Burdett House, the Supported Living residence in Station Road Histon for the past 22 years, has finally closed its doors after Covid delayed plans for its sale.
Residents were forewarned in September 2019 of the possible closure and the final decision to do so was made at the end of January 2020 following an 18-month review into its viability.
No way ahead
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Burdett House is owned by housing charity the Abbeyfield Society and until recently was home for up to 17 people aged 80 and older.
Built on land left by the Chivers family, it enabled residents to live independently. With less intensive care support than in care homes, but more than in sheltered housing, it was unique in its local provision in the village.
After Abbeyfield announced the possible closure, local residents started to campaign for it to remain. A four-month consultation period began, during which the Board engaged openly with the community on their proposals to keep the house open.
But no suitable proposals could be found to guarantee the long-term financial sustainability of the house and the charity finally concluded that there was no viable way ahead and took the difficult decision to close.
Tony Raphael was part of the campaign to keep Burdett House open. He sees its closure as leaving a real gap in care provision in this area and very difficult to justify. “Its closure is a tragedy. It is a victim of poor marketing”, he told HI HUB.
“Burdett House had it all”, he said. “Brilliant village location, fantastic caring staff, lovely surroundings, a feeling of an extended house rather than a large retirement complex with gyms, pool and saunas etc. It was tailor made for the older individual who just wanted to relax in a pleasant, small community, environment and not have to worry about the daily chores of cooking, washing, vacuuming… and very affordable. There are, unfortunately, many fewer residences of this ‘Very Sheltered Housing’ type now available around the country.”
Moving on
The original intention was for all residents to have moved to new accommodation by the end of June 2020. This was postponed when the pandemic took hold, as many older people were shielding and government policy prevented house viewing and moves.
When restrictions were lifted, residents were supported to move to suitable alternative accommodation before the house closed last year.
Tony’s mother, now 98, has moved to a near equivalent residence in Gloucestershire. “She loved being at Burdett House and misses the easy social interaction that she had there”, he said.
Now that the last resident has gone, staff have also moved on, with the former manager Annelize Vanzyl now working at Abbeyfield Girton and coming over to Histon as needed. Surplus items no longer needed from the premises have been donated to local charity The Besom.
Estate agents have been appointed to sell the property, which will go on the market soon, and the funds released will be reinvested into the charity.
A litany of road safety and parking issues have arisen around the new Histon & Impington Park Primary School since it moved to its new building on Glebe Way, the main B1049 road to Cottenham.
Major concerns have arisen about the speed of traffic passing the entrance to the school and the adequacy of safety measures.
The problems have led head teacher Jonathan Newman to survey parents and carers about their concerns and write to neighbours about the measures being taken by the school to address the problems, with a list of suggested improvements.
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He said: “I am sure that you will understand that currently a significant amount of my time is taken up with dealing with issues around traffic and parking and many of these are completely out of my control. We do however want to work, wherever possible, with local residents and we will endeavour to keep you informed of any developments moving forward.”
Local councillors are in discussion with the school about the problems and a public meeting will be arranged with County Councillor Ros Hathorn.
Safety issues
Speedwatch volunteers have been monitoring traffic approaching the school crossing and found that between 5 and 10% of vehicles passing the school entrance are speeding, mostly between 35 and 40mph, though one was clocked at 53mph.
A Speedwatch coordinator commented: “People just don’t seem to realise that they are over the limit, and of course you will always get those who are in a rush.
“Our aim is to be overt as a reminder to people that they should be at the correct speed limit in our village to ensure safety of all our residents. The police will also attend and carry out sessions where they can issue fines, if there is a particular problem area.”
The school is encouraging parents and carers to raise their concerns with the Highways department at Road.Safety@cambridgeshire.gov.uk and to lobby the local authority. It would favour a 20mph speed limit and is awaiting written feedback from a formal Road Safety Audit that has taken place. In the meanwhile, the speed warning signs, which were initially placed too close to the crossing and also currently have the wrong form of display, will be replaced further away from the crossing.
As a result of earlier lobbying, the length of crossing time at the traffic light outside the school was increased by 40% in February, and the school is hopeful that its request for double yellow lines on Cottenham Road will also be successful.
