Information

Neighbourhood Planning expert Andrew Ashcroft is returning to South Cambs to run a bespoke policy-writing workshop.  This session is aimed at parishes already designated as Neighbourhood Planning Areas who may, in the near future if not already, be at the stage of writing policies.

If this applies to you, the date for your diaries is Weds 22 February 2017, from 6-8.30pm in the Swansley Room at SCDC.

Attendees will be asked to have read the following:

·         the 'my community' guidance on policy writing - http://mycommunity.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Writing-planning-policies-v51.pdf

·         the Sutton St Nicholas Plan, which Andrew will use as a mini case study - https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/media/4655608/sutton_submission_ndp.pdf

and each Neighbourhood Planning group will be asked to submit, no later than Weds 1 Feb:

• a schedule of policies you intend to include in your plan (without details/text)
• details of policies where you might be struggling; the draft policy and supporting text that you have assembled at that point.

Contributing this information will make the workshop very relevant to your particular circumstances and give you practical tips for use in developing your own plans. 

If you have not already done so, please book now along with your neighbourhood planning colleagues (no maximum number) and please also submit any policy information you wish to have reviewed in the session.

Can I also take this opportunity to remind you that we have a Neighbourhood Planning Facebook Group for your use as a forum for information exchange, and where we post pertinent news items:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/925756057520296/

Please sign up if you think this would be useful to you.

As promised, we have organised the next South East parishes patch meeting.  This meeting will look at 'services for older people' and will be an opportunity to find out about some of the services already in place locally, and for them to showcase what they do.  We will be looking at the kinds of services and ideas you might like to see replicated in your local area, how to make this happen and hopefully giving information about setting up, funding, training and support. There will be time allocated to networking, stalls and case studies to take away on the day.

Confirmed speakers and attendees include:

·         Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - warden schemes, visiting schemes and handypersons scheme

·         Care Network Cambridgeshire - car schemes, navigators and care schemes

·         Jean Newman, Older People's Co-ordinator for Histon & Impington - her role and funding model

·         Joy Bray, Parish Councillor for Great Wilbraham - mental health first aid training

·         Helen Stepney / Jane Lampshire - activities for older people and Active & Healthy for Life GP referral scheme

·         Cambridgeshire County Council - a range of topics including Good Neighbour Schemes, scams and rogue trader prevention, time-banking

·         Cambridgeshire Community Foundation - funding opportunities

·         Cambridge CVS - support with setting up and running groups, funding, training and governance

If you, your parish council members, or members of your community with a keen interest would like to come, please contact kathryn.hawkes@scambs.gov.uk or call 01954 712932 as soon as possible.  Refreshments will be available on the night.

Please find attached the second edition of the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Monthly Bulletin. This edition provides updates on:

·         A round-up of January's activities

·         Works planned for February

·         A14 road closures - overnight closures between Girton and St Ives

·         Closure of The Avenue in Madingley from 20 February.

Tough Love is a 30 minute drama designed for young people; that addresses abuse and exploitation in teenage relationships.

Performances will take place in different settings between Monday 6^th March and Friday 24 March

For more details on how to see a performance please see the attached document for details.

Jennifer Holah, Health, Environmental Services & Licensing Resource Team Manager, jennifer.holah@scambs.gov.uk

The South Cambridgeshire Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) will be launched at its first meeting from 8a.m. to 10a.m. on 2nd March 2017.

The Action Alliance will provide the opportunity for organisations and businesses in South Cambridgeshire to meet and to exchange ideas around how they can support customers, staff members and local communities affected by dementia.

At what will be the launch meeting for the South Cambridgeshire DAA, there will be a number of speakers from businesses and organisations talking about the actions that they are taking to become more dementia friendly and their involvement in their local DAAs. There will also be opportunities to network and exchange ideas. A free Dementia Friends Information Session will be offered at the end of the meeting.

We would be grateful for your support in publicising the event and encouraging organisations and businesses in your local area to attend. We are keen to ensure that plenty of local companies and organisations come to the meeting to take the opportunity to learn about the very simple actions that they can take that will not only support people with dementia and their carers but also benefit their own operations.

Anyone who would like to attend should contact Johanna Davies (email: johanna.davies@scambs.gov.uk, Tel: 01954 713465)

Please find attached a letter from Councillor Alex Riley, Chairman of the Licensing Committee, in response to reports in the media about the issuing of taxi licences by the Council.

Sunday 12 February: Independent Online: Homeless women turned away by locals councils “trying to keep numbers down”

Local Councils struggling to meet the demand for emergency housing are turning away vulnerable homeless women, an investigation undertaken by Channel 4’s Dispatches has found.

Monday 13 February: Times: Loophole opens way for green belt homes

Thousands more homes could be built on the green belt because of loopholes in the Government’s plans to accelerate housebuilding, according to the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

Monday 13 February: Sky News Online: Councils wasting opportunity to adopt compulsory recycling

Fewer than 10 per cent of councils England and Wales say they make recycling compulsory for their residents, according to an FOI request.

Tuesday 14 February: BBC Online: “Unfit” council home payouts and legal fees hit £35m in five years

Councils have paid more than £35 million in compensation and legal fees in the past five years to tenants living in “unfit” council homes in England, according to a BBC report.

Tuesday 14 February: BBC Online: Brexit: Environmental standards could be eroded warn peers

Upholding environmental standards after Brexit will be hard, peers have said, warning of “worrying complacency” in government about the risks ahead.

Wednesday 15 February: ITV Online: “Is official policy encouraging fly-tipping”

An ITV News investigation suggests that some councils’ policies are adding the problems of fly-tipping by increasing fees to pay for disposing of DIY, bulky or commercial waste.

A list of decisions currently within the call-in period is available on the Council’s website.

The call in procedure is set out in full in Part 4 of the Council’s Constitution, ‘Scrutiny and Overview Committee Procedure Rules’. 

Cabinet

A)   Approved the establishment of Shire Homes Letting Ltd as a Council owned housing company to take forward the management of the PSL scheme.

B)   Authorised South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Director of Housing to act as the Director of Shire Homes Lettings Ltd in order to establish the company.

This decision was first published on Tuesday 14 February and so the deadline for call-in is Tuesday 21 February at 5pm. If not called-in, this decision can be implemented on Wednesday 22 February.

Cabinet

AGREED        the Strategic Risk Register and Matrix set out in Appendix D-E of the Cabinet agenda of Thursday 9 February 2017, noting the new risks identified in paragraph 27 of the report.

This decision was first published on Tuesday 14 February and so the deadline for call-in is Tuesday 21 February at 5pm. If not called-in, this decision can be implemented on Wednesday 22 February.

The Environmental Services Portfolio Holder has agreed to award Grants to Mobile Warden Schemes in the following villages:

Balsham, Barrington, Bassingbourn, Castle Camps, Cottenham, Harston, Haslingfield, Hauxton, Histon/Impington, Horseheath, Linton, Litlington, Melbourn, Meldreth, Milton, Mordens, Newton, Orwell, Shudy Camps, Swavesey, Teversham, West Wickham, West Wratting and Weston Colville.

Please click on the link below for further details:

http://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=10315

This decision was first published on Thursday 9 February and so the deadline for calling-in this decision is Thursday 16 February at 5pm. If not called-in this decision can be implemented on Friday 17 February.

Please click on the link below to find details of decisions made by officers under delegated authority:

https://www.scambs.gov.uk/content/access-information