County Councillor Report for Parishes – August 2025 – Cllr Anna Bradnam
Local Government Reorganisation
As reported previously, the government plans to dissolve District, City and County Councils and reorganise as (fewer) Unitary Authorities. Three business cases, each to create two unitary authorities, are being drawn up. In all cases the current county council functions would become the responsibility of the new unitary authorities. Here are the three options:
See PDF for Maps – County Report 2025-08
Focus groups have been taking place in the districts, and the survey responses are being analysed.
The Government has said that the new unitary authorities will be run on the ‘leader and cabinet’ model, as used at South Cambs District Council. The Committee model is used at County Council.
Councils set to undergo reorganisation have been warned not to take decisions that could ‘fetter the future decisions of new councils’, including major organisational restructures, establishing companies, or the spending of reserves. The MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) has also said that it will issue directions requiring written consent from successor councils for land disposals worth over £100,000, contracts worth more than £1,000,000 and before entering contracts of over £100,000 for non-capital expenditure.
Full Council The Full County Council met on 15 July. It agreed to
• Ask the Government to consider better ways of planning and delivering GP infrastructure and services for growing communities.
• Raise the profile of the importance of flood prevention for the future of the Fens.
• Urge the Government to make it easier to clear fly-tipping, road-kill and other waste from trunk roads which requires closure by National Highways.
• Oppose cuts to Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments for disabled people.
• Reaffirm its commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
The council also accepted the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel.
STRATEGY RESOURCES & PERFORMANCE – Shareholder Sub-Committee met in July and approved the updated Business Plan from the council’s wholly owned company This Land. This Land was set up in 2016 by the conservative administration at that time, and not in a way we would have supported. Since the change of control at the county council in 2021, we have commissioned a report from advisors Avison Young, taken advice from other experts, set up a Shareholder Sub-Committee of councillors to oversee the company, and ensured the board has the right leadership in place. To date, This Land has repaid the council £15.5M of loans and £42M of interest. The outstanding loan is £119M, which the council expects to be repaid by 2029.
In March this year, following detailed consideration of This Land’s financial position, the council agreed to restructure the loan payments. The loan has been converted into two parts:
• £59.9M is a repayable loan, and commercial interest will be charged.
• £59.85M is a grant, which will be repaid dependent on This Land’s future performance and is not subject to interest.
Even if This Land were not able to make performance related repayments on the £59.85M grant, the council would still achieve a balanced position from This Land by 2029, due to interest payments received in addition to loan repayments. The updated business plan enables the company to repay interest, reduce the amounts owed to the council, and limit the risk from the company.
NB1 – I have queried why properties developed by This Land remain currently unsold in Landbeach. I have been told, “I am aware the properties are for sale at lower than original value and this is identified in the papers presented to the Shareholders Sub-Committee. The marketing is for the Company to set, but the advice from officers is to pursue sales.”
NB2 – I have queried the position of the hoardings around the This Land development in Horningsea.
GCSP advise me that the erection of hoardings associated with this development is under Permitted Development Rights and does not require a separate permit, so no compliance action would be possible. I have asked Cambridgeshire County Council to check whether it is appropriate for the developer to have enclosed the highway verge inside the hoarding, creating a visibility hazard.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Trust
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Trust has been downgraded from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission following an assessment in February. The Trust is responsible for delivering a number of NHS services in the community, including physical and mental health, and specialist services. The report published by the CQC recognised that the inspection took place ‘at a time of ongoing instability for executive leadership’ and set out a number of areas the Trust needed to improve. However, it also highlighted several positive findings, including that the new chief executive had been ‘well received’ and that staff found him open and felt able to raise concerns with him. The report also described some of the research and innovation programmes being carried out at the Trust as ‘inspirational’ and said inspectors heard about ‘many high performing and innovative services’.
Health Scrutiny Committee
The full council agreed to set up a separate Health Scrutiny committee. It is chaired by Richard Howitt and I am the Vice Chair. The Committee remit is to scrutinise the work of our health partners, while the Adults & Health Committee continues to make decisions on public health and social care commissioning.