At the crossing itself, the width of the path is thought to be too narrow, and the school is hoping that an adjacent verge will be either tarmacked or slabbed to address this.
Parents and carers believe the pedestrian barriers at the crossing are too short, but the Highways authority is adamant that such barriers cause more problems than they solve, due to the risk of pedestrians becoming trapped against the railings as they cross the road. They have been progressively been removing similar pedestrian railings elsewhere in the interest of safety.
The introduction of speed bumps has also been suggested, but neighbours are concerned that these would create a wider problem due to the noise levels from large commercial vehicles.
Parking
In the school survey, some parents complained of a lack of sympathy for people who have to drive to school.
Local residents have been raising concerns about the need for parking in the area and Parish Councillor Yvonne Murray and Edd Stonham of Greenleas Estate Management Ltd have been working with the headteacher and the children in the School Eco Group to create signs for the Greenleas Estate about where not to park.
The school is also drawing up a 5 minute/10-minute walking map to identify more places for parents/carers to park safely.
The Parish Council is encouraging the community to a look at the suggestions and issues raised in the head teacher’s letter and responses have been received to a post on its website. Several of these also relate to parking.
One comment raises problems caused by “a staff car park with inadequate capacity” and notes that “these potential problems were brought up time and time again by residents during the planning consultation for the new school. It rather makes a mockery of planning consultation when important issues like these apparently fall on deaf ears!”
Another points out that some parents have no option but to drop their children at the school by car: “I was able to cycle whilst we were in lockdown but now must work at the office in Cambridge, starting at 9.30. To arrive on time, I have to drive. I am left with no option but to park on nearby residential roads which understandably frustrates those that live there, despite my attempts to be as considerate as possible… the location was a poor choice.”
South Cambridgeshire District Council will be supporting the principle of a ‘southern’ route for the Bedford to Cambridge section of the proposed East West Rail line, but is calling for more detail.
The preferred option for the scheme would see the railway, if it goes ahead, approach Cambridge through parts of South Cambridgeshire including Cambourne, Caldecote, the Eversdens, Haslingfield, Hauxton and the Shelfords, rather than a ‘northern’ route that would pass close to Histon.
Campaigners living along the southern route have raised questions about the level of scrutiny given to the plan. Councillors agree that further details are needed on a range of technical issues related to noise and landscape, and say the local impacts need to be better explored and addressed.
Cllr Neil Gough, Lead Member on the project, said: “Back in 2018 we said that we supported the principle of the Bedford to Cambridge section of East West Rail, but at this stage significant further work is still needed to allow us to fully assess and provide further comment on the local impacts of the scheme.”
The Council will be responding to the ongoing East West Rail consultation raising its concerns. It will also be questioning the environmental sustainability of opening a new line with diesel trains. East West Rail make a number of general commitments to delivering a net zero carbon railway, but the Council has pointed to contradictions in the consultation documents. They claim “the use of diesel-powered trains is not a project objective” but at the same time state “the railway shall not at this point in time be electrified”.
Overall SCDC believes the new railway has the potential to bring significant opportunity to South Cambridgeshire, but said: “It is vital that the East-West Railway Company continue to work closely with local councillors, officers and residents so that everyone’s views are heard as part of the process.”
SCDC’s draft response to the consultation can be found here.
East West Rail’s consultation runs from 31 March, until 9 June. Members of the public can view the consultation and submit their own comments here.
The library is now welcoming browsers aboard the bus in its new home at the recently vacated New School Road Infant School site in New School Road.
On Monday 17th May, Histon’s Mobile Library van moved to the now unoccupied Infant School site on New School Road.
This new location will see longer opening hours, with the van now being open Mondays and Thursdays from 10am until 6pm. At last it will also be possible to get on board and browse the shelves.
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Friends of Histon Library are planning to run occasional book sales there, which may become a regular fixture, though this is not yet confirmed.
The first of these will be on the afternoon of Thursday 20th May, with a sale of children’s books for pocket money prices. “Do take some loose change”, say the Friends.
