Category: Cambridgeshire

“Initial feedback from voters using the hubs was very positive,” said a council spokesperson.Many welcomed “the additional flexibility and convenience offered by early voting” they added.”Voters particularly highlighted the ease of access and the opportunity to vote at a time that better suited their work or holiday commitments.”They added that the Electoral Commission and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) would now undertake a formal evaluation of the pilot. “The findings of this national evaluation are expected to be published over the summer. Further statistics and updates will be shared once the national evaluation results are available.”

The bank holiday is forecast to be a very sunny one for CambridgeshireCambridgeshire parks and pubs are likely to be packed this weekend thanks to the warm weather(Image: PA)The bank holiday is set to be a hot one with temperatures reaching highs of 31 degrees in certain parts of Cambridgeshire, according to BBC Weather. The good weather will start tomorrow (Friday, May 22) with it expected to be dry “with plenty of sunshine”.The temperature is expected to reach highs of 28 degrees in Cambridge and Ely and 27 degrees in Peterborough. The county could see some rain in the morning on Saturday, May 23, but it should clear up before the afternoon with the temperature reaching 27 degrees.Sunday, May 24, and Monday, May 25, are expected to be quite similar with lots of sunshine. The temperature will reach highs of 29 degrees on Sunday and will be even hotter on Monday with it reaching 31 degrees in Cambridge and Ely and 29 degrees in Peterborough.BBC Weather said: “Saturday may see the odd shower in the morning locally, but it will turn drier in the afternoon with warm sunshine. Sunday and Monday will be very warm, or even hot, with plenty of sunshine as high pressure remains in control.”The good weather is set to continue throughout next week with plenty of sunshine and temperatures staying above 25 degrees for most of the week. The temperatures are currently forecast to drop to around 23 degrees in Cambridge and Ely and 21 degrees in Peterborough on Saturday, May 30.To get more news and top stories delivered directly to your phone, join our new WhatsApp community. Click this link to receive your daily dose of CambridgeshireLive content.We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .

An outline planning application has been submitted to build up to 138 homes in a Cambridgeshire villageLand south of St Neots Road in HardwickPlans to build up to 138 homes in Hardwick have faced backlash from people living near the proposed development site. Neighbours have shared concerns that the new homes would cause “irreversible harm” to the village and its community.The homes are proposed to be built on land south of St Neots Road in Hardwick. Of the 138 homes, 40% are proposed to be made available as affordable housing. The proposals also seek to develop a new site access, internal access roads, parking, drainage, and public open space.Developer Pigeon said its proposals would aim to create an “inclusive community through the provision of a variety of tenures and dwelling types to suit all stages of life” and a “sustainable movement strategy where walking and cycling opportunities are integrated into the heart of the development”.The planning statement says: “The proposals provide for a high-quality, landscape design-led, sustainable scheme including the provision of up to 138 new homes, comprising both market and affordable homes, along with public open space, biodiversity enhancements and associated infrastructure.”The outline planning application has seen local backlash, with more than 15 objections lodged so far. One objector said: “The A428 junctions are already under pressure, and additional traffic will worsen queueing and accident risk. The proposal does not demonstrate that the increase in traffic, altered flow and the effect on junction function have no adverse impact on safety and capacity.”The objector also highlighted that Hardwick is a rural village with a “distinct character defined by open green spaces, low-density housing, and a strong sense of community”. They added: “The proposed development is overdevelopment, inconsistent with the village’s scale and form, and it erodes the rural setting and landscape character, and does not respect local character or protect the countryside.”The proposal would fundamentally alter the village’s identity.” They said “the application should be refused” because it would “result in significant and irreversible harm to the village and its community”.Another concerned resident said that the proposed access road into the new development would create an “increase in vehicular traffic”. They said this would “cause congestion” and “more importantly at the junction of the road joining the main curved road to the road-about”.A similar concern was raised by another objector. They said that the western roundabouts, which serve as a key access point for Hardwick and nearby villages via St Neots Road, “already experience substantial congestion, particularly during peak commuting hours”.They said the development would “introduce a significant increase in vehicle movements onto a road network that already appears close to capacity”. They added that local services “already appear to be under considerable pressure” and up to 138 homes could “significantly increase demand on already stretched services without clear evidence that the necessary supporting infrastructure improvements will be delivered”.Hardwick itself does not have a GP surgery. Residents use nearby surgeries including in Comberton and Bourn.

