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31 Oct 2020 – Weekly Police Update – Fenstanton District

Good Afternoon, Fenstanton District Members –

Very happily, there are no items to mention in our summary of offences and incidents affecting your community this week, covering the period 24th to 30th October.

However, here are some local news items and appeals for information from the police web-site:

Local News Items:

Drugs Dealer Jailed:

A St Ives man was jailed for 30 months at a hearing at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday 28th October. Mohammed Ali, aged 22, of Little Farthing Close, had pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a Class A with intent to supply at an earlier hearing.

Full details are on the police web-site at:

https://www.cambs.police.uk/news-and-appeals/drug-dealer-caught-hiding-under-car

Sex Offender Receives Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO):

Edward White of Hemingford Abbots was handed a five-year CBO at Cambridge Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 28th October. The Order prohibits him from going to Fen Drayton Lakes and engaging in various activities.

Full details are at:

https://www.cambs.police.uk/news-and-appeals/forces-first-criminal-behaviour-order-for-sex-offender

Police Appeals for Information:

Stolen Telehandler:

A telehandler (piece of heavy machinery) was stolen from a farm at Moat’s Way, Hemingford Abbots at some time between Monday afternoon, 26th, and Tuesday morning, 27th October.

Police are asking anyone who may have seen anything suspicious to contact them via the 101 non-emergency number or the web-site reporting tool, quoting Incident Number 136 of 27 October.

Stolen High Performance Cars:

Police are also interested in finding three high performance cars recently reported stolen. These are:

    • Audi A3, white
    • Audi TT, black
    • Mercedes CLA 220, black

Please contact the Police if you see any cars like these in suspicious circumstances.

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24 Oct 2020 – Weekly Police Update – Fenstanton District

Good Afternoon, Fenstanton District Members –

Here is our weekly summary of offences and incidents affecting your community, reported to police during the period 13th to 23rd October.

Fenstanton – Police received a report of the theft of pumpkins from an allotment in Fenstanton at some time overnight on Friday 23rd October. Individuals who have suffered one of these thefts are asked to raise separate incidents to report them, either via the 101 non-emergency number of via the on-line reporting tool. (Ref CC-23102020-0561)

Police Appeal For Information:
A man died following a serious collision between a car and an HGV on the B1040 at the junction with Wheatsheaf Road and Bluntisham Heath Road on Thursday afternoon, 22nd October, at around 3:15 pm. The man was driving a Toyota Auris and circumstances of the collision are being investigated.

Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact the police on the 101 non-emergency number or use the on-line reporting tool on the police web-site, quoting Incident 339 of 22 October.

And Finally – Proposed Changes to Neighbourhood Policing in Cambridgeshire

Chief Constable Nick Dean has announced plans to redevelop Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s Neighbourhood Policing Model to assist reducing the budget gap next year and in the long term.

The plans include the reduction and re-alignment of PCSOs to all nighbourhoods across the Force, the removal of the Community Safety Role and a change to the opening hours of Enquiry Offices across the force, all of which will assist in saving £1.7 million in 2021/22.

Full details of the proposals are on the police web-site at:

https://www.cambs.police.uk/news-and-appeals/neighbourhood-changes-2020

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Fenstanton WI – Great Oaks from Little Acorns Grow

The proverb – “Great Oaks from Little Acorns Grow” puts forward the idea that great enterprises have modest beginnings.

What is now a national federation originates from a small beginning in Ontario in 1897 when the inaugural WI meeting was held. The idea quickly spread across Canada to the UK and the first WI meeting took place in Wales in 1915.

Fenstanton WI has been running for over one hundred years, meeting monthly with a speaker or demonstration.

Unfortunately since March 2020 our physical meetings have been suspended due to Covid-19 and we have used email to provide our Members with a ‘virtual substitute’ to visit recommended websites related to the topic of the month.

Hopefully meetings will resume some time in 2021 and in the meantime we wish our Members all the best.

The WI Oak Tree was planted at the Cemetery entrance as a sapling in 2000 and 20 years later is really well established!

Fenstanton WI - oak tree in 2020

Fenstanton WI - oak sapling 20000

 

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A14 C2H – Planned road closures w/c 26 October

A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire: major improvements
We are currently carrying out finishing works for which we need to close lanes  or carriageways on the A1, A14 and some local roads at times, usually overnight between 8pm and 6am, unless otherwise stated. A clearly signed diversion route will always be in place for closures.

