The footbridge across the Brook, near the play area, is now reopen after some temporary repairs. It will be repaired further at some point, we will advise when we are informed that this will happen.
Again, apologies for any inconvenience caused.
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Category Archives: news
September Full Council meeting was held on Monday 20th September, highlights from the meeting include:
– Council co-opted Kim Powell, leaving 1 vacancy
– Agreement to enter into a lease for the former Infant School Playing Field for community use
– Purchase of addtional looms and bulbs for the Village Green Christmas light display
– Funding of Age UK Village Warden and Friends of Histon & Impington Community Mental Wellbeing Co-Ordinator
– Purchase of Poppy Wreath and Donation to Royal British Legion
Draft minutes from the September meeting can read here
October Full Council meeting was held on Monday 18th October, highlights from the meeting inlcude:
– Presentation from Friends of Histon & Impington Community updating on the Charities aspirations and activities
– Open dialouge with CEO at South Cambs District Council to discuss breach of planning conditions and drainage concerns at Hunters Close, Impington
– Local Plan community event to help inform residents of the upcoming consultation and how to have your say!
– Re-instatement of electricty at the Crossing Keepers Hut to enable community events
– Commitment from Council to move forward with new Vision, Committee Structure and Values
– Build relationships with local Farmers to help establish village footpath network
Draft minutes from the October meeting can be read here
We have received the following from Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority:
People in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are being encouraged to have their say on the region’s transport future. The Combined Authority is refreshing the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP) – the strategy for making transport in the region better.
An initial public engagement on the developing Local Transport and Connectivity Plan will begin on Monday, November 1, lasting for four weeks and closing on November 28. The feedback will influence and feed into the next phase of engagement – a formal six-week public consultation, currently planned for January. The Combined Authority Board approved the launch of the engagement at its meeting on October 27th.
Rising rates in older people coupled with building pressures on local health and education services led to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Councils, who are both responsible for public health, to ask Government to grant the whole area ‘enhanced response area’ status for at least five weeks from Monday November 1 – to bring down infection rates which are currently higher in most areas than seen in January’s peak.
The ERA status allows the Councils to push for additional support to increase vaccinations, and, working with DfE, on additional measures in schools.
And for the general population an additional communications push will also begin from next week
- Recommending wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed areas where you come into contact with people you do not usually meet
- Reminding people to get their vaccinations, test regularly and particularly before attending events, meet with others outside their households in well ventilated spaces and wash hands regularly and well
For more details, see the Cambridgeshire County Council press release
Please be aware that contractors will be undertaking work on some of the trees at the Recreation Ground today, including those near the outdoor gym and the play area.. There may be restricted access to areas as they work their way around the site. Thank you for your patience.
The Covid infection rate stats have made pretty grim reading for Histon & Impington over the last weeks. From being one of the least impacted parts of the country it’s seemed that we have become one of the worst with a 7-day infection rate of 40-50 infections being recorded though the end of July and into August. The infection rate was 364 per hundred thousand people in the seven days to 14 Aug 21 compared with 300 for the total UK, 308 for Cambridgeshire and 313 for South Cambs (all to 19 Aug 21).
Why?
It’s easy to be wise after the event of course but a rise to national levels was to be expected following the big ‘freedom’ of 19 Jul 21. With people being allowed to travel and congregate without limit there would be no barriers to the spread of infection. It was perhaps surprising that rates did not rise to the levels suggested (50-100,000/day) but not that they would even out across the country. What we saw was the impact of infections elsewhere being ‘imported’ now that we no longer had the rules in place to keep them out.
The bigger surprise though has been that we are not just seeing a national level of infection but something worse and that’s simply a consequence of (a) our success in being low infection, and (b) relatively low levels of vaccination locally especially in Cambridge. Once we were open to infection it took advantage of the opportunity afforded by so many people who had not yet been infected and/or vaccinated.
Living in our community we don’t seem to be acting in a way that implies a fear of infection. People are still out and about and our businesses are open and supplying the goods and services which we need. But we do all seem to be acting with responsibility. Masks are being worn inside and most of our businesses are steering a responsible course between no rules and continuing to observe basic mask-wearing and social distancing guidance. Thank you; everyone!
There are no rules anymore but there is NHS ‘guidance’ at www.gov.uk/coronavirus
- Meet outside, or open windows and doors for indoor visitors
- If you think you have symptoms stay at home and take a PCR test
- Wear face coverings in crowded places and on public transport
- Check in to venues when you go out
- Wash your hands with soap regularly, and for at least 20 seconds
- Get vaccinated (go to https://bit.ly/2Wd7ua7 to find out who can be vaccinated)
If you need or someone you know needs help our local Covid helpline number is 01223 320420.
