New Children's Centre for Bassingbourn and Gamlingay opened
County Council Chairman John Powley was the guest of honour when he officially opened Cambridgeshire's latest Children's Centre in Bassingbourn on 1 October. Cllr Powley cut the ribbon and a celebratory cake – which was all part of a fun day for local families.
Attractions included an army assault course for young people, provided by neighbouring Bassingbourn Barracks, and a bouncy castle There were also crafts and activities for under 5s as well as a welcome pack.
The Stepping Stones Children's Centre in Brook Road, Bassingbourn – it includes Gamlingay in its catchment area – has an activity room, a health room, an office, reception area, kitchen and outdoor play area for children. A second part of the building provides new facilities for the pre-school, breakfast club and out of school club.
Children's Centres are a national government initiative, which are being delivered across the country by local authorities. Their core purpose is to improve outcomes for all children from birth to age five. Children's Centres offer easier access for families of children under five to health, family support and drop-in activities, along with information about local childcare, early education, specialist services for under 5s and help with finding jobs and training.
Residents to have their say on new Cambourne secondary school on 12 October
Cambridgeshire County Council is asking residents to comment on its plans to build a new secondary school for Cambourne. Plans for the new school will be on display on Wednesday 12 October between 2 and 8pm at The Hub, Cambourne Community Centre, High Street, Cambourne.
Planning Officers from the County Council will be on hand at the event to answer questions, particularly about the planning process and how local residents and other members of the public can have their say on the proposed development. The new school is intended to take some of the burden from nearby Comberton Village College which will be full by 2013.
The site for the new school lies between the north-western edge of Lower Cambourne and Swansley Wood Farm. The proposal includes the construction of a two storey school building including a gym and sports hall, a dining area, a main hall, an activity studio as well as general purpose and subject-specific classrooms and hard play areas and sports pitches.
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: "I would like to encourage as many local residents as possible to come along to this event so that they can have their say on this important proposal. If you can't make it on the day, you can always comment on the proposal by email or send a letter to the County Council's planning team."
Members of the public have until Monday 24 October 2011 to comment either by email to planningdc@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or by letter to Box 1213, Shire Hall, Cambridge, CB3 OAP. The proposal is likely to be decided by the Council in the New Year.
The full planning application can be seen on the County Council's website at: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/environment/planning/applications and follow the links. [Editor's note – good luck with 'following the links' as they are not at all obvious...]
Woodland improvement grant for Histon and Girton
The Forestry Commission has provided the County Council with a cash grant that will enable work to be carried out on the County Farms Woodland Estate. One of the sites is at Histon and Girton Community woods. These three blocks of woodland were planted approximately 15 years ago, and as little management has been carried out since, it is now in need of works. Contractors will carry out the work this winter.
The wood has permissive access throughout and works will involve coppicing along the paths to improve access, making it feel less enclosed in areas and helping the paths to dry out in winter. The grant also allows us to put in waymark posts to improve access.
By coppicing we will replicate the natural varied structure of a mature woodland, with areas of shrubby growth and areas where light can reach the woodland floor, encouraging ground flora diversity.
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: “This cash grant from the Forestry Commission is very good news and builds on the excellent joint working between the two organisations.
County Council to stay focussed on safety measures on the A1307
Cambridgeshire County Council will continue to focus on safety measures on the A1307 to build on work already carried out which has cut accidents by more than 50% in the past five years. The County Council's Road Safety Team regularly reviews the accident record of county roads following serious accidents and following the recent double tragedy on the A1307, the team will look again at any additional measures which could be introduced within existing financial resources to further improve the safety record.
The work already carried out includes reduced speed limits on some stretches, improved signing and lining, traffic island realignment, installation of a static safety camera, a road safety campaign to influence driver behaviour and 'accident blackspot' warning signs to alert drivers to the number of accidents on the route. A recent meeting between the County Council, MEP Vicky Ford and local representatives, agreed that a further review of safety measures should be carried out.
County Council Cabinet Member for Community Infrastructure, Councillor Steve Criswell, said: "The County Council has already carried out a programme of safety improvement work which has halved the number of accidents on this road in five years.
That work includes installation of a safety camera, reduced speed limits, better lining and signing and warning signs to alert drivers to the fact that the road has been an accident hotspot in the past. While I am pleased with the impact of the improvements, the recent fatal accident at the Dean crossroads highlights the need to continue to constantly monitor the safety record on the road including looking at the outcomes of police investigations into the cause of any accidents which occur, to see what could be done to further reduce the number of accidents on the A1307."
The earlier safety campaign work will be reviewed with local people and County Councillors, future work could include further casualty route warning signs, high profile enforcement operations with the police and consideration of further speed limit changes.