For this week, the planned closures are:

Full closures
Monday 26 9.30am to 3.30pm
• A1307 between Buckingway roundabout, Swavesey and Bar Hill/B1050 junction
Traffic will be diverted to use the A14 between Swavesey junction 24 and Bar Hill junction 25. Access to Lolworth and businesses within the closure will be via escort from Buckingway roundabout

Monday 26 (one night)
Contingency closure Tuesday 27 (one night)
• A14 westbound Six Mile Bottom junction 36 to Girton junction 31
Vehicles will be diverted via A11 southbound, A505 westbound and M11 northbound to re-join the A14

Tuesday 27 (one night)
Contingency closure Wednesday 28 (one night)
• A428 eastbound Madingley to A14 eastbound Milton junction 33
Vehicles will be diverted via A1303 eastbound, M11 southbound, A505 eastbound and A11 northbound to re-join the A14 at junction 36. Non-motorway traffic will be diverted through Cambridge

Wednesday 28 (one night)
• A1307 eastbound between Fenstanton and Buckingway roundabout, Swavesey
Vehicles will be diverted west on A1307 to Godmanchester, A1198 southbound and then east on the A428 at Caxton Gibbet

Wednesday 28 (one night)
Contingency closure Thursday 29 (one night)
• M11 northbound junction 13 to A14 westbound Swavesey junction 24b
Vehicles will be diverted via A1303 westbound to the A428 and northbound on A1198 at Caxton Gibbet to re-join the A14 westbound at Godmanchester junction 23

Thursday 29 to Friday 30 (two nights)
• A14 eastbound Godmanchester/A1198 junction 23 to Girton junction 31
Vehicles will be diverted south on the A1198 and eats on the A428 at Caxton Gibbet to re-join the A14 or to join the M11

Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November (two nights)
• A14 eastbound New Ellington junction 21 to Swavesey junction 24
Vehicles will be diverted to exit the A14 at New Ellington onto the A141 to Brampton Hut roundabout, south on the A1 to Wyboston and then onto the A428 eastbound to re-join the A14 at Girton junction 31
• A1 southbound to A14 eastbound Brampton Interchange junction 22
Vehicles will be dverted to continue south on the A1 to Wyboston and then onto the A428 eastbound to join the A14 at Girton junction 31

For more information about this scheme, visit https://highwaysengland.co.uk/a14-cambridge-to-huntingdon-improvement-scheme-home/

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Daytime closure of A1307 – Swavesey to Bar Hill

Dear All

I am writing to inform you that on Monday 26 October we have a planned daytime closure of the A1307 between Buckingway Roundabout, Swavesey and the B1050/Bar Hill junction. This closure will be in place between 9.30am and 3.30pm and is to allow us to undertake final safety inspections of the bridges.

Access for Lolworth and businesses located between the closure points will be via an escort. Please approach the gateman from the Buckingway Roundabout, Swavesey end of the A1307. For residents leaving Bar Hill to travel towards Swavesey please use the main A14.

This closure will only affect this section of the local access road and the A1307 will remain open between the Bar Hill/B1050 junction, Oakington roundabout and Girton Interchange.

Should work be concluded earlier than 3.30pm we will reopen the road.

Kind regards

 Maxine Wraith

Customer Lead
A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon
Website: http://www.highwaysengland.co.uk/

Highways England Customer Contact Centre: 0300 123 5000

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A14 C2H – Planned road closures w/c 19 October –

We are currently carrying out finishing works for which we need to close lanes or carriageways on the A1, A14 and some local roads at times, usually overnight between 8pm and 6am, unless otherwise stated. A clearly signed diversion route will always be in place for closures.

For this week, the planned closures are:

Full closures
Monday 19 to Wednesday 21 (three nights)

• A14 westbound to westbound Girton junction 31 link
Vehicles will be diverted to continue on A14 westbound to Caxton Gibbet, northbound on the A1198 and re-join the A14 westbound at Godmanchester junction 23

Thursday 22 to Friday 23 (two nights)
• Hinchingbrooke Park Road between the Loop and B1514 Brampton Road
Vehicles will be diverted to use Hinchingbrooke Park Loop, westbound on B1514 Brampton Road to the roundabout and return eastbound for access to Huntingdon

• A428 eastbound Madingley to A14 eastbound Girton junction 31
All traffic will be diverted onto the A1303. Motorway traffic will then be diverted south on the M11, east on A505 and north on A11 to re-join the A14. Non motorway traffic will continue on the A1303 and be diverted on local roads through Cambridge.

