Homes needed for Ukrainian people

Are you a Landlord in South Cambridgeshire?

Homes for Ukraine refugees are finding it increasingly difficult to secure their own independent accommodation as renting privately in South Cambridgeshire is expensive, and the market is very competitive.

In response, South Cambridgeshire District Council has launched the Homes for Ukraine Landlord Incentive Scheme. Landlords who offer a minimum 6-month tenancy on a property in South Cambridgeshire to a Homes for Ukraine family will receive a financial incentive.

Posted Nov 1st 2023

scambs news

South Cambs news

Four-day week trial extended

A trial of a four-day week at South Cambridgeshire District Council has been extended by 12 months, after independently reviewed data showed the initial pilot was a success. At a time of increased public sector spending pressures, the four-day week aims to allow the Council to continue to deliver excellent services to residents and businesses, whilst improving consistency and reducing cost.

Following the well-publicised success of many similar trails in the private sector, the District Council became the first local authority in the country to trial this way of working between January and March 2023. Around 450 desk-based staff have been involved. The Council decided to undertake the trial because of the acute recruitment and retention issues it was facing – mirroring the national recruitment and retention situation in the public sector.

Before the trial started, the Council was spending about £2million a year on agency staff, often in specialist roles where the private sector pays more. This bill could be halved if all the agency posts were filled permanently. Although the three-month trial wasn’t expected to see improvement in recruitment, because there was no certainty about whether it would continue, the Council’s annual wage bill has already decreased by £300,000. Additionally, some staff have decided to stay at the Council when they may have otherwise moved-on.

The Council outlined in September 2022 how, for more than a year, it had only been able to fill around eight out of every ten, or fewer, of its vacancies. Not being able to fill vacant posts – or using agency staff to cover them – is not only expensive but also disruptive. For example, when case officers change during the process of a planning application, it can cause delays and frustration because a lot of context and institutional memory is lost.

The combination of reduced agency spends and improved recruitment during the three-month trial is a positive indication of what the Council hopes to see in the year-long trial, saving costs whilst maintaining high quality public services.

At a meeting today (Monday 15 May 2023) Cabinet members agreed to extend the four-day week trial up until the end of March 2024. The Council had already pledged to investigate expanding the trial to its bin crews – which are part of the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste service with Cambridge City Council. Cabinet members also agreed to begin that trial for bin crews this summer – pending agreement from Cambridge City Council.

A four-day week is where staff complete 100% of their work, in 80% of the time, for 100% of their pay, by becoming more productive. The Council had outlined how it would use its standard performance metrics which are regularly monitored to keep a check on how services performed during the three-month trial from January to March this year. An industry-standard health and wellbeing survey was also used to measure the impact on staff, with one survey carried out in August 2022 before the four-day week trial was announced, and a follow-up in April this year.

The Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge was asked to independently review the Council’s data from the trial, to ensure it was analysed without any risk of bias. They analysed data from 18 different key areas, covering performance in Planning, Housing, Transformation, Human Resources and Corporate Services and Finance.

The data shows:

Nine out of the 16 areas monitored show substantial improvement when comparing the trial period from January to March to the same period in 2022.
The remaining seven areas monitored either remain at similar levels compared to the same period last year or saw a slight decline.
The Bennett Institute noted however that not a single area of performance fell to a concerning level during the trial.

The full data from the trial has been published on the Council’s website.

Dr Nina Jörden, Research Associate at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge, commented: “At the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, Cambridge, we worked directly with the South Cambridgeshire District Council to guide and support this unique trial from a scientific perspective. Through rigorous analysis of Council data, we were able to demonstrate how the four-day week positively impacts individual wellbeing, increases workplace productivity, and maintains - in some services even improves - Council performance. This collaboration is ground-breaking in that other public sector organisations will benefit from the insights gained to better address recruitment and retention challenges, improve the physical and mental health of their employees, and respond to a changing society - leading to better outcomes for citizens and the public at large for the long-term.”

The Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cllr Bridget Smith, said: “The data from our trial, which has been robustly analysed by a highly qualified team at the University of Cambridge, has shown that our services to residents and businesses have been maintained – or in some cases, improved, and there has been a positive impact on staff wellbeing. We can therefore confidently say that this pioneering trial has been a success. It is now time to see whether a four-day week can have a positive impact on the critical recruitment and retention issues that we face over a longer term. The savings we make will help support the delivery of frontline services, especially for those impacted by the cost of living crisis. This is all in line with our aim to be a modern and caring Council. We should also remember that the five-day work week is around 100 years old. Across the country, we work some of the longest hours in Europe and yet somehow, have one of the least productive economies. This idea of a four-day week is absolutely not about working less. It is about working smarter and becoming more productive. That is exactly what we have done in the first part of this year.”

Joe Ryle, Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, added: “We're really pleased that after a successful trial, a year-long extension has been approved by councillors. This decision should give confidence to the many other councils across the UK who are considering launching their own four-day week trials. The evidence shows that a four-day week with no loss of pay improves productivity and is a win-win for both workers and employers.”

Work has also been taking place during the past few months to draw-up plans for bin crews to trial a four-day week. They were not involved in the first phase of the trial due to the complexities of assessing the changes needed to a service that empties bins at almost 130,000 households across Greater Cambridge.

That work has been taking place in tandem with a project to review the existing bin collection routes across South Cambridgeshire and the city of Cambridge; this work was due to take place regardless, to consider the new homes that have been built locally in recent years, and ensure bins are collected as efficiently as possible.

At today’s Cabinet meeting, Cabinet members agreed to approve the trial of a four-day week waste collection service for three months from this summer. Cambridge City Council will also discuss and consider these plans before this is confirmed.

If Cambridge City Council agree, it will mean changes to bin days for some residents across Greater Cambridge later this year. Councillors have pledged to give any residents impacted plenty of notice and support where needed.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Cllr Henry Batchelor, said: “Nationally and locally it is often difficult to recruit staff – especially at the Waste Service which we share with our neighbours at Cambridge City Council. To help deal with this and further support the wellbeing of our hardworking crews, we need to try something new. For us, that is a proposed four-day week trial – which we have been testing successfully amongst our desk-based colleagues since the start of the year. We would ensure any residents impacted by this proposed change are given as much notice as possible. Our partners at Cambridge City Council of course still need to take a formal decision on this trial for waste crews before it is confirmed.”

For the past two years Greater Cambridge Shared Waste has only been able to fill around 133 of almost 150 driver and loader posts. More recently, there remains an average of eight agency staff covering driver and loader positions – at an additional cost to the taxpayer. The report discussed at today’s Cabinet meeting also outlines how using fewer agency staff should lead to fewer bins being missed, as permanent crews become more familiar with their rounds.

South Cambs Council update

More than £200,000 of further cost of living support confirmed

A further cost of living support package for residents, worth more than £200,000, has been agreed by South Cambridgeshire District Council.

The plans include a roadshow of cost of living talks, support to transform some Warm Hubs into Community Wellbeing Hubs, increasing awareness of Council Tax support, more free energy saving appliances and the creation of a South Cambridgeshire Sustainable Food Network.

The latest support package was confirmed by Cabinet members today (Monday 20 March 2023). It builds on a package of almost £400,000 of support which was agreed by the Council in November last year. Just over half of that initial funding came from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care System (ICS) to support community-based programmes tackling prevention, and community engagement.

These new support plans announced by the Council confirm what will happen next. The ICS have indicated that they will provide further grant funding that the Council will bid for, to continue projects for the next financial year, which will continue to focus on the prevention of poor health resulting from financial hardship, and community engagement.

The roadshow of cost of living talks, organised in partnership with parish councils, will see a rolling programme of events designed to highlight support available to the most vulnerable. This will aim to improve reach and uptake of grants and other support services that many don’t know are available to them.

