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07-Jun-2020 07-Jun-2020 Rail corrosion treatment using specialist
on-track machine. Working hours 02:05 – 09:45.
11 May 2020
COVID-19 update for all media
Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council communications team will be providing a daily media update with a round-up of any changes to council services arising from the Coronavirus.
Please note – this information is correct at the time of publishing.
Monday, 11 May 2020
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement – Following the announcement yesterday (Sunday) from the Prime Minister, Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council’s leaders have recorded a video message saying while we wait for guidance there is no dramatic change.
Cllr Steve Count, leader of Cambridgeshire County Council can be viewed here.
Cllr John Holdich, leader of Peterborough City Council can be viewed here.
We need foster carers to transform lives in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council are supporting this year’s Foster Care Fortnight campaign to help raise awareness about how the dedication and commitment of foster carer’s changes lives.
Foster Care Fortnight runs from the 11th -24th May and is the UK’s largest foster care awareness raising campaign, it aims to show the positive impact foster care has on children’s and young people’s lives.
Foster carers accomplish incredible things every day, even in the face of a global crisis that has affected every one of us and impacted all aspects of our society. Despite the practical and emotional challenges that the coronavirus is bringing, foster carers continue to provide day-to-day support, love and stability to children and young people who can’t live with their birth families. They support children and young people’s education, health, and social wellbeing, and also help to maintain the children’s relationship with the people who are important to them but who they cannot currently see in person.
Both Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council are keen to hear from people who can care for sibling groups of brothers and sisters, children with additional needs and teenagers.
Councillor Simon Bywater, Cambridgeshire County Council Chairman of the Children and Young People’s Committee, said: “We are always looking for local people who are interested in becoming foster carers and urge you to apply if you are over 21, have a spare bedroom and the dedication to help children and young people thrive.”
Councillor Lynne Ayres, Peterborough City Council cabinet member for children’s services, said, “We have made arrangements to progress your enquiries through phone or video calls. If you decide to go further then we will discuss the next stages with you.We hope being part of Foster Care Fortnight again this year will give our work an extra boost and help us reach even more potential carers.”
Kevin Williams, chief executive of The Fostering Network, said: “Foster care transforms the lives of children and young people as well as those of the foster carers and their families. This has never been more important. Foster carers help children and young people flourish and fulfil their potential, as well as provide a vital service to our society. Because this happens mainly in the privacy of their own homes – especially at the moment – their contributions too often go unnoticed.
“Foster Care Fortnight is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the work of foster carers and their families as well as recognising how transformational foster care can be for the children and young people who need it.”
Every year more foster carers are needed across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to make sure fostered children can live with the right foster carer for them. Despite the coronavirus, this year is no different, so anyone who thinks they might have the skills and experience to become a foster carer is urged to contact the fostering services.
People should not rule themselves out or let ‘myths’ stop them from making an enquiry.
• Depending which type of fostering you choose, working is not a barrier so please do contact us to find out more.
• You are never too old to foster – we welcome the experience!
• If you have your own children or no children we want to hear from you.
• We don’t expect foster carers to be perfect, we want people who can offer safe, secure and loving homes.
• You can be in a same sex relationship, married, single or living with a partner.
Carers receive payments and allowances to help cover their time and expenses, as well as advice and guidance so they are supported every step of the way.
Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council encourage you to find out more about fostering.
For Cambridgeshire, visit the website or email fostering@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or call 0800 052 0078.
For Peterborough, visit the website or email FosteringandAdoption@Peterborough.gov.uk or call 0800 328 8433
05 May 2020
COVID-19 update for all media
Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council communications team will be providing a daily media update with a round-up of any changes to council services arising from the Coronavirus.
Please note – this information is correct at the time of publishing.
Tuesday, 5 May 2020
Virtual services planned to celebrate VE Day – This Friday (8 May), marks the 75th anniversary of one of the most important and historic days in modern times – Victory in Europe (VE) Day – which brought an end to the Second World War in Europe and a return to peace.
With all planned public events now cancelled across the country, both councils wanted to ensure everyone could still celebrate and commemorate the historic day, safely at home.
At 11am, we encourage everyone across all generations and communities to take part in a national moment of Remembrance and pause for a two-minute silence to honour the service and sacrifice of the Second World War generation.
Then at 3pm, we invite you to join us for a virtual service online, paying tribute to the entire Second World War generation from British, Commonwealth and Allied Forces, to evacuees and those who served on the home front.