• M11 northbound junction 14 exit slip

For more information about this scheme, visit https://highwaysengland.co.uk/a14-cambridge-to-huntingdon-improvement-scheme-

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13 Oct 2020 – Weekly Police Update – Fenstanton District

Good Afternoon, Fenstanton District Members –

Very happily, there are no offences or incidents affecting your community to mention in our Policing Summary this week, covering the period 6th to 12th October.

However, here are details of a police appeal, and a link to the latest information on the Coronavirus situation that might be useful:

Police Appeal For Information:

Police are appealing for the public’s help in identifying three people who were involved in an attempted burglary at a shop on Market Hill in St Ives on Monday morning, 5th October.

Two men were seen getting out of a white Seat car that drew up outside the premises of ‘St Ives News’ at around 10:30 pm, and began trying to smash the doors and windows. However, they fled back to the car and drove off when passers-by shouted at them.

More information and pictures are on the police web-site at:

https://www.cambs.police.uk/news-and-appeals/cctv-appeal-following-attempted-burglary-2

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the police using any of the methods listed at the end of this report, quoting Reference 35/67898/20

And Finally – Latest Coronavirus Information:

The Government’s new three-tier Covid Alert Structure comes into effect on Wednesday 14th October. At the time of writing (Tuesday afternoon), Huntingdonshire falls into the MEDIUM alert category.

Information on the new structure and the restrictions that apply to each level can be found on the Government web-site at:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-covid-alert-levels-what-you-need-to-know

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6 Oct 2020 – Weekly Police Update

Good Afternoon, Fenstanton District Members –

Here is our weekly summary of offences and incidents affecting your community, reported to police during the period 29th September to 5th October:

Fenstanton – Police are investigating an incident reported to have happened in Fenstanton on Wednesday morning, 30th September, in which a dog being walked by its owner was attacked by another dog, which picked it up by its scruff and shook it violently. Fortunately the dog did not require stitches but it was left scratched and whimpering, and its owner very shaken and shocked. (Ref 35/66521/20)

Park Close, Fenstanton – A thief entered the manager’s office at a construction site on Park Close at some time between Thursday morning, 1st, and Friday afternoon, 2nd October, and stole a laptop computer which had been left out on a desk. (Ref 35/67711/20)

Church Lane, Fenstanton – Police received a report of two males cold-calling at houses on Church Lane on Friday afternoon, 2nd October. The males had given an explanation that they were ex-offenders and had shown a scrappy piece of paper with red writing on it as identification. Although the two males had been polite, the resident rightly contacted the police as cold-callers may have ulterior motives and be planning criminal activity. (Ref CC-02102020-0296)

Fenstanton – Police received a report of a possible fraud from a Fenstanton resident on Monday 5th October. The victim had bought a car advertised on social media, but when it was delivered there was no log book and enquiries with DVLA showed that it had actually been declared scrapped in 2019. Investigations are continuing. (Ref 35/67816/20)

An Item Of Local News:

A man and a teenage boy who conspired to commit a string of burglaries across the County, including at St Ives, Chatteris, Ramsey, Haddenham, Longstanton, Willingham, Girton, Kimbolton and Stapleford, were sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday 2nd October. Luke Wall, aged 29, was jailed for four years and 105 days; the teenager, a fifteen-year-old from Essex, was given an 18-month Youth Rehabilitation Order.

More details are on the police news web-site at:

https://www.cambs.police.uk/news-and-appeals/luke-wall-burglary

And Finally

Reminder – Download the NHS Covid-19 Contact App:

The more people who use the new NHS Covid-19 app, the more we can keep each other safe and stop the infection from spreading. The app is a vital part of the NHS Test-and-Trace service in England, and is free to download for your smart-phone.

