CamBedRailRoad and East West Rail

Parish Council News

CamBedRailRoad (CBRR) is a community based, voluntary, think tank led by two distinguished transport infrastructure Civil Engineers, with extensive experience in the UK and the Far East, and our Chairman, County Councillor Sebastian Kindersley. Barton Parish Council invited Sebastian to present their vision for EWR to the Councillors and Traffic, Travel and Transport working group. (Attached is a pdf of the presentation.)

CBRR also have set up a petition:

The petition reads:

We, the undersigned, request that the Department for Transport ensures that the proposal for a Northern route for the Central Section of the East West Rail, such as that proposed by CamBedRailRoad with widespread support amongst residents of South Cambridgeshire, is fairly evaluated at the same time and to the same degree as alternative routes proposed by East West Rail Company.

The link to the petition is:

https://www.change.org/p/secretary-of-state-for-transport-northern-rail-route-should-be-evaluated-equally-alongside-ewr-s-current-proposals-d7bd2f1f-7675-41de-b072-161074cfdeef

CBRR’s website (http://www.cambedrailroad.org/

Barton Parish Council continue to engage with all parties including our local MP Anthony Browne, County and District Councillors and, most importantly, EWR directly.

EWR still plan to present route options early 2021, so any other option you may read about or see is speculative and not from an official source. Have a look at EWR community hub and the environmental maps and overlays.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Clerk.

 

Cyber Security Advice

Neighbourhood Watch News

Due to coronavirus, more people will be doing their festive shopping online this year.

This means more opportunities for hackers to carry out cyber attacks. They often do this by targeting people and businesses using:

* email and website scams
* malware – software that can damage your device or let a hacker in
* If hackers get into your device or accounts, they could access your money, your personal information, or information about your business.

You can improve your cyber security by taking six actions:

1 – Use a strong and separate password for your email

If a hacker gets into your email, they could:

* reset your other account passwords
* access information you have saved about yourself or your business
* Your email password should be strong and different to all your other passwords. This will make it harder to crack or guess.

2 – Create strong passwords using 3 random words

When you use different passwords for your important accounts, it can be hard to remember them all.

A good way to create strong, memorable passwords is by using 3 random words.

Do not use words that can be guessed (like your pet’s name). You can include numbers and symbols if you need to. For example, “RedPantsTree4!”

3 – Save your passwords in your browser

Saving your password in your browser means letting your web browser (such as Chrome, Safari or Edge) remember your password for you.

This can help:
* make sure you do not lose or forget your passwords
* protect you against some cyber crime, such as fake websites

It is safer than using weak passwords, or using the same password in more than one place.

4 – Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication (2FA) helps to stop hackers from getting into your accounts, even if they have your password.

5 – Update your devices

Out-of-date software, apps, and operating systems contain weaknesses. This makes them easier to hack.

Companies fix the weaknesses by releasing updates. When you update your devices and software, this helps to keep hackers out.

6 – Back up your data

Backing up means creating a copy of your information and saving it to another device or to cloud storage (online).

Backing up regularly means you will always have a recent version of your information saved. This will help you recover quicker if your data is lost or stolen.

For more information, and step-by-step instructions, please visit cyberaware.gov.uk

Catalytic Converter Thefts

Neighbourhood Alert

Catalytic Converter Thefts

Please be aware there have been a number of catalytic converter thefts across South Cambridgeshire in recent months. Among the brands targeted Toyota, and Honda are high on the list along with four by four vehicles and Sprinter vans. Thieves are selecting models that have the most high value metals within the converter.

Thieves use high powered cutting tools and will jack up the car to cut out converters so they can access the precious metals inside.
Cambridgeshire police are urging residents to take precautions as your vehicle may be targeted.

There are specialist catalytic converter marking kits available so you can mark your converter with a unique code, so it’s harder for thieves to sell on.
Approach your dealership for advice about fitting a Catloc or other protective device, some garages are offering specialist welding and will fit metal plates to help protect the vulnerable areas.
Try to park with your exhaust close to a fence, wall or kerb to reduce the risk of theft.
Consider installing a 24hr dash-cam.
Purchase a driveway alarm
Park in a well lit area, ideally covered by CCTV.

For more advice please follow this link:

Or check our website: www.cambs.police.uk

Message Sent By
Rachel Carr (Police, Community Safety Officer, South Cambridgeshire)

Christmas COVID Update

Parish Council News

Dear Residents,

This is the latest information from South Cambridgeshire District Council.

