Available now for £1,650 pcm, unfurnished.
Downstairs: Entrance hall, living/dining room, kitchen.
Upstairs: Three bedrooms and family bathroom.
Advert
Garage.
Author: chris
2 bedroom house to rent in Pepys Terrace
Available 14/02/2025 for £1,500pcm, unfurnished.
Downstairs: Living room and dining area, kitchen, bathroom.
Upstairs: Two double bedrooms.
Advert
(Reduced from £1,600pcm on 06/02/2025)
Admin Assistant – Lakin Rose
Chartered Accountants Lakin Rose, who are based in Girton, are currently recruiting for this role.
Admin Assistant (part time) to provide vital support to our existing admin team, ensuring the smooth running of day-to-day operations. The position offers opportunities for career progression within the administrative team over time.
Please send your CV and a brief covering letter outlining your suitability for the role to hr@lakinrose.co.uk.
Advert
Temporary lights cause traffic “chaos” on the B1049
Severe traffic jams on Bridge Road Impington could continue until 10 February due to planned ‘Utility Repair and Maintenance Works’ by UK Power Networks.
The main road over the bridge by the football ground is down to a single lane and three-way temporary traffic lights are in place at the junction of the B1049 with New Road.
The works are causing huge tailbacks and anger among local residents reporting severe delays in both directions.
AdvertGoogle Maps is proposing diversions down Station Road and Impington Lane to avoid the lights and the jams.
Residents’ anger
When the works were set up, some residents took to social media to try to warn others of the “chaos”. One reported that setting up the lane closure began at 7.30am on Wednesday 5 Feb. Another commented “by 9am [I] couldn’t get out from dropping daughter off at IVC so ended up turning around and going toward Milton P&R to access the A14”
The problems continued much later in the day, with a report of traffic backing up to the Holiday Inn at 4.45pm and another resident commenting that “the whole system failed as we approached them at about 7.30pm!”
A cyclist passing the queues during the morning rush hour on Thursday 6 February said: “The road into Cambridge is backed up a very long way. I can’t imagine how any motorist is going to get to work on time.”
UK Power Networks have apologised for the inconvenience caused by the roadworks, recognising that “this is a busy area”. They explained: “Our engineers have repaired an underground electricity cable, so traffic lights are being used for everyone’s safety until our contractors finish resurfacing the road.
“The site is due to be cleared by 10 February, but this will be done sooner if at all possible.”
Find that loving feeling… here in H&I
‘Love is all around us’ as the song goes, and Histon & Impington is no exception. Lucy Callington has a round-up of H&I’s top Valentine hot spots for all ages.
Those wishing to mark the day of love in our villages have no shortage of options. Whether you want to keep the kids busy with Valentine-themed craft, or treat that special someone to a beauty treatment or a meal in one of our many pubs and cafes, here are the best places to embrace your romantic side.
Hands-on hearts at Kawaii Kubs. Photo: Kawaii Kubs Cupid’s little helpers
Fundraising with love: enterprising IVC pupils. Photo: Helen Freeman - Crafty kids aged six and over can visit Histon Library between Saturday 8 and Thursday 13 February to make pop-up Valentine’s Day cards. The team at the library will provide packs containing all the materials and instructions you need to make a pop-up card for your loved ones. Packs cost £1 each and can be made in the library or taken away to assemble at home.
- Play group Kawaii Kubs is holding play sessions on Sunday 9 February from 9am to 11am at the Royal British Legion. Explore Valentine-themed messy and sensory play trays, make crafty keepsakes and even blow a kiss and pose for Valentine photos in the photo booth. There’s even dancing with bubbles… Sessions are suitable for sitting babies, toddlers, and kids up to around six years old and can be booked here.
- For a charitable Valentine’s Day, head to a fundraising stall run by a group of year 9 IVC students at the HILF book sale stand at the Methodist church between 10-12am on Saturday 8 February. The enterprising pupils will be selling kids’ craft kits, Valentine’s Day cards, jewellery, cakes and chocolate treats, all in aid of raising funds for a trip to Tanzania with World Challenge.
The food of love
We are lucky to have so many eateries in the village, so whether you want an intimate meal or a bustling evening out, there’s something for everyone.
From Wednesday 12 to Saturday 15 February, The Boot has a special deal offering Lanson Rose Champagne at a 25% saving, and Valentine specials including crab and scallop mousse agnolotti, herb crusted Cornish rack of Lamb and an ‘assiette’ of souffle.
The BOOT making a meal of Valentines Day Or, for a quick bite with a loved one, look out for Valentine-themed cakes at the Saint Andrew’s Centre Café in the run up to Valentine’s Day.
Splash the cash
Whether you’ve put weeks of thought into treating your other half, or you’re a last-minute gifter, the village High Street has you covered.- Gin House Flowers will be open extra hours (8am-6pm) on Friday 14 February and will have lots of flowers and roses available in large and small bunches. They also have chocolate, cards, teddies, gifts and wrapping paper available.
- Topiary tree is also embracing the day of love, with a range of Valentine’s Day cards, chocolate, heart-based gifts, candles and more. It’s open all day on 14 February from 10am-5pm.