The virtual service, which Cambridgeshire County Council has organised in collaboration with Cambridge City Council and district partners will be livestreamed via Cambridge 105 radio and will feature celebration music, memories and speeches to mark the occasion.
Councillor Mac McGuire, chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We are in the midst of some of the most challenging times of recent years, but there is no doubt our communities have pulled together and shown dogged determination to help one another as best they can. The resilience and strength that got us through times of war is on show today and is what’s getting us all through these difficult days. Just like we have been doing for those working hard on the frontline, I invite our people to take the time to reflect, and to show their appreciation for those who fought to bring a return to peace across Europe.”
The service will be broadcast on Cambridge 105 radio online.
A virtual service to mark VE Day will be held by Peterborough Cathedral, led by the Dean Christopher Dalliston and Canon Ian Black, the Vicar of Peterborough.
During the service there will be a reflection from the Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt Revd Donald Allister and the Last Post will be played by Ollie Maynard, a student at The King’s School, Peterborough.
Those reading at the service include Gillian Beasley, the Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council and Neil McKittrick, the former High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire.
The service will be broadcast as a live stream from 3pm on the Cathedral’s Facebook page and also as a video via the Cathedral’s website
Councillor Gul Nawaz, Mayor of Peterborough, said: “We are in difficult times right now but we must never forget those who fought and gave their lives in conflicts, so I would urge everyone to watch this poignant service.”
Virtual council meetings to begin in Peterborough – Group leaders have agreed a protocol to allow virtual formal meetings to take place at Peterborough City Council during the remainder of the Covid-19 emergency.
Council meetings will now be conducted using the Zoom software platform. They will be livestreamed on the council’s YouTube channel for members of the public and the media to watch – with the exception of confidential items – which will be discussed in private as usual.
Public questions can be submitted in written form for all Full Council meetings and will be published on the council’s website prior to the meeting taking place. Meetings will be recorded to allow people to watch them afterwards if they can’t log on during the event itself.
This protocol will allow the council to continue to conduct the vast majority of its democratic decisions remotely, while adhering to the Government’s social distancing guidelines -and follows legislation which came into force on 4 April.
A review of decisions has been prepared for the next three months and the urgency of each decision will be marked as either high, medium or low – only decisions marked as high or medium will be taken to council meetings. This document does not include monitoring or information items, as these will be circulated to councillors via email.
Training is now taking place with councillors to help them get used to the new system and the first meeting will be Cabinet at 2pm on Monday 11 May.
Councillor John Holdich, leader of Peterborough City Council, said: “It will be a very new way of working for us all, but we’ve had excellent training on what to do and we are looking forward to continuing to hold council meetings in the public domain during Covid-19.”
A similar process started at Cambridgeshire County Council at the end of last month.
Council meetings in Cambridgeshire are also handled by Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council and Huntingdonshire District Council and they will run their own system for meetings. Please contact them for their details.
Local school shows its support for hard-working NHS Staff – Staff and pupils at the Harbour School, Wilburton wanted to recognise the hard work and incredible effort being shown by staff working at the Addenbrooke’s Hospital Intensive Care Unit.
Keen to ensure those on the frontline could keep their spirits and energy levels up, pupils and staff in attendance at the school have donated a box of goodies with various food items and a number of hand-painted rainbows.
Lise Sudgen, headteacher at the school for boys from 5-16 years who have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP), said: “This is a difficult time for everyone, but I’m really proud that our boys took the time to think about our incredibly hardworking NHS staff. They wanted to show that we are all thinking about them and we care. Our own staff here at Harbour have been brilliant too and were only too keen to help. We hope it cheers up their day.”
Peterborough councillor raises more than £2,100 with 26-hour music marathon – In our Daily Media Update a couple of weeks ago, we included an article about Councillor Asif Shaheed who was taking on the 2.6 challenge, a campaign launched to support struggling UK charities.
His DJ session has now live-streamed on Facebook and he has so far raised £2,126 for SHINE (Spina bifida, Hydrocephalus, Information, Networking, Equality) which provides specialist support for people living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus as well as to families, carers and professional care staff.
The Covid-19 crisis has seen charities having to reduce and stop services during a time when vulnerable people need them the most as well as the cancellation of thousands of fundraising events, potentially costing UK charities billions. With the help of those like Councillor Shaheed, many charities will still be able to utilise the benefits of fundraising, allowing them to continue supporting those in need during this crisis.