Bayliss lied to the victim’s workplace and said she had stolen drugs and was involved in money laundering.Christopher Bayliss stalked and blackmailed his former partner after finding out she was starting a new relationship(Image: Cambridgeshire Police)A man who said he would ensure his victim “doesn’t have another relationship” has been jailed. Christopher Bayliss, 44, of Caroline Hart Walk, Cambridge, threatened to kill himself after finding out his former partner had started dating again.He hacked into her dating and social media accounts with his behaviour getting worse when she started a new relationship. On November 15, he showed up at the victim’s home and demanded money.The victim initially refused but later sent £25 to make him leave. At around 4am the following day, he returned and banged on the door threatening to kill himself.In two days, Bayliss sent 92 WhatsApp messages, left 71 voicemails, and made 32 unanswered calls. He also contacted the victim’s daughter and told her it was her mother’s fault that he turned to drugs and said he would “make sure she doesn’t have another relationship to destroy another man”.In another call, Bayliss asked the daughter to pass the phone to her mum. He then told her “you need to get the dog; I am going to kill myself” and threatened to destroy her job “so she doesn’t have her friends”.He went on to blackmail the victim and demanded £50, threatening to contact her employer with false allegations that she had been stealing cash and drugs. He later emailed her workplace and claimed she had stolen drugs and was involved in money laundering.In four days at the end of November, Bayliss sent over 200 messages and made more than 60 calls and voice messages to the victim. On December 2, he sent a message that he was monitoring her movements and said he assumed she had been suspended as he could see she was not at work.The victim had left her home and had been staying elsewhere, in fear for her own safety, and parked her car out of sight so he couldn’t find her. Bayliss was arrested later that day.Bayliss was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison after pleading guilty to stalking involving serious alarm or distress, harassment without violence, and blackmail at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday, May 14. A charge of controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship, along with a further stalking offence, was ordered to lie on file.He was also made subject to a ten-year restraining order.Detective Constable Abbie Ellis, who investigated, said: “Bayliss’ behaviour was relentless, manipulative and deeply distressing for the victim and her family. He used threats, intimidation and harassment in an attempt to control her life even after their relationship had ended.“Stalking is a serious offence that can have a devastating impact on victims. I would encourage anyone experiencing similar behaviour to report it to police – you will be taken seriously and supported.”

The work is likely to cause delaysThe road will be closed (stock image)(Image: ChronicleLive)Overnight roadworks along a Cambridgeshire street are set to cause nearly four weeks of disruption for motorists. The roadworks will take place on Norwich Road in Wisbech from May 18 between the hours of 8pm and 6am.The road will be closed to all motor vehicles so that resurfacing works can be carried out. The work is set to be completed by June 13. According to Cambridgeshire County Council’s notice of the closure, the roadworks are ‘likely’ to cause delays.Motorists are advised to follow diversion routes and allow extra time for journeys during the closure period. Drivers are advised to take a diversion route via Lynn Road that takes you through to Churchill Road, according to traffic monitoring system one.network.A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council’s Traffic Management Centre said: “Norwich Road, Wisbech will be closed to all motor vehicles from the 18th May until the 13th June between the hours of 8pm and 6am nightly for works.”

A council faces calls for a new recycling centre to end a “ridiculous” agreement to send waste 400 miles away for sorting. Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council’s recycling waste has been transported to Newry in Northern Ireland since March 2025.

Susie Williams, a member of the public, asked Cambridgeshire County Council how likely it is that a recycling centre could be built in Cambridgeshire and when this could happen. She said: “The trucks generate considerable amounts of carbon emissions and particulates, which is not really acceptable for two councils who are aiming to become net-zero.”

Cllr Ros Hathorn, chair of the county council’s environment and green investment committee, said that the waste market and providers “do not serve the East of England particularly well” and don’t have “sufficient capacity” to take their recycling.

READ MORE: {{title}}

The Liberal Democrat councillor said the waste partnership, Recycling in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (RECAP) which includes all local authorities in Cambridgeshire, is starting to look at other solutions.
She said: “It is not as straightforward as just building an industrial unit, putting some kit in there and switching it on – it’s a long, expensive process. It requires a licence from the Environment Agency, which is not straightforward to get.

“It needs to get planning permission and, as a new facility would create significant traffic in its area, there is likely to be objections to it.”

Cllr Ros Hathorn speaks at a meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council(Image: YouTube)

Cllr Hathorn said that the upcoming local government reorganisation “has slowed down the prospects of any big project being started in the near future”.

The council was asked to approve a new strategy document for RECAP. Cllr Darren Green said he was “very encouraged” to see it recommended recycling take place locally.

