Archive for category: News

To: The Rt. Hon Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State for Transport
by email
15/3/2022

Dear Secretary of State,

We write as a group of parish councils, councillors, environmental groups and residents of South
Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire and Central Bedfordshire.
We are alarmed that, despite the design for this section having been worked on for several years
and construction costings having been produced, at no time has EWR Co. made their business case
public.
In a letter dated 2nd February 2022 the East West Rail Team confirmed that “EWR is a key project
for supporting the delivery of the Government’s objectives for the Oxford Cambridge Arc.” However,
the flagship Levelling Up White Paper published on the same day makes no mention of the Oxford
Cambridge Arc; and indeed, specifically excludes the Oxford/Cambridge/London Golden Triangle as a
search area for further investment.
In January 2020 the EWR CS benefit to cost ratio was stated at an extremely low value of 0.64. Since
then, a number of factors would lead us to think that the BCR can have only worsened. There is no
housing planned around EWR stations in the update to the Greater Cambridge proposed Local Plan
2021; there is no published incremental business case for freight; there is no evidence that postpandemic
inter-city passenger numbers will be anything like as before and local commuter traffic
numbers and patterns are unknown; the EWR CS was not mentioned in SR21. Lastly, the
electrification or “hydrogenation” of the line will add significantly to the cost.
If this project is to continue then a positive business case needs to be published. If this project is not
to continue then it needs to be stopped now, lifting a planning blight that impacts many
communities, thousands of people and to prevent wasting millions of pounds on current project
costs.
We believe that the time has come for EWR Co. to publish a business case; and the purpose of this
letter is to ask you, as Minister responsible, to direct EWR Co. to do so.
List of Supporting Organisations
Arrington Parish Council
Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trusts
Bedford For A Re-consultation (BFARe)
Barrington Parish Council
Barton Parish Council
Bourn Parish Council
Boxworth Parish Council
Cam Bed Rail Road Action Group
2 of 3
Cam Valley Forum
Cambridge Approaches Action Group
Comberton Parish Council
Countryside Restoration Trust
CPRE Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
CPRE Bedfordshire
Caldecote Parish Council
Clapham Parish Council, Bedfordshire
Croxton Park
Croxton Parish Council
Croydon Parish Council
Dry Drayton Parish Council
Elsworth Parish Council
Fowlmere Parish Council
Gamlingay Parish Council
Great Shelford Parish Council
Guilden Morden Parish Council
Harlton Parish Council
Harston Parish Council
Harston Residents Association
Haslingfield Village Society
Haslingfield Parish Council
Hatley Estates
Hauxton Parish Council
Litlington Parish Council
Little Shelford Parish Council
Kingston Parish Council
Knapwell Parish Council
Madingley Parish Council
Melbourn Parish Council
Meldreth Parish Council
Newton Parish Council
Oakington Transport Action Group
Orwell Parish Council
St. Neots Town Council
Stapleford Parish Council
Steeple Morden Parish Council
Stop The OxCam Arc Group
The Eversdens Parish Council
Toft Parish Council
Trumpington Residents’ Association
Wimpole Parish Council
Yelling Parish Council
List of Supporting Individuals
Cllr Michael Atkins, Cambridgeshire County Council (Lib Dem)
Cllr Sam Davies, City Councillor, Queen Edith’s Ward (part of the South Cambs. constituency)
(Independent)
Cllr Peter Fane, South Cambridgeshire District Council (Lib Dem)
Cllr Stephen Ferguson, Chairman Cambridgeshire County Council and Mayor of St. Neots
(Independent)

https://homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk/

Dear volunteer coordinators, parish councillors and Members

As we watch the terrible events in Ukraine unfold, our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine. The horrors of war, as shown in the photographs and videos on the news media, is impossible to overstate. The Council has pledged to support people fleeing the Ukraine and is calling for a national resettlement programme to be set up by the Government so that this can happen. Councillors have said that the Council will play their part and work to identify local homes for refugees leaving the warzone if needed. You can read the Council’s position in full here: pledge to support people fleeing Ukraine.

We hear and empathise with the anxiety and concern of residents who want to do something to help those affected and we want to help by signposting people who wish to offer support in response to the humanitarian crisis.

Donations

Local organisation Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action – which ordinarily works to take regular convoys of donated items to refugees in Calais – has advised that it is NOT currently collecting items for Ukraine. They suggest instead that donations of money is a much more effective way of helping the aid organisations that are working in the region.

In line with this recommendation, the Local Government Association (LGA) has provided Councils with this link to BBC News online where it suggests people should direct their support to organisations including:

• The British Red Cross, which has launched an appeal to help the Ukrainian Red Cross to provide food, medicine, clothing and shelter, as well as first aid training in bomb shelters, and drinking water to villages in eastern Ukraine
• The UNHCR refugee agency, which is funding emergency shelters, repairs for homes damaged by shelling, emergency cash assistance, psychological support and warm clothing
• UNICEF, the UN’s children’s charity, which is helping to ensure families have clean water and food and that child health and protection services continue
• Save the Children, which is providing cash assistance, food and other support to refugees crossing into Romanian and Lithuania, as well as in Ukraine itself.