He said: “In my head I had £1,500 as a target. The figure that we currently at of £2,126 has exceeded my wildest expectations and I’ll be forever grateful to all of those that have contributed towards that. Thank you so much. It will rally make a big difference to our members affected by spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus.”
If you would like to help Councillor Shaheed raise funds for SHINE, you can still donate at his Just Giving page.
You can keep up-to-date with any changes to our services on our websites:
• Peterborough – https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/healthcare/public-health/coronavirus/disruption-to-council-services
• Cambridgeshire – https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus/disruption-to-council-services
Our advice and latest information on Coronavirus can be found on both websites – www.peterborough.gov.uk/coronavirus and www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus
Coronavirus: what you need to do
• Stay at home
• Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (where this absolutely cannot be done from home)
• Stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people
• Wash your hands as soon as you get home
Anyone can spread the virus.
Full guidance on staying at home and away from others
Dear Resident,
We know this is a difficult and worrying time for everyone, but particularly those living with domestic abuse. A change in routine and the current advice to stay at home can put added strain on any relationship, but we want to send a clear message that you do not have to suffer in silence and there is never an excuse for abuse.
We want you to know that support remains available during these challenging times and we in the police, alongside a whole host of partners, are here to help.
We appreciate that living in an abusive relationship whilst in lockdown can make you feel as though your voice can’t be heard and picking up the phone to us can be even more difficult than usual. But there are still ways to speak out:
Here’s how you can contact us
• In an emergency, always dial 999 but if you are in danger and are unable to speak on the phone, call 999 and then press 55. You will be transferred to a call handler who will attempt to ask you simple yes or no questions. If you can’t speak at all, listen carefully to the questions and instructions of the call handler so they can assess and arrange help. More information on this service can be found here.
• You can speak to us live for advice any time via our online webchat service here.
• You can report domestic abuse on our website here.
• If you want to make an online report without being seen, our website has a permanent red ‘quick exit’ button at the top of the page which takes you to a weather forecast website. Information on how to hide or delete your online reporting history can be found here.
Family, friends and neighbours
Many people living with abuse may not feel able to report crime to us and that’s how other members of the community can assist. Please help us protect residents by listening out for suspicious behaviour or noises and reporting any concerns you have about neighbours, friends or family members who may be suffering in silence. We want to be there for the people of Cambridgeshire now more than ever and we can all work together to tackle abuse and safeguard those who need us the most. So please do report any worries to us using any of the above methods.
Setting ‘code words’ with family and friends can also be an important option during these times. It may not be easy for victims to call police but if an arranged safe word or phrase is in place like “did I leave my scarf at yours?”, can let the other person know that they need help.
We would also urge neighbours to stay in touch regularly, either over the garden fence or through the window, and for victims to inform them of their situation. You could arrange so that if something in particular is put in the window, like a vase or a book, it could be a visual sign that they need help.
Speak to other partners
If you do not wish to speak to police direct, there are plenty of charities and organisations who are also on hand to listen and help safeguard you.
• National Domestic Abuse Helpline – 08082000247
• National Stalking Helpline – 08088020300
• Cambridge Women’s Aid – 01223 460947
• Fenland, Huntingdonshire and Peterborough Refuge – 07787255821
• LGBT Domestic Abuse Helpline – 08009995428
• Honour Based Abuse Helpline – 08005999247
Worried you might do something you don’t want to do
We understand that these unprecedented times can lead to financial and mental and physical health worries. Arguments can get heated and there’s no longer the opportunity to leave the house and cool off by socialising with friends and family.
For tips on how to relax and get away to avoid doing something you don’t want to, visit
• www.safelives.org.uk/news-views/domestic-abuse-and-covid-19
• www.respectphoneline.org.uk/help-for-perpetrators/
You can also visit our website any time for more advice and support on the signs, tackling and living with domestic abuse.
We hope you find this useful. Please remember that we are here for you, you are not alone and we want you to help us to help you stay safe.
Thank you.
Message Sent By
Laura Wilson (Police, Corporate communications, HQ)
Dear Members of the Harston Public,
Currently, the Harston Recreation Centre is open to the public but the Playpark within the Recreation Centre is closed.