Library e-book service of to flying start
The e-book service was launched on the 9th August. Since then there have been 484 visits in the first month to the website with a total of 55 downloads. These downloads have been made by 35 users. Currently 217 titles are available. The average loan period is 19 days with 94.55% of the loans for fiction, with biographies being the next most popular genre.
In common with most public libraries Cambridgeshire have launched the service to test the technical aspects of the service and also because of the limited number of titles which are available.
Currently publishers are uncertain of their approach to the lending of e-books by public libraries and a number will not currently allow access to their titles. As a result our range of titles is much more limited than that of the market leader the Kindle. Our titles cannot be downloaded onto a Kindle as this is a proprietary format and does not allow library loaned material to be which adheres to an open standard.
E-books is a service in the early stages of development as the technology develops and it becomes easier to download titles and a wider range of titles is available the service should develop.
Cambridgeshire bucking national trend
Cambridgeshire is bucking the national trend by increasing the number of babies under the age of one placed with adopters. National statistics have focussed on the number of adoption orders made for children of that age - a legal process which has to be completed to confirm the adoption.
Although no adoption orders were made in relation to this age group in Cambridgeshire last year, 13 children under the age of one were placed with adopters.
Adoptive parents are not able to make their adoption application to Court until the child has been placed with them for a minimum of ten weeks. The timescales following the application are then directed by the Courts. In total, 39 children of all ages in Cambridgeshire were placed with adoptive families - 25 of which were under the age of two. In total, 26 adoption orders were completed.
For the period from 1 April 2011 to 29 September 2011, Cambridgeshire has already achieved two adoption orders for children under one year and for a further eight for children between one and two years. The County Council expects this trend to continue following the signing of an agreement with adoption agency Coram earlier this year, which will result in improved decision-making and fewer delays in the adoption process.
Cambridgeshire County Council launched the partnership with Coram – a national children's charity and specialist voluntary adoption agency - in response to the Government's call for local authorities to improve their adoption services by.
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: "Cambridgeshire has maintained a pro-active approach to adoption and are conscious of the need to ensure that adoptive placements are achieved for children as young as possible and in a timely way. It is difficult to achieve adoption orders for children under one, but Cambridgeshire has been successful in placing children in their adoptive families before they are one year old."
Using your time for the good of the community
Communities will be time rich with the announcement of two new Time Bank schemes. The innovative approach was showcased at an event hosted by Cambridgeshire County Council and CHS Group to over a hundred people from all sections of business and the community. The event explained how people's time and skills are the biggest asset of any community. Time banking links people in a social network; each act of caring triggers a reciprocal act so that every transaction has social capital built in.
Time banking relies on a form of exchange which does not involve money. For every hour that a person 'gives' they are awarded a credit and can then 'receive' one hour of support from someone else in the time bank. But it is not just a skills exchange; the same principle can be used by service users and providers for a form of co-production, or by organisations in sharing resources and assets.
In Cambridge, time banks already have a strong foothold. The Freedom Club Time bank set up in 2006 already has over 100 members including a number of local homeless people who are 'giving' their time to help with garden renovations. With the help of the County and CHS, two new Time banks are shortly to be launched where CHS are looking to set up an initiative in Cambourne and are working with residents to explore what they feel will work there.
In Somersham, a time bank scheme sponsored by the County Council, but led by the Parish Council is due to be launched in the next few weeks. Offers of time from local people will be aimed at helping older and more vulnerable people. The project is part of the County Council's localism agenda, where real power is shifted to local communities.
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: "Time banking is such a simple idea, but it can transform the way people work together for the good of their community. You might be able to help with someone's gardening, painting a community venue or shopping for someone housebound. In return you will benefit by receiving assistance from others. It’s a win-win approach to strengthening communities."
More information is available at www.chsgroup.org.uk.
Council Tax Freeze Grant
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a Council Tax Freeze Grant payable to authorities which freeze the Council Tax for 2012/13 at 2011/12 levels. HM Treasury stated this was ‘a one-off grant equivalent to a 2.5 % increase’. In Cambridgeshire’s case the amount received will be approximately £5,847,000.
The Council Tax Freeze Grant for 2011/12 will continue to be paid in 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15.
Beginners workshop – climb your family tree for free
Cambridgeshire County Council is running two free workshops where residents can learn to explore the world's largest family history website for free. The workshops have been made possible by the generous support of volunteers from ProQuest, an information firm central to serious research and the distributor of Ancestry Library Edition.
Ancestry Library Edition is a leading online genealogy resource, with more than 5 billion names in over 4,000 collections. It allows people to search census returns, birth, marriage and death records, passenger lists, and much, much more. Access is available free of charge in Cambridgeshire Libraries. The first workshop took place at Central Library, Cambridge, on Thursday 6th October, repeated on Thursday 15th December. They begin at 2.30 pm and last one hour. The sessions are open to anyone aged 16+, and are free of charge. To reserve a place email Your.Library@cambridgeshire.gov.uk call 0345 045 5225, or ask any member of staff in Central Library.
