Category: Cambridgeshire

Police who stopped a lorry driver who was more than six times the legal drink-drive limit on the A14 found several bottles of whiskey in his HGV.Darek Smagiel, 55, was seen swerving across lanes on the dual carriageway and was reported by members of the public to the police, who stopped his Iveco lorry on the A14 eastbound at Fenstanton on Monday (13 July) afternoon.In a roadside breath test, he blew 221 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, more than six times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes. Two hours after his arrest in custody, he gave an evidential reading of 121.Smagiel, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to drink-driving and dangerous driving at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (14 July) and was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, and was disqualified from driving for three years.The HGV driven by Darek Smagiel, 55, of no fixed abode, swerving between lanes on the A14 and, inset, a whiskey bottle found inside his cab. Picture: Cambridgeshire ConstabularyPC James Allen, from the road policing unit, said: “Smagiel’s driving fell far below the standards of a careful and competent river. He put members of the public at risk of a serious collision. I would like to thank members of the public who called in to report his driving which has ensured he is now off the roads for a considerable time.”Darek Smagiel, 55, of no fixed abode, is arrested. Picture: Cambridgeshire ConstabularyThe whiskey bottles in Darek Smagiel’s HGV. Picture: Cambridgeshire ConstabularyVideo footage released by Cambridgeshire Constabulary shows a bottle of whiskey in Smagiel’s cab. After reading him rights and arresting him, an officer told him: “I can smell the liquor in here. As simple as that: you are drunk.”

If left unmanaged, knotweed can cause damage to buildings, hinder property sales and lead to legal disputes if it spreads across property boundariesThere have been a total of 220 verified sightings of knotweed across Cambridgeshire, with 40 identified in Peterborough according to new research by Invasive plant consultancy Environet.The new research reveals where homeowners and buyers are most likely to encounter the invasive plant.Japanese knotweed spreads rapidly and overwhelms other plants. It hibernates during the winter months before emerging when the ground temperature reaches around 4C.There are 220 verified sightings of knotweed across CambridgeshireIf left unmanaged, knotweed can cause damage to buildings, hinder property sales and lead to legal disputes if it spreads across property boundaries.Knotweed does not reproduce by seed in the UK since all the plants are female, but its root system can extend up to 7 metres laterally beneath the ground and once established, even tiny fragments of rhizome can regenerate into new plants.Cambridgeshire’s top 5 Japanese knotweed hotspots are as follows Cambridge – 40 verified sightings Peterborough – 37 verified sightings Wisbech – 13 verified sightings March – 10 verified sightings St Neots – 8 verified sightings Environet’s map for Japanese knotweed hotspotsHow to spot Japanese knotweed during summer Tall, upright canes which can reach 2 to 3 metres high. Dense clusters of stems emerge from a central crown in the ground. Large green shield-shaped leaves with a pointed tip grow alternately up the stem. By late summer, cone-shaped tassels of small creamy-white flowers emerge on the upper canopy. Environet director Emily Grant said, “Japanese knotweed is now firmly established right across the country, which means homeowners everywhere should know what to look for.“My advice to anyone living, or buying a home, in a Japanese knotweed hotspot is to check your garden regularly during the growing season. At this time of year, an established knotweed plant can be identified quite easily by its hard bamboo-like canes and distinctive bright green shield-shaped leaves which grow in a zig-zag pattern along the stem.“The earlier it’s spotted, the easier and cheaper it is to deal with. Acting quickly with professional advice will prevent it spreading further and help protect both your property and its value.”Continue Reading

Plan Change 1 public meeting

For more than a decade, Waikato farmers have lived with the uncertainty of Plan Change 1. Mary Anne Gill was at Mystery Creek to hear what two senior ministers had to say about its future.
Few farmers attending last week’s Plan Change 1 meeting at Mystery Creek could match the environmental credentials of Graham Pinnell, Bill Garland and Peter Reynolds.
Read more
What is Plan Change 1
Bill Garland at the Plan Change 1 public meeting
Graham Pinnell at the Plan Change 1 public meeting
Peter Reynolds at the Plan Change 1 public meeting

