Supplementary Report of Councillor Carla Hofman
and Councillor John Williams to
Parish Councils for January 2026.
This report contains factual information which we hope will be of use and of interest to the parish council and to the wider community of the parish.
For queries pleaser email us at cllr.williamsjg@scambs,gov.uk or cllr.hofman@scambs.gov.uk
Also, look out for the Parish Clerks e-Bulletin from South Cambridgeshire District Council
District Councillors Report January- PDF Version
Greater Cambridge councils set out arrangements for new weekly food waste collections
Weekly collections of food waste will begin in parts of Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire in January – with Greater Cambridge Shared Waste rolling out collections to all households by the end of 2026.
Fen Ditton and Horningsea will be the first villages in the Fen Ditton and Fulbourn ward to have separate food waste bins and should being receiving letters and bins now to start later this month.
The service will be extended across Greater Cambridge in phases throughout 2026. All households will receive a letter with full details a few weeks before the service begins in their area to help ensure they are prepared.
Before their new collections begin, households will receive a new outdoor caddy to put out for collection at the kerbside with their wheelie bins each week, as well as a smaller indoor caddy to collect food waste in the kitchen. Most flats will share an outdoor wheelie bin in their bin store to empty their indoor caddy into. The weekly food waste collections will take place on residents’ usual bin days.
The new service is part of national legislation requiring councils to collect food waste separately. It aims to help boost recycling rates and reduce the amount of food that gets thrown away and ends-up in landfill.
New website for Greater Cambridge Planning Service
Greater Cambridge residents and businesses can now use a redesigned website that provides instant hyperlocal planning information – and simplifies the planning process.
The launch comes days after Greater Cambridge Shared Planning was named the UK’s Planning Authority of the Year at the national Royal Town Planning Institute Awards for Planning Excellence. The redesigned website introduces a range of exciting features aimed at improving accessibility, navigation, and user experience.
Among the highlights:
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Localisation: Simply enter your postcode on the homepage to instantly access planning information relevant to your area. This includes active planning applications, flood zones, conservation areas, and tree preservation orders – giving residents quick and easy insight into what’s happening locally on their doorstep. Around 18,000 different people used this function within the first 24 hours of the redesigned website’s launch.
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Improved navigation: A smoother, more intuitive layout ensures you can find the information or services you need without hassle.
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Accessibility tools: A new suite of built-in tools makes the site easier to use for everyone.
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Document library: A brand-new searchable library allows users to view planning documents, including those related to the current Local Plan consultation.
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Mobile-friendly design: Optimised for smartphones and tablets, the site is designed to work seamlessly on any device.
Visit the website today at www.greatercambridgeplanning.org – the same URL as always – and explore the features designed to keep you informed and engaged with the planning process.
South Cambridgeshire Grants totalling £900,000 for local organisations that support residents of all ages
The latest round of grant funding for local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations – totalling £900,000 – has been announced.
For the next three years, Service Support Grants will provide crucial funding of £300,000 a year to local groups to deliver services that make a real difference including supporting people with their mental health, independent living, advice services, and helping residents through the cost-of-living crisis.
The Service Support Grants funding has significantly increased from the previous £167,400 a year budget – underscoring the Council’s commitment to community wellbeing, tackling inequality and reducing social isolation.
Grant recipients include:
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Cambridge and District Citizens Advice – £105,000 per year to provide free, confidential advice services to residents.
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Disability Huntingdonshire – £12,998 per year to support people with disabilities in South Cambs to live independently.
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Royston and District Community Transport (RDCT) – £7,000 per year to maintain accessible transport for those who need it most in the west of the district.
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Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre – £10,000 per year to deliver specialist support for survivors of sexual violence in South Cambs.
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Over Day Care – £30,000 per year to provide a transport and hospital discharge support service for older residents.
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Support Cambridgeshire (CCVS) – £20,000 per year to strengthen the voluntary and community sector in the district.
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Hope Against Poverty CIC – £14,400 per year to provide a Wellbeing Programme for people experiencing anxiety, bereavement, or social isolation. Hope also provides food hubs in South Cambs.
Other organisations receiving funding are
Young people – Blue Smile children’s mental health charity; Cambridge Acorn Project supporting children who have experienced trauma; Home-Start home-visiting services; Ormiston Families helping families facing adversity; Romsey Mill to deliver youth work in South Cambs; Turtle Dove to improve mental health, wellbeing, and employment outcomes for young women; Waterbeach and Landbeach Action for Youth for youth club sessions.
All Ages – CamSight helping people of all ages with low vision and blindness; Reach Community Projects supporting families facing poverty as well preventing others from falling into it
Older residents – Care Network Cambridgeshire to help continue and expand support for Community Car Schemes; Sew Positive using sewing to help address mental health challenges, social isolation, or economic inequality; The Voluntary Network helping older residents maintain independence.
This is in addition to a £449,000 budget for the Council to help South Cambridgeshire residents through the next two years of cost-of-living financial pressures. This funding focuses on supporting vulnerable households by expanding access to emergency food and energy support such as food hubs and community centres providing warm places, building financial resilience by delivering workshops for residents on budgeting and debt advice and continuing community partnerships to provide coordinated support to low-income families.
South Cambridgeshire residents to get £3.9m in support with 1,000 successful benefit claims and counting
South Cambridgeshire District Council has supported residents with 1,000 successful benefit claims – under a scheme to ensure people claim what they’re entitled to. The milestone has been reached just 12 months after the first successful claim. The work has secured a total of over £514,000 in additional income for residents in the first year alone, and an estimated £3.9 million over the lifetime of their claims.
It is part of the Council’s proactive outreach work – using data to ensure residents can access financial support they may have been previously unaware of, and which can make a real difference to their lives.
The Council has helped residents secure a wide range of benefits and financial support, including Pension Credit, Healthy Start vouchers, Free School Meals, Attendance Allowance, and reduced water tariffs.
The largest single area of support has been through the Household Support Fund, with 540 successful claims for families who were previously not claiming.
The success is driven by the Council’s use of the Low-Income Family Tracker (LIFT) tool. The software brings together different sets of data on low-income families, which the Council already holds, to identify households that should be claiming certain benefits but aren’t. The software covers approximately 6,500 low-income households across South Cambridgeshire.
Once a household has been identified as eligible through LIFT, Council officers then reach out directly to offer tailored support, helping residents navigate the application process.
Amongst the successes that LIFT has helped the Council to achieve are:
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Pension Credit: 113 successful claims, worth £300,169 in the first year and £3.2 million over the lifetime of the claims.
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Free School Meals: 81 successful claims, securing £12,844 in year one and £314,184 over the lifetime of the claims.
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Healthy Start vouchers: 65 successful claims, providing £21,429 in year one to help families afford nutritious food.
The Council has also hosted six in-person events to reach older residents who may not engage online, ensuring support is accessible to all. Almost 200 people have come along to one of these community events held in 2025. They are also a way to provide tangible support around loneliness and isolation, highlighting that the benefits of the Council’s LIFT Programme extend far beyond just the financial figures.
Best Wishes for the New Year
Carla & John