Phil Shepka

A Wisbech homeowner who initially suspected the Warm Homes Local Grant scheme was a scam said installed solar panels had reduced his electricity bill to about 2p a day. The Cambridgeshire partnership of six councils has supported 245 homes but exhausted its £3.5m allocation and is seeking more government funding. Other residents, including Trevor Dewey, have been left disappointed after funding ran out before planned improvements such as solar panels and a new boiler could be delivered. The government says its Warm Homes Plan will expand energy-efficiency upgrades across England.

The East Anglian Air Ambulance is fundraising to build a new western base at New Shardelowes Farm in Fulbourn after the planned closure of Cambridge City Airport. South Cambridgeshire District Council has granted planning permission subject to 41 conditions. The charity has raised part of its £8.2m target but still needs £4.4m, and director Richard Hindson said it is confident of reaching the goal. The new facility is intended to open in late 2028, ahead of the May 2029 deadline for leaving the existing site, and will serve the charity’s 24-hour operations across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Stagecoach East will reduce peak busway frequencies from every 10 minutes to every 15 minutes and off-peak frequencies from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes from 1 January 2027. The operator attributes the decision to a significant passenger decline caused by longer journeys during fencing work on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway. The safety project followed three deaths and a £6m fine for Cambridgeshire County Council, while fencing costs have risen to £12.5m. The council says safety remains its priority and that it will work with operators to limit disruption; Conservative mayor Paul Bristow has called for services to return to previous levels.

A £1.5m grant-funded trial to repair peat-affected roads in March, Cambridgeshire, will begin on B1099 Upwell Road and run until September. Cambridgeshire County Council and Winvic Construction Ltd will test deep soil mixing, chemical stabilisation and lightweight materials to identify longer-lasting and more cost-effective ways to address the county’s £500m road repair backlog. A separate section of Upwell Road will also be resurfaced, with weekday closures in place. Council and regional leaders said the project could reduce repeat repairs, disruption and costs while providing evidence for a fairer government funding settlement.

Cambridge City Council has defended charging £1 to use newly redeveloped public toilets on Silver Street bridge, saying the fee will help fund an attendant for six hours a day and maintain clean, safe facilities. The nearly £1m project replaced flood-prone toilets and includes wheelchair access, baby-changing facilities and three squat-style flushing toilets aimed partly at international visitors. Residents criticized the charge as excessive, particularly given the specialized facilities, while the council acknowledged that signage needs improvement and said it will review the fee after six to 12 months.

Reports warn that Cambridge’s rapid growth could double congestion by 2031, prompting analysis of new mass rapid transit options including tunnels, light rail, and road reconfiguration. Confidential assessments suggest minimal improvements without major intervention and highlight technical feasibility for tunnelled routes despite high costs. The Cambridge Growth Company and local authorities are exploring multiple transport scenarios while emphasising no decisions have been made. Proposals include potential MRT tunnels, repurposing the guided busway, and converting key roads to one‑way systems to accommodate future networks.

Cambridge councillors reached a cross‑party agreement to explore tighter regulation of houses in multiple occupation, with a report due in autumn on implementing an Article Four direction that would require planning permission for smaller HMOs. The proposal follows a petition calling for stricter controls and a local density threshold, echoing measures in Oxford and Bristol. Councillors from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens highlighted concerns over tenant living standards, landlord management and the shortage of council housing.

Reform UK retained the Ramsey and Bury seat on Cambridgeshire County Council after Howard Tobias won a by-election triggered by the resignation of James Sidlow. Tobias, already a councillor on Huntingdonshire District Council, received 506 votes, finishing ahead of the runner-up by nearly 100 votes. Reform UK remains the third-largest party on the county council, behind the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

Clare Hall withdrew its objection to the proposed £200m Cambourne to Cambridge busway after reaching a confidential agreement with Cambridgeshire County Council that included a payment and limits on overnight bus operations. The project, developed by the Greater Cambridge Partnership, awaits a government decision following a public inquiry marked by more than 300 objections and concerns about future relevance once East West Rail is built. Anna Gazeley, who obtained the agreement through a Freedom of Information request, questioned its significance and called for greater transparency. The council said the agreement addressed the college’s concerns, leading to the withdrawal of its objection.

A tribunal ruled that deporting former Wisbech mayor Aigars Balsevics to Latvia would not breach his human rights, rejecting his appeal that cited family and private-life grounds. Convicted of twice raping a woman in 2021, he is eligible for conditional release next year. The judge found no compelling circumstances to outweigh the public interest in his removal. The Home Office welcomed the decision, highlighting broader efforts to return foreign offenders.

Campaigners warn that a proposed 4,500‑home development at Grange Farm near the Abingtons would overwhelm local villages, citing ecological concerns, water shortages and inadequate infrastructure. They argue the project was added hastily after another housing plan in Cambridge collapsed. South Cambridgeshire District Council says the reduced‑capacity proposal follows extensive consultation and evidence on environmental and transport impacts, while residents maintain the scale resembles a new town rather than village expansion.

More than 90,000 food waste bins will be delivered across Fenland beginning Monday, with residents receiving indoor and outdoor caddies ahead of weekly collections starting on 7 September. The council expects the first delivery phase to be completed by late August and plans to distribute bins to flats and communal properties in a second phase. The rollout follows new national legislation requiring weekly food waste collections from March, with government funding supporting the service. A council official said the optional scheme aims to improve recycling and free space in existing bins after delays caused by shortages of specialist vehicles.

Cambridgeshire County Council warned schools about potential fire risks from handheld fans containing lithium‑ion batteries and the possible misuse of water spray bottles during a UK heatwave. The authority advised schools to carry out local risk assessments and consider limiting rechargeable fans or controlling how spray bottles are filled. Amber heat‑health alerts remain in place across parts of England as temperatures could reach 36C.

Schools in Cambridge will temporarily increase Year 7 admissions due to prolonged delays in opening the new Darwin Green Academy, which still lacks planning permission despite an initial 2020 target. Cambridgeshire County Council forecasts a shortfall in places for 2027 and confirmed several secondary schools will over-admit students to meet demand. Officials hope for a partial opening of the new school in 2028, while local councillor Rory Clark welcomed the decision but criticised the delays. Developers and the council continue work on the pending planning application, with a public design consultation scheduled for mid-July.

Cambridgeshire County Council has decided to sell the unused Whittlesey Community and Youth Centre as part of efforts to reduce financial pressures and raise funds for other public projects. The site, listed by Fenland District Council as an asset of community value, may receive community bids until late July. Youth services previously based there have been relocated, and the council has not disclosed the expected sale price.

A newly elected Reform UK councillor, Tony Nelson, has resigned from Huntingdonshire District Council, likely prompting a by-election. Nelson, who won the St Neots Eynesbury ward in May as Reform UK became the council’s third-largest party, stepped down for personal reasons. The council has issued a formal notice of vacancy.

Cambridgeshire County Council plans to remove flags placed on lamp-posts without permission, citing safety and the need for inclusive, regulated displays amid rising unauthorised flag installations linked to national pride. Council leader Lucy Nethsingha emphasised safety concerns, noting that placing ladders against lamp-posts is dangerous and that only approved attachments are permitted. Billy Crotty, previously responsible for large flag displays, criticised the policy as excessive but said he had already stopped putting up flags. Similar actions have occurred in other regions, with the High Court recently approving an injunction in Oxfordshire, as national debates around patriotism and immigration heighten sensitivities.