From one minute after midnight on Wednesday 2nd December, we enter Tier 2 (High Alert). This is for areas with a higher or rapidly rising level of infection, where some additional restrictions need to be in place. The Tier 2 restrictions are as follows:

  • 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 a garden or public space – this is the ‘rule of 6’
  • Places of worship remain open but you must not socialise with people from outside of your household or support bubble while you are indoors there.
  • Pubs and bars must close, unless operating as restaurants. Hospitality venues can only serve alcohol with substantial meals. They must provide table service only in venues which sell alcohol, close between 11pm and 5am and stop taking orders after 10pm.
  • Visit bartonvillage.org for more information.

             Making a Christmas bubble with friends and family between 23rd and 27th December

  • you can form an exclusive ‘Christmas bubble’ composed of people from no more than three households
  • you can only be in one Christmas bubble
  • you cannot change your Christmas bubble
  • you can travel between tiers and UK nations for the purposes of meeting your Christmas bubble
  • you can only meet your Christmas bubble in private homes or in your garden, places of worship, or public outdoor spaces
  • you can continue to meet people who are not in your Christmas bubble outside your home according to the rules in the tier where you are staying
  • you cannot meet someone in a private dwelling who is not part of your household or Christmas bubble

You should travel to meet those in your Christmas bubble and return home between the 23rd  and 27th  December. Anyone travelling to or from Northern Ireland may travel on the 22nd and 28th  December.

A fixed bubble is a sensible and proportionate way to balance the desire to spend time with others over the Christmas period, while limiting the risk of spreading infection. However, the more people you see, the more likely it is that you will catch or spread coronavirus (COVID-19). You can spread coronavirus to others even if you and the people you meet have no symptoms. You and the other people in your Christmas bubble need to consider these risks carefully before agreeing to form a bubble.  Remember, hands, face, space.

Barton Christmas Programme

Parish News

Barton Parish Council presents the 2020 Christmas programme:

10th December – a Christmas tree will be erected on the village green.  Parishioners are cordially invited to make and hang a decoration on the tree before 18th December.

11th December – 10am – the children of Barton Primary School will be a-carolling in 3 village locations. This is weather dependent. The backup date is the 14th.

12th December – 3.30pm-6.30pm – let’s make Barton shine with Christmas magic. The tree will be lit to the sound of some old favourite songs – please come and admire Barton’s Christmas tree creativity, respecting social distancing of course!

19th- 21st December – a treat for the children.  A small surprise for children will be hidden throughout the village (first come, first served! Please only take one per child).  Happy hunting! Also, the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ will be on display around Barton in gardens, hanging from trees or gates.  They can be viewed from pavements. Can you find all 12?

Many thanks to all who have donated to this festive fun!

Lockdown into Tier 2

South Cambridgeshire District Council News

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:

  1. The Government’s summary of Tier 2 measures
  2. Attached (below) is a 9-page summary of the Winter Plan – or you can view the full 64-page document
  3. 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:

  1. 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
  2. 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’.

Webinar: Community organisation and social enterprise leaders

The Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) is running free zoom sessions for leaders of community organisations and social enterprises. The focus of conversations is generated by the participants, who can shape what this needs to be, to ensure that the sessions are useful for them. Past attendees have valued hearing other leaders’ experiences, having a safe space to offload and time to pause and reflect. These sessions are available throughout the winter and into early spring.

Webinar: Fundraising in rural communities

Cambridge Council for Voluntary Sector (CCVS) is running a free webinar aimed at fundraising for community groups working in rural areas on Thursday 10 December, 6pm to 7.30pm. The Co-op will talk about their role in creating local forums to share resources and support communities to make things happen. And the event will also touch on social finance and community share schemes which some communities have been able to utilise to save community assets. You can book via Eventbrite.

Hearing aid maintenance in Cambourne and Fulbourn

Cambridgeshire Hearing Help has limited re-opening hours for its hearing aid re-tubing service (for NHS hearing aid users). If you know someone who needs their hearing aid cleaning/maintaining, they could use the new drop-off and pick-up 30 minutes later service, by appointment.

  1. Cambourne Hearing Aid Maintenance Centre, The Hub, High St, Cambourne, CB23 6GW – open every Tuesday, 10.30am to 3.30pm
  2. Fulbourn Hearing Aid Maintenance Centre, The Swifts Meeting Room and Library, Haggis Gap, Fulbourn, CB21 5HD – open every Thursday, 10.30am to 3.30pm

For further information or to book an appointment call 01223 416 141 or email .