25 Warm Hubs have been running across South Cambridgeshire this winter, with more than 3,000 visits recorded up to the start of March. Run by Cambridgeshire ACRE, they are free cosy spaces which residents of all ages can visit to socialise, work, and catch up with friends. Some will now evolve into Community Wellbeing Hubs, offering more services.

A large-scale Council Tax communications campaign will take place, to increase the number of eligible people who are aware of, and subsequently claim, financial help towards their Council Tax bill. More deprived areas will be targeted with communications, to help inform people of their potential eligibility.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s scheme to provide free energy saving appliances to those residents who are only just about managing will be expanded into next winter. So far this winter, more than 400 South Cambridgeshire residents have been provided with either a slow cooker, electric blanket, or both by the Council. A charitable giving fund, which residents who are able to can donate towards as part of this scheme, has raised nearly £2,000 and remains open.

Finally, funds are also allocated to help create a South Cambridgeshire Sustainable Food Network. Work will take place to link-up all the existing foodbanks in the district, creating a network of support for each other – with the over-riding aim of distributing food that would otherwise end-up being thrown away. The network will also look to create links with local farmers to donate excess food that is not suitable for supermarkets, encourage communities to grow fresh vegetables for the most vulnerable, and promote healthy eating and more plant-based diets. This network will be a key part of the emerging South Cambridgeshire Sustainable Food Strategy, which is being developed by the District Council and set to be discussed by its Climate and Environment Advisory Group next month (April).

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr Bill Handley, said: “We have been doing all that we can to support South Cambridgeshire residents through the cost-of-living crisis. Unfortunately, the crisis shows no sign of ending and this package of support outlines the next stage of our work.

“It has been a long, hard winter for many people, and it is distressing to hear stories about households – including working families – facing the horrible choice of heating or eating, with the implications for ill-health. These plans outline how we’re doing our very best to provide support to prevent that.”

Posted March 22 2023

South Cambs council update

Net Zero Now in South Cambs

Applications are now open for residents of South Cambridgeshire to take part in Net Zero Now, a free community climate action course. Nearly two-thirds of the changes needed to reach net zero carbon emissions will require changes to our everyday lives.

This challenge is a unique opportunity to build communities that are not just more sustainable but also healthier, happier and more resilient. Run by Cambridge Carbon Footprint with the support of South Cambridgeshire District Council, Net Zero Now will provide you with the knowledge and confidence to help support your local community on its move towards net zero.

The six-week course will give you the opportunity to meet and discuss what communities can do to reduce carbon emissions, what support is available, how to communicate climate action, effective community building, and more. Applications close on Sunday 30th April. Find out more and apply now.

Posted March 15 2023

Potholes

Potholes have worsened dramatically following the December freeze and continuing wet weather, unsurprisingly given the effects of freezing temperatures and water on long neglected infrastructure resulting from decades of underfunding and a policy of ‘managed decline.’ Last summer’s drought has had an additional impact on soil beneath road structures, causing further problems.

We have been working closely with our Local Highways Officer to log potholes for action and we would encourage everyone to please check on the ‘Cambridgeshire Report a Fault’ webpage (just google those words to find it) to find out whether potholes you are concerned about have already been logged. If not, please do log the pothole and note the reference number. If there is a problem with the reporting page do let us know. Please note that currently, when the subcontractors go out to fill potholes, they can only address what has been logged on the system, though the council is looking at whether this can be changed.

Believe it or not, for Cambridgeshire as a whole, this year has seen a reduction in the numbers of potholes, despite further real term budget cuts from Government. Over the past year the council has adopted the use of new scanning technologies to identify surface defects so it can intervene earlier and also have larger area patching systems – but it still needs sufficient people and funding in place.

You’ll be interested to know that in one week in January 5586 potholes were reported – 2.5 times the normal. The dragon patchers (of which there are two) can do 100 every day, with manned teams able to do only 20 a day. We fixed more than 45,000 last year. Over 500 claims are made for compensation for vehicle damage every year of which the County Council settle approximately 85.

In general terms, if a pothole is large and deep, we will fix it within five days. If it is smaller and less of a hazard, we will fix it within 21 days. We mark up the potholes in different ways, those repaired in five days are not marked as our repair is immediate, yellow means we will repair it in 21 days. We always aim to fix potholes within five and 21 days. We aim to fix emergency faults as soon as possible, always within five days.

We always aim to repair potholes with a permanent fix first time, however, in the winter this can be difficult due to the weather and numbers of potholes. At this time of year, we sometimes have to make temporary fixes to keep people safe, to keep up with the numbers and because road conditions are too wet for permanent repairs. Permanent fixes will then be programmed in and delivered when the weather allows

The total amount of money we have specifically to fix potholes is £2.2m – this is part of a larger highway maintenance budget (which includes planned maintenance, patching, drain clearing etc) which is around £30million per year for maintenance of 4,500km of road. The average cost of fixing a pothole is £42.

County Councillor Maria King

Posted Feb 16 2023

South Cambs news

More frequent battery recycling collections

Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire households can now conveniently recycle used, small batteries weekly, thanks to changes to waste collections.

Adjustments to bin lorries mean that small plastic bags containing used batteries can now simply be left on top of green, black or blue bins for collection by crews on their usual rounds.

Previously, residents of both areas were asked to tie a small bag containing used batteries onto the handles of their blue bin. Now, they can simply put used batteries inside a small plastic bag, tie it up, and leave that bag on top of any of their three bins when they put it out for collection.

The change has been announced by the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service – the partnership between Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils which carries out bin collections in both areas.

Residents of flats with shared bins should not leave batteries on these but can take them to one of the many public battery collection points at corner shop chains, supermarkets, chemists and petrol stations as well as those at recycling points and Household Recycling Centres. Visit www.recyclenow.com to see all locations.

Cllr Rosy Moore, Executive Councillor for Environment, Climate Change and Biodiversity at Cambridge City Council said: “We are always looking for new ways to encourage recycling and reuse, and to reduce waste. By adding a dedicated bucket for household batteries to the side of each bin lorry, the process for collecting them for recycling will now be much easier and more convenient, both for residents and our waste crews. Plus, we still have a number of collection points around the city where residents can take their batteries if they wish to dispose of them there. Please remember batteries should never be put inside your bin. It is important that batteries are recycled properly to recover the precious metal inside them, to keep hazardous substances from the environment, and to prevent fires in bin lorries or the sorting facility.”

Cllr Henry Batchelor, Lead Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Licensing at South Cambridgeshire District Council said: “Dead batteries contain a lot of useful materials which can be used again, but only half of the up to 1 billion batteries thrown away in the UK each year are recycled correctly. Some of those that end up in bins get damaged and catch fire. We’ve seen this first hand with fires in our bin lorries, including near Orchard Park back in October, which endanger our crews, damage expensive equipment, disrupt our services and result in fire service callouts. We hope that by making batteries easier to recycle regularly we can help residents to safely recycle all their batteries. I’d also encourage residents to consider buying rechargeable batteries as modern ones hold their charge much better than was previously the case and can be charged more quickly.”

The used batteries will then be collected for recycling by Valpak.

James Nash, Commercial Manager at Valpak, said: "Reconomy Group company, Valpak, would like to congratulate Greater Cambridge Shared Waste on its proactive approach to recycling batteries. Diverting this hazardous waste from landfill is hugely important for the environment, and offering local residents a convenient way to recycle, right from their doorstep, will give the scheme the greatest chance of success. We arrange for the collected batteries to be sorted and recycled. The chemistry of waste batteries varies widely, and our network caters for the full array of battery types that arise. The most typical materials captured in the recycling processes, however, are cobalt, nickel and steel. Once processed, these go right back into battery manufacturing, or put to use in industries such as construction, electronics or the steel industry. Whichever new life they take on, we can be confident that they are not decomposing in the ground, leaching harmful chemicals into our environment."