The Green Party councillor said: “I think this council must do everything it can to change this. Other counties can process their blue bin recycling locally – why can’t Cambridgeshire?”

Cllr Darren Green(Image: YouTube)

Cllr Mike Black said that “everyone can see that this looks ridiculous”. He called it an example of market failure and “privatisation not working”.
The Labour councillor said: “I don’t like hearing local government review as an excuse for doing nothing or delaying things. We have a new government after 15 years of the same, we have a vast need for change – and we need to change quickly.
“I don’t think we should be saying that local government review stops councils from being innovative and planning for the future. Indeed, I think on these sorts of issues, we should be trying to get things done as quickly as possible.”

Cllr Steve Tierney disagreed, saying “things aren’t always as simple as they appear”. The Conservative councillor said: “It’s not market failure when markets don’t deliver the outcome you want – that’s market reality – it would only be failure if they simply couldn’t do it.
“It’s not ideal to send things to Northern Ireland, I accept that. I would like to see a change that changes that, but only if it’s cost-effective for the taxpayer.
“If this works out to be the cheapest way to do it for the taxpayer, then I’d carry on supporting doing it – for the simple reason I don’t think we need to be layering costs upon the tax payer for virtue projects.”

A spokesperson for the country park said that the new machines are ‘quicker’ and “easier to use”Milton Country Park(Image: Amy Britton/CambridgeshireLive)A Cambridgeshire country park has installed a new parking machine after customers complained about an “extremely harsh” system. Milton Country Park, situated just outside of Cambridge, has recently announced a new parking system “following lots of customer feedback”.Visitors claim to have had received unfair fines from the previous system. One person wrote: “While the park itself is lovely, the parking enforcement is incredibly harsh. It’s a popular spot for families with young children, but the management shows zero leniency – staying even a minute past your paid time results in a £60 fine.”Another stated: “Great park but horrible parking process. App is truly awful and machine gets busy. You can lose the first 15 minutes just trying to pay, and time starts the moment you enter the car park, not pay.”A review on Tripadvisor said: “Whilst the park itself was fine, the main issue was the parking. I paid for two hours and left within that time, however, around 10 days later I received a parking fine claiming I had underpaid – which I hadn’t.”The customer appealed the charge but claimed it was rejected. They said that because they had paid in cash, they had no evidence and ended up paying the fine.A spokesperson for Milton Country Park said: “Following lots of customer feedback about the parking machine in our car park, we’re pleased to let you know that we have removed the old machine and have now installed two brand-new machines with a much simpler pay-on-exit system.”They added: “The new machines are easier to use, quicker, and designed to make parking more convenient for everyone. Thank you to everyone who took time to share their feedback – we really appreciate it and are always looking at ways to improve your experience with us.”The country park offers visitors a large green space and outdoor activities including paddle sports and open water swimming. The site contains a cafe, playground, bike track, woodland, and lakes.Describing the site itself, one visitor said that is is an “incredible place to relax and enjoy with family and dogs”. Another described it as the “most beautiful park” they had ever visited.

James Goh, 23, a Queens’ College engineering student at Cambridge University, broke the Guinness World Record for the longest fidget spinner durationCambridge University of engineering student James Goh has set the world record for the longest duration spinning a fidget spinner on one finger(Image: Cambridge University /PA Wire)A Cambridge University engineering student has broken the world record for the longest duration spinning a fidget spinner on one finger – clocking 30 minutes 34.54 seconds.James Goh, 23, constructed his own fidget spinner to secure the Guinness World Records title, surpassing the previous record by nearly five minutes. He was at school when the popular children’s toys swept the globe in 2017.”This has been a hobby of mine since I was a kid, so I’m delighted to get the record – although my finger did ache a little bit after holding it in the same position for so long,” he said. “I suppose in a way I’ve taken the fidget out of fidget spinning!”His achievement is approximately 20 times longer than a standard spinner purchased from a shop. He established the record in Hong Kong, where he lives when not studying at university in Cambridge, on December, 16 2025. James said his fascination with gyroscopes started when he watched the spinning top in Christopher Nolan’s 2010 sci-fi film Inception.As part of their degree programme, Cambridge engineering students examine the physics of gyroscopes, which are vital components used in everything from smartphones to spacecraft navigation systems. The Queens’ College student applied his learning, particularly in aerodynamics and tribology – the science of friction – to enhance his hobby.”People do often ask me why I’m so interested in spinning tops and fidget spinners,” he said. “There’s definitely something hypnotic about them and their mechanical efficiency is pretty remarkable. I also think it’s got a lot to do with being competitive; it’s a very interesting optimisation problem because the goal keeps shifting.James made the fidget spinner himself(Image: Cambridge University /PA Wire)”There are always new materials or techniques to use to tweak the design – there are always improvements that can be made.”James – who is studying on the Manufacturing Engineering Tripos, an option available during the final two years of a Cambridge engineering degree – drew upon academic papers to guide his experiments and help determine the Guinness World Record-breaking formula.He initially developed his formula for spinning tops, before applying it to engineer his “pulsar fidget spinner” and establish the new record.”It involves a lot of data collection to come up with 3D models, which I then make in the workshop,” he said.”Differential equations have helped me a lot to refine the formula, although there is no actual analytical solution, because technically it’s unsolvable. There’s no magical, optimal spinning time, but you can get close to it.”The centre of James’s spinner is constructed from lightweight hollow aluminium, while tungsten – an exceptionally dense metal – is concentrated around the edges to store kinetic energy.This means all the weight sits on the outside – generating a “high moment of inertia” – and enabling it to spin for an extended period. He said: “Designing a spinner is basically about three things: maximising the energy you start with, minimising the energy you end with and transitioning between those two states as slowly as possible, so you’re losing energy as slowly as possible. The tricky thing is that these factors are all in conflict with each other, and in a really complicated way.”

