Latest news with #Fenland
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New free and low-cost activities added to programme for all ages
New free and low-cost fun and fitness activities have been added to a programme in Fenland. A family fun day, wellbeing walk for new parents and those with young children, tea dances, and lower-intensity fitness sessions for inactive adults have been added to Fenland District Council's Active Fenland programme. The full Active Fenland programme includes fall prevention strength and balance classes, walking football, 'couch to 5k' and family running sessions, a multitude of Rambler's Wellbeing Walks, and much more. Councillor Susan Wallwork, portfolio holder for Active Fenland, said: "There's always so much on offer for all ages thanks to Active Fenland's free and low-cost programme of social and fitness activities. Active Fenland March town couch to 5k graduates April 2025 (Image: Active Fenland) "We urge everyone to take a look at the Fenland District Council website to get all the details. "There's sure to be something perfect for you. "Many of the classes are aimed at those who are new to exercise or building up their fitness, like the 'couch to 5k' running classes, which we're delighted to have recently seen several groups complete with deserved pride and now have new beginners joining us for." The newest additions to the programme include a free family fun day on Thursday, May 29, at Peckover House, Wisbech, from 10am to 2pm. A free social stroll for new parents or those with little ones in a buggy will take place through West End Park, March, every first and third Thursday of the month, from 10am to 11am. 'Active for Health Next Steps' lower-intensity classes for inactive adults will be held on Wednesdays from 4.45pm to 5.45pm at Hudson Leisure Centre, Wisbech, for £3.50 per session. Active Fenland tea dances, including dance tuition and light nibbles, will return to venues across Fenland. An exercise class for people with diabetes will be held on Tuesdays from 11.15am to 12.15pm at Hudson Leisure Centre, Wisbech, for £3 per session.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New houses planned to keep homeless out of hotels
New housing could be built on council-owned land in a bid to reduce costs incurred by housing homeless people in hotels. Fenland District Council said at any one time it was paying for about 30 households to stay in hotels, because there was nowhere else for them to go. It has now put forward plans for 12 homes to be built on land it owns in Grounds Avenue in March, Cambridgeshire. The council said it hoped the project would ultimately help save the council about £188,000 a year. It said there were currently not many options for families facing homelessness in the area it covers. At a meeting on Monday, the council's cabinet agreed to move forward with plans to redevelop the plot of land in Grounds Avenue. This would involve commissioning a company to develop the land, and agreeing to lease the land for 125 years to a registered housing provider, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. Sam Hoy, the council's portfolio holder for housing, said: "This proposal is another example of the council taking proactive action to reduce the number of homeless households who live in hotels and in doing so reduce revenue costs on the council's statutory responsibilities to address homelessness." She said hotel accommodation was "not housing benefit compliant and this places significant additional pressure on our finances, but also is not a good option for the households we are helping". The council hopes the new homes will be built by October 2026. Ms Hoy added there was a risk cost to the council of about £92,000, which she said was the planning cost that would be refunded if approval for the project was granted. She added: "It is a good deal for the council and it significantly reduces reliance on expensive temporary accommodation that is not subsidy compliant." Addressing a concern that the homes might be used for asylum seeker accommodation, Ms Hoy said it would be for "local housing need". Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Fenland District Council Local Democracy Reporting Service
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
New homes in March planned to keep homeless out of hotels
New housing could be built on council-owned land in a bid to reduce costs incurred by housing homeless people in District Council said at any one time it was paying for about 30 households to stay in hotels, because there was nowhere else for them to has now put forward plans for 12 homes to be built on land it owns in Grounds Avenue in March, council said it hoped the project would ultimately help save the council about £188,000 a year. It said there were currently not many options for families facing homelessness in the area it a meeting on Monday, the council's cabinet agreed to move forward with plans to redevelop the plot of land in Grounds would involve commissioning a company to develop the land, and agreeing to lease the land for 125 years to a registered housing provider, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Hoy, the council's portfolio holder for housing, said: "This proposal is another example of the council taking proactive action to reduce the number of homeless households who live in hotels and in doing so reduce revenue costs on the council's statutory responsibilities to address homelessness."She said hotel accommodation was "not housing benefit compliant and this places significant additional pressure on our finances, but also is not a good option for the households we are helping".The council hopes the new homes will be built by October Hoy added there was a risk cost to the council of about £92,000, which she said was the planning cost that would be refunded if approval for the project was added: "It is a good deal for the council and it significantly reduces reliance on expensive temporary accommodation that is not subsidy compliant."Addressing a concern that the homes might be used for asylum seeker accommodation, Ms Hoy said it would be for "local housing need". Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- BBC News
Cambridgeshire officers pilot home visits in knife amnesty week
A week-long knife amnesty will include home visits from officers for the first time, aimed at people who cannot access police station weapon Cambridgeshire Police amnesty offers people the chance to surrender weapons such as knives and machetes. It also includes knuckledusters, extendable batons, curved swords and zombie weapons, which are now illegal to of weapons offences in Cambridgeshire have increased by 31%, from 312 between April 2023 and March 2024, to 408 between 2024-2025, police said. A record 370 items were handed in during the last amnesty in November, the force added. The home visits are being piloted in some areas of Peterborough, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire. Those interested can get in touch with the force by email, and an officer will arrange a time for collection. Supt Paul Rogerson said: "Regular amnesties continue to be part of our ongoing work to combat knife crime in the county and I am pleased we have a new option available to people this year."Officers will also undertake school visits during the week, while extra patrols will be carried out in "hotspot" areas, targeting those believed to be carrying knives. Supt Rogerson said: "Although our statistics show possession of weapon offences have increased, this doesn't necessarily mean knife crime has done the same."The rise could be due to any number of reasons, for example more pro-active work by officers to tackle the issue, more stop searches, or others having more confidence to report those who carry weapons to us."He added that more than 160 knives were seized as a result of 215 extra stop searches last amnesty bins are in place at Thorpe Wood Police Station in Peterborough and Parkside Police Station in Cambridge. A weapons bin will also be available on 22 May at Sawston Police Station between 10:00 BST and 14:00 - and at Cambourne Police Station between 14:00 and 18:00. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Fenland District Council looks to ease Whittlesey traffic
A council is looking at ways to source £220,000 to progress a project to ease lorry traffic and other congestion in a market District Council said Whittlesey was facing increasing issues with traffic, adding that the rate of growth in the town was "unsustainable" without improving the travel network.A report being presented to councillors on Monday asks them to look into a proposal for a new relief road south of the said the project was currently unfunded, but money was needed to do more research on the scheme. "Transport interventions are needed for Whittlesey," the report pointed to a high occurrence of road closures in the area due to flooding, which added to said a relief road would "improve options for sustainable travel and aid in the sense of place for the town centre".The road was suggested to run south of the A605, to ease traffic on the main road through Whittlesey that leads to Peterborough.A relief road is slightly different to a bypass, where traffic avoids a community completely, as it can still involve traffic going into the October, the district council approved outline planning applications for 424 new homes in Whittlesey. Benefits versus cost Councillors have been asked to look into potential options to fund the £220, council said more work was needed including an assessment of how to keep costs down, such as by considering a shorter route for the benefits versus the costs of the project were deemed "currently too low for the project to progress".It was also recommended that more research should be done into how the scheme could unlock new development along the A605 corridor. Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