Most small common household portable batteries can be placed out for collection at the kerbside, including:

AA and AAA
C and D
Button cells

Please do not include mobile phone, laptop batteries or those that are attached to a device. Search online for ‘recycle small electrical items’ instead.

Greater Cambridge Shared Waste collects recycling and rubbish from around 128,000 households across the city of Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.

Posted Jan 27 2023

South Cambridgeshire District Council news

Support for Ukraine: It all starts with a spare room

A major campaign has been launched to appeal for more hosts in South Cambridgeshire and the city of Cambridge to support families from Ukraine. Anyone who can offer a room is being asked to text ROOM to 88802.

Between the two areas, a total of almost 500 hosts have already been providing housing to guests. However, with the war in Ukraine continuing, and with it not being safe for many families to return, there is an ongoing demand to provide them with a safe place to stay.

Anyone who can offer a spare room and warm welcome is being asked to text ROOM to 88802 so that the councils can support them through the process and match hosts to guests who have already started to settle in the local area.

Read more, and watch video stories from current hosts and guests, at www.scambs.gov.uk/support-for-ukraine-it-all-starts-with-a-spare-room

Posted Nov 23 2022

Grants available to support cost of living crisis

A popular grant fund run by South Cambridgeshire District Council is being expanded to support projects to help residents deal with the cost of living crisis.

The Council’s Community Chest fund provides grants to voluntary and community sector groups, charities and public sector bodies wishing to further improve quality

of life locally.

At the meeting of the Council’s Grants Advisory Committee on Friday 28 October, Councillors unanimously recommended that the Community Chest criteria were expanded to allow bids that include contributions for any project that has a positive impact for communities related to the cost-of-living crisis. The change also mean it will support ongoing costs, including staffing, as well as one-off purchases as it had previously. Those amendments have now been confirmed by the Lead Cabinet Member for Resources.

Parish and Town Councils of any size can also now bid for Community Chest grants linked to the cost of living crisis. Previously, Parish and Town Councils were not able to bid for Community Chest funds apart from those linked to creating a Community-Led Plan or Biodiversity grants, unless they had fewer than 160 registered electors in their areas.

A ringfenced total sum of £20,000 has been made available for these new Community Chest grant applications relating to the cost of living crisis. This funding has been provided by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System, to ensure support is co-ordinated effectively and directed at those in need locally this winter.

It is anticipated that this new grant funding could go towards projects such as the setting up or running of lunch clubs to provide low-cost meals for those in need, or establishing or building the capacity of food hubs, food banks or community fridges. However, given the limited funds available, the scheme is not able to be used to purchase food or subsidise the cost of the food distributed.

The amended criteria for the Community Chest will be in place until April 2023. Visit www.scambs.gov.uk/communitychest for more details and to apply.

The Chair of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Grants Advisory Committee, Cllr Jose Hales, commented: “The cost of living is having a significant impact on communities across South Cambridgeshire, and amending the criteria for our Community Chest grants is one way that we can help to provide real support to residents. We’ll be reviewing the applications that come in for these new funds every month. I’m expecting a quick turnaround so residents will see the benefits of them really quickly. Please do apply for one of these grants if you are part of a local group or parish council and looking to run a project to support the district through these challenging financial times.”

Posted Nov 23

Trial of four-day working week confirmed

A three-month trial of a four-day week for desk-based staff at South Cambridgeshire District Council will begin in January – with further trials involving bin crews to follow if it’s successful.

The council is the first in the country to trial a four day working week with staff remaining on full pay.

At a meeting of the Council’s Cabinet today (Monday 12 September 2022) Cabinet Members agreed to proceed with the trial. Similar trials, including around 3,300 staff, are already underway at 70 other UK organisations. Cambridge City Council have a joint planning service with South Cambridgeshire District Council, and their Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee will consider the proposals and implications for that service on 10 October 2022.

A four-day week is when people work one less day per week but still get paid the same salary. It is not the same as compressed hours, which is working the traditional 37-hour week over four long days. A four-day week, which for a full-time employee at the Council would consist of 30 hours, can make an organisation stand out from others and be more attractive to talent.

It is also seen as a tangible incentive to encourage staff to stay and has been shown to increase productivity during trials at Microsoft in Japan and Buffer in the USA.

A three-month planning period at the Council will now take place between October and December before the trial begins in January 2023. There are approximately 470 desk-based Council staff who will be able to take part. This will apply to Council colleagues on all pay grades.

If this is successful, South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridge City Councils will consider expanding the trial to involve bin crews later next year. Bin crews, another shared service, are not part of the first trial. Additional time would be needed, by both councils, to plan and establish exactly how a four-day week would work for them and residents. Refuse crews currently empty bins for around 127,000 households across Greater Cambridge each week.

To monitor service levels from January to the end of March, the Council will use its standard performance metrics which are regularly updated. These will keep a check on things like how long it takes the Council to process benefits claims, Council house rent collections, how fast planning applications are determined, including for Cambridge residents, staff turnover, call answering times and more. Industry-standard health and wellbeing surveys will also be used to measure success and be compared against the results from a survey carried out last month (August 2022) before the four-day week trial was announced to staff. The next steps, which could include a longer trial period, would be dependent on the performance of Council and shared services during the first three months of 2023, and would need to be developed with Cambridge City Council.

As part of the trial, the Council will also now look to see whether it can extend the hours that it is open to the public via the telephone, a soon-to-be-launched webchat service and Teams / Zoom meetings.

For more than a year, the Council has only been able to fill around eight out of every ten (or fewer) of its vacancies. Between January and March 2022, only around half were filled. There are currently 23 agency staff covering office-based roles, which should ideally be filled by people in permanent positions. Over a whole year, these agency staff could cost the Council more than £2million. If the Council filled all these posts with permanent staff, it would only cost around £1million per year.

Not being able to fill vacant posts – or switching between agency staff to cover them – is also disruptive to services for residents. For example, when case officers change during the process of a planning application, it can cause delays and frustration because a lot of context and institutional memory is lost.

Combined, these factors have led to the Council looking at the viability of a four-day week through the desk-based trial between January and March next year followed by a trial among waste crews.

Posted Sept 13 2022

Rental properties needed for Homes for Ukraine guests

South Cambridgeshire residents have come forward in their hundreds to open their homes to provide a place to stay for those fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Community support Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, many residents have signed up to be ‘hosts’ for guests from Ukraine for an initial minimum period of six months.

At the time of going to print, around 770 visas had been issued for South Cambridgeshire as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme. This was the highest number for any District Council area, and the seventh highest figure for any area in England. Only bigger Unitary Authority areas, and some London boroughs, have larger numbers.

We are working hard to ensure that, at the end of this initial six-month period, there are local options open to guests from Ukraine who wish to stay in South Cambridgeshire. This is where Shire Homes, our private sector leasing scheme, comes in.

Shire Homes offers homeowners a hassle-free way for owners to rent out their properties for a guaranteed income. For several years, they have managed good quality properties, in a lettable condition in South Cambridgeshire. This need is even more pressing now, given that many guests from Ukraine are likely to want to stay within the district and will be looking for a place of their own.

If you have a property that you let out, please consider renting it out via Shire Homes. Whatever size property you have, from a bedsit to a four-bedroom house, we want to hear from you. Plus, you could be helping a family who have fled Ukraine stay among their new friends and communities in South Cambridgeshire.

The benefits of our private sector leasing scheme include:

• Guaranteed rental payments - even when your property is empty

• No management fees

• Day-to-day maintenance

• Regular property visits

• A full management service.

