Hardwick Community Centre awarded an Energy Efficiency Support Package

The Hardwick Community Centre Working Group is delighted at the news that it has been awarded an Energy Efficiency Support Package in the latest set of awards under the Zero Carbon Communities scheme.

The Zero Carbon Communities grants were announced in early December by South Cambridgeshire District Council as part of its drive for the district to become net zero carbon by 2050. In particular it provides funding for projects to support communities to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels

The Hardwick Community Centre Working Group is working on plans for a new community centre in Hardwick with a target completion date for 2022.  The grant will help with the installation of energy efficient systems in the new building.

Nicky Kerr, a leading member of the Group, put together an application in August and September.  She says “I am excited to say that we were successful in our grant application and we can hopefully soon get the ball rolling on this.”

Cambridge Water – help and support available for people struggling to pay their water bills

Cambridge Water calls for customers to ask for help, if they have been financially affected by COVID-19 or any other reason.  
The call follows research published by CC Water which states that about a third of customers have little awareness that water companies offer support and are less likely to contact them for help. 
Cambridge Water offers a range of support, from payment breaks for people with a temporary financial issue to special tariffs for people on low incomes, as well as payment flexible plans for anyone who needs to budget their payments.  
The figures come from the CC Water annual ‘Water Matters’ survey report published in August, which also states that under 25s, over 75s, Black Caribbean and minority ethnic groups, and those with no internet access are most at risk of missing out on financial support with bills. 
Rachael Merrell, service delivery director at Cambridge Water, said: 
“We’ve seen a growing number of customers seek help since March when lockdown hit us. 
We have over 1,540 customers benefitting from our Assure tariff, which offers 60% discount for the first year and since March there has been a 10% increase in customers claiming it.  
“We know that people are still finding it hard, so we want to make sure that anyone who is struggling contacts us. They can visit our website, contact us through Facebook or Twitter or give us a call on 0800 587 7701. We’re here to help.” 
More information can be found online at https://www.cambridge-water.co.uk/covid-help.   

Re: Area behind the Skate Park

Information from the Parish Council Chairman.
A resident has pointed out that a post on the village Facebook page has asked for spades and a wheelbarrow, to enable excavations to be carried out on the mound at the back of the Skate Park (on the recreating ground)
On inspection it was found that large holes had been dug in the mound, and one of these was under the acoustic fence, and could be dangerous if this is undermined. The resident also reported that branches from the hedge had been cut/broken as well.
Please could this be stopped immediately as this is Parish Council owned land, and the hedge is subject to a Tree Preservation Order(TPO), and any cutting/pruning must be sanctioned by the Trees Officer at SCDC.
If those who are carrying out this work wish to discuss use of Parish Council land, then they can contact the clerk (or any Councillors) and have the discussion as an agenda item for the next Parish Council meeting.

C2C Cambridge LLF Zoom invitation on 8th December

(pre-registration required)

Following discussion of the Cambourne to Cambridge Better Public Transport Project’s Outline Business Case (OBC) at the last Local Liaison Forum and Joint Assembly meetings in May and June 2020, the report for the GCP Executive Board on 25 June was withdrawn when the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough indicated concerns, and advised that the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority would bring forward an alternative alignment.

At the Combined Authority’s Transport & Infrastructure Committee on 4 November, the Committee did not support alternative proposals being put forward to the GCP Executive Board.

In light of this, the GCP Executive Board will now discuss the Outline Business Case for the scheme at their next meeting on 10 December. The Board is recommended to note the preferred route and Scotland Farm travel hub location and agree to undertake an Independent Audit Review of the scheme to report to the Board in July 2021.

The proposed scheme remains unchanged as was presented and discussed at Local Liaison Form (LLF) and GCP Joint Assembly meetings back in June 2020. However, given that significant time that has passed, a further LLF meeting is to be held between 6pm and 8pm on Tuesday 8th December

The meeting will take place using the Zoom Webinar platform, and will be streamed live on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn0U8FGSQKwnjD-WA4ZWpHw)

During the meeting GCP officers will give an update and take questions in advance of the Board meeting on 10th.

Registering for the meeting

As a public meeting, those wishing to attend via Zoom should register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rySg-VG6SuGa-or_5GKofg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Please register for the webinar as soon as possible, at least 30 minutes before the start of the meeting, to allow for any processing delay or technical issues..

During the meeting GCP officers will give an update and take questions in advance of the Board meeting on 10th.

A copy of the agenda is available on the GCP website: C2C LLF page

Questions should be submitted in advance, by 5pm on Monday 7th December, and can be sent to c2c@greatercambridge.org.uk

GCP Executive Board – 10th December

from GCP:

Cambourne to Cambridge Outline Business Case

We last issued an update on the Cambourne to Cambridge scheme in June 2020, when the report and Outline Business Case (OBC) for the GCP Executive Board was withdrawn after the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough expressed concerns, and indicated that the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) would bring forward an alternative alignment.

Alternative northern routes were recently discussed at the Combined Authority’s Transport & Infrastructure Committee on 4 November, where it was confirmed that northern routes were more expensive, and performed less favourably, than the current GCP proposal.
The Committee did not support the northern alignment and the CPCA has not put forward any alternative proposal to the Executive Board.

In light of this, the GCP Executive Board will now discuss the OBC for the scheme at their next meeting on 10th December.
The Board is recommended to note the preferred route and Scotland Farm travel hub location, and to agree to undertake an Independent Audit Review of the scheme to report to the Board in July 2021.

A public consultation on the detailed design and environmental impacts and mitigations for the scheme – as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment – would be launched in the second half of the year subject to the findings of the audit review.

  1. 10 December GCP Executive Board papers – https://cambridgeshire.cmis.uk.com/ccc_live/Meetings/tabid/70/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/397/Meeting/1419/Committee/26/Default.aspx
  2. Public questions guidance – https://www.greatercambridge.org.uk/events/submit-a-question-to-the-executive-board-novemberdecember-2020

Covid-19 Update – 27 November 2020

update from South Cambs District Council:

Emerging from lockdown into Tier 2

We remain under the rules of the national lockdown. From one minute after midnight on Wednesday 2 December, we will enter Tier 2, along with the rest of the East of England. We don’t anticipate that the way your community support is being delivered will need to change under the Tier 2 measures but, as ever, please contact your patch lead if you have any queries or concerns.

Information that you may find useful about the new measures:

  • The Government’s summary of Tier 2 measures
  • Attached is a 9-page summary of the Winter Plan – or you can view the full 64-page document
  • If you want to look up which Tier another area is in, you can use the Government’s look-up tool with a post code (this was not working well yesterday because of the amount of traffic trying to access the tool, but it does now seem to be working OK).

One area that may have been causing some confusion is how the previous ‘rule of 6’ would work under the new Tier system and with the Christmas bubbles. The guidance set out above makes it clear that, in Tier 2:

  • you must not socialise with anyone you do not live with or who is not in your support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place
  • you must not socialise in a group of more than 6 people outside, including in a garden or a public space – this is called the ‘rule of 6’.

Community Gritting Scheme

This scheme is one where Local volunteers can help to keep their community moving in freezing weather by taking part in the Community Gritting Scheme.

Volunteers can sign up to grit local footpaths chosen by their parish council using equipment provided by the county.

If you would like to know more or wish to volunteer, please read the Community Gritting Training Pack on the Cambridgeshire Country council website

If you would like to volunteer to help with gritting in Hardwick, please contact the Parish clerk (clerk@hardwick-cambs.org.uk)