More information and download links are on the NHS website at:

https://www.covid19.nhs.uk/

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A14 C2H September update – Bar Hill & Swavesey junctions

Dear All

Please see below our end of month updates for both Bar Hill and Swavesey junctions.

Bar Hill
Work has progressed well at Bar Hill junction, however we have some final remedial and finishing works to complete in October.

In the week commencing 5 October, remedial works will be carried out on day shifts. In order for the work to be carried out safely, lane closures will be in place on the junction. At all times, there will be one lane open and operational around the junction.

In the week commencing 12 October, the team will move to night closures. For 3 nights, Monday 12 to Wednesday 14 between 9pm & 6am, the A14 eastbound entry slip will be closed. Part of this work is to replace barrier that was damaged in a road traffic collision. The westbound entry slip will then be closed for 2 nights, Thursday 15 and Friday 16 between 9pm & 6am.

Following final inspection, which is scheduled for late October, and all being well, we will finally be able to remove our permanent traffic management throughout the junction. If the opportunity arises to remove the traffic management sooner, then we will do. Please note that depending on the results of the inspection we may need daytime traffic management to undertake corrective works.

Please may we take this opportunity to reiterate our appreciation for your patience while we work to complete Bar Hill junction. Bar Hill junction has been one of the most complex sections of the project so we hope this update is a light at the end of what has been a rather long tunnel!
We will issue a final update before the end of October to give you confirmation of when the permanent traffic management at the junction will be removed.

Swavesey
The overnight work on the overbridge is due to be completed as scheduled this weekend. The traffic management on the A1307 approach to Swavesey roundabout will stay in place for one week longer, until the weekend of 10th October. This is following a recent inspection identifying some snags that need fixing before we can remove the traffic management. Once this is complete, our works will be finished at Swavesey junction.

Bar Hill junction roundabout (over the A14)
The lane drop around the gyratory is scheduled to be in place for another few weeks. The electrical items we’re awaiting to be delivered are scheduled to arrive early September. Once fitted, these electrical items will be tested to ensure compliance and safety. Once completed, the cones here can be removed.

Bar Hill junction roundabout to Saxon Way/ Crafts Way roundabout – downhill
The lane drop here will be in place until we have been able to install fencing. The closure of suppliers during the pandemic has meant the original fence type as per the design is not available and we are reviewing alternatives. As a consequence, unfortunately we’re unable to confirm when these cones will be removed. We are actively chasing suppliers to resolve this as quickly as possible.

Saxon Way/Crafts Way roundabout to Bar Hill junction roundabout – uphill
The lane drop here is in place for access to ongoing drainage works, followed by completion of the landscaping. The recent storms has meant this work has taken slightly longer than originally planned and currently we anticipate this work will be completed early October.

All works are currently due for completion at Bar Hill early October and we will provide you with a further update at the end of September.

Bar Hill junction 25
You may have seen our recent updates sharing the new website and the legacy information for the A14 scheme.

However, we are aware that our work still continues at the Bar Hill junction and this may raise some questions for you. We’re sure you will appreciate that the Bar Hill junction has been one of the most complex sections of the scheme and as always, we really do appreciate your patience while we continue to work.

We can confirm that the majority of the works at the Bar Hill junction are now complete, however there has been some elements that need remedial work undertaking before we’re happy and can remove the temporary traffic management around the junction.

Some of the materials required to complete this work have long lead-in times, which have been delayed as a result of factories closing due to the impact of COVID -19. We’re in regular contact with the manufacturers and have had confirmation that some of these items are still a few weeks away from being delivered. Due to this, we expect works to continue at this location until September. We will update you again at the end of August.

Following the reopening of the A1307 between Buckingway Roundabout and Robins Lane, Lolworth this weekend, we can confirm that there’s no further full closures of the local road planned. Any remaining work required will be undertaken using temporary traffic lights.

Finally, the Bar Hill non-motorised user bridge is due to be opened for public use very soon, and we will let you know as soon as this is confirmed by the team on site.

Kind regards

A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme
Highways England | Woodlands | Manton Lane | Bedford | MK41 7LW
http://www.highwaysengland.co.uk

 

 

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Village Hall – some historic notes.

I have written these notes about the Fenstanton Village Hall entirely from memory as I no longer have any references. so there may be errors in detail but the broad picture is accurate.