The forthcoming workshops, led by Alison Knight from ProQuest, will help first-time users explore this treasure store of genealogical data. They will be especially helpful for those who have an interest in family history, but are not so confident at using a computer - although basic keyboard and mouse skills will be assumed.
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: There is a huge and growing interest in family history, as shown by the popularity of BBC TV's 'Who Do You Think You Are?' Cambridgeshire Libraries and Archives helps thousands of people trace their ancestors using a whole range of resources of which Ancestry is one of the best known.
Cambridgeshire County Council extends a warm welcome to volunteers from ProQuest. This is a wonderful example of the business community supporting their local library."
A bishop's blessing for new school buildings
The Bishop of Huntingdon will be the guest of honour at an official opening ceremony to mark the completion of new buildings at Burrough Green C of E Primary School. A special ceremony will be held on Tuesday 18 October between 6.00pm and 7.00pm when the buildings will be officially opened and dedicated by the Rt Rev'd David Thomson.
Burrough Green CE Primary School is one of the oldest schools in the country. It all started in the early part of the 1600s when the local Rector, Dr Anthony Cage, had a good idea. This was only some 20 years after the death of Queen Elizabeth I and within living memory of the victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588. He left a house and land to raise rent to pay for a poor woman of the parish to teach reading and for training an apprentice.
By 1633 the records show there were two educated ladies, the widows Folkes and Desborough, employed by the scheme, with the schooling taking place in village homes. Dr Cage's vision was driven by a social and religious conviction, not uncommon at the time, that to enable people to have a fulfilling and meaningful encounter with God they should be taught to read.
The Bible phrase "If ye continue in my word then ye are my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." (John 8:31-32) was taken very seriously. Spurred by the publication of the King James' Bible in 1611, knowing and possessing the word meant reading. So started a slow and steady revolution that lead to parliamentary democracy, the National Schools, free education and emancipation for the common man and woman.
By 1708 sufficient funds had accumulated to build a dedicated school room, and not long after a school house and alms house were added. Further endowments of land and buildings bequeathed by Elizabeth March in Brinkley, and the Drs Samuel Knight and Thomas Watson of Burrough Green consolidated the educational aspirations of the community. The legacy of this support continues to benefit the school today. Until recently, for example, local children still received a bursary from the charities to attend school - possibly the only example of children being paid to attend school between the ages of 4 and 16 in the country.
However, by the early part of the 21st century the original buildings and the more recent extensions were beginning to fail as the school's numbers increased, and the physical fabric deteriorated. Builders started work in August 2009, completing the work two years later. One of the oldest schools in the country had become one of the newest.
The new buildings consist of a refurbished Listed Building which housed the old school, now serving the Playgroup (for children 2-4 years), providing a music room and library. The rest of the school is completely new, housing 4 classes, admin block, kitchens, and a new hall. The school also hopes to develop a museum and gallery space to celebrate its heritage. The project cost around £2.8m.
"The school is very proud of its history, but is also proud of the exciting future it is carving out for itself, as a centre of educational opportunity, excitement, innovation, and excellence. That - taken with its strong sense of moral purpose - would have made Dr Cage a very happy man."
Celebrations the primary consideration at Ditton Lodge
A week of celebrations will mark the official transition of Ditton Lodge First School into an all-though Primary School. The completion of new buildings at the school means it can now cater for the full primary age range of 4 to 11 for up to 210 pupils. The £3.1m extension comprises a new entrance, new reception office, head teacher's office and medical inspection area. The staffroom has been enlarged and refurbished. Existing classrooms were also refurbished to a high specification.
Three additional classrooms have also been built, each including whiteboards and wet areas. The Pre- school is also in a new building, having moved out of the mobile classroom they previously occupied. Also included in the scheme is a large sports hall and discovery centre, part funded by the school. The school grounds have undergone a significant landscaping project to provide a stimulating outside learning environment.
Headteacher Angela Finn said: "We are delighted with the new building. It enables us to fulfill our potential as an all-through primary school. But it is more than an expansion of the school - it represents an expansion in thinking for the teachers and governors and an expansion in opportunity for our children and their families in our catchment area."
POLICING UPDATES
Go-ahead given for four joint functions
Savings of up to £3m per year will be achieved following the recent agreement to establish four new joint functions for Bedfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Hertfordshire Constabulary. The three organisations’ Police Authorities have given the go-ahead for joint Firearms, Major Crime, Professional Standards and Scientific Services units to be established early next year as the ‘Strategic Alliance’ between the three forces continues to develop and strengthen.
The ambitious Strategic Alliance will help each of the three forces meet the unprecedented financial challenges over the next few years and reduce the impact of the budget cuts on frontline policing. By 2015, it is anticipated that a wide range of joint operational functions and support services, comprising more than 50% of policing business, will be saving around £20m per year and bring economies of scale and increased resilience.