For information on all Friends of the Library plans and events, keep an eye on the HILF Facebook page here.
Histon FC will join the Northern Premier League under the Football Association’s long-awaited reconfiguration of the English football league.John Payne told Liz Hill about the changes afoot.
Histon FC is moving from being one of the most northerly outposts in the Isthmian League to sit in the most south-easterly corner of the Northern Premier League (NPL) following a Football Association (FA) review into the structure of non-league football.
The Bridge Road club will start the 2021/22 season in the Northern Premier League’s Midlands division.
The new 20-team league has been formed based on geographical location and Histon FC will be one of five Cambridgeshire-based clubs in the competition. The Stutes will be joined by local rivals Soham Town Rangers and Cambridge City, with Wisbech Town and Yaxley also being relocated.
They will all join nine former members of last season’s Northern Premier League, plus six clubs that have been moved across from the Southern League Central Division.
This change brings to an end the two-year period in Histon FC’s history when they were members of the Isthmian League but didn’t complete either season due to the Covid-19 restrictions.
Into the unknown
The English Football Pyramid system allows promotion and relegation from a County League right up to the Premier League, with different leagues at different ‘steps’ in the pyramid.
The restructuring is part of the FA’s plan to create eight ‘Step 4 divisions’, giving the National League System a configuration that will reduce the need for lateral movements of clubs between the various leagues at the point of promotion and relegation between Steps 3 and 4 – something the Stutes have suffered from in recent years.
Lance Key
First team manager Lance Key has mixed feelings about the move. “It is disappointing in some ways in that we have come out of a league in which we have found our feet over the past two years and were starting to become competitive” he reflects.
“Going into the NPL Midland Division means we are going into the unknown in terms of the opposition we will be facing. Some clubs we already know about, such as Corby Town, Stamford, Soham Town Rangers and Cambridge City, but we will have to get our homework done on the clubs based in the West Midlands area.”
Travel challenges
The greatest impact of the change will be on the club’s players. Everyone from last season’s first team squad was willing to return again, including players who have been loyal to Histon FC in recent years and wanted to end their playing career at the club until Covid-19 intervened.
But whether players based in Essex or working in London will be able to play, given the distances they will have to travel and fit around their normal jobs, this is far from certain. “We will have to look at all the possible scenarios for next season while organizing our pre-season schedule”, Lance said.
Supporters of the club will be faced with the additional mileage to away fixtures as a result of the re-structuring. To attend every away match next season, as many will do, fans will need to travel a total of 2,788 miles compared with the 2,066 they would have travelled last season had Covid-19 not intervened. The longest road trip will be the 230 miles to Belper Town and back on the edge of the Derbyshire Peaks district.
Despite the challenges ahead, Lance is as bullish as ever about the prospects of continuing the progress of recent years: “Things will be different next season but we will be up for it and are looking forward to having a crack at it. Sometimes changes do you good, so we will have to wait and see what it brings.”
The Stutes’ pre-season campaign gets under way on Friday 9th July when the club will be welcoming fans back, Covid precautions permitted, for an evening match against Walsham le Willows. The Histon FC league programme kicks off on Saturday 14th August.
The full list of the teams making up the Northern Premier League Midlands division is:
Bedworth United Belper Town Cambridge City Carlton Town Chasetown Coleshill Town Corby Town Daventry Town Halesowen Town Histon Ilkeston Town Loughborough Dynamo Shepshed Dynamo Soham Town Rangers Spalding United Sporting Khalsa Stamford Sutton Coldfield Town Wisbech Town Yaxley
Demand for GP services is up by 50% since last year, yet staff struggling to cope with the volume of work are still facing hostility and abuse from some patients.
Firs House surgery continues to be the target of “derogatory, unfounded and sometimes aggressive and threatening comments” as patients’ frustrations boil over at the constraints on medical care created by the pandemic.
Demand for medical services in the village has grown by 50% since March 2020 and to cope with the extra work, face to face appointments have had to be limited to those assessed as having the greatest clinical need.