Our Lead Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr Bill Handley, said: “Our communities have stepped forwards in a truly wonderful way to provide a place to stay for hundreds of people from Ukraine. I am humbled and truly grateful. We now want to ensure that, when and if the time comes for our guests to move away from their hosts, they have some options. Increasing our stock of homes available to let via Shire Homes does just that. I’d be thrilled if anyone with a property to rent out considers this.”

www.scambs.gov.uk/housing/ shire-homes-lettings envelope shire.homes@scambs.gov.uk phone 01954 713406

Posted September 8 2022

Stapleford groups can now visit the Wimpole Estate, a National Trust property in Cambridgeshire for free thanks to a South Cambs Council initiative.

They are offering local community groups free admission to the estate and its facilities. This is a fantastic opportunity to encourage creativity and connection with nature.

Polly Ingham-Watts, the General Manager of Wimpole Hall, is passionate that everyone can enjoy all that Wimpole has to offer and recognises that National Trust membership or the standard admission charges are not accessible to everyone. Each pass issued under this initiative would provide free access for up to 16 people.

Passes may be used on any day except on bank holidays and the weekends preceding bank holidays. Those intending to use the pass are asked to email wimpolehall@nationaltrust.org.uk or call the estate before coming, stating the name of your group, the number of people and approximate time of arrival. Where practical community groups are encouraged to visit during weekdays as Wimpole can get very busy at weekends when there may be less scope to cater for additional needs.

If you think that members of groups would be interested in receiving free admission passes, please return the attached form via email to wimpoleforeveryone@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Wimpole Estate consists of a historic mansion, beautiful gardens, a show farm and extensive parkland, there is plenty of free parking for cars and minibuses, a visitor reception centre, electric buggies to assist people with limited mobility, as well as cafes and shops. For more information visit https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wimpole-estate.

Emma Dyer | Development Officer (Community-Led Plans), Communities team SCDC

Posted Aug 26 2022

Ukranian families will be encouraged to integrate into community life thanks to South Cambridgeshire District Council grants

Ukranian families are to be given help to integrate into community life thanks to a new grant scheme launched 7 July by South Cambridgeshire District Council.

A wide range of events will be considered for grants, of up to £300 per project, to help reduce social isolation and encourage families to feel involved in their local community and life in Britain.

Project ideas could include buying books for English language classes, ingredients to fund a cookery day, venue hire to host a gathering, buying materials to run an art class, or travel costs to take Ukrainian guests on a trip into Cambridge to see the sights.

Cllr Bill Handley, Lead Cabinet member for Communities, said: “We are really pleased to be able to offer flexible, small grants, to reach right into the heart of our communities. The aim is for the grants to provide a wide range of local activities to help Ukranian families feel a warm welcome while also supporting their integration into life in this country.

“Maybe a local group would like to help Ukrainian guests develop skills for work or can offer emotional support. It could be an activity to help families socialise with their host community, learn English or something to help them feel less isolated. It could be an activity as simple as helping families enjoy their stay here and have as much fun as they possibly can.”

Latest Government figures show that South Cambridgeshire is the district hosting the most Ukranian visitors in England, with 677 Visas issued so far.

The grant scheme is designed to support Homes for Ukraine hosts and can cover things like venue hire, equipment, transport, instructor time or refreshments to bring people together.

A grant fund total of £20,000 is open for applicants from today until the end of the 2022/23 financial year, made possible from money provided to local councils from the Government.

Parish councils, community groups, informal groups or individual hosts can apply. Applications will be assessed by officers from South Cambridgeshire District Council on a weekly basis to ensure a quick turnaround. Criteria, guidance and an application form can be found here.

The grant does not cover activities that charge a fee or generate profits for private gain and will not cover anything which only benefits individuals. Grants cannot be given for activities promoting political or religious beliefs or an activity that has already happened.

Additionally, funding cannot be used retrospectively to pay for things that have already happened. However, it can be used to fund further provision of activities which have already been started. Grants cannot be used to extend activities already funded through South Cambridgeshire District Council projects.

To find out more, applicants are encouraged to email prior to making their bid submission to ukraine.grants@scambs.gov.uk
Funding bid support is available from Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service. Please call 01223-464696 or email enquiries@cambridgecvs.org.uk

Posted July 11 2022

Due to the generosity of local communities, South Cambridgeshire is the district area with the highest number of visas granted in the country. This means the number of arrivals is high. The Council’s housing officers have been carrying out the welfare checks to ensure hosts and guests are settling in. However, as re-matching is now also being carried out by the Council, we need to bring in extra resources in paid roles and want to ask for your help to find people with the right skills who would consider join the team carrying out this important work.

We know many people want to support the scheme locally who may not have been able to be a host. You may know of people with the skills we are looking for. Maybe they are retired or not in work now but would be keen to commit to a role to help deliver this important work.

What we are looking for?

Commitment to work at least 3 days a week, up to full time, for one year
Good communicator
Previous experience or knowledge in safeguarding would be advantageous
Good listener and ability to empathise and give advice to Ukrainian guests who may be suffering from trauma
The ability to travel using own car all over South Cambridgeshire to visit the homes of hosts
Ability to use Council translating services to support conversations with guests where necessary
Good attention to detail to ensure information from visits is logged correctly and any issues reported and referred to relevant service
Confidence to ask guests or hosts further questions to uncover underlying issues
Sensitivity to cultural differences and able to put people with a variety of backgrounds at ease
Confidence working with basic Microsoft computer programmes such as Word, Excel and Outlook as spreadsheets are used for recording and collating information

We are looking for people who can start quickly to support the team.

The hourly rate for the role is £13.33 to £15.93

Anyone wanting to find out more should email Susan and Dan on susan.hinawski@scambs.gov.uk and Daniel.toussaint@scambs.gov.uk. Please include in your message that you are interested in the role and provide your contact details. Susan or Dan will call you back as soon as possible to discuss the role.

As this recruitment is a little different to the majority the Council carries out there is not a link to more information online. This will mean in some cases for local social media it will not be as easy for you to share. However, we would be grateful if you can try and share as far and wide locally, perhaps through email groups and WhatsApp etc.

Council offers personalised advice to create safer and better-connected communities

Council bosses are urging residents and community groups to use a new personalised advice service which will identify free tools and funding to tackle local problems and create safer communities in South Cambridgeshire.

Residents and community groups can complete a short online form outlining the initiative they want to set up or the problem they want to solve, and Council staff will offer tailored solutions. The guidance will include information about different grants that a particular project might be eligible for, the most appropriate toolkits to use, and introductions to community contacts who have seen success in similar projects locally.

If you are thinking about setting up a new group, encouraging others to take an interest in issues that matter to you, or addressing a local concern but aren’t sure where to start, you can complete the short form at www.scambs.gov.uk/community-action

Cllr Bill Handley, Lead Cabinet Member for Community Resilience, Health and Wellbeing for South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “If you want to make a positive impact or tackle a problem in your community by setting up a new community group but you are not sure where to start, Council colleagues are ready to give help and advice. You might like to know more about how to improve road safety, how to make the local environment greener, how to reduce social isolation, or how to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour. There are a number of Council grant schemes, and the team will point you towards those that could help your project to get off the ground.

“Our toolkits cover all of these topics and give advice on how to encourage your neighbours to join you and help you to find out what your community thinks about these issues. For those communities that would like to plan for the longer-term, Council colleagues can also talk to you about creating a Community Led Plan.

“People living within a community know it best and are best placed to tackle areas of concern and put plans in place for the community’s future, so whether you are starting a small project, or a parish-wide approach, we can help. Just fill in our short form and one of our team will be in touch.”