The only areas of policing that will not be considered for joint working are local policing (incident response, neighbourhood policing and volume crime investigation) as these need to be tailored to local priorities of the communities we serve and styles of delivery, and ‘Protecting Vulnerable People’ functions which are best delivered in partnership with locally based agencies. The Strategic Alliance is building on the former Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Joint Collaboration Programme which has, over recent years, seen the development of 13 joint functions, already saving the two forces more than £4m per year. The two forces and Police Authorities have also worked with Cambridgeshire Constabulary to develop a Procurement function to serve the three organisations.
Police Authority member John Reynolds, said: “These complex business cases are the result of a great deal of work by the constabularies and scrutiny by the authorities. We look forward to them helping to ensure effective policing whilst making the best use of resources for the three areas. We are very pleased to be developing this shared response with our partner forces. We will be monitoring the implementation very closely to ensure we deliver a high quality service as well as making the financial savings.
Firearms Unit – This collaboration will save approximately £542,000 per annum across the three forces, provide significant capability and capacity across the three force areas and include a joint training capability ensuring that all officers are trained to the same high standard.
Major Crime Unit – This joint operation will save approximately £700,000 per annum. Its remit will include the investigation of homicides, attempted murders and life-threatening crimes in action as well as cold case murder reviews, ensuring that the investigation of these crimes does not impact on officers and staff fulfilling local policing duties.
Professional Standards Department – This collaboration will save approximately £637,000 per year. The unit will be the guardian of standards across the three forces, ensuring that the integrity and security (both physical and IT) are maintained and complaints against the police or allegations of misconduct are efficiently and effectively managed and investigated.
Scientific Services Unit – This collaboration will save around £670,000 per annum and will handle all the forensic and DNA work for the three forces. Further savings of £500,000 will be delivered over the following two years. The unit will align closely with the work of the Major Crime Unit.
Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Police and Crime Panels (PCP)
The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, proposes police authorities are replaced by elected Police and Crime Commissioners and Police and Crime Panels. The Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) will be elected by members of the public – so it could be someone you recognise. The candidates, who will serve for four years, are expected to be high profile individuals. PCCs will be responsible for a much wider agenda – not just policing, but also community safety.
The PCCs will be able to hold the chief constable to account. The Police and Crime Panels will hold the PCC by asking him/her to attend the panel meeting and answer questions.The panel can also call for information from the PCC. The panel is likely to be made up of 10 councillors (drawn from district, unitary and county) plus two co-opted members. The panel will be expected to publically comment on the PCC’s draft police and crime plan.
The passing of the bill through Parliament succeeded in September – PCC elections will therefore take place in November 2012.
Other issues (picked up by John from an American blog, with comments and additions by Peter Mann, this website’s editor)
Tips on buying petrol and diesel
Only fill up your car or van in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. All service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground – the colder the ground the more dense the petrol. When it gets warmer, petrol expands – so when buying in the afternoon or in the evening, your litre is not exactly a litre. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the petrol or diesel (as well as jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products) plays an important role. A one degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business – but service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps
When you're filling up, do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look, you’ll see that the trigger has three stages – low, middle and high. If you pump on low mode, you’ll minimise the vapours that are created while pumping. [Editor’s note: That’s fine if you have all day and/or the pumps aren’t on a three minute timer, as is the case at some Tesco stations.] All hoses at the pump have a vapour return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapour. Those vapours are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank, so you're getting less worth for your money.
Another key tip is to fill up when your tank is half full - the more fuel in your tank, the less air is occupying its empty space. Petrol evaporates faster than you can imagine – petrol storage tanks have an internal floating roof, which serves as zero clearance between the petrol and the atmosphere, so minimising the evaporation. [Editor’s note – more fuel in your tank = more weight; more weight = more work for the engine; more work for the engine = higher fuel consumption.]
Another reminder, if there is a tanker pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy fuel, do not fill up – most likely the petrol or diesel is being stirred up as it is being delivered and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.
[Editor’s note – readers of the Honest John column in the motoring section of Saturday’s Daily Telegraph, will have read of his enthusiasm for buying higher octane fuels rather than standard fuels on the basis of it being better for your engine (because of better lubrication, thereby reducing friction, making it run easier) and improved fuel consumption. www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/caradvice/honestjohn/8799161/How-to-improve-fuel-economy.html
Contact John Reynolds
County Councillor John Reynolds
4 Holly Trees
Bar Hill
Cambridge
CB23 8SF
T 01954 200 571
F 01954 200 571
M 07720 379699
E john.reynolds@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Follow Cambridgeshire County Council on
Facebook – www.facebook.com/CambridgeshireCC.
Twitter – www.twitter.com/CambsCC.
Cambridgeshire County Council – website.