Agenda

A Local Nature Recovery Strategy for our area is being developed, to respond to the local and national biodiversity decline and support the recovery of nature in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

If you want to share your thoughts and ideas to help shape nature recovery in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, then click on the link below to take part in the survey.

The closing date for comments is Friday 5 April at 5pm.

Links to survey

Link to survey

Also available on LNRS webpage

Grants available:  £5k to £30K

District: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Application closes:  1 March 2024

Who is the funding for local voluntary and community groups

Link

About:

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) is offering funds to enrich the lifelong learning and skills offer for adults who are aged 19+ and residents of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

This six-month pilot programme offers grants between £5,000 and £30,000 to increase and broaden participation in adult learning and skills development, particularly to reduce inequalities in access to adult education. Project participants must be residents of Cambridgeshire (this includes Peterborough).

Please note: There is a one month application window. The deadline for submission of applications is 1 March 2024. Projects must be ready to start in June 2024 and finish by 30 November 2024. There will then be a short timeframe for submission of reporting (three weeks).

Further details including how to apply can be found via the:

·         Bulletin from (CCF) Cambridgeshire Community Foundation

·         Cambridgeshire Community Foundation website

·         Information on the Support Cambridgeshire website

Please do not hesitate to contact CCVS if you have questions or require any assistance. enquiries@cambridgecvs.org.uk

National Highways have updated the Council on the essential maintenance work they are carrying out on the A11 between Babraham and Six Mile Bottom. Their work includes resurfacing, road markings, stud replacement and sign renewals. This will ensure that the A11 remains safe and serviceable for years to come.

Work began on Monday 6 March 2023 and is expected to be completed in February 2024.

Upcoming closures and diversions

The next phase of work will take continue on the A11 southbound between Six Mile Bottom and Balsham Road from Monday 5 February to Thursday 22 February. Work will be carried out on weeknights between 8pm and 6am.

To carry out the work safely, they need to close the A11 southbound, and traffic will be diverted via the A14 and M11 (Strategic diversion).

Any traffic wishing to join the A11 southbound at Six Mile Bottom will be diverted as follows:

·         Traffic will follow Wilbraham Road and the A1303 to join the A14 westbound at junction 35 (Stow cum Quy), then follow the Strategic Diversion (Map 1).

Updated diversion

The A11 northbound exit slip at Six Mile Bottom will also be closed. Drivers wanting to exit here will continue on the A11 northbound merging with the A14 eastbound before re-joining the A11 northbound at junction 38. Traffic will be turned around at the B1085 junction heading south back towards Newmarket and exit onto the A1304 (High Street) through Newmarket to return to Six Mile Bottom  (Map 2).

Other planned work

They also plan to carry out maintenance and improvement work on the A14 between Cambridge and Newmarket.

This work will include resurfacing, replacement of road markings, signs and road studs between junction 35 (Stow Cum Quy) and junction 36 (Nine Mile Hill). This will ensure the A14 remains safe and serviceable for years to come.

They plan to carry out this work over approx. 6 months, starting on Monday 19 February 2024. We’ll be working predominately weeknights with some weekends, between 8 pm and 5am/6am, weather permitting. The first phase will involve closures of the A14 eastbound and will thus not affect the diversion for when the A11 southbound is closed.

How to find out more

More information about our closures and diversion routes can be found on their website.

A11 Exit slip diversion - Map 1

Map 2

A11 Northbound Six Mile Bottom diversion - Map 2

Thursday 8 February, BBC Online: Labour abandons £28bn green investment pledge

Labour will no longer commit to investing £28 billion a year in green energy projects if it wins the next election, it is reported.

Thursday 8 February, BBC Online: Six councils join forces to bid for investment

All six district councils in Berkshire are joining forces in order to bid for county-wide investment.

Friday 9 February, FT: Public accounts

Local Authorities in England are facing the possibility of a deadline to publish overdue accounts before September.

Saturday 10 February, Guardian: Council tax

Councils have warned of continued financial pressure amid calls from the Government for them to show restraint in raising levels of council tax.

Sunday 11 February, BBC News: Government to relax rules for shop to housing conversions

The Government will announce a further relaxation of permitted development rules to extend to shops and offices of any size to increase housing supply.

Sunday 11 February, Observer: Council loans

A number of councils took out high interest loans last year, with interest rates at around 4.55 per cent according to figures from the Debt Management Office.

Monday 12 February, Guardian: Biodiversity net gain rules to be introduced

New regulations on biodiversity net gain are to come into force from today. The “nature market” means all new building projects must achieve a 10 per cent net gain in biodiversity or habitat.

Tuesday 13 February, ITV News: Brownfield development

The Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove MP, is ready to set out new plans which include increasing pressure on city councils, particularly London, to build on brownfield sites.

Wednesday 14 February, Sky News: LGA calls for Right to Buy reforms

The LGA is proposing reforms to the Right to Buy scheme, ahead of next month’s Budget, in order to prevent the current new loss of much needed social housing stock year on year currently being experienced by local authorities.

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’. 

The Lead Cabinet Member for Housing agreed to authorise officers to pursue White Ribbon accreditation.

This decision was first published on 8 February and so the deadline for call-in is 15 February 2024.

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