Residents are welcome at the next Full Parish Council meeting, where Councillors will be asked to approve a 3% increase in the Parish element of 2025/6 Council Tax. This would mean each Band D property paying £133.32 of their total Council Tax bill to the Parish (an increase of £3.89) and would take the total value of Parish ‘precept’ to £455,489.17.
Youth Provision in Histon and Impington to end of Academic Year 24/25, including the extension of the funding of Connections Bus Project for four months to July 2025 at a cost of £8,695, and approval for a Youth Provision Group to complete a draft Community Action plan for Youth Provision in Histon and Impington by June 2025.
A new Grants Policy to cover the funding of initiatives proposed by community groups.
A funding request for £11,000 for Age UK to provide Community Warden services in the village.
Approval of a spend of £40 to allow for two Parish Council attendances at monthly markets in the Methodist Church.
The meeting takes place on Monday 20 January in the Community Room at the Rec, starting at 7.30pm. All Histon & Impington residents are invited to attend to listen to the debates, andany resident wishing to address the meeting should contact the office to request a slot. Email clerk@hisimp-pc.gov.ukFor more details, see the agenda pack here
South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) have admitted that they wrongly excluded Histon & Impington and six other South Cambs villages from a funding scheme to support Net Zero initiatives across the District.
But HI HUB enquires with the ONS as to why that definition was applied revealed that Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority – who set the rules for the scheme – had based it on out-of-date information, rather than the 2021 census.
An ONS spokesperson told HI HUB: “It appears that the data… is from the 2011 Built Up Area (BUA) geography. Looking at both the 2022 and the 2024 version of the BUA classification, the village of Histon and Impington is a separate BUA. Please see the most recent version of the BUA classification which can be found here.”
Extended deadline
SCDC is responsible for managing the grant scheme for the Combined Authority. HI HUB challenged them with the ONS response, and this has resulted in Histon & Impington, Milton, Girton, Great and Little Shelford, Fen Ditton, Fulbourn and Teversham all being eligible to apply for the Net Zero Villages Grant – but not Orchard Park.
To correct the record, SCDC is now contacting these communities to invite them to apply for the grant.
Community groups, businesses and the Histon & Impington Parish council are now all able to submit applications for grants ranging from £20,000 to £100,000 to support “transformative, community-led projects” and help villages become low carbon, more sustainable and more resilient to the effects of climate change.
SCDC is also extending the window for applications until 2 February 2025.
They say: “To confirm a project’s eligibility, applicants should open the map, select Cambridge in the ‘Settlements’ table and confirm the community asset or project site is outside of the yellow shaded area. This area represents the Cambridge built-up area, as classified by the ONS using the 2021 Census figures.
“Potential applicants should email climateandenvironment@scambs.gov.uk to have any questions answered, or to arrange a time to discuss their application 1-2-1 with an officer.”
Former Chair of Cancer Research UK, and H&I resident, Sir Leszek Krzysztof Borysiewicz was included in the King’s New Year’s Honours List 2025.
Sir Leszek was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire for his services to cancer research, to clinical research, to medicine and to charities.
Known as Borys to family, friends and colleagues, he was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2001 for his involvement in Europe’s first trial of an HPV vaccine. Cancer Research UK says these research efforts have had an impact on cervical cancer rates around the world over the last 20 years.
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And this latest honour, which is the highest rank available, recognises his ongoing services in representing the UK overseas and in international affairs with this work.
Championing medical research and innovation
Sir Leszek also served as the 345th Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University. Photo: Philip Mynott
Sir Leszek was Chair of Cancer Research UK (CRUK) for almost seven years from 2016 to 2023, and previously served as the 345th Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University and CEO of the Medical Research Council.
His role with CRUK involved championing cancer research and innovation. The charity says he continues to be a leading figure in the medical, academic and clinical cancer research community and inspires leaders and philanthropists to support its life-changing work.