Additionally, the Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, has suggested donating money through the Ukrainian Embassy’s With Ukraine fund. The money will be spent on providing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population and to purchase medical and military supplies for Ukraine’s army.

You may also have seen overnight that the UK Government has committed to matching the donations made by people in the UK to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which similarly provides food, water, shelter, healthcare and protection to people fleeing Ukraine.

Misinformation

In addition to donating, another practical thing that we can all do is to be careful not to unwittingly distribute misinformation or propaganda about the situation by sharing articles, images or videos that we see online which are fake or misleading. The Full Fact organisation has some useful tips on how to spot false information online and sharing these tips within our communities can help. Here are links to their posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Please note that this information was collated on Thursday 3 March 2022. Due to the fast-changing nature of the situation, it is clearly not possible to create an exhaustive list of the organisations supporting the local and national effort. If there are significant changes, we will share the information via social media or with another Community Update.

Bill

Bill Handley

Lead Cabinet Member for Community Resilience, Health and Wellbeing

South Cambridgeshire District Council

Support with food, household energy and other essentials for individuals and families.

You are eligible to access this support through the Household Support Fund if you earn less than £17,940 per year or are in receipt of one of the following:

Income Support
Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Pension Credit
Universal Credit
Working Tax Credit

You may be able to access practical support with:

Food and essential supplies
Paying for gas, electricity, oil or water in your home
Other essential supplies, such as repairs to your boiler to help keep you and your family warm

For further information and an application form please follow the link below:

https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus/household-support-fund

Parish Councils are the first tier of local government, and as such have a large range of discretionary powers to spend public money, as well as a number of duties they have to perform. As a parish councillor, you will be involved in a variety of areas, such as managing Harston’s green spaces or considering planning applications. You will represent the council at local events such as litter picks, and be an active participant in committees and working groups, using your specific skills and interests for the benefit of the council.

Parish Council Elections May 5th 2022

Do You…?

• want to make a difference and be involved in shaping the future of your local community?
• have concerns for the local area and want to ensure the community gets the right services?
• want to represent the views of local people and ensure that community interests are at the heart of decision making?

Do you have….?

2-3 hours per week to spare;

• communication and presentation skills to express needs of local residents during meetings and become a voice for the Council;
• interpersonal skills for managing surgeries and conversing with the community;
• a commitment towards representation of the electorate;
• an objective, analytical and critical mind;
• IT/Social Media skills

Then you should consider becoming a Parish Councillor!
Becoming a councillor is rewarding and is also a privileged form of public service. You will be in a
position to make a difference to the quality of other people’s daily lives and prospects. A council will
draw on the skills and experiences of its councillors to ensure that as a whole it is a strong team so
the more varied skills brought to the council by its representative the stronger it will be.
What do you need to do?
If you’ve decided you would like to become a councillor, there are THREE things that need to be
done: –
1. You need to Qualify
2. You need to Complete Nomination Papers
3. You need to Stand for Election

To Qualify you need to be: –
 British, or a citizen of the Commonwealth or European Union
 At least 18 years of age;
 Registered to vote in the area OR
 Have lived in the parish (or within 3 miles of it), worked or owned property there for at least
12 months before an election.
The Nomination process…
You must obtain and complete a valid Nomination Paper. These are available from the Returning
Officer at South Cambridgeshire District Council or from the Clerk to the Council.
Completed forms must contain details of your name and address and must be signed by 2 registered
electors of the parish.
The Election Process
Ordinary elections for local councillors take place on the first Thursday in May, every four years.
For Harston Parish Council, elections are due to be held on Thursday 5 th May, 2022.
Your nomination papers will need to be lodged with the Returning Officer by 4pm on Tuesday 5 th
April 2022 at the latest. There are no mitigating circumstances for missing this deadline and the
responsibility for submitting the paperwork on time falls to you! However – you will find the Clerk to
the Council extremely helpful and they will guide you through the process.
So…
If you have a few hours to spare each week and would like to put them to good use to serve your
local area, then why not Become a Councillor!
Good Luck!

If you would like to find out more about what is involved in being a Councillor, why not come along
to one of our meetings? Members of the public are always welcome – we meet on the first Thursday
of the month, 7.30pm in the village hall, High Street, Harston.
Or you could write, email or contact us using the contact details below. We’ll be happy to send you
an information pack on standing as a councillor in the 2022 local elections.
clerk@harstonparishcouncil.org.uk
01353 664632
Harston Parish Council, PO Box 330, Ely, Cambridgeshire. CB7 9GF