Pamper your partner
- In the month of love, Estelle’s and The Cambridge Skin Lounge on Histon High Street would like to help you treat your loved one or even just yourself to a gift voucher for a relaxing massage, a rejuvenating facial and more. Its ‘The Skin Lounge Luxe’ treatment is also on offer for £85 instead of £100 throughout February.
- Or why not embrace Galentines day? A modern invention where girls get their friends round to celebrate and embrace female friendship. Get dressed up, stock up on treats, drinks and snacks; pick a box-set – even exchange a gift basket with your most deserving friend – then settle in for a fun evening celebrating love in all its many forms.
However you spend it, hopefully your H&I Valentine’s Day will be a memorable one this year.
Swings re-open at The Green
Work to replace two sets of children’s swings in the play area at The Green has been completed, with all now fully open to the public again.
Contractors for the Parish Council began work on replacing the swing sets on 24 January and completed the job this week, having removed the old sets and assembled the new equipment. Weather conditions allowed for the replacements to be installed on schedule and the work was undertaken in fenced-off areas.
Removal for safety
An annual external inspection of the play area at The Green and the Rec last August found several issues with the old swing sets and basket swing, giving them a high-risk rating and leading to the seats on all the swings being removed straight away.
The inspection found that parts of the timber on the structures had rotted, connecting lugs (on the chains) were worn in some cases, there was damage to the surface beneath the swings, and grass mats were missing or loose.
Metal replacements
Swings back in action at the Green. Quotes were sought initially for removing the posts and replacing them with new wooden ones, with metal feet to prevent them rotting in the future.
But when the costs of replacing the entire wooden sets with metal sets were found to be comparable, and this option to be easier to maintain and covered by covered by a longer guarantee, the Council chose this instead.
READ ALSO: Rec development plans on the agenda for Council Committee meeting | HI HUB
Correction 10/2/25: The basket swing at the Recreation ground Play Area has not yet been replaced as the Parish Council is still deciding what equipment is going where.
Council tax set to rise again
All but one public organisation has proposed increasing their portion of the Council Tax for the upcoming financial year. If all of the amounts are approved, it means households in an average Band D property in Histon and Impington will have to pay £2,432 in 2025/26. The overall total is over £100 more than this year.
The current breakdown as it stands for 2025/26 is as follows:
- Cambridgeshire County Council: £1,700.64 (Proposed)
- South Cambridgeshire District Council: £175.40 (Proposed)
- Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner: £299.43 (Approved)
- Cambridgeshire Fire Authority: £87.21 (Proposed)
- Mayoral Combined Authority: £36 (Approved)
- Parish Council Precept: £133.32 (Approved)
County Council increase
Cambridgeshire County Council has proposed increasing its proportion of the Council Tax payment by 4.99% – the maximum possible without a referendum being called. This includes its contribution towards Adult Social Care services.
The Council’s Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee heard at its last meeting how the demand for services, increasing complexity of need, inflation and market failures meant there is a £35.1 million gap in its 2025/26 finances.
However its proposed plans for the upcoming year include a £52 million investment in highways maintenance. The Council says this includes £14.5 million for the day-to-day management of roads and an additional £20m for planned maintenance including pavements, drainage, road safety measures and cycleways.
There are also proposals for £3 million funding to cover inflation for local care providers, an additional £9 million to support children who need to be looked after and £4.7 million for home to school transport services.
‘…what choice do we have…?’
New Sshire Hall – home of Cambridgeshire County Council. Photo: Hannah Brown, Local Democracy Reporter Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We didn’t want to put the council tax up, but what choice do we have when we’re facing a challenging budget. This reflects the position faced by councils up and down the country, and we’ve seen the national profile on key services such as special educational needs and disability services. This the same in Cambridgeshire.
“Between 2020 and 2024, there was a 70% increase in children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), cost increases in home to school transport and in autism services over the same period. We do not receive the funding from Government to meet the needs of the growing population in Cambridgeshire, so we must do what we can to deliver value for money in the services we provide, whilst investing in what matters most to our residents.”
The final decision on the increase will be made when the Full Council meets on 11 February.
4.9% increase for police
Residents’ contribution towards policing will also increase by 4.9%, which was unanimously supported by the police and crime panel yesterday (Wednesday). This means residents in a Band D property will pay around £14 more in the next financial year for police officers, bringing this annual contribution to just under £300.
When first proposing the increase, Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston explained how the county falls short because of Central Government’s current funding model.
He said: “Police funding is based on a woefully inadequate funding formula which results in our county remaining one of the lowest funded forces in the country. Since the funding formula was set, our population has grown by 11% and is forecast to grow much faster than the national average.
“At the same time, there are areas of the country which have maintained the same level of population and some areas who have seen their population reduce. Yet the way funding is allocated using the existing formula is outdated and does not meet our county’s needs.”
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is proposing to increase its precept by just under £5 to £87.21. This will be debated next Thursday (13 February). Chief Fire Officer Matthew Warren said a long-term partnership which involved sharing resources with the Suffolk service is coming to an end. To break even, he said Cambridgeshire now has to find an additional £1 million.
