities across the UK to come together in reflection and commemoration for those who lost their lives and for everyone impacted by the pandemic. On the day itself and in the week before, the public will be able to mark the day in ways that feel most appropriate and fitting to them, both in person and online. More at https://dayofreflection.campaign.gov.uk/about/

Your Councillors are here to help you. Please do feel free to contact us with comments, questions, problems or complaints. We hope we can help but if we can’t we are likely to know someone who can!