As a local councillor I’ve signed the cross-party letter to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson MP asking for:

• assurances that all families with children eligible for free school meals will receive vouchers for the full period of school closure, including school holidays. This may need to be in retrospect for families who have not yet been able to access their vouchers;
• assurances that families eligible for free school meals will be given food vouchers to sustain them during the summer holidays;
• the Government to continue to work with local authorities and schools to ensure vulnerable children do not ‘slip through the net’ and the necessary financial support is available to councils to support families fleeing domestic violence;
• schools only to be reopened when it is safe to do so, for both teachers and students;
• local authorities be given a role in coordinating with schools, trade unions and the Department for Education on a safe end to school closures.

The text of the letter is here for information, but is for signature only by councillors with gov.uk addresses https://actionnetwork.org/forms/local-councillors-letter-to-gavin-williamson-mp

Responding to claims from the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, that the Government has gone well past its goal of 100,000 tests a day to combat coronavirus, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: 

The Health Secretary’s arbitrary target of 100,000 tests by the end of April was always a hostage to fortune, and the truth is, he missed it. It’s extremely disappointing the Government have decided to massage the metrics rather than admit they fell short, as this will only undermine public confidence.

Everyone wants the country to succeed in beating this awful disease but the British public won’t be so easily fooled by manipulation. It’s deeply regrettable but we’re still miles off the large-scale testing programme that will be an essential part of any plan to ease out of lockdown through a test, trace and isolate approach.

Liberal Democrats have long-called for the Government to be frank about what is and is not achievable, to ensure transparency and maintain public trust, but Ministers continue to play fast and loose with the truth.

The Health Service Journal revealed today how the Government changed the rules to make it look as if they had hit their arbitrary 100,000 tests.

And on Question Time on Thursday 30 April, Nobel prize winning geneticist Sir Paul Nurse described the 100,000 test commitment as ‘a bit of a PR stunt’.

“Testing was absolutely critical. It hasn’t been handled properly”

Geneticist Paul Nurse says the government’s coronavirus testing target number of 100,000 tests per day was a ‘bit of a PR stunt’. #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/K3Wd5r6xiR

— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) April 30, 2020

Plans are being put in place with the hope of reopening all nine of Cambridgeshire’s Household Recycling Centres from next Monday 11 May.

The focus will be on safety for residents and staff, including social distancing, and the plans have been put together with Public Health England. Each recycling centre will have a detailed traffic management plan, drawn up with Skanska and in consultation with the police.

Further details will be provided later this week about what items each centre will take. Some of the key conditions of opening will include:

• A limit to vehicle numbers on site, like the limits on customers in supermarkets
• No more than two adults to be allowed to unload any one vehicle
• No staff assistance to unload vehicles
• No vans or trailers that require a permit.

It is advised that journeys to Household Recycling Centres should only be undertaken if waste or recycling cannot be stored at home without risking injury or harm.

People must not visit the recycling centres if they are suffering from Covid-19 symptoms, have anyone in their household suffering the symptoms, or have been diagnosed as having the virus.

The following planning application in the Bottisham ward has been published by East Cambridgeshire District Council on 4 May 2020

Reference: 20/00501/FUL           

Brinkley

17 Green Park Brinkley Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0SQ

Proposal:             Single storey side extension to form link between dwelling and proposed garage conversion to habitable accommodation/annexe

The following planning applications in or close to the Bottisham ward have been published by East Cambridgeshire District Council

Reference: 20/00472/VAR          

Burrough Green

Orchard Park Stud Westley Waterless Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0RG

Proposal:             To vary condition 1 (Approved Plans) of decision dated 01/04/16 of previously approved 16/00095/FUL for proposed building comprising Managing owner’s dwelling, stable worker’s dwelling and facility office    

Reference: 20/00002/DISA         

Bottisham

Garages To North East Of 17 Howlett Way Bottisham CB25 9EQ

Proposal:             To discharge Condition 2 (Materials) of decision dated 28 February 2020 to vary condition 1 (approved plans) of previously approved 16/01250/FUL for demolition of existing garage/workshop and construction of 2no. one bed apartments

Reference: 20/00494/VAR

Reach

The Old Paddock  48B Great Lane Reach CB25 0JF

Proposal:             To remove condition 14 of previously approved 16/01008/FUL for the demolition of derelict stable block and construction of  a dwelling house

Reference: 20/00492/VAR          

Swaffham Prior

Land East And South Of 42 Lower End Swaffham Prior Ely CB25 0HT

Proposal:             To vary condition 1 of previously approved 19/01363/FUL for the construction of 2no. four bedroom, 2 storey dwellings, garaging and associated site works

Reference: 20/00468/CCSC        

Swaffham Prior

Location:              Swaffham Prior Cambridge CB25 0LA 

Proposal:             COUNTY COUNCIL SCREENING REQUEST

Application for a Community Heat Network for the village of Swaffham Prior

The following planning applications in the Bottisham ward have been published by East Cambridgeshire District Council.