Cambridgeshire Sustainable Travel Alliance is calling on Combined Authority mayor Paul Bristow to take urgent action to increase funding for buses.The organisation is also calling for buses to be given more priority, which they argue is a proven way to “substantially reduce” operational costs.Mayor Paul Bristow. Picture: Keith HeppellBus franchising is proposed by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to reduce congestion and boost public transport.However, an independent report for the Conservative mayor has warned that it will require more funding, major new depots and could lead to network reductions.It found that freezing the mayoral precept – part of the council tax bill – combined with revised demand assumptions and the mayor’s pledge to avoid significant borrowing, has created a funding gap that “could be closed by reducing the size of the network”.The Combined Authority will decide whether to accept the recommendations of the review at its board meeting today (Wednesday, 15 July). Sarah Hughes, campaign officer for Cambridgeshire Sustainable Travel Alliance, said: “A glaring contradiction exists between the mayor’s ambition for extensive, inclusive growth across our region, and the lack of a credible plan to maintain, let alone increase the size of our public transport network.“Mayor Bristow should invest more in bus services and wholeheartedly support the rollout of extensive bus priority schemes in the Cambridge area, including a wider network of bus gates.”

Police request information following serious collision at Boot’s Bridge crossroadsAuthor: Adam ClarkPublished 11 hours agoLast updated 11 hours agoA serious collision involving a motorbike and a car occurred near Wimblington, prompting police to appeal for witnesses and dashcam footage.The incident took place at Boot’s Bridge crossroads at 6.40am on Thursday (9th July) and involved a red Honda CBR125 motorbike and a black Nissan Qashqai. The motorcyclist, a 24-year-old man from Terrington St Clement, Norfolk, suffered serious injuries. He was airlifted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where he is currently in stable condition. The driver of the Qashqai, a 54-year-old man from Kettering, Northamptonshire, was uninjured in the collision. He was arrested under suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving without a licence, and driving without insurance. He has been bailed while further enquiries are ongoing. Police are seeking information and dashcam footage from anyone who either witnessed the collision or saw either vehicle leading up to the crash. The public is encouraged to contact police via the force’s website or by calling 101, quoting Operation Waxwing.First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.