The Fenstanton Conservatives had a successful club in the High Street but the lease of its premises must have expired as the Club had no premises in the 1 920 s.

Prominent Conservatives such as Edward Kiddle and Sir Arthur Dilley raised money for a new hall and in 1 926 Henry Johnson gave a piece of land in trust to local Conservatives on which they could build a hall. . It was called The Constitutional Hall In time, due to lack of funds this hall deteriorated and in 1978 was sold to the village for £4,259 of which the Parish Council paid £3,000 on the casting vote of Bill Robins, Chairman of the Parish Council., The Hall was renamed “Fenstanton Village Hall”, and registered as a charity . .

There two forms of trustees initially. Management Trustees and Custodian Trustees . . The first duty of the local Custodian Trustees was to hand over their trusteeship to the Charity Commission but did not do so. They were not to interfere with the work of the Management Trustees.

In 1979 I retired and attended an annual meeting of the Village Hall Committee where I was elected a trustee, At my first meeting I asked for copy of the rules of the committee but the chairman , Arthur Dunn said that they did not worry with such things. . I looked into things and found that Arthur , Bill Robins and the rest were still Custodian Trustees and should not be managing affairs.

A firm of solicitors had been engaged to see to the transfer of trusteeship; I visited them and found them very helpful although I felt them to be an unnecessary expense. These stages of correspondence ensued and achieved absolutely nothing:-

The Charity Commission sent a vesting form to solicitor who sent them for completion to the Custodian Chairman, Arthur Dunn Arthur returned them to the solicitor who passed them on to the Charity Commission. The Charity Commission returned them to the solicitor as they had been completed incorrectly.

The Solicitor sent them back to Arthur for correction After “correction” Arthur returned them to the solicitor who passed on to the Charity Commission Once more the Charity Commission sent them back to the solicitor as they still were not right Back to Arthur went these forms and were not seen again

At my request the Charity Commission sent me the forms stating that now I must get the signature of each of the Trustees which I did and in 1982 an Order was sealed. What the solicitor did I never found out.

At the AGM Bill Robins said that he supposed Arthur would again be in the Chair However I asked for an election and proposed Reg Keyworth Out of the room went the two candidates and returned when called, Arthur returning to the Chair.

Unhappily for him Reg had been elected so at last there was some sense in the administration. Arthur and Bill were true descendants of Mary but it was the Sons of Martha that were needed to get the Hall into shape. Arthur and Bill did not lift a finger to work on the Hall but fortunately there was a good team of practical folk, Tony Hart with assistance from Reg Keyworth rewired the electrical circuits.

Outside the north wall, earth, rubble and dog dirt were two feet deep , higher than the damp course. A team of volunteers with shovels came each evening and excavated , loading the debris into a trailer which Michael Behagg had placed by the Hall. The trailer was emptied each morning and returned for use by the evening. . Damp course and roof gutters were cleared. Derek Holley was one of the volunteers.

We now had to get a licence for Public Entertainment and a District Council inspector gave us our orders. The front door opened up to an immediate drop. The door had to be moved back so that the floor was level either side of the door .. David Smith was the master mind here and I was his assistant. We bought scrap wood from a timber merchant, constructed the porch as it is today and fitted the door.at the rear of this porch Next there came a ramp to give access for the disabled. We built the concrete at the rear entrance door and Tony Hart fix the handrail. .

We are now in the early 1980 s. My wife gave a looking glass for newly built toilets and I used wood from the cases made to transport of household goods from Kuwait. The annex adjacent to the stage at the north eastern corner of the Hall was saturated with dampness. The narrow channel between the outer wall and the concrete council garage’s platform was choked with soil and vegetation. Starting from the northern end I dug and shovelled the earth forward — this was a long job but time was no object. I cut out the ground elder and eventually the channel was cleared well below the damp course. We then painted inside. In two days the damp was back.

My activities were now over. The Committee did run a 12 week Christmas Draw in which Committee Member Emily Smith raised about £700 each year but at last her age caught up so Arthur Dunn took for one season – he made £20 so the next year I tried – I only reached about half of Emily’ s total.

In the following fifteen or more years many good people made enormous improvements especially having a new floor laid, an improved kitchen with a serving hatch installed and so on. For some years Helen Andrews kept things going

From notes produced by Jack Dady, 2nd November 2005