Some of the tools available were funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), through the South Cambs Community Safety Partnership. The Community Safety Partnership is a partnership between South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridgeshire County councils; the Police, Fire and Rescue Services; the Probation Service; and the NHS.

Ends

A budget to tackle climate change in South Cambridgeshire

The latest budget set by South Cambridgeshire District Council allocates £6.83 million to tackling climate change in the district during the upcoming year.

The Council’s budget for 2022/23 was discussed during a Full Council meeting yesterday (Tuesday 22 February). All District Councillors had the chance to vote on the proposed budget following earlier discussions at Scrutiny and Overview Committee in January and Cabinet earlier in February.

The Council’s total spend on providing services for the next 12 months is expected to be around £70 million. The total amount expected to be spent on capital costs, that being purchasing equipment, vehicles, and property, is expected to be around £48 million.

A total of £6.83 million has been earmarked for projects, services and equipment that tackle climate change on a local level in South Cambridgeshire. Last week it was announced that South Cambridgeshire District Council is a finalist in the Green Public Service Category in the Public Sector Transformation Awards 2022, for its ‘Green to our core’ programme of work. Through the Council’s Zero Carbon Strategy and Action Plan, it is supporting the district to halve carbon emissions by 2030 and reduce them to zero by 2050. Climate change related projects featuring in the confirmed budget for next year include:

A £4.2 million plan to install a solar farm at the Waterbeach depot of Greater Cambridge Shared Waste, the Council’s shared waste service with Cambridge City Council. This is proposed to be a joint venture between the two Councils, while the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority last month indicated it would help fund the work too, subject to additional checks such as value for money assurances. This solar farm would power the Council’s growing fleet of electric bin lorries and support vehicles / vans.
£1.3 million towards equipment and activities to help tackle climate change at Greater Cambridge Shared Waste, such as the purchase of new electric bin lorries. In 2020, Greater Cambridge Shared Waste began using Cambridgeshire’s first electric bin lorry.
£667,000 towards initiatives to improve and adapt waste services, encourage recycling and minimise waste.
£500,000 towards land drainage and maintenance of the 275km of awarded watercourses which criss-cross the district. The Council is responsible for maintaining these awarded watercourses.
£342,000 towards the Council’s Zero Carbon Communities scheme, which provides financial support to Parish Councils' and community groups to promote greener initiatives and reduce their carbon footprint.
£150,000 for the installation of electric vehicle charging points in the district.
£145,000 to complete the roll-out of energy efficient LEDs to the Council’s streetlights.

Meanwhile, the Council’s £1.9 million retrofit of its Cambourne office is nearing completion. This plan includes measures to dramatically reduce energy bills and carbon emissions from the building. As the electricity grid continues to decarbonise due to new renewable energy generation schemes coming online nationwide, the carbon footprint of the building will reduce to 25% of current levels by 2030 and 10% of current levels by 2050, playing a major role in the reduction of the Council’s own footprint. The work is also expected to help the Council avoid steep price rises in energy costs that are due later this year.

Elsewhere, the Council’s Housing Revenue Account – a ringfenced account used as the Council maintains its stock of around 5,500 Council homes – has its own budget plans. They include the creation of two new staff roles who will be focused on providing money and housing advice. They will be a source of support to residents who continue to face pressure on household budgets – particularly due to the impact of COVID and rising cost of living. These new staff will work closely with the Council’s existing advice officers, such as those working in benefits. Additionally, the proposals suggest investing £17 million next year in continuing to build new energy efficient Council homes, as part of a business plan priority to bring forward housing that is truly affordable to live in.

In 2019, it was agreed in the Council’s Business Plan that the number of new Council homes being built would be doubled by 2024. During 2021/22, 89 new Council homes were built. This compares to 36 being built in 2019/20 and 64 being built in 2020/21. As a result, this Business Plan target has been achieved. During recent years, these new homes have been built in Caldecote, Waterbeach, Balsham, Longstanton, Great Abington, Hardwick, Foxton, West Wickham, Impington, Comberton-Toft (boundary), Sawston, Castle Camps, Melbourn, and Teversham. During the coming years, there are plans for more Council homes in many more villages across South Cambridgeshire.

At Greater Cambridge Shared Planning, another partnership between South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridge City Councils, new funding has been confirmed towards encouraging more apprentices to begin a career in planning.

£854,000 is included in the Council’s budget for economic development initiatives and business support – such as the continued development of the Council’s recently launched dedicated tourism platform Visit South Cambs. Greater Cambridge Commercial Waste, which collects business waste, has been targeted with a £25,000 increase in profit.

Vital frontline services that will continue to be delivered by the Council include collecting recycling and waste from around 66,000 households across South Cambridgeshire, handling thousands of planning applications every year across a huge range of sites and projects, environmental health responsibilities, providing homelessness support and dealing with benefits claims.

Around 40% of the Council’s annual budget is funded from local Council Tax. The rest of the funding comes from sources outside of the Council’s control, including Business Rates and grants. A £5 per year increase in Council Tax for the average band D home was confirmed at Full Council yesterday for the next financial year, to ensure essential frontline services continue to be delivered effectively. The increase will see the average band D home charge for South Cambridgeshire District Council increase to £160.31 per year. This is an increase of around 10p per week. Despite the rise, the Council maintains its position in the lowest 25% of taxing District Councils in the country. The majority of Council Tax that is collected by South Cambridgeshire District Council is passed to Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridgeshire Police, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and parish or town councils.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr John Williams, said: “I am incredibly proud of this budget. Despite the financial pressure Councils up and down the country are under, we have been able to place taking action to tackle climate change on a very local level firmly at the centre of our plans. This is proof we are backing up our declaration of climate and ecological emergencies with real action. At a time when many Councils are struggling, we have a very healthy financial position and are delivering improving services despite having one of the lowest Council Tax bases in the country. This is because we have applied sound financial controls and sought to maximise our income and deliver value for money, over the course of several years. We do appreciate however that residents are faced with paying more in bills across the spectrum, and that’s why we have several measures to help those in need with their Council Tax bill. This includes the Local Council Tax Support Scheme and a Welfare Officer to help anyone who is struggling. Indeed, our latest budget that we have just agreed provides extra money for additional officers focused on giving money advice.”

Free nature-based wellbeing activities for teens at Wandlebury & Milton

The Council’s successful Wild Minds programme has opened for registration for March 2022 with an expanded programme of small-group activities in a park setting, to support teenagers struggling with conditions such as depression and anxiety.

The age-range has widened to invite 12-17 year olds to register (sessions will be run in separate groups of 12-14 year olds, and 15-17 year olds). The course will also now run in two locations, continuing at Milton Country Park where the programme was first established, and expanding to run at Wandlebury Country Park for the first time.

The sessions run for an hour and a half, for eight weeks, with different activities on offer each week. Young people benefit from spending time in a therapeutic outdoor environment with qualified activity instructors, trained youth workers, and a small group of peers. The course is designed to help teens tackle things like mild anxiety, low mood and depression; and to improve self-confidence and esteem. A clinical psychologist oversees the course, providing support to young people who may otherwise go without, due to not meeting the threshold for NHS mental health care.

Young people who would like to attend, or parents or carers who think the course may be suitable for a young person in their care, can register now online: www.scambs.gov.uk/wildminds

There are three courses starting in spring 2022

Sunday 20 March at Milton Country Park, from 3pm to 4:30pm – for 15 to 17 year olds
Tuesday 22 March, at Wandlebury Country Park, from 4pm to 5:30pm – for 12 to 14 year olds
Wednesday 23 March, at Wandlebury Country Park, from 4pm to 5:30pm – for 12 to 14 year olds

A parent of a recent participant said: “Wild Minds proved to be a lifeline at a time when we were on waiting lists for professional support. As a parent, I am hugely grateful for the opportunity to speak with the youth support worker running the sessions to gain advice and support as we sat on waiting lists. I think just the realisation that they weren’t the only one dealing with difficult emotions helped. It helped them to open up more to us at home which has been very helpful.”