One resident said they find it ‘completely unacceptable’Royal Mail has failed to deliver post to people in ‘weeks and weeks'(Image: PA)Residents said it is “deeply concerning” that their post has not been delivered in weeks, after experiencing similar delays earlier this year. People who live in the Hampton area of Peterborough claim they have not had post delivered for weeks, with some claiming they haven’t received any letters in more than a month.As a result of the delay, people said they are missing important letters such as birthday cards and medical appointments. Sheila White, who has not received post in around two weeks, said she finds the delays “deeply concerning” and “completely unacceptable”.She added: “I was waiting for important insurance documents, which I ended up having to contact the company to ensure continuity of the cover. In the UK, we have always had a reliable postal service upon which many people depend.“Elderly people who can’t manage or cope with technology are now isolated and unable to rely on receiving relevant communications by post, which means they are potentially missing medical or other significant information and appointments.”Sheila’s husband also did not receive a Father’s Day card from his daughter, which left him feeling “forgotten and sad”. Sheila added: “The excuse of lack of staff is utterly irrelevant. It’s their responsibility to deliver the service they are supposed to provide.”A Royal Mail spokesperson said it recognises how “important reliable deliveries are”, when people are waiting for letters such as for medical appointments. They added: “We are delivering mail in Hampton. However, some deliveries have recently been affected by short-term local issues, including sickness absence.“We are working to return the service to normal and clear any outstanding mail as quickly as possible, with items not delivered that day prioritised for the next working day.”Phil Abbott, who lives in Hampton Vale, said he hasn’t received post in around five weeks. Due to the delay, he has missed “important medical appointments, business mail, birthday cards and bills to pay”. He said: “I think it’s absolutely disgraceful and a dereliction of contracted duties by Royal Mail.”Phil said he believes there needs to be an improvement in communication from Royal Mail. He said: “Don’t just leave people hanging with no information. What are they doing to resolve the issue and what will they do to prevent it happening again?”The last time Margaret Matthews received any post was around three weeks ago. She said she has missed insurance documents and believes the lack of post could affect elderly people who cannot access to the internet.She said: “I’m 75 and quite computer savvy, and use them no problem. There are people who can’t because they have never used computers.”Margaret believes there needs to be more regulation in place for the Royal Mail, as people pay for a “service”. She added: “Because it’s regulated, why are they not doing anything about it?“It’s not just Peterborough, it’s nationwide. Surely they should be held to account for their responsibilities? They have got to get their staffing levels right.”Kelvin Cowell said that after a couple of weeks with no post, he received a large load in one go. He said: “[This included] a new bank card, pin number, online banking details and a card reader for a new account, all of which were sent on different dates by the bank.“Equally annoyingly, none of the post was recent, so who knows when that’ll start to turn up? It’s all well and good advising people to go to the sorting office and collect, but their hours aren’t great for those that work. We are paying for a delivery service and they’re clearly not meeting their commitments.”Donna Spriggs hasn’t received letters in “up to four weeks”. She said: “When they did come, there was important mail that arrived late.“[I have no] idea why we are not getting post regularly. They are saying we can collect from the sorting office, which we shouldn’t have to do and not everybody has transport.”Samantha Mclennan is also frustrated that she hasn’t received post for “weeks and weeks”. She said: “I had to call them [Royal Mail] around two weeks ago as I was waiting on important hospital letters and important HMRC letters.“They delivered approximately 15 letters about a week later, following my call. Some of the letters were dated May, and I’ve not received any post since then.”The Royal Mail spokesperson said that it is “rare” for post to be delayed by a month or more. They added: “A delay of a month would be exceptionally unusual and would suggest an issue with an individual item rather than the wider service. Our latest performance shows that more than 92% of letters are delivered on time and over 99% within a week, meaning longer delays are rare.”

More than 200 engineers who maintain the Hercules aircraft could go on strikeMarshalls in Cambridge(Image: Google Street View)Engineers who maintain the C-130 Hercules aircraft could go on strike. Marshall Aerospace, currently based at Cambridge Airport, announced earlier this year that its plans to relocate to Cranfield University’s site fell through as it was “no longer affordable”.It then announced in May that it had plans to move to Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, which could affect 158 employees. The Unite union announced on Monday (July 13) that around 250 members at Marshall Aerospace are balloting for strike action in a dispute over pay.The workers considering strike action are engineers who maintain the C-130 Hercules aircraft and manufacture auxiliary fuel tanks for the Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.Unite regional officer Neil Moore said: “Quite frankly, Marshall Aerospace needs to treat these workers better if it doesn’t want to see disruptive strike action and an exodus of highly skilled employees to companies offering better pay and greater job security.”That means putting forward a pay offer that recognises the value of this workforce and gives people a reason to stay. Unite remains available for negotiations at any time, and there is still every opportunity to resolve this dispute through meaningful talks.”Workers rejected the company’s offer of a 4.5 per cent increase in pay offer. Since 2020, pay has fallen by around 16 per cent at Marshall Aerospace, according to the union.The ballot to vote on strike action closes on July 21. Any strike action that takes place could have an impact on the support provided to allied military aircraft programmes, including the maintenance of the C-130 Hercules aircraft, Unite said.