Half term is nearly here, and it’s time for families to think about what they can do with to keep kids entertained. There will be lots going on in Cambridgeshire for children and their parents to enjoy over the half-term break.
At the National Trust Wimpole estate, there is an exciting Pokémon trail to discover. The National Trust have teamed up with Mega Evolution Trails to host the Pokémon themed trail from May 23 and throughout May half term at 14 National Trust sites, including Wimpole.

Families who embark on the Pokémon journey will trail through the outdoors to search for ten Mega Evolution Pokémon. A National Trust spokesperson said: “Each trail point features a simple physical or creative challenge inspired by different Megan Evolution Pokémon.
“From showing courage and curiosity with darkness-type Megan Gengar ex, to unleashing energy and imagination inspired by the powerful fire-type Megan Charizard Y ex, the trails blend imaginative play with gentle activity.
“A trail sheet will help young trainers keep track of their discoveries and at the end of the trail, explorers can celebrate their achievement together with a photo opportunity at a Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trail backdrop.”

There will be 10 Pokémon’s to discover on the trail(Image: James Dobson/National Trust)

The Pokémon trail will also feature at the Blickling estate in Norfolk, just under a two-hour drive from Cambridge. As well as the May half term, Pokémon will be sticking around at National Trust sites as there will be a series of Pokémon-themed activities throughout the summer.
People visiting the National Trust sites will be able to take part in the trail as part of their admission to the site. For National Trust members, it will be free.
Do you want more of the latest Cambridgeshire news as it comes in from across the county? Sign up to our dedicated newsletter to make sure you never miss a big story from Cambridge or anywhere else in the county. You can also sign up to our dedicated Traffic and Crime newsletters for the latest updates on the topics you are most interested in .

A street mural has been painted in honour of Bowie’s one-time performance in the Cambridgeshire cityThe city music venue where David Bowie once performedBefore some musical artists conquered the world, they played smaller venues to kick start their career. Across Cambridgeshire, there were a number of venues used by famous musicians that people may not know about.There was the former Boat Race pub in Cambridge where Oasis played in 1994, as well as Queen who played at the Cambridge Corn Exchange. In Peterborough, there was one music venue where David Bowie played for one time only.While it was mainly used as a dance venue, The Palais in Wentworth Street was a popular place to be. The venue was established by Wisbech promoter Norman Jacobs.Mr Jacobs previously provided entertainment at the Corn Exchange, however his lease for the building ended in May 1964. As a result, he moved his venue to Wentworth Street with dreams of a bigger entertainment venue for people.Throughout the 1960s, the venue was host to a number of big artists including The Kinks, The Who, The Hollies and Manfred Mann. Bowie performed at the Palais with his short-lived band, David Bowie & The Buzz, on March 10, 1966.This was the only time Bowie performed in Peterborough. Just three years after his Peterborough performance, he shot to fame with Space Oddity.This was during Bowie’s most famous era in the 1970s when he was his alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. To mark his only performance in Peterborough, which many people may not know about, a mural has been painted in his honour.The mural is outside the former Palais venue, and was painted by street artist Nathan Murdoch and artist Tony Nero. For anyone who didn’t know Bowie performed in Peterborough before stardom, they can go and see this new piece of street art that marks the occasion.