Measles
The UK Health Security Agency reminds parents that measles can be a serious illness. An estimated 5,000 children in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will start primary school without their MMR vaccination, and more than 8,000 without their pre-school booster. Doses are usually given at one year old, and at three years four months, but parents are being advised to contact their GP if children’s vaccinations have been missed as doses are effective even when given at a later date.
CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE – Children in Care celebration and awards.
On 25 July I joined Cllrs Jonny Edge and Lorna Dupre at Cambridgeshire County Council’s Children in Care Celebration & Awards at Inflatebounce in Wyton.
It was a brilliant afternoon with children bouncing on inflateable castles, slides and mythical creatures. With welcome sustenance in the form of pizza and chips, the children had a brilliant time – I think every child I saw was smiling and laughing – and every child received an award for their particular skill, achievement, kindness or courage.
I have attended annually, so it’s a great opportunity to catch up with our children in care, their foster families and the council officers, who look after them all.
Community outreach service
A new Community Outreach Service aims to support and develop the skills of parents of children from birth to five years, and community group leaders for families with children from birth to five years. The County Council’s Talking Together in Cambridgeshire service will be visiting parent and toddler groups across Cambridgeshire to chat with parents and carers about simple, effective ways to support their child’s early communication, language, and literacy development. This includes fun, practical activities that promote communication and language skills—and engaging training sessions tailored just for parents and carers. There will also be free training which will build on existing knowledge and boost confidence in sharing key messages with families.
The Community Outreach Service is available to:
• Cambridgeshire early years community groups (supporting families with children from birth to five) that are constituted charities, community, or voluntary organisations.
• Cambridgeshire Libraries
• Cambridgeshire Child and family Centres.
A half-hour online launch event will take place on Monday 18 August 2025 at 1:00PM. To book a place at this event, please complete the registration form at https://forms.office.com/e/wtugiXyv3D
ENVIRONMENT AND GREEN INVESTMENT
Local Nature Recovery Strategy
A reminder that the consultation on the new Local Nature Recovery Strategy is open until Thursday 11 September. https://naturalcambridgeshire.org.uk/
Anglian Water £62.8M payout over sewage breaches Water regulator Ofwat has agreed a £62.8M package of redress with Anglian Water after finding a ‘serious breach’ in how Anglian Water manages its sewage works. It recognises the water company’s repeated failings to maintain and upgrade sewage infrastructure. Ofwat has proposed improvements that Anglian Water must make to its wastewater treatment works and network after discovering excessive spills from storm overflows.
Ofwat to be scrapped Meanwhile, Ofwat itself is being replaced by a tougher water regulator. It is excellent news that the Government has finally seen the need for tougher action against sewage pollution, soaring bills, and big bonuses for water bosses.
Connecting Cambridgeshire is seeking applications from community groups and organisations to enable Digital Hubs across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Small grants of up to £4,200 will be available to procure connectivity solutions and digital devices to be used by the public and provide the local community with access to digital skills and confidence.
Community groups interested in becoming a Digital Hub should read the eligibility criteria and fill in the application form at https://www.connectingcambridgeshire.co.uk/about/help-to-getonline/digital-hubs/
HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORT
Cambridgeshire County Council has produced detailed reports on its highways maintenance activities as required by the Department for Transport. A quarter of the £500 million additional maintenance funding from Government for 2025-26 depends on councils publishing reports by the end of June 2025 demonstrating compliance with best practice criteria. The reports must detail five-year maintenance spending comparisons, network condition statistics, pothole repair estimates, and planned maintenance activities. Further information is required by October 2025.
Key highlights from the report
• Since 2023-24, the amount of capital funding the County Council spends each year on highway maintenance has increased by £35M, from £24M to £59M.
• The County Council has allocated more than £73M for highways maintenance in 2025/26, inclusive of revenue funding.
• Over the last five years, we have repaired an average of 55,400 individual potholes each year.
In 2024/25 the County Council has:
• Spent more than £30M improving over 145km of roads countywide.