The money will be used to help make improvementsAuthor: Tom FeahenyPublished 13 minutes agoA theatre’s plans to get more young people in Soham involved in the arts have been boosted thanks to £100,000.The money from East Cambridgeshire Council will go towards expanding Viva Arts and Community Group, with work set to start in January. Councillor Alan Sharp, Chair of the Finance and Assets Committee, said: “This investment reflects our commitment to supporting thriving, inclusive communities across East Cambridgeshire.“I have had the pleasure of attending performances at Viva involving the talented young people and it is a perfect example of how belief and passion within an organisation can power real benefits for a local community. “The Viva Theatre is a valued local asset, and this funding will help ensure it continues to provide high-quality opportunities for residents—particularly young people—for many years to come.”Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.

Make sure to plan your journey and check before your travel as these planned closures could affect you. 

Perry Road, Leverington

Closed to all vehicles from April 22 to July 16 between the hours of 8am and 6pm daily for works.

Glatton Road, Sawtry

Temporary signals in place for third party works between June 22 and August 2.

Warboys Road, Bury

Temporary signals in place between July 7-21 for third party works.

Black Drove, Murrow

Closed to all vehicles from July 6 to July 14

Bedstone Way, Peterborough

Closed to all vehicles and pedestrians from July 27 for six weeks for replacement bridge joints.

Dane Hill Road, Kennett

Closed for three days to all vehicles between July 8-14 between the hours of 8am and 5pm on weekdays for works.

Mill Lane, Fordham

Closed to all vehicles until July 15 due to emergency works by Anglian Water.

High Street, Cottenham

Temporary traffic lights in place until July 14 due to emergency works by Cambridge Water.

Tunbridge Lane, Bottisham

Closed to all vehicles from July 15-31 July between the hours of 9.30am and 2.30pm for works.

Abbots Ripton Road, Great Stukeley

Closed to all vehicles from July 13-14 due to works by Anglian Water.

High Street, Pampisford

Closed to all vehicles from July 13-17 due to works by Cambridge Water.

Heath Road, Burwell

Closed to all vehicles until July 14 due to works by O2.

Gadds Lane, Wisbech

Closed to all vehicles from July 13-22 between the hours of 8am and 6pm due to works by City Fibre.

Kings Avenue, Ely

Closed to all vehicles from July 13-18 between the hours of 8pm and 6am nightly for works.

Forty Foot Bank, Ramsey Forty Foot

Closed to all vehicles on July 13 between the hours of 9.30am and 2.30pm for works.

Warboys Road, Bury

Temporary signals in place until July 21 for third party works.

Have you got a story you want to share? Get in touch at oliver.murphy@newsquest.co.uk

The new science centre could create up to 2,000 jobsIllustrative image of South Cambridge Science Centre proposed at Dales Manor Business Park, Grove Road, Sawston(Image: Copyright Unknown)Plans to build a new science centre in Cambridgeshire – that could create up to 2,000 jobs – are taking its next steps. Back in 2023, plans were submitted to build the South Cambridge Science Centre in the Dales Manor Business Park on Grove Road, Sawston.This land was previously planned to have homes built on it. When built, the new research centre is anticipated to create up to 2,000 jobs.New plans have been submitted for the next phase of the science centre. In the next phase, applicant Sawston Farms (Cambs) Ltd proposes to build four laboratory buildings of “varied sizes”, a multi-storey car park, new access points, and a wellness centre.The planning documents said: “The proposals create a new attractive gateway into the campus and will deliver 250,000 sq ft of state-of-the-art office and laboratory space, plus an end-of-trip wellness centre, transport hub, cycle parking and energy centre.”The four laboratories, also referred to as “commercial buildings”, will be used for a “number of innovative uses”. The wellness centre is proposed to front the multi-storey car park.The applicant said this will be a “striking, contemporary and visually stimulating” building. It’s proposed to contain a gym, cafe and lounge, as well as showers, WCs and lockers.There will also be space for vehicle parking and cycle storage. Landscaping has been considered in the plans.This has been designed to “create spaces for occupation and relaxation, setting a benchmark for a design that can be incorporated across the campus as it evolves”. A number of pedestrian links will be created across the site to separate walkers from roads.Green roofs are also proposed to “soften the impact of the buildings” and also create a “visual landscape”.