But not everyone is happy with the emergency arrangements. While most patients have expressed gratitude for the care the surgery has continued to provide throughout the Covid-19 crisis, the negative behaviours directed at surgery staff that HI HUB reported in March continue.
Threats, inappropriate demands, shouting and swearing, and personal insults have all been thrown at staff working flat out to provide patient care.
Overworked
Firs House is leading the Covid vaccination programme in the area for a Primary Care Network of GP Practices and the team staffing the local community vaccination hubs in Milton and Over are often doing so in addition to their day jobs, sometimes working shifts at weekends, on their days off and during their annual leave.
Organising, planning and running these clinics takes a huge amount of time away from both clinical and admin staff, who at the same time, are under huge pressure from the public to deliver ‘service as usual’.
Insulting comments such as “your service is disgusting” and “this is not good enough” have led the surgery to remind people on Facebook that “our reception staff cannot create appointments where we do not have clinicians.”
Having to deal with patient hostility has been “incredibly disheartening” for the team, the surgery says, as are “inaccurate social media posts from people who have made no attempt to contact the surgery to resolve issues they may be experiencing.”
They said: “We hope you can understand why we find the suggestion that ‘GP’s are not working hard enough’, or ‘not at all’ as claimed on some media platforms, is offensive, irresponsible and not reflective of the vast majority of practices across England.
“Please understand that every member of the practice team has gone above and beyond, sometimes at the cost to themselves and their family, to ensure that the patients get the best possible care that we can deliver.”
Additional information and full contact details for Firs House Surgery can be found at their website.
Families affected by dementia are set to receive more support thanks to a new initiative aiming to make Histon & Impington a place where they are welcomed, cared for and can live a full life.
Families affected by dementia are set to receive more support thanks to a new initiative aiming to get Histon & Impington officially recognised as a Dementia Friendly Community.
Project Forget-me-not is being launched on Friday, 14 May by local charity HI Friends, to coincide with national Dementia Action Week. It will be led by the new village dementia worker, Sarah Brown and Project Lead, Jan Payne.
Sarah’s role is to work closely with people affected by dementia, developing work begun in the village by Margaret Reed Roberts, so that anyone caring for people living with the condition, and people dealing with memory loss issues themselves, can ‘live well’ here.
Village dementia worker, Sarah Brown
She will be providing support and guidance for people living with dementia or memory loss, and their families and carers, helping with practical, emotional and social needs such as accessing local services, maintaining personal interests, taking part in social activities, and finding respite for carers.
She explained: “As well as helping those whose lives are affected by memory loss and dementia, my role is to influence change in Histon & Impington, to encourage a socially inclusive and compassionate neighbourhood response, so that people can maintain and increase their social contact.”
Village-wideproject
Project Forget-me-not lead, Jan Payne, will be working with Sarah to achieve the Dementia Friendly Community designation for Histon & Impington. This quality standard is accredited by the Alzheimer’s Society, which awards the badge to places where people with dementia are understood, respected and supported, and confident they can contribute to community life.
Project Forget-me-not lead, Jan Payne
“In a dementia friendly community people will be aware of and understand dementia,” they say, and “people with dementia will feel included and involved, and have choice and control over their day-to-day lives.”
The Alzheimer’s Society lists three key factors that contribute to people ‘living well’ in their community:
Being able to find their way around locally, and be safe
Continuing to have access the local facilities that they are used to and where they are known, such as banks, shops, cafes and post offices, and
Maintaining their social networks so they feel they continue to belong.
Jan explained: “My focus is really to support Sarah’s work and grow a community that can help those living with dementia and memory loss.
“We’ll be listening closely to those affected by this, supporting businesses and groups of all ages, arranging activities around the village and forming a support group of people who’d like to get involved.
“We hope that it will become possible for everyone affected by dementia to feel cared for and welcome in our community. This project is about overseeing a change in perception and bringing about changes where needed.”
Taking action
The national Dementia Action Week runs from 17-22 May. To kick off Project Forget-me-not, Jan will be presenting a Dementia Friends Awareness session on Zoom, as offered by the Alzheimer’s Society. The first session will be on Tuesday 18 May at 7.30pm, and then repeated on Friday 21 May at 10.30am.