The background to this situation is that the Government has decreed all playparks are to be closed. Harston Parish Council is obliged to obey this instruction. But we decided to keep the Recreation Centre itself open because it is a popular location for exercise including dog walking. This decision was based on our own experience and judgement and on advice from the Police.
The Playpark has notices, which state clearly that it is closed. Please respect this closure and do not permit your children to enter it.
Within the Recreation Centre, the normal Covid-19 rule of a minimum of two metres between persons applies.
Niall O’Byrne,
Chair Harston Parish Council.
Green bin collections suspended
Green bin collections across Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire will not take place between Monday 23 March and Monday 4 May.
The Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service, a partnership between Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils, has made the decision in order to support staff and the recycling and waste service as a whole during the Coronavirus outbreak.
The suspension of green bin collections will allow crews to concentrate on emptying blue and black bins during the coming weeks. It will also assist with any future staff sickness or self-isolation issues.
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.
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.
Residents who are subscribed to the additional green bin collection scheme, and therefore pay for more than one green bin to be collected, will see a reduced fee for their permit upon renewal in the October.
The bulky waste collection service, which collects large items from residents’ homes, will also be suspended during this period.
Head of the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service, Trevor Nicoll, said: “Our priority is to try and maintain a regular waste collection service throughout the difficult months ahead and to do what we can to support the health and wellbeing of all our staff and residents. We’re making this change now to make sure we can focus on collecting blue and black bins as normal for as long as we possibly can. Our bin collection crews are trying their very best and deserve all the help we can give them. Suspending green bin collections will take some of this burden off them – they each walk the equivalent of a half marathon every shift. Residents can help by trying their very best to absolutely minimise the amount of food that they are throwing out and trying not to generate garden waste for now. Finally, it would also be a big help to our hardworking crews if residents whose bins don’t have much waste inside can wait until it is full before putting it out – if they think they can manage until their next collection.”
Double bag black bin waste if suffering symptoms
The Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service has also published advice on handling waste if your household is displaying symptoms of Coronavirus.
If you’re experiencing the main symptoms – a new, continuous cough and/or a high temperature – please be very careful when disposing of your personal waste (including used tissues and disposable cleaning cloths/wipes) at home. The advice for disposal of this waste is as follows:
1. It should be put in a plastic rubbish bag and tied when full
2. The plastic bag should then be placed in a second bin bag and tied
3. It should be kept separate from other waste in suitable secure place on your property for 72 hours before being placed in the black bin as normal
The principle behind this method is that after 72 hours outside the body, the virus is no longer viable. This approach will help keep bin collection crews as safe as possible.
Other household rubbish and recycling should be treated as normal.
If you or anyone in your home is self-isolating or is confirmed as having Coronvirus, Cambridgeshire County Council are politely asking that you do not go to any of their Household Recycling Centres.
Find out more about your local bin collection services at www.cambridge.gov.uk/recycling or www.scambs.gov.uk/recycling
Residents who experience any waste-related difficulties during this period are asked to email waste@scambs.gov.uk or call 03450 450 063. Please note that it may take longer than usual to receive a response as the service adapts to different working practices.
In line with Public Health England advice Harston Surgery needs to change the way it cares for patients over the coming months.
Reducing the chance of circulating the virus is important for patients, staff, and the NHS and UK as a whole. The infection (and death) rates we are seeing today are a reflection of policy and practices that were in place over a week ago. We all need to tighten up.
Aims;
1. Remote by default
2. Reduce footfall to the practice to protect patients and staff alike
3. Establish a sustainable model of working now that will see us through the next few months
As of Monday 16 March we will be triaging all calls and requests for appointments. Please bear with us as a different way of working evolves.
For any administrative queries or non urgent requests please use email if possible. admin.harston@nhs.net
For more urgent requests then call the surgery as usual but please be prepared to leave contact details on which we can reliably reach you and expect a call back.
We will be using much more communication by SMS (text message) and video calling so it is essential that you keep your mobile phone and email details up to date. Please email your details or use the link at the bottom of the home page.
Without exception, anyone with a high fever or new dry cough MUST NOT enter the building. Please do not attend the surgery without contacting us in advance unless you are dealing directly with the dispensary .
Please keep an eye on our website for any further changes we need to make.
We will be continuing to see patients that need to be seen!
Please be aware that the route option for East West Rail has been announced. It is Route E, which is via Cambourne. At £3.4 billion it is the most expensive of the six options considered.