Michelle Mitchell, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Ever since I got to know [Sir Leszek] when he appointed me as CEO six years ago, I saw what many already knew: he is an inspiration.
“At Cancer Research UK, he was relentless in his pursuit of excellence in cancer research and steadfast in his commitment to improving cancer outcomes both in the UK and globally.”
Tangible benefits to society
Sir Leszek is also a board member of UK Research and Innovation.
Its chief executive Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser added: “His visionary leadership and tireless dedication to advancing medical research and innovation have had a profound impact, not only in the UK but globally.
“Sir Leszek’s work has brought tangible benefits to patients and society at large.”
This week’s match for Histon FC’s under 18s team is set to be much ‘louder’ than previous games, thanks to the village club being gifted a brand new PA system.
Funded, in part, by a grant from the Football Foundation, the new system will make the Histon matchday experiencemore enjoyable for all, as well as opening up new entertainment opportunities for fans within the stadium.
It was hoped that the replacement PA system would be fully operational at the first home fixture of the season on 4 January but, with bad weather causing that match to be postponed, fans have had to await this week’s U18s’9 January Haverhill Rovers game to hear the benefits of this new sound system.
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The new kit will be operated by club volunteers, and is the latest phase in the continuous redevelopment of the Bridge Road Stadium. It replaces an outdated model that has been around since the advent of the CD.
According to club spokesperson John Payne: “The old system has been repaired more times than anyone can remember and any hope of obtaining spare parts was abandoned years ago.
“The ‘play’ button fell off the control panel, so music could only be played in the stadium by poking a sharpened pencil into the gap where the button once was! Other buttons and dials had stopped working completely and the microphone had taken on a personality of its own – some days it would work, but on others it would just let out a deafening shriek of defiance”.
Catch Histon FC First Team for their next United Counties Premier Division South home fixture on Saturday 18 January against Daventry Town. Kick off is at 3pm.Or watch Histon U18s v Haverhill Rovers on Thurs 9 January, with kick off at 7.45pm.
A local wildlife charity is asking for help from H&I residents to create a comprehensive map of pond life locally.
The environmental group, Histon and Impington Green Spaces (HIGS), would like to build a picture of pond wildlife, including the breeding success of frogs in village ponds, noting how valuable garden ponds are to amphibians with struggling populations.
In the same way that HIGS has previously charted village maps of mistletoe and nest boxes, the new pond map will use different symbols to show wildlife ponds, formal ponds, large ponds, mini ponds and then show ponds with frog spawn. The information submitted will build a picture on how well frogs are doing locally.
In 2025 HIGS will take the survey further and hope to get help reporting frog spawn and dragonfly breeding.
H &I residents who want to discuss an issue with MP Ian Sollom can arrange to meet him at one of his weekly surgeries, which take place both in-person and online.
He has already held in-person surgeries in St Neots, Cambourne and Northstowe, and soon hopes to visit other locations, including Histon & Impington. The venues are not revealed publicly for security reasons.
Why contact your MP?
Residents contact their MP for a wide range of reasons, whether it’s to help with a personal matter or to share their views on an issue gaining national attention. They may feel unfairly treated by a Government office or agency, there could be a problem affecting people in their area, or they may ask their MP to support a campaign that means a lot to them.
The issues being raised with Ian Sollom, who represents the new constituency of St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, include HMRC queries, cases with the Crown Prosecution Service, housing and planning problems and concerns with anti-social behaviour. The MP previously told HI HUB how the challenge with the NHS and healthcare is one of the key universal themes being raised with him across the constituency.
He said: “Each meeting [with a constituent] is treated with the utmost care and confidentiality.
“If you feel you have a problem I could help with, or you have a campaign matter you would like to discuss with me, please don’t hesitate to contact me to request a surgery appointment.”
The registry collects orthopaedic data in order to support patient safety, standards in quality of care, and overall value in joint replacement surgery. Through this, feedback from Spire on their surgical performance contributes to the work of other orthopaedic clinicians and joint replacement implant manufacturers. It also provides evidence to regulators, such as the Care Quality Commission, to inform their judgements about the quality of health services.