Jan has experience of helping to care for members of her own family living with dementia and her work has included leading singing groups for those with dementia and memory loss. She has also been trained by the Alzheimer’s Society to give these 45-minute presentations, which everyone can access from home and take part on a computer or phone. They are open to anyone over 18 and there’s no need to book in advance. Full details are available from the HI Friends website.
Then, on Saturday 22 May 2021, from 09.30am until midday, members of the public will be able to meet Sarah and Jan at a stall on The Green, where they can learn more about the project and share their views on the type of help and changes that would be most valuable.
Jan is keen that as many people as possible take part. She explained: “Dementia is an increasingly common condition that will affect many people in the village and it can have a profound impact on them, their family and their friends.
“Nationally 1 in 14 people over 65 live with dementia and by 2040 it could affect as many as 1.5 million people in the UK. What’s more, it is not just a disease of the elderly: increasingly more and more younger people are being given this diagnosis.
“But a diagnosis of dementia isn’t life-ending, and people can live well for many years if communities are supportive and understand what a huge difference their positive attitudes and behaviour can make to those living with the condition.
“I do hope that the village will embrace this opportunity to build on the amazing care and compassion they have shown to their neighbours during the pandemic, and create a lasting legacy that will be a shining example to other communities.”
Sarah is keen to hear from anyone affected by or caring for someone with dementia or memory loss, and Jan is starting her search for people willing to serve on the Support Group and make a start on achieving Dementia Friendly Community status for Histon & Impington.
To find out more, join the Dementia Friends Awareness session on Zoom:
Nine out of ten residents in Histon & Impington have endorsed the Neighbourhood Plan drawn up by the Parish Council.
The Plan sets out a framework for future development of the village. By voting overwhelmingly at last week’s referendum to adopt it, the community has secured the formal assurance that South Cambridgeshire District Council planners will take local wishes into consideration when they decide on planning applications.
Over half of residents eligible to vote – households in the parish that are north of the A14 – did so. This was slightly higher than the turnout in Cottenham, which also voted to adopt its Neighbourhood Plan, but with a marginally smaller majority.
The Parish Council has said a “huge thank you” to everyone who voted to adopt the plan, which the Planning Committee can now refer to in their responses to proposals for complex large developments in the village, and it will help them engage constructively with developers.
A working document
Although the Neighbourhood Plan provides a solid baseline, it can still be revised and updated as the village’s needs and circumstances change, and the Parish Council intends to keep evolving the plan via future editions.
Already on the horizon are the Government’s plans for changing the regulation of the planning system, and this could lead to major changes in the Local Plan – the overarching framework that covers the whole of South Cambridgeshire until 2031.
The Parish Council has already started to put together a team to take forward new ideas and is keen for more people to join.
Chair of the Parish Council, Denis Payne, believes tackling environmental issues could be part of a first revision, looking more closely at sustainability, biodiversity, climate change adaptations.
“I think we should also be looking at other Neighbourhood Plans,” he said. “For example, Hailsham has just approved a plan that contains policies supporting a ‘10-minute town’ – where everywhere is accessible within a 10-minute walk or cycle ride. Our focus on 800m is close to that, but we may want to refine it and look at more walking and cycling improvements.”
Revising the Plan will involve the same process as developing the original one – listening to the community, producing a draft for consultation, reviewing the responses and checking that the agreed version matches with the Local Plan.
“It won’t be a quick process,” Denis explained, but hopefully it will be much quicker than this first one, which has been delayed by a year due to Covid.
The Parish Council would be delighted to hear from any resident interested in contributing to revising the Neighbourhood Plan. Email np@hisimp.netfor more information.
Members of The Men’s Shed in Histon have been out painting our high street planters to bring some cheer to the village. Member Cedric Foster explains why.
Over the course of last week, six members of The Men’s Shed group have been out painting the 11 wooden planters in Histon High Street and on School Hill.
The reason I decided to start the ball rolling was to give everyone a lift after the last 12 months and to attract more people to the village to enjoy our many amenities. I was also inspired by the newly created planter outside Estelle’s, the beauty salon on Histon High Street, which was painted in keeping with her shop.