• Reconstructed or resurfaced 166 roads.
• Spent more than £4.5M repairing 52,229 potholes across the county.
• Received 16,371 potholes reports from residents.
• Spent more than £5M improving over 120km of key walking and cycling routes countywide.
• Reconstructed or repaired 241 footpaths.
• Emptied and cleaned more than 35,000 drains.
• Upgraded 31 traffic signals.
• Recycled 41,000 tonnes of material and saved over 735 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, through various sustainability and carbon reduction processes.
In 2025/26, the County Council has planned:
• 259 schemes to repair 135km of road (with over 60 per cent being preventative treatment work).
• 253 schemes to repair key walking and cycling routes countywide.
• Five bridges will be upgraded.
• 20 traffic signals will be replaced/upgraded. More information is available online at https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/highways-transparency
GREATER CAMBRIDGE PARTNERSHIP
Executive Board On 10 July the Board agreed the full business case for the new Waterbeach railway station and noted that Network Rail would be managing the closure of the existing station.
CAMBRIDGESHIRE & PETERBOROUGH COMBINED AUTHORITY BOARD
Members agreed to revise the local bus fare cap scheme and extend it to the end of October 2025 and to extend the temporary Tiger Pass scheme for young people to the end of March 2026. The Mayor’s proposal to prevent the Tiger Pass being used for cross-boundary journeys was defeated, as this would have seriously affected young people in places such as the villages around Newmarket.
A wider set of options for a permanent Tiger Pass will be developed over the summer.
Routes 9 (Littleport to Cambridge) and 31 (Ramsey to Whittlesey) have been saved, but the Mayor’s proposals to cease three other bus services including the 8A (March to Cottenham) in order to pay for this were defeated. A number of highcost routes will be subject to ongoing review, but one public transport route should not have to be sacrificed to save another.
LOCAL HIGHWAY MATTERS
Fen Ditton
Electricity Network Company Limited NEWMARKET ROAD FEN DITTON
Some carriageway incursion and possible road closure during the period 04/08/2025 to 15/08/2025
BT – MUSGRAVE WAY FEN DITTON
Multi-way signals between 07/08/2025 and 08/08/2025 Utility asset works
BT – NEWMARKET ROAD FEN DITTON Some carriageway incursion 12/08/2025 to 14/08/2025
Utility repair and maintenance works
Milton
Cambridgeshire County Council – BUTT LANE (C206) MILTON,
Road closure then Give and take 02/08/2025 29/08/2025 Section 50 CL910SWL2507-03-C
Cambridgeshire County Council DAVID BULL WAY MILTON Give and take 11/08/2025 15/08/2025 Highway improvement works CL91240267491
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS MILTON ROAD ROUNDABOUT MILTON Lane closure 11/08/2025 16/08/2025 Works for road purposes FN40870076262
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS MILTON BYPASS MILTON Lane closure 11/08/2025 16/08/2025 Works for road purposes FN40810386213
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS CAMBRIDGE ROAD MILTON Lane closure 11/08/2025 16/08/2025 Works for road purposes FN4060153931
I have reported the damaged sign on the Milton junction with the A14 interchange and the Give Way sign knocked over at the build out near North Lodge.
Waterbeach
CAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL DENNY END ROAD WATERBEACH
Multi-way signals 03/08/2025 04/08/2025 Works for road purposes
Cambridgeshire County Council CHITTERING DROVE WATERBEACH Temporary obstruction 15 minute delay 04/08/2025 15/08/2025 Section 50
Horningsea
On 1 August we were advised that “GCP and Cambridge County Council (asset managers) have conducted the post construction walkthrough of Horningsea Greenway. Following the walkthrough, all identified issues will be resolved.
The parking review has been instructed by our contractors, this is due to take place in September 2025 when the schools have returned, this will provide more accurate statistics.
The parking review will be followed by the RSA3 audit.”
Cllr Anna Bradnam anna.bradnam@cambridgeshire.gov.uk 04 August 2025