20/00432/FUL  

Swaffham Prior

26 High Street Swaffham Prior Cambridge CB25 0LD

Proposal: Conversion of an outbuilding barn into a dwelling with a porch extension and associated works

Reference: 20/00447/CLP           

Swaffham Prior

Chapel Farm Prior Fen Upware Ely Cambridgeshire

Proposal: Change of Use of building from agricultural to retail premises for pet & equestrian food, goods & bedding, including storage

Due to the Coronavirus emergency, the County Council’s 1 May Innovate & Cultivate Fund application round has been cancelled. Any grant applications submitted for this round will be deferred to the 1 August funding round.

Cambridgeshire Coronavirus Community Fund
Cambridgeshire County Council is supporting the new Cambridgeshire Coronavirus Community Fund. This fast-track emergency fund is offering grants to help local charities, community groups, local authorities and parish councils, to deal with issues affecting older and vulnerable people in our community as a result of the continuing threat of Covid-19. Grants between £1,000 and £5,000 are available for projects that aim to tackle the impact of financial hardship, potential for hunger, lack of shelter, health issues, loneliness, and isolation.

You can find more information about the fund, including eligibility and how to apply at https://www.cambscf.org.uk/cambridgeshire-coronavirus-community-fund.html

Please donate to the appeal
There is also a crowdfunding appeal to increase the size of this fund – you can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Coronaviruscommunityfund

Register your local Covid-19 support group
The County Council is also urging organisations that are offering community support with Covid-19 to register on the Cambridgeshire Directory so that people can find them. You can register your organisation at https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus/covid-19-coordination-hub-your-community-needs-you

If your charity, community group or organisation is offering support with Covid-19, please register on the directory and use the tag ‘Covid-19’.

HMRC is running webinars for businesses about the support available to them to help deal with the economic impacts of coronavirus.

To find out more, or to sign up for a webinar, visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-and-support-if-your-business-is-affected-by-coronavirus-covid-19

Residents of Cambridgeshire who are in the Government’s ‘shielded’ (extremely vulnerable) category for coronavirus should have received a letter from the NHS. If you are in this group and have a mobile phone, you may also have received a text message.

It is very important that when you receive this letter or text, you register yourself here https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable

Help and support will not be given automatically. Even if you have had the letter, you still need to register.

You should be contacted by the NHS, and be asked to register, if you are in one of the following groups:

1. People who have had an organ transplant who remain on long term immune suppression therapy.
2. People with specific cancers – people:
   • with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer 
   • with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment 
   • having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer 
   • having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
   • who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs.
3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD. Severe asthmatics are those who are frequently prescribed high dose steroid tablets.
4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell).
5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.
6. People who are pregnant with significant congenital heart disease.

Those who have received a letter are asked to go to: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable where there is an online form, or to call 0800 028 8327 which is the dedicated government helpline.

You can register yourself, or register on behalf of someone else such as a relative or friend.

If you have not received the letter or text, and think you should have, you should speak to your GP or specialist. Only your GP or specialist medical team can add you to the Shielded Patients List.

If you have received the letter or text, but are not in one of the patient groups listed above, you can ignore it. If you are not sure whether you are in one of the groups listed above, contact your GP or clinical specialist for advice.

The following Cambridge Park & Ride services will be suspended from tomorrow (Thursday 2 April) until further notice:

• Madingley
• Newmarket
• Trumpington
• Milton

BABRAHAM PARK AND RIDE TIMETABLE CHANGES

• Monday – Friday buses will run every half an hour in the morning and afternoon peaks, and hourly throughout the day. The 13 service will be diverted into Babraham Park and Ride for some afternoon journeys.
• Saturday – Sunday there will be no Babraham Park and Ride services. The 13 service will be diverted into Babraham Park and Ride.