Starting on Monday 26 April, six Shed members – Bill Muncey, David Collins, Mike Salmon, Bill Bailey, Roger Clarke and myself – painted the planters over the course of a few days. Histon & Impington Parish Council provided us with £100 for the project and several of the planter owners contributed towards the cost too. I gave each owner the opportunity to choose their preferred colour and I’m pleased to say all received their first choice.
Bus stop before and after. All photos: Cedric Foster
Salvation Army before and after
Thomson Webb and Corfield before and after
The Shed, based in Histon, is part of UK Men’s Sheds Association. This organisation helps tackle isolation and feelings of loneliness in men, through meeting like-minded people, having someone to share their worries with and gaining a renewed sense of purpose and belonging through practical projects that help the community.
About five years ago, village residents, Helena Perry and Erika Hunt, along with myself, got the support of traders and the Parish Council to install these planters and Erika has lovingly cared for them since. Although she will still continue to tend the plants, she will be unable to continue watering them from the end of April, so we’ve asked the owners to water them and would like people in the village to give them a drink too, especially during hot, dry spells.
We’d love to hear your ideas about what other community projects Shed members can work on together and if you, or anyone you know, would like to join The Old Forge Men’s Shed email us on: oldforgeshed@gmail.com
Although work on Histon Road improvements continues to divert southbound traffic, Stagecoach has deemed buses from the Milton Park & Ride site into Cambridge to be non-essential and is suspending the service and diverting buses to other routes.
Histon & Impington residents who depend on the Milton Park & Ride bus into Cambridge are being left high and dry by the decision by Stagecoach to prioritise other routes while pandemic restrictions apply.
Buses from the site are being suspended from 10 May to allow for extra services elsewhere, initially on Route 13 from Cambridge to Haverhill, and then on other routes with greater demand.
Covid restrictions mean the number of people who can travel on each bus is currently limited and Stagecoach, which runs the Park & Ride service, is facing a shortage of buses as lockdown restrictions are eased and more people use them to get to work and education.
Passengers who use the Milton Park & Ride service are being advised to use Newmarket Road or Madingley Road Park & Ride services until the limit on passenger numbers is increased.
Buses are being suspended from Milton Park & Ride from May 10. Photo: Bridget Davidson
Stagecoach has apologised for the inconvenience, saying the shortage of vehicles is“being experienced on a national scale and each local operation must do everything they can to ensure the resources they have are used to ensure essential local bus services are maintained.”
Roadworks continue
Meanwhile, efforts to make Histon Road into Cambridge safer for cyclists and quicker for buses continue to hamper attempts to reach Cambridge by car from the village.
The next stage of the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) Histon Road improvement scheme is about to begin. Roadworks to construct a new junction layout that will prioritise cyclist safety at the Gilbert Road junction are due to start mid-May. The work will include digging out the existing kerbs and footpaths, laying new services, including drainage and cables, and widening the road.
Plans for the Gilbert Road junction improvement
Improvements continue to the north of the Gilbert Road Junction through to Carisbrooke Road. The trees in this area are being preserved and works are planned around them.
Floating bus stops are being prepared on the southbound side of Histon Road
Footpaths have been laid from opposite Hazelwood Close alongside the new fencing up to Kings Hedges Road and both sides of the road are open for pedestrians use. Floating bus stops are being installed to provide a cycleway behind the passenger boarding area on the southbound side.
At the Blackhall Road junction, a new ‘tabletop junction’ will allow pedestrians to cross the road on the flat, promoting access for wheelchair users and cyclists. It will also slow traffic entering and exiting Histon Road, making the junctions safe for all users.
Outside the Esso garage the pedestrian pavement is being dug up to make room for the widened cycle lane in this area and the bus stop shelter has been relocated to its new permanent position outside the Co-op. Work is beginning on a new pedestrian crossing near Akeman Street, providing safer access to shops. When this and the work on the Gilbert Road junction is complete, the road from Murketts garage to the junction will be resurfaced.
Full details of this project can be found at the GCP website here.
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