Increased demand vs decreased funding
South Cambridgeshire District Council headquarters. Photo: SCDC Both South Cambridgeshire District Council and Histon & Impington Parish Council’s increases work out to be around 3%. For a Band D property, the District Council will make a final decision at the end of the month on proposals to increase its precept by £5.09 to £175.40. South Cambs argues it is expected to maintain its position to be among the lowest 25% of district councils in the country when it comes to its Council Tax charge.
South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr John Williams, said: “It continues to be challenging for councils due to increasing demand for our services coupled with reduced funding.
“So, it’s a fantastic achievement for residents that we’re a financially sound Council – but important to remember we only retain a very small amount of the Council Tax we collect. Most of it gets passed on to other authorities – and we continue to do all we can to make the most of every pound we do receive.”
Histon & Impington Parish Council has voted in favour of increasing its Council Tax precept to £133.32. Meanwhile, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is the only public body covering the village to freeze its contribution to £36. However, last year it tripled the amount and says separate funding for public transport has helped its finances.
School announces traffic scheme without prior consultation
One of the village primary schools has been criticised for revealing it will trial a new traffic control scheme without consulting nearby residents beforehand.
Brook Primary School says the scheme will involve a moveable barrier being put in place at the intersection between The Green and High Street. It will be supervised by volunteers during the busy drop off and pickup times between 8:30am-9am and 3pm-3:30pm.
A school spokesperson said: “This is designed to enhance the safety of pupils and their families, improve air quality, reduce traffic congestion and reduce the number of occasions that cars are obstructing the drives of residents.”
He also explained “access for residents and other essential vehicles” would be allowed through the barriers during the restricted times. It is not yet known when the scheme will begin.
Annoyed residents
While the school says “a comprehensive public” consultation will run during the first six months of the trial, one nearby resident feels the idea should have been presented to them beforehand.
The resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I’m annoyed about this actually. We only heard about this scheme because someone we know has kids at the school and they were sent a message about it.
“We got in touch with the authorities and it seems the school has got ahead of themselves even though nothing has been decided yet. The thing I’m most put out about is the fact there has been no public consultation despite Government guidance stating there should be for residents when it comes to initiatives like this.”
Safety issue
For some time, it has been felt the mixture of cars dropping off children and those on two wheels were becoming a safety issue around The Green. In a statement, Cambridgeshire County Council says it is aware of concerns and held an “initial meeting” with Brook Primary School. A Council spokesperson said: “Currently there are no specific proposals in place and no decisions will be made without community engagement.”
However, County Councillor Ros Hathorn explained the Council’s Schools Streets Initiative has had its Department for Education funding withdrawn and it is still early days for any scheme around the Brook Primary School area. She said: “We have been assured nothing can go ahead without a conversation with residents in the first instance.”
In its statement, Brook Primary School said Ros is available to answer questions relating to community engagement on this project. Her email is Ros.Hathorn@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
Histon & Impington Parish Council was approached for comment.
READ ALSO: Residents step up Park Primary parking campaign | HI HUB
Online threat to schools believed to be hoax
Police believe an online threat that caused panic across Cambridgeshire schools, including Impington Village College was a hoax. It has since emerged that Peterborough City Council contacted headteachers about a message reaching schools in another part of the country on Tuesday afternoon, and this attracted a lot of attention overnight.
An e-cops email from Cambridgeshire Police explained: “There was no evidence to suggest that Cambridgeshire schools might be at risk, but the message was shared for awareness and to remind them of the need for good safeguarding procedures to ensure the safety of pupils.
“Understandably, overnight this has attracted a lot of interest and concern from parents as a result of the message to schools being shared wider. However, we would like to reassure the public that this message is believed to be a hoax. At this time, there is no specific identified threat to schools within Cambridgeshire and we are not aware of any of our schools having received the email in question.”
‘Security Awareness‘
Parents of pupils at IVC were sent an email update on Wednesday in which a spokesperson for the Eastern Learning Alliance, the Trust that runs the school, sought to reassure parents and pupils, saying: “Please be reassured that we have robust lockdown procedures in place across all our schools, and this morning, we have worked closely with our Heads of School to ensure that all necessary preparations are in place should they be required”.
They continued: “While there is no immediate cause for concern, we ask for your support in remaining alert. If you receive any similar communication directly, please report it to the police immediately by calling 999 before informing your Head of School.
“The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority, and we will continue to work closely with the police and relevant authorities”.
Price increases proposed for using Rec facilities
Items on the agenda for discussion at the next meeting of the Parish Council’s Wellbeing, Recreation and Leisure Committee include:
- Price increases for clubs and public to use the Recreation Ground facilities
- A verbal update on the Youth Provision Working Group
- An update from the Rec Development Group
The meeting takes place on Monday 10 February in the Community Room at the Rec, starting at 7.30pm. All Histon & Impington residents are invited to attend to listen to the debates, and any resident wishing to address the meeting should contact the office to request a slot. Email clerk@hisimp-pc.gov.uk. For more details, see the agenda pack here