Sara Morgan, Director of Clinical Services at Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital, said: “We work very closely with the NJR to ensure the continuous improvement of clinical outcomes and patient safety.
“We’re delighted to be awarded ‘Gold’ as a ‘NJR Quality Data Provider’ and would like to thank our hospital team for all their hard work and dedication to reach such a high-level achievement that will contribute to outstanding care of joint replacement patients.”
Carbon reduction efforts
Meanwhile, before Christmas, Spire Healthcare also announced 631 solar panels had been installed at the hospital as part of a major carbon reduction programme. The panels are expected to reduce the hospital’s overall carbon output by 117 tonnes.
The hospital group has committed to become carbon neutral by 2030 and plans to install over 12,000 solar panels across all of its 38 sites. Spire Healthcare is investing £5.2m into the scheme.
Plans for a development of 15 new residential flats in the heart of the village would see two further storeys built above the commercial units on School Hill.
School Hill today (Image: np architects / Camel Projects)
The redevelopment of the School Hill site is being led by property investment company Camel Projects. Phase 1 of their work culminated in 2021 with the completion of business premises that are now home to Histon Library, the Indian Ocean, Cambridge Building Society, Histon Opticians and Stir.
New approach
The residential scheme now being put forward would include 12 one-bedroom flats suitable for double occupancy, plus three two-bedroom properties, and all would have level access to a lift, with doorways suitable for wheelchair access.
In addition, a new-build element of the scheme would serve as the residents’ communal entrance building. Created at the back of the Tesco store, it would be linked to the rest of the building at the first and second floor levels, creating two offices/commercial spaces totalling almost 100m2. The ground floor level below would be used for bin storage and secure cycle racks.
The plans are being put forward after initial designs for the site – which were given planning permission in 2019 – were changed. The successful application included nine residential units above the supermarket, which was occupied by Tesco Express at the time, but their lease was due to expire. Tesco’s subsequent decision to renew their lease for a further 15 years meant those plans didn’t go ahead, and under the new scheme no changes will be made to that building.
Affordable
Camel Projects are proposing that all 15 properties in their new scheme are based on the Build to Rent concept. This would mean a minimum of 20% of the homes would be provided as Affordable Private Rent at a 20% market discount, but the developers are exploring the possibility of providing all of the flats at this rate.
The fall-back arrangement, they say, would be to provide the properties for sale, in which case, under the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan, 40% of these would have to be sold as ‘affordable housing’.
Visual appearance
The developers aim to deliver “a high-quality design, that will be worthy of its status as a focal point for this part of the village”, but the introduction of a two-storey extension on the site is controversial. The site is located within the Histon Conservation Area and the Histon & Impington Village Design Guide states that “development should be no taller than two storeys when fronting onto the High Street”, though it also says “3 storey development may be acceptable set back from the road frontage”.
The Histon & Impington Neighbourhood Plan – drawn up on the back of extensive community consultation – is sympathetic to new residential uses above ground floor level, including an upper floor on School Hill, but the possibility of a third floor there is not covered in the Plan.
The developers have anticipated concerns about the height of the development, pointing out that it is no higher than the roof line of Windmill Grange behind. Also, their design is for the new upper floors to be set back from the retail units below, stepping up to 3 storeys and, in doing so, creating a shared terrace for residents on the first floor and “balconies which add interest to the otherwise plain façade.” A row of front facing gables is included, aiming to better suit the village context than a flat roof.
Parking bays would be marked out beside and behind Tesco Express. Photo: Brian Whitehead
Parking
Another issue likely to prove controversial is parking, though Camel Projects’ Andrew Slaymaker told HI HUB: “We are very confident the parking arrangement on the application are policy compliant and a huge improvement to the current situation.”
The Transport Statement submitted with the new planning application points out that although the community uses the Tesco parking spaces for purposes other than shