Ros Hathorn

This is really important fire safety information, a tragic e-bike fire lead to deaths in Kings Hedges last year. E-bikes can be really useful but this post shared some good practical fire safety advice.

🎁 Did you receive an e-bike for Christmas?

We hope you're enjoying using it – follow our tips below to help keep yourself and your home safe 👇

🔌 Use the correct charger for the battery, charge only when you are at home and awake and avoid overcharging the battery.
⚠️ Don't modify or tamper with the batteries.
✅ Store or charge the e-bike or e-scooter away from an escape route

More advice 👉 https://orlo.uk/iSkS9

Reductions in funding have made it hard for councils across the country to balance their budgets but since coming to power the Lib Dem/ Labour/ Independent leadership at the county council have made really hard decisions in order to keep the council’s budget on track not just for the current year but for future years. We haven’t been able to invest as much as we want in services but we haven’t had to make radical far reaching cuts. The cut to the arts funding in Suffolk is the headline here but Suffolk also won’t be increasing highways maintenance funding. The budget in Cambridgeshire does include an increase in money for highways maintenance. There is also money for food vouchers during holidays for those on free school meals becayse no child in Cambridgeshire should go hungry.

It’s not sexy or exciting but the Lib Dems have been really sensible with tax payers money because we know how precious that money is and consequently we are not having to make savage cuts during 2024/25.

Suffolk county council announces 100% cut to arts funding Arts organisations respond to plans to permanently slash core budget for the region’s theatres and museums

Cllr Firouz Thompson is steering this important work which has had national recognition. She pointed out in a motion to full council that covenants in Northstowe were making it impossible for people to become childminders and ask that Council to raise this to government. In a place like South Cambridgeshire where we are actually hitting house building targets and have a number of new towns it is absolutely crucial that we pay attention to this type of detail to make sure that the new towns function effectively as communities when they are built. The attached poster is about sessions in Northstowe but there are contact details for anyone looking to develop a career in childhood education locally.

📣A campaign has been launched to encourage more people in Northstowe to work in childcare to meet an ever-increasing demand in the town.

I am encouraging people living in Northstowe and the surrounding area to:
- find out what makes childcare such a rewarding career
- explore the different childcare roles available
- discover the routes to becoming a childcare professional, and gain the skills and knowledge to build your own business
- overcome barriers to finding work in this inspiring profession.

County Council staff will be at the Northstowe market on Sunday 26 November and in the Community Centre called The Cabin on Tuesday 28 November to answer questions about working in early years.

I will be interviewed by BBC radio today to talk about the campaign.

https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/news/campaign-launched-to-encourage-more-childcare-professionals-in-northstowe

SURVEY request:
The council is also seeking your input on the kind of nursery and pre-school services you desire for your children, and they encourage all parents, including expectant ones, to share their opinions as they work on defining the specifications for potential providers.
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/NorthstoweChildcareSurvey/

Please come and chat to us about a career in childcare
Cllr Firouz Thompson, I will be at the Northstowe Market this Sunday 26 November at The Cabin on the green

https://www.hihub.info/news/hows-your-overhang-does-your-bush-need-a-trim/

Excellent advice (albeit delivered with a titter). Thank you to the wonderful Hi Hub for championing what is an important issue and doing it with such a lightness of touch.

How's your overhang? Does your bush need a trim? | HI HUB Getting our overhang tidied and bushy hedges trimmed should be top of our autum/winter 'to do' list and County Councillor Ros Hathorn, in collaboration with our Parish Council, is encouraging us all to cut back our overgrowth for winter

A great if quite hot time at Orchard Park’s Fiesta, I think the brutal temperatures kept the turnout down sadly but I still had some good chats.

A recent email from Stagecoach about bus fare rises;

Good afternoon,
From Sunday 17th September 2023, we will be making changes to fares on Stagecoach East services. The first objective of fares is to cover the costs of service provision and while the majority of this fare increase is down to rising cost, we’ve also been making important investments to give passengers an even better experience when travelling on our network.
The new ticket prices will add on average just 43p onto the cost of daily adult bus travel in the Town zone and we will continue to offer the same ticket types, but at slightly different prices.
We would like to reassure you that the government’s £2 single fare cap scheme is still available on Stagecoach East bus services until 31st October 2023 (excluding the X12 and Cambridge City Sightseeing bus tour) so the majority of customers will not be impacted by these changes whilst this scheme is running.
We have produced a guide which provides a full overview of the new fares and key changes being introduced. You can take a look at this here:https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Miscellaneous/East/CustomerFareGuideBooklet-SEP23.pdf
Please feel free to share this information and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries.

Kind regards,The Stagecoach East Team

Polly Toynbee can be quite an intense read but the summary point here is that after years of wasted effort and money from manufacturers and government the government has quietly dropped the ‘let’s have our own British safety standards’ wheeze and will be returning to the CE (conformite Europeene -apologies for spelling and lack of correct accents) standard used by Europe. This project was quietly dropped over the summer to avoided both scrutiny and the ire of the Brexiters.

Business is haunted by Brexit – and this safety mark fiasco is its latest nightmare | Polly Toynbee Money, time, effort all wasted: you can wrap the new red tape three times around the world, one manufacturing boss told me, writes Polly Toynbee

Gove makes his announcement on his plans for Cambridge, his follow up to ‘250,000 new homes’ for Cambridge.

Scroll down to the heading in bold ‘supercharging Europe’s science city’ to tread what he has said in his speech.

Conservative minister Michael Gove talks about ‘a new quarter’, increased densification, ‘a new ring road’ and getting rid of the congestion but doesn’t specify how or where? Where would the ring road go? How do you cut congestion other than with a congestion charge? Where would a new quarter go? Gove’s Conservative colleagues at local level are already getting very twitchy which suggests how damaging this speech is. Read between the lines as you will but the Conservatives’ ideas for a net zero economy feature massive expansion of Cambridge and that will completely change South Cambs as well. Note no other cities get quite the same attention to detail in this speech.

Gove attacks Labour for planning to build houses without infrastructure yet it’s under his Conservative government that it has become almost impossible to find an NHS dentist, GPS surgeries are struggling, the future of the NHS is in doubt and school children are subject to massive disruptions from striking teachers who have had enough with how the government is treating them.

Long-term plan for housing: Secretary of State's speech Speech by the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

If you listen to this podcast you'll even hear a recording of a dead Impington tree. The first half of the podcast is recorded in Impington and talks specificaly about our trees; the A14 failed trees and the HI Trees' success as a contrast.

Half a million trees have died next to one 21-mile stretch of road, National Highways admits National Highways planted 850,000 saplings as part of a £1.5bn upgrade of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon, which was opened in 2020. But an internal review seen by Sky News reveals three-quarters of them have since died.

Here's an update and general information about the County Council's approach to Highways Maintenance.
https://hiopcouncillors.org/2023/02/11/potholes-and-highways-maintenance-winter-22-23/

Here's my report for November 2022 and you can read my October report as well.

County Councillors Report November 2022 Ongoing and forthcoming Consultations and Schemes: Greater Cambridge Partnership (GPP) Making Connections consultation on the future of travel in the Greater Cambridge (Cambridge City and South Cam…

For those who want to know what the GCP have done to date here is a response in their own words.

What have the GCP achieved? I am publishing this blog piece because the GCP Making Connections consultation is causing a lot of debate and I am spending increasing amounts of time fielding general attacks on the GCP (Greater …

Update on Highways in Histon and Impington

Histon and Impington Highways Update High Street Histon A summary of discussions with the local Highways Officer for Histon and Impington in October with a November update. You might not like it but here are some of the reasons for…

The 'interactive bus tool' for the Greater Cambridge Partnership's making connections consultation has been launched.
https://consultcambs.uk.engagementhq.com/making-connections-2022
It outlines the proposed bus improvements. According to this Histon & Impington would be within the £1 a ticket charging zone for buses (Milton wouldn't so this feels potentially like a mistake but I will follow this up).

Note the number 8 is not proposed to increase beyond it's twice hourly service. These proposals are quite different from those in last week's bus 'map book'. Please think carefully about what you would need from a bus service to make you use the bus. The information from this survey will be used to develop final proposals. Whatever happens this data will inform future decisions.

GCP Making Connections 2022 Have your say on proposals for faster, cheaper, more reliable bus services and safer cycling through the introduction of a Sustainable Travel Zone The proposals Transforming the bus network: From as early as mid-2023, we’re proposing to transform the bus network through

Stagecoach and busway follow up answers

Stagecoach responses to community questions after meeting This is a directly copied response from a local Stagecoach Director. There is a note at the bottom about a request bus stop along the busway. Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in get…

The Police and Crime Commissioner is visiting next Friday 7 Oct 13.00-15.00.

Let me know below if you have any questions or concerns or if you'd like to attend.

I certainly intend to raise the issues of nuisance motorcycle noise and bicycle theft.

The Police & Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire | As your Police and Crime Commissioner I have published a Police and Crime Plan that has been shaped by you – the residents of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough through public consultation.

A14 Trees - There is another to follow but here are the first two reports from National Highways about the trees they planted.

A14 Upgrade Trees National Highways’ Report OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA As a non expert I think that the failure rate in the below review will have significantly increased since this report was published in the early summer, trees which were just…

I try to focus on local news on this page but a comment on a post about the Philip Schofield/ Holly Willoughby queue gate saga pointed out that news about this is a very good distraction away from say articles about the recent budget which slashed taxes for the rich. So here is a summary of the online lead stories and home pages of 4 of the nations biggest papers.

The Daily Mail
Lead story Prince Harry
Followed by the budget (it is great)
The Queen’s Dresser
Dr Michael Mosley
Victoria Beckham

The Sun
Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle
Prince Harry
Advert
Budget ‘winners and losers revealed including low earners’
Tragic Teen

The Daily Express
Putin
Truss and Biden bickering
King Charles
Prince Harry
Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle

The Mirror
King Charles
Meghan Markle
Euromillions
Husband pummels wife’s face
The budget

Draw your own conclusions, there is of course an argument that newspapers write about what their readers want to read but they do play a role in shaping the national narrative and determining what the nation values. One might believe the nations most pressing concern is whether or not an American actress who married a prince made a comment over two years ago rather than the financial crisis we are in the middle of.

Here is the Liberal Democrat statement and petition against Stagecoach's slashing of services

Bus Service Cuts Liberal Democrat Statement and petition Image courtesy of Chris Siddell Stagecoach cuts will devastate vital bus services across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough say Lib Dems Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Liberal Democrats have condemne…

These are the notes I took from the recent meeting in Orchard Park last week with Stagecoach. It was before the cuts were announced so that issue is not addressed but I do think it provides a useful insight into the challenges bus companies face.

Meeting with Stagecoach in Orchard Park Notes This meeting took place before the announcement Stagecoach made about significant cuts to services across Cambridgeshire. There was no indication in this meeting that the cuts to services wer…

This explains why at the very least there should be a consultation on the proposed £5 city access charge for Cambridge. People often talk about wanting a fairer society, better public transport or the climate emergency. These proposals are in response to that and provide a realistic, funded proposal. They have been carefully developed through extensive public consultation. They are not perfect and they may not happen but please think about them and think about why they were proposed before dismissing them outright. Whatever happens with the consultation it will tease out issues no one had thought of and will lead to improvements across the greater Cambridge area whether or not the charge is implemented.

‘Public transport revolution’ central to Cambridge congestion charge Flashback to 2019 and Cllr Lewis Herbert, then chair of the Greater Cambridge Partnership, announces the launch of the Choices for Better Journeys public engagement exercise Congestion charge for C…

Fens Reservoir Project

I asked a number of questions as a result of the community discussion on this and here are the questions and responses from Anglian Water.

Why will it take so long to build?

Due to the National Significance of the scheme, a DCO consent (Development Consent Order) will be required. Achieving a DCO is itself a significant process, including the necessary environmental assessment and public consultation. In addition the various environmental surveys, geotechnical investigations and several specialist studies will have to be completed to inform the design. All these aspects will require time for planning, including gaining land access, and assessing the findings and incorporating them into the environmental and engineering designs. Construction on site can only start once DCO consent has been obtained. The construction works will then involve a series of enabling works, such as creating access roads, and several years of earthworks to construct the reservoir embankment. All these factors amongst many others mean that the scheme will require several years to plan and complete.

Will there be sufficient rain to fill and maintain it?

We have based our analysis on available water that we can abstract from upstream river sources, based on historical records, adapted for climate change. In this respect we will be capturing and storing water when we are able to, to help us become resilient to a 1 in 500 year drought event. This analysis reflects the changing demand and growth profile that we anticipate in the coming years, and includes for climate change projections.