Bill Handley

Lead Cabinet Member for Community Resilience, Health & Wellbeing

South Cambridgeshire District Council

Launch of Countywide Test and Trace Service

South Cambs District Council News

Launch of countywide Test and Trace service

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough contact tracing service launched this week.

Cambridgeshire County Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council will be working closely with NHS Test and Trace to contact people who have tested positive for Covid-19, giving them help, advice and support to self-isolate, in a further bid to crack down on the pandemic.

Both councils have staff who have undergone special training in contact tracing and who will be following up on people who have tested positive for Covid-19 but have not responded to a call or email from the national service, asking them for details of their close contacts.

Council staff will initially make contact by phone, text or email asking people to call a local number. If this fails, staff carrying local authority ID will make house to house visits to reach those people who have tested positive. They will be given advice and support on how they can stay isolated to break the chain of infection, and prevent it spreading to their household contacts. They will also be asked to share details of others they have been in contact with. Anyone who is concerned by being contacted can call the council or local community hub to check the identity of the tracer on 0345 045 5219.

We know that the quicker we can reach people who’ve tested positive and get them to isolate – and get them to share details of who they’ve been in contact with – the quicker we can break the chain of infection.

Information will be provided by the local team about the support available for those who need to isolate, including the £500 payments that are available for people who have been asked to self-isolate, where this has led to a loss of income.

Please feel free to share information about the new local team in your communities.

How the system works

  • If the national NHS Test and Trace service is unable to make contact after 24 hours with anyone who tests positive, they will refer the details into our new, local Cambridgeshire contact tracing team
  • The local team will receive this information daily, seven days a week
  • The Cambridgeshire team will contact people, initially by phone/text/email, and this will show up as a local number or come from an official council email address. The person will be asked to contact a local number
  • If they can’t be contacted by phone/text/email after another 24 hours, we will send a council member of staff to the person’s address to speak to them personally
  • We will provide advice to them, get details of their ‘contacts’ and then update the national system with this information
  • The national process and service will then take over and contact the close contacts of the people we’ve been in contact with. The loop currently ends there for us in Cambridgeshire
  • When our colleagues make contact we will also see if people need any support or help – this could be financial support if people are unable to work, or support to shop for food, get medication or undertake essential household chores etc.

Enabling safe and effective volunteering during coronavirus

On 13 November, the Government published guidance for people who run volunteer-involving organisations or groups, or manage volunteers, to help organisations understand how to safely and effectively involve volunteers during the coronavirus outbreak.

Updated guidance on opening community facilities

The Government updated its guidance on Tuesday for those managing community centres, village halls and other community facilities on safely using multi-purpose buildings in line with national restrictions. If you need support please email .

Funding for parish council and community groups

We recently issued grants to parish councils and community groups to help with your Covid response. If you are a parish council, please ensure when using this grant that you are adhering to parish council legislation. For example, using the Power of Competence / using s137 funding. The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) issued helpful guidance in their bulletin LTN31 on 14 May 2020, which is available online to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Association of Local Councils (CAPALC) members.

Innovate & Cultivate Fund

The next deadline to apply for Cambridgeshire County Council’s Innovate & Cultivate Fund for £2,000-£15,000 is 1 February 2021. The fund supports initiatives that strengthen communities and reduce pressure on the County Council’s adult social care and children’s services. The fund is open to voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations, and public sector organisations in Cambridgeshire.

The County Council strongly advises organisations to seek pre-application advice on their project ideas before submitting an application – you can book an advice slot for Thursday 10 December on Eventbrite.

Application guidance is also available to run new projects such as Mobile Warden Schemes and Digital Inclusion Projects – or for Timebanks, Good Neighbour Schemes, Dementia-Friendly Communities and Men’s Sheds. You can find guidance on how to apply for a start-up grant for each of these projects on the Cambridgeshire Insight website.

C3 hot meals scheme – update

We mentioned last week that we are able to relaunch the hot food scheme with C3 Church. Please continue to let us know if you are aware of individuals or families in your community who would benefit from a weekly meal top up, please email .

LEAP – energy and money saving advice

The Council has partnered with LEAP (the Local Energy Advice Partnership), which offers a free energy advice service for residents, offering:

  • energy saving advice
  • debt advice
  • free LED bulbs, radiator panels and draught proofing (including fitting for disabled customers)
  • help to understand tariffs and meters, and to find the cheapest energy tariffs (saving an average £250 per year)
  • referrals for funding for home improvements such as loft insulation (even in rented accommodation we can partially fund improvements)
  • free replacement fridges, freezers, washing machines and electric cookers (if over nine years old and broken, through the HEART scheme)
  • to register residents for a Warm Home Discount (£140 off their electricity bill), a Social Water Tariff, and Priority Services Register.