Cllr Bill Handley, Lead Cabinet Member for Community Resilience, Health and Wellbeing at South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “I’m really pleased that we’ve not only been able to continue the partnership with Cambridge Sport Lakes Trust to again run the Wild Minds programme at Milton Country Park but also that we’ve forged a new partnership with ‘Find Your Wild’ to run two further courses at Wandlebury Country Park.

“Between the two sites, young people will have a chance to try their hand at everything from campfire cooking, foraging, shelter building and survival skills, to treetop walking, team games, pond dipping and paddle boarding. It gives them the chance to try things that may otherwise be unavailable to them, to build self-confidence, a more positive mindset and experience team-working. The course is completely free, including any equipment that is needed and the course leaders are incredibly friendly and reassuring. Now that the programme has expanded, we have more spaces available, so I hope many more young people will be able to benefit from these free activities.”

Further courses are planned throughout the rest of 2022, with additional dates to be released shortly. Anyone interested in future course dates can register their interest on the Council’s website to receive updates when new dates are announced: www.scambs.gov.uk/wildminds

Council increases support for Afghanistan refugees

Five more homes for families from Afghanistan are being put forward by South Cambridgeshire District Council – meaning up to around 40 refugees can now be housed.

Last month (August) the Council said it would provide homes to three families as part of its response to the international crisis.

Since then, five further suitable properties have been put forward, including some which have been identified following conversations with housing associations working in the area. All the properties are being made available to support families relocating to the UK through the Afghan Locally Employed Support (LES) scheme, following a plea for Government for Councils to provide more housing help to Afghan nationals who worked for the British Government.

The intention is for Cambridge City Council’s experienced staff team to provide support to families as they arrive, helping them to establish new lives. This was already the arrangement for the first three properties identified for the LES scheme by South Cambridgeshire District Council.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr John Batchelor, said: “Just because news headlines are currently focused elsewhere doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about how important it is that we do what we can to help those fleeing events in Afghanistan. They need, and deserve, our help. I’m pleased that we are working closely with partners, Cambridge City Council, and housing associations, to provide essential housing and support to some people who are most in need. Linking Afghan families up with a home and support to build a new life is a very practical way that we can do our bit to assist. I wish the families who will be arriving soon all the very best in their new lives.”

Meanwhile, residents who wish to do something of their own to help families fleeing Afghanistan are being reminded that they can talk to the following organisations about what they might need, both now and into the future:

Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign (volunteering and financial donations): www.cambridgerefugees.org
Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action Group: www.camcrag.org.uk (volunteering and financial donations)
Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum: www.cecf.co.uk
Distribute Aid: www.distributeaid.org
British Red Cross: www.redcross.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer

If Forces families are affected by the recent events re-awakening stress and trauma associated with previous conflict, help is also available.

Combat Stress now operates a 24-hour free, confidential helpline which is available by calling 0800 138 1619. Alternatively, text 07537 173683 or email helpline@combatstress.org.uk
For urgent and immediate support, you can reach the Samaritans on 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org
The Veterans’ Gateway helpline phone number is 0808 802 1212, or their website is www.veteransgateway.org.uk
Dedicated veterans’ mental health and wellbeing service Op COURAGE also supports Armed Forces veterans. Visit www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/armed-forces-community/mental-health/veterans-reservists/ or call 0300 323 0137 or email mevs.mhm@nhs.net

The support from South Cambridgeshire District Council follows commitments in recent years to provide homes to refugees from Syria, Iran and Sudan. Four families were housed under the previous scheme by the Council and in December 2020 a further commitment to support up to an additional four families per year was made.

The Council worked with an existing resettlement team and support workers at Cambridge City Council to integrate families who arrived during 2019/2020 into their new homes and communities, to ensure practical support was in place. New families arriving through the LES scheme will similarly need to be provided support and the Council is working on the detail of how that support will be provided through its partnership with Cambridge City Council.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s five-year Business Plan commits to working with national, regional, and local partners to support the needs of refugees and asylum seekers.

Posted Oct 2 2021

Councils warn residents of possible disruption to green bin collections due to staff isolating

Residents in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire are being given advance warning that fortnightly green bin collections could be disrupted in the weeks ahead due to the pandemic causing staff shortages – though collections remain as scheduled for now.

The Greater Cambridgeshire Shared Waste Service is currently unable to secure enough agency workers to cover all absences. This is because agency workers are in higher demand in roles such as supermarket workers due to the number of people currently needing to self-isolate.

The service regularly uses agency workers to cover absences and annual leave from a very physical role, which sees them walk on average 13 miles per day.

A small number of the bin collection crew are also currently needing to self-isolate after either being contacted by NHS Test and Trace or alerted via the NHS COVID-19 app. The Shared Waste Service is considering how Thursday evening’s Government announcement that fully vaccinated critical workers would be able to leave self-isolation for work in exceptional circumstances and if it could help support our operations.

Residents are being advised that fortnightly green bin collections are continuing for now, but there is the chance they will be altered or suspended in the weeks ahead.

This would allow remaining crews to concentrate on emptying blue and black bins during the coming weeks.

If any changes to the schedule are needed the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service will let residents, parish councils and residents associations know, and keep people up to date via the two councils’ websites and social media channels.

As always, residents are being encouraged to waste as little food as possible, so they minimise the amount they need to throw away. For this period only, the advice to residents who do have food waste will be to put it into the black bin to prevent food waste building-up if there is a need for green bins frequency to be reduced.

Residents who enjoy spending time in the garden and growing their own food are also being asked to consider home composting as much of their garden waste as possible.

Nationally, other Councils have already suspended green bin collections due to staff shortages and councillors are reiterating that teams will continue to do everything they can to try and reduce any disruptions.

Council thanks residents and businesses for supporting public services through pandemic

South Cambridgeshire's residents and businesses doing all they can to support public services, as new figures show the District Council is top of the league for Council Tax collection across England.

Government collection rates for Council Tax and Business Rates in England show that South Cambridgeshire District Council collected 99.1% of the total amount of Council Tax it was due to receive during the 2020/21 financial year. This makes it the joint top performing Council in the country out of more than 300 tax-collecting authorities.

South Cambridgeshire District Council collects Council Tax from residents before passing on most of it to several frontline local services. These are Cambridgeshire Police, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, Cambridgeshire County Council and Parish / Town Councils. Only around 9% of your Council Tax bill goes towards the District Council’s services.

The league tables show that the overwhelming majority of South Cambridgeshire residents played their part in supporting these vital frontline services financially during the past 12 months.

By 31 March 2021, the District Council had collected £136,960,000 out of an estimated £138,215,000 that it was due to receive.

The District Council also collects Business Rates from local businesses and has scored highly in this field too – showing local businesses have also very much played their part in supporting local services.

The Government league tables show that £52,841,000 in Non Domestic Rates was collected, out of a possible £53,493,000. This is 98.8% of the amount expected to be collected and puts the Council in 23rd place nationally out of approximately 330 Councils.

Income from Non-Domestic rates is shared between Central Government, County Councils, District Councils and Fire Authorities, with the District Councils retaining 40%.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr John Williams, said: “A huge thank you to all our local residents and businesses who have showed that financially they have done all they can to support vital frontline services despite the challenges of COVID-19. Because we were able to collect such a high proportion of the Council Tax and Business Rates that was due – it means all local services across the district benefit. We have of course worked sensitively with those who did need help with paying their bills – such as by arranging payment plans to spread those payments. We are always here to help residents who are concerned about their ability to pay in any way we can, and I would encourage those residents or businesses with understandable continuing worries to contact us as soon as possible. Finally, I also want to personally thank each and every one of our dedicated officers who have worked so hard to achieve this accolade.”