Will there be anything built in to protect the water from evaporation (floating solar panels were the thought that crossed my head). If not, how will the lake be used? For recreation?

Evaporation rates will be assessed as part of the design process. If evaporation losses are deemed significant then appropriate mitigation measures will be developed, of which floating solar could be one option. To answer the second part of the question, the vision is currently to include recreational use (e.g. water sports) and environmental (e.g. marginal wetlands) benefits.

www.cambridge-water.co.uk

£5 city access charge for Cambridge. I said I'd write a blog over the weekend but I've been directed to this which clearly lays things out better than I could. There will be blogs in the future.

https://www.greatercambridge.org.uk/news/ambitious-proposals-to-deliver-world-class-transport-network-for-greater-cambridge-unveiled

Here are a few key points;
-the vote in September is not on a city access charge but on agreeing to have a public consultation on how a charge would work.
-the current proposals are incomplete. Consultation responses will be used to develop a better model.
-consultation responses will determine next steps.
-the earliest any scheme would be delivered is 2026/27.
-if you want better buses in Cambridgeshire in and around Cambridge this is the only proposal on the table, there is no plan B. The government didn't award the county a penny through their 'Bus back better scheme'. Conservatives have abandoned the Oxford- Cambridge area to focus on northern cities. People are always asking for better buses but there are no easy answers. If we want better buses this is the proposal and we as a society have to decide how serious we are about better public transport.
-investment will also be made in improving cycle routes into and around the city such as the Waterbeach greenway.
-this proposal is about improving public transport so that those who don't have access to a car aren't locked out of education, employment, health and leisure opportunities
-it's also for environmental reasons, reducing carbon and improving air quality.

Ambitious proposals to deliver world-class transport network for Greater Cambridge unveiled Ambitious proposals to deliver a world-class transport network for Greater Cambridge to transform the daily journeys of thousands of people have been revealed.

Cycling and walking routes; I felt the County Council should be doing more and was not living up to manifesto commitments, so I did something about it. Read about my motion in this blog.

Active Travel Letter to Minister for Transport Although as leaders of the County Council we are committed to investing in cycleways and footpaths there are schemes going through planning being built now where decisions were made a long time ago…

Hey folks there’s lots of availability for Covid jabs we turned up this morning at Chesterton Bowling Club and walked right in, it was also pretty empty at the Grafton centre.

The trip wasn’t without complaints from my children but they all did their bit to make things a bit safer for everyone.

Yesterday I took a motion about cycling and walking to full council which the council voted in support of.

It did the following things;
-requested that the maintenance requirements the County Council operates by be reviewed in line with the requirements of cyclists and walkers
-suggested considering a hierarchy as where there is limited funding not all cycle paths will have lighting and other features so finding a fair way to decide which paths do have those features is important
-lobbying the government to include funding for cycleways and footpaths in the settlement they give to the County Council for maintenance
-asking officers in the council to show more ambition in planning decisions and schemes currently being developed. For example even if they legally have to agree to a scheme a developer proposes making it clear that this would not be classed as suitable for cycling by the County Council or finding ways to support developers who want to go beyond the rock bottom legal requirements of a scheme.

You can watch my summing up speech at time code 3:49:12.

I wouldn't normally bang on about my own speeches but I find it funny as by this point I was pretty irritated. The Conservatives had professed support for active travel but bickered about how any changes would cost money. I point out in no uncertain terms that yes they would, everything costs money and no number of clever words or amendments to motions can get around the reality of this. Conservatives did not support this motion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s63GhWcYWjY

Money available for struggling households. The government has singled out pensioners so there is even more money there. This scheme is administered by the County council but all councils will have a similar scheme if you have relations elsewhere who may be struggling with the cost of living.

Cost of living crisis money for those most in need The Household Support Fund (HSF) has been created to help people experiencing immediate financial hardship to pay for food and household energy bills. Support is offered in five ways: Support for p…

Read about the changes to care and health in Cambridgeshire which have started today.

Care and health in Cambridgeshire Hands on heart, as I’m not on the Adults & Health committee and this is an area I have struggled to get on top of. This does not mean residents should not get in touch with social care an…