Click here for a pdf of this digest.
South Cambs District Council Business Support team have been busy working on a new website to promote everything there is to see and do in South Cambridgeshire, to support the local economy by encouraging tourists to visit the area and local people to spend more time in the district.
Ahead of the site’s launch in the autumn, the team is inviting local businesses and event organisers to secure a free listing by submitting information and photos online via a short questionnaire.
If you run a hospitality, leisure or tourism business, or a local green space or event, please visit www.VisitSouthCambs.co.uk to create your free listing for:
- parks, open spaces and cultural attractions
- zoos, activity centres and places to visit
- pubs, restaurants, cafés and places to stay
- independent shops offering gifts, local produce and essentials
- places for wellbeing, health and beauty services
- pluslocal events and outdoor markets.
Or for further information, please email visit@scambs.gov.uk.
The SCDC July Parish e-Bulletin (click here to view) is full of useful information covering:
- Walk-in vaccine clinics in Cambourne
- Free toolkit to keep caring for your community
- Safe and Well visits
- Zero Carbon Communities grant: Closing date imminent
- EV charging points: An appeal
- Help shape Northstowe Local Centre and Enterprise Zone
- Upcoming community forums
- Possible disruption to green bin collections
- New Washable Nappy Discount Scheme
- 2021 Annual Canvass
- Casual vacancies
- Elections 2022
- Contact us online rather than call us
- Local knowledge: Request for help
- Growth Fund
- Visitor economy website
- Growing your business webinar
- Biodiversity SPD
- No amendments procedure
- Planning policy database update
- Digital consultation launched to shape the future of the OxCam Arc
- Summer Holidays – Holiday Activities and Food Programme from Cambridgeshire County Council
- Fostering and adoption
- Wanted: Health Champions to help improve how services work for local people
The Parish Council has agreed a ‘tenancy at will’ with the County Council for the Infants School playing field in New School Road. It is intended by both parties that this will translate into a long term lease of the land.
This is good news because it makes available a little more green open space to the community. The rights of existing users will be protected.
It is expected that the field will be open for use from 0800 until dusk and subject to a limited number of common sense rules. Ball games will be allowed.
At the moment the field is just that, a field. The Parish Council has no plans to ‘develop’ it but will monitor its use and listen to any good ideas which come along.
Note that the field is a Protected Village Amenity Area in South Cambs Local Plan and a Local Green Space in the Neighbourhood Plan. Anything that the Parish Council does will reflect these designations
Those who track the stats will know that last week any smugness about Histon & Impington continuing with a pretty low infection rate is of the past. In the 7 days up to 20 Jul 21 43 new infections were recorded for a rate of 356 per hundred thousand. That compares with 532 for England as a whole and 341 for South Cambs which are both for the period up to 25 Jul 21 (ie they are more up to date). The South Cambs numbers are said to be ‘stabilising’.
Addenbrookes’ admission are also up but with proportionately fewer in intensive care when compared to earlier in the year.
Our community appears to be behaving with remarkable responsibility with a high level of mask wearing and attention to social distancing. Our businesses are doing likewise and the statements from Tesco (https://bit.ly/3kVklYf) and the Co-Op (https://coop.uk/2UPItkq) have both been supportive with employees continuing to wear masks and customers being encouraged to do likewise.
Our hospitality businesses are all doing their best to navigate a middle road between unbridled freedom and slavish adherence to old rules. The guidance on the Red Lion Facebook page is fairly typical:
‘Further to the government announcements, we here at the Red Lion will still put the health & safety of our customers and staff above all else. We will still wear masks to serve you. It’s your choice if you want wear them when moving around and you can come to the bar to order and pay.
We’d like you to sit back down as soon you can. Ordering on the app is still the best inside or out and we can do table service inside if none of these options suit you.’
Many people have rather enjoyed table service and it’s good to see that this will still be supported. The Guardian thinks that will indeed continue https://bit.ly/36YEDrE
And to repeat what we said last week, this means that we should:
- Continue to observe ‘hands, face and space’ especially in crowded indoor spaces;
- Be tolerant of those who choose not to relax their behaviour. And of those who do;
- Recognize that vulnerable people may now feel less safe in our community; and
- Support our businesses and whatever rules they put in place
Our community has looked after itself in exemplary fashion. However the changes will probably bring more stress. If that happens and you or anyone you know does need any help for any reason please contact the street co-ordinator or call the HICOVID19 helpline on 01223 320420.
Click here for a pdf of this digest.