New fund launched for growing businesses in South Cambridgeshire.

A new grant scheme has launched for South Cambridgeshire based micro and small to medium sized businesses looking to scale and grow.

The Growth Fund scheme, using funding provided by Government, is designed to support businesses’ growth and expansion plans in the district. Eligible applicants for the scheme must be South Cambridgeshire based start-ups who are looking to scale and grow quickly, or they can be established South Cambridgeshire based companies who can clearly demonstrate ambitious growth plans in the District. Businesses in any sectors can apply, including, sole traders and partnerships. One- off grants of between £1,000 and £50,000 may be awarded to successful applicants.

Cllr Peter McDonald, Lead Cabinet Member for Business said: “As Government Coronavirus restrictions ease, the Council is keen to support businesses from all sectors that may have put their growth ambitions on hold during the pandemic and help businesses recover and thrive in the District.

“The Growth Fund scheme is aimed at supporting local micro and SME businesses, with plans to expand. The scheme is open to businesses from all sectors affected by local and national restrictions. In particular, we will be prioritising those who were ineligible for the rate paying schemes such as the Local Restrictions Support Grant and Restart Grant. We also really want to encourage businesses with strong green credentials to apply, to kickstart a green pandemic recovery in South Cambridgeshire.”

All grants require an online application form to be completed. Full details and eligibility criteria on the Growth Fund Scheme, along with information about how to apply, can be found on our website: https://www.scambs.gov.uk/business/business-support-and-advice/growth-fund-grant-scheme/. A handy ‘How to Apply’ guide is also available on the website.

The scheme will end when all funds have been allocated.

Free toolkit to keep caring for your community

The South Cambs Community Safety Partnership – a partnership between South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridgeshire County councils; the Police, Fire and Rescue Services; the Probation Service; and the NHS – has created a toolkit to help local people keep caring for their community as the pressures of the pandemic ease. As we approach the final stage of restrictions easing, many volunteers are thinking about putting in place longer-term structures to build community cohesion, and to tackle some of the other concerns that residents have.

The six packs within the toolkit cover: Combating loneliness and isolation; Reaching your community; Making the local environment safer and greener; Crime prevention in your community; Preventing antisocial behaviour; Tackling road-related concerns. The toolkit also provides advice on how to encourage fellow residents to join in, as well as how to find out what the community thinks about the issues in question, and offers case studies from community groups which have successfully taken similar action before.

The toolkit is funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), which awarded the funding to the South Cambs Community Safety Partnership – of which South Cambridgeshire District Council is a partner.

Find out more about the toolkit or share the toolkit in your communities by taking a look at South Cambridgeshire District Council’s video on Facebook or Twitter, or visit their press release online.

The toolkits and more information can be found here: www.scambs.gov.uk/free-toolkit-to-keep-caring-for-your-community

Government Restart Grants: local businesses can apply today

South Cambridgeshire District Council has around £1.4m of central Government money waiting to be claimed by local businesses, by Wednesday 30 June.

Restart Grants support rate-paying businesses in the non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure, personal care and accommodation sectors with a one-off grant. Businesses have less than a month to apply for the one-off grant to help with costs of reopening safely.

Eligible businesses may be entitled to a one-off cash grant of up to £6,000 or £18,000 (sector dependant). The eligibility criteria and application form for businesses is on South Cambridgeshire’s website: Restart Grants - South Cambs District Council (scambs.gov.uk)

The council also have a dedicated email set-up and managed by their business support team: BusinessGrants@scambs.gov.uk

Council responds to East West Rail consultation

Leading Councillors have said they support the principle of the Bedford to Cambridge section of East West Rail, but are calling for more detail to understand the local impacts of the scheme.

The plans for this national infrastructure project are being drawn up by the East West Rail Company, which was set up by the Department for Transport in 2018. East West Rail’s preferred option would see the railway, if it goes ahead, pass through parts of South Cambridgeshire such as Cambourne, Highfields Caldecote, the Eversdens, Harlton, Haslingfield, Hauxton and the Shelfords before eventually entering Cambridge from the south of the city.

The officer report highlights the need for further details on a range of technical issues such as noise and landscape impacts and the local impacts need to be explored and addressed.

The response from South Cambridgeshire District Council to East West Rail’s consultation was agreed at a Cabinet meeting yesterday (Monday 24 May). It will now be finalised by the officer and Lead Member, considering members’ comments during the Cabinet meeting, before it is submitted to East West Rail.

Cllr Neil Gough, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Strategic Planning & Transport and Transformation & Projects said: “Back in 2018 we said that we supported the principle of the Bedford to Cambridge section of East West Rail, but at this stage significant further work is still needed to allow us to fully assess and provide further comment on the local impacts of the scheme. This is vital for the Council and our communities who have expressed significant concerns at the moment.

“To enable us, together with our communities, to make the most of the opportunity that the railway brings, and to effectively address the impacts it will have, we are encouraging East West Rail to engage further with the Council and with local communities to understand residents’ concerns.

“What is clear is that the new railway has the potential to bring significant change and opportunity to South Cambridgeshire communities. It is vital that the East-West Railway Company continue to work closely with local councillors, officers and residents so that everyone’s views are heard as part of the process.”

East West Rail’s consultation runs from 31 March, until 9 June and covers a range of topics including the overall customer experience of the future railway, and a range of infrastructure proposals - such as the route, new stations and level crossings. South Cambridgeshire District Council is a statutory consultee and will submit a response as part of the consultation and through the planning process. Members of the public can view the consultation and submit their own comments here: www.eastwestrail.co.uk/consultation

Applications open for cash to spend on South Cambridgeshire projects to tackle climate change

South Cambridgeshire’s community groups can now bid for a share of £100,000 from the District Council’s Zero Carbon Communities Grant scheme, which has already funded more than 35 grassroots projects to tackle climate change.

The fund aims to support the district shift to a cleaner and greener future with the support of the community. Local groups can bid for cash to spend on ambitious projects that reduce carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, spread awareness and promote behaviour change towards low carbon lifestyles.

Grants between £1,000 and £15,000 are available. The money comes from business rates from renewable energy sites, like solar farms, in South Cambridgeshire that the Council retains and earmarks for use in green initiatives like this.

Non-profit groups or organisations that are based in the district and parish councils can apply. Other groups, such as social enterprises and community interest companies can apply as part of a partnership led by a parish council or not-for-profit group. Groups can bid for the grant scheme by visiting: www.scambs.gov.uk/zerocarbongrant

The Chair of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Climate and Environment Advisory Committee, Cllr Pippa Heylings, said: “Being green to our core is front and centre of everything we do. We have an ambitious goal to reduce our own carbon emissions by 45% on 2018-19 baseline by 2025 and are doing all we can to help South Cambridgeshire at least halve emissions within the decade. We can’t do it alone. Schemes like this help residents take their own action, on a very local level, to help combat the climate and ecological emergencies that we face. Each community knows best about what will work in their area, so I’m looking forward to seeing the applications come in.”

Those interested in applying are being encouraged to sign up for an upcoming webinar run by the Council, titled, ‘How to make a successful grant application’ will be held on Monday 7 June at 7:00pm. It is free to sign up and take part. All the details are at: www.scambs.gov.uk/nature-and-climate-change/zero-carbon-communities.

