Ros Hathorn, 76 Cambridge Road, Impington, Cambridge CB24 9NU Ros.Hathorn@cambridgeshire.gov.uk Tel: 07548 745197 https://hiopcouncillors.wordpress.com/
CONTENTS: Council budget, Government funding and SEND announcement, Local government reorganisation consultation, Cambridge Growth company consultation, Cambridge biomedical campus and the future of Addenbrookes

County Council budget

The nearly £1.3 billion Business and Budget Plan, some headline figures; 

• £20m for highway maintenance, on top of Government funding, to manage our roads. Making a total of £73m to be invested directly into managing and maintaining our highways.
• Last year the council fined firms and developers £480,000 for slow repairs and will be extending this approach next financial year.   
• £14.7m to support older people, adults with disabilities and families, who rely on care every day, the council is allocating £14.7m of additional funding for adult social care providers.  
• This will help them to manage rising costs and ensure care workers are paid the Real Living Wage, improving stability and quality for those who depend on care workers for their support. 
• £1m to continue holiday meal vouchers for the children most in need, through to the end of summer 2026. Government is withdrawing over £2m for this scheme and significantly extending the eligibility without providing clarity about the finances of what they are doing.  
• The Household Support Fund, will be replaced by its new £5m Crisis and Resilience Fund to provide a wider range of anti-poverty measures, offering practical support to households facing financial challenges. 
•  £11m to upgrade the Milton and March Household Waste Recycling Centres. Although the Environment Agency are delaying the start of works for Milton so disruption is postponed.  
• 3,500 new primary school places and £72 million over five years to increase secondary school places, including at Alconbury Weald and North‑West Cambridge. 
• £780,000 a year to run a children’s residential home in South Cambridgeshire, as well as continued funding for the Families First programme, an early‑intervention project that helps keep more families together and is supported by the £6.7 million Children’s, Families and Youth Grant.  
• more than £1.2 million invested in libraries and archives over the next two years. 

 It was an incredibly challenging budget to balance, with even less money.   Rising pressures in childrens’ and adults’ care meant it was a budget process of savings after savings.   Do not believe government when it says it was the most generous financial settlement. It was the largest but that is due to inflation, government has done nothing to manage rising demands and pressures and the prospect for local government reorganisation where all reorganisations costs will be borne by effectively the new authorities is financially gloomy.   

Without growth in the economy do not expect public services to improve, there is not enough money in the economy.

We approved a council tax rise of the maximum 4.99 percent.  

Band	Fraction	County council tax charge
A	6/9	£1,190.28
B	7/9	£1,388.66
C	8/9	£1,587.04
D	9/9	£1,785.42
E	11/9	£2,182.18
F	13/9	£2,578.94
G	15/9	£2,975.70
H	18/9	£3,570.84

Government fairer funding and SEND announcement

On Monday 11 February there was a statement from government on future funding for councils.   There was a fear that through the government’s drive to fund northern cities Cambridgeshire could miss out by millions. In the end we think the county benefits by around £2m.  

There has also been a statement that the government will aim, subject to criteria yet to be worked out, take on 90% of the special educational needs deficit.  This deficit is currently ring fenced, but has reached around £100 million and would bankrupt the county council if it reverted back to the county council.  The council’s S151 officer (chief financial officer) was very hesitant in his assessment of this.  It may be good but there is a lot of detail to be worked through and unclear as to what will happen going forward.  

Local government reorganisation consultation   

My strong preference is for Cambridgeshire County Council’s submission which splits the county and Peterborough into two well balanced unitaries; 

Cambridge city, South Cambridgeshire, East Cambridgeshire  

Huntingdonshire, Fenland, Peterborough 

Vs the local alternative from Cambridge city and South Cambridgeshire district council which splits the county into two unitaries thus; 

Cambridge city, South Cambridgeshire 

East Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Fenland, Peterborough 

I prefer the county council submission because; 

-the size of the future authorities is more balanced meaning more balanced votes at the Combined Authority, the strategic authority which makes significant funding decisions for the entire area.  Expect the city area to always lose out if it is half the size of it’s northern counter part.

-compared to the city/ south cambs this would spread out some of the growth 

-part of the argument from the city/south cambs seems to be that because they already have some shared services it would be easier, not a great argument for deciding the future of our place 

-places like Bottisham are clearly closely connecting to Cambridge city, similarly Ely has a far closer  relationship with Cambridge than Peterborough they should be working with Cambridge city. 

If you have a view please respond to the consultation. Closes 1 April 2026 

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-reorganisation-in-cambridgeshire-and-peterborough/proposals-for-local-government-reorganisation-in-cambridgeshire-and-peterborough

Cambridge Growth Company consultation

Another significant consultation has been launched.  My advice for this is to talk about all the things that frustrate you locally exacerbated by growth so that they are part of the agenda. Suggestions; 

It is overwhelmingly frustrating that villages close to Cambridge city have to deal with the slow boil of congestion and over population due to the growth of Cambridge but that there is never enough money to manage those challenges and invest in infrastructure. Histon and Impington really need full investment in a vision of a new High Street but there is never the money.

Similarly highways maintenance, our schools and public transport.  If greater Cambridgeshire is to be globally competitive money needs to be invested in our roads, the county council is doing everything it can with the money available but the state of decline is such that it will take decades to see the improvement. Make the case for improving our highways, also our schools are grossly underfunded and people want public transport that works. We may also like to have connections around the city, it is a far shorter distance to drive to Bottisham than to cycle we need a place that works for people who live here and may wish to change jobs.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/establishing-a-development-corporation-in-greater-cambridge

Consultation closes 1 April 2026

Cambridge Biomedical Campus and the future of Addenbrookes

On Thursday 5 February the county council voted to progress negotiations with Pro logis to develop the Cambridge Bio medical campus (Addenbrookes area) ultimately this will result in a brand new relocated Addenbrookes and extensive global investment from businesses wanting sites in this area.  This is a unique site with the opportunity of bench to bed research.  

Pro logis are committed to the area and were interrogated at the committee I attended.  The final deal will have a number of safeguards.  Pro logis will report to the county council and views of the council will shape the development.   Details of the deal remain confidential but fundamentally the approach gives the county council, and future authorities, significant control over the shape of the development making sure it brings benefits to local communities.

Whilst the government is taking planning controls away from people removing it from democratically elected councillors through the growth company the county council is ensuring local people still get to influence the development at the biomedical campus.

INFORMATION

Report a Highways fault If you see a problem; blocked gully/ drain, pot hole or other Highways issue please report it

https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/roads-and-pathways/roadworks-and-faults

Adult care assessment Call centre: 0345 045 5202  8am – 6pm Mon to Fri,  9am – 1pm Sat https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/adults/organising-care-and-support/care-needs-assessment Do get in touch with problems, questions or concerns.