 

The service is available to anyone that either is already in, or is at risk of, falling into fuel poverty. It is open to all types of householders – homeowners, private renters and social housing tenants. You can check the eligibility criteria on the LEAP website.

Job role: Community Connectors

We are aware of 10 Community Connector roles which are being recruited to by the County Council and, as you have been working to perform such a similarly supportive role during 2020, we thought it may be of interest.

It is critical that we all follow the rules so that we can start December in the lowest tier possible and have the best chance of being able to spend the festive season with friends and family. Please do remember that we are here to help you in your ongoing efforts to support your community – don’t hesitate to contact your patch lead with any queries or requests for support.

Bill Handley

Lead Cabinet Member for Community Resilience, Health & Wellbeing

South Cambridgeshire District Council

Break-ins on Cambridge Road

Neighbourhood Watch

A number of properties on Cambridge Road were burgled during the night of Wednesday 11 November 2020. Thefts and attempted thefts were from garden sheds. Access appeared to be from garden to garden.

Please make sure your sheds are locked and well protected from entry. Ideally have them alarmed with CCTV overlooking vulnerable areas.

Check that attempts have not been made to break in to your sheds and outbuildings and phone the police if there are signs.

Please be vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour.

Sarah Pitchford Area Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator

COVID-19 Update

Council News

Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) update

Residents who are at the most risk from coronavirus – those who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable – are being asked to take extra precautions during the new national lockdown. This group of people is not as large as the group identified under the previous shielding scheme; for example, there is not the need for everyone over 70 to stay at home.

Everyone who is in the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable category has been sent a letter from Government to advise them what they need to do to stay safe. We are working with Cambridgeshire County Council to follow this up with a further letter/email/text with local information about support available. This will include how support can be accessed from local community groups.

In South Cambridgeshire:

  • 6,500 people are in the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable category at the moment
  • 3,200 registered on the national support website, or by phone, in the first phase of the virus
  • Of those who registered, 750 people had a need for some form of support (many of which were helped by community groups)

Along with colleagues at the County Council, we will also be calling people on the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable list who are most vulnerable and received support last time. This is so we can be sure they have what they need. Part of that conversation will make it clear we will share their information with a community group if support can be provided by them, such as shopping or the collection of prescriptions.

As we are now over seven months into the pandemic, the national systems such as online supermarket priority are far more developed. People are also much more aware of the amazing support available to them in their community. As this is the case, we do not plan to share the data we provided to community groups during the initial lockdown. We would encourage groups to remind everyone in their village they are still there to help, including using the grants we have offered to send an updated leaflet, if possible. We will be contacting you about people who say they need your help.

Co-op Food Fund

Co-op Food Fund grants of £2,000 to £10,000 are available to local charities, community organisations, parish and town councils, school PTAs, churches and other religious organisations for local programmes that tackle food poverty. Eligible expenditure includes food banks, holiday hunger schemes, redistributing surplus food, providing access to balanced meals and upskilling people on low cost meal solutions. The deadline to apply is 13 November 2020.

Business support

It’s going to be another tough time for local businesses, and our Business Support team is ready to help. If any of your local businesses are unsure about what they can/cannot do as part of new lockdown measures, or if they need support or advice on where to go for financial assistance over coming weeks and months, please remind them that they can contact our Business Support team. Email for general support and guidance, or for queries relating to Local Restriction Support grants.

We are also encouraging businesses to sign up to our regular business newsletter and check out our webpages for all the most up to date information and business advice.

Finding Employment

https://thec3.uk/finding-employment

 

Barton Parish Council

If you need some guidance, help or a friendly voice then please contact :-

Sarah Pitchford

07816495590  or email 

 

FOBS Half-Term Scavenger Hunt

FOBS News

Friends of Barton School (FOBS) is organising a family scavenger hunt over the half term holidays (w/c 26th October) around Barton. FOBS are asking for a donation, and are suggesting £5 per family, but any amount would be welcome!

For details about the event, email or go to FOBS Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/100571418491447/posts/115459520335970/?extid=0&d=n

There’s also a colouring competition too where you can win a fabulous prize.

Everyone is welcome to join in the fun!

Good luck, FOBS