Chair of the Council’s Grants Advisory Committee Cllr Jose Hales, said: “Our Committee is really looking forward to receiving lots of applications to fund a wide range of zero-carbon projects. As part of the application process we really want to see how groups expect to use the funding to support and engage with local communities on carbon and green initiatives, making sure the money leaves a lasting local legacy. We know from previous rounds of our popular Zero Carbon Communities grant scheme that our residents are very ambitious when it comes to tackling climate change on a very local level. They want to do their bit and I’m thrilled that this scheme helps.”

Previous recipients of the grant include:

Cambridge Sustainable Food, and its 12 month ‘Food Our Future’ campaign to raise awareness of the links between carbon emissions and food consumption
Papworth Trust’s pop up bike shops and safe cycling and repair workshops, using OWL Bikes to enable disabled adults to develop skills, while teaching local people how to repair bicycles.
The Cambridge Cohousing community undertake environmental initiatives for the benefit of both the cohousing community and residents of Orchard Park. They received £5,000 and purchased and launched an electric cargo bike which is now in use by Orchard Park residents and local non-profit groups. The trike, which will soon be decorated in eye catching artwork to highlight climate change, has also been used in a community litter pick.
Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership received £6,500 for a double story cycle rack (30 bikes) including CCTV cameras and a cycle repair café at Meldreth Station.

Residents in Great Shelford are being urged to get twice-weekly rapid Covid tests.

The move is an important step forward to meet the aims of the national roadmap, allowing everyone to move safely out of lockdown.

Twice-weekly rapid testing is a vital tool in identifying cases of Covid-19 that would otherwise be missed. With 1 in 3 people with coronavirus showing no symptoms and potentially spreading it without knowing, rapid testing helps to identify positive cases quickly, preventing the spread of infection.

There are several ways you can access rapid testing. You can take a test at one of the rapid testing sites locally. Your employer may be offering testing in the workplace.

You can also collect tests to complete at home or order tests to be delivered to your home. Secondary school pupils are also being asked to take a twice-weekly test.

You can find out more about all of these options at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/rapidtesting or www.peterborough.gov.uk/rapidtesting

Dr Liz Robin, director of public health for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “Getting into the habit of twice-weekly testing as part of our everyday lives will help us all to keep each other safe. Alongside the ongoing vaccine rollout, it will help us to move forward with the roadmap out of lockdown.”

Extra support for local businesses adapting to COVID-secure measures

South Cambridgeshire’s COVID and Environmental Health teams will be working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) next week to give businesses extra support with their COVID-secure measures.

Starting from Monday 26 April, HSE officers will call or visit businesses within South Cambridgeshire, to check the COVID-secure measures they have in place and provide advice and guidance wherever needed. They will be helping local businesses to have suitable COVID-secure control measures in place and supporting the country’s efforts to keep Coronavirus transmission rates as low as possible.

Chris Coker, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s COVID-19 Principal Officer said: “We know that being COVID-secure remains a top priority for all businesses and the vast majority of businesses are doing everything they can to operate in a COVID-secure way. It’s not been easy for them, and we will continue to provide all the advice and support that we can. This is especially important given that so many of our local companies have gone the extra mile to continue supplying goods and services despite the challenges of the past year. Having robust COVID-19 measures in place is not only the right thing to do, but it also helps increase confidence with workers, customers and the local community.”

The focus of the project will initially be on retail, hospitality, leisure, close contact services and science park-based businesses. Full guidance for working safely during the pandemic is available on the Government website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

Chris added: “Any business in South Cambridgeshire could be chosen for spot checks which means companies of any size, in any sector can receive a visit to ensure they are COVID-secure. By making sure that businesses have measures in place to manage the risks, both our health and the economy benefit.”

Businesses who do not engage with the HSE, or where there are COVID-secure concerns, will be passed to the District Council’s COVID and Environmental Health teams for follow up. This can include further engagement via advice and support to ensure the correct measures are in place or, where needed, enforcement action being taken.

Businesses urged to apply for Government Restart Grants

South Cambridgeshire businesses affected by the post-Christmas national lockdown can now apply online for the Government’s Restart Grants.

The Restart Grants funding scheme was announced by Government on Wednesday 3 March 2021 and is designed to support businesses (including non-essential retail, leisure, personal care, sports facilities and hospitality businesses) that are predominantly reliant on delivering in-person services for the general public.

The funding scheme has two strands. Under strand one, grants of up to £6,000 will be paid to non-essential retail business premises to help them to reopen safely. Under strand two of the scheme, grants of up to £18,000 will be allocated to hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym business premises, which may open but will be more impacted by restrictions when they do reopen. The level of grant that will be paid under both strand one and two will depend on the rateable value of the premises on Thursday 1 April 2021.

All grants require an online application form to be completed. Details on the Restart Grants and how to apply can be found on our website: Restart Grants - South Cambs District Council (www.scambs.gov.uk/coronavirus-information-for-businesses/financial-support-for-business/restart-grants). The application process allows pre-payment checks to confirm scheme eligibility and to allow the appropriate level of grant to be identified. The application closure date for the Restart Grant funding scheme is Wednesday 30 June 2021 and final payments will be made by Saturday 31 July 2021.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Business Support Team Leader, Adele Gritten said: “The latest funding of Government grants will help our local business community recover from the national lockdown that has being easing over the past few weeks. Since the start of the pandemic we have allocated £34,000,000 of Government grants to 4,638 local businesses. Our staff are working incredibly hard to get this Government money to as many eligible applicants as quickly as possible. We recognise the challenges local businesses are facing and our priority is to support the recovery of our local economy as restrictions ease.”

Council launches £30,000 Covid Recovery Grant for local communities

A £30,000 Covid recovery grant fund to help local community groups and parish councils resume activities has been launched by South Cambridgeshire District Council.

As the Government’s cautious road-map out of lockdown continues, the Council has earmarked the financial package as part of its Community Chest funding so that community groups and parish councils can progress projects and services that will support local people.

The Council’s Grants Advisory Committee has temporarily amended the rules around eligibility criteria for its Community Chest Grant scheme for the next two months to allow applications for grants of up to £2,000 for Covid recovery related projects and initiatives.

Previously, few parish councils could apply to the scheme as the criteria stipulated they had to have fewer than 160 registered electors. But for the next eight weeks, it will be open to all parish councils and community groups – including new ones that are now setting up. Applications are now being accepted until 10 May 2021, with submissions being reviewed at the May 28 Grants Advisory Committee meeting.

Meanwhile, the normal Community Chest Grant scheme continues to run for community groups for a maximum grant of £1,000.

Applying for a Covid Recovery Community Chest Grant is the same as applying for a standard Community Chest Grant. The applicant simply selects which type of grant they are applying for at the start of the process with all other criteria being the same. See https://www.scambs.gov.uk/community-development/grants/community-chest-grants/

Chair of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Grants Advisory Committee, Cllr Jose Hales said: “It’s been a hugely difficult period for many local voluntary organisations which have struggled to keep going or to continue with much-needed projects. As we come out of the pandemic and try to rebuild, community cohesion will be more important than ever and extending the scope of our Community Chest funding for a short period will give a boost to getting some of those valuable projects and services back on track.”

Cllr Bill Handley, the Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Community Resilience, Health and Wellbeing, said: “Our Community Chest funding is all about the improvement of quality of life in South Cambridgeshire. Volunteers have played a crucial role in helping our communities get through the pandemic and we are immensely grateful to them. However, some of the activities of voluntary organisations and parish councils have had to be on hold for a whole year, and their role will be crucial in the coming months as we all progress through to recovery and renewal. By increasing the amount available to them and extending the criteria for acceptance for a limited period, the grants will hopefully help to give renewed impetus to their work, whether it is helping in practical ways by providing services and an improved environment, or supporting residents who are suffering with depression, stress or anxiety.”

For further details, please email community.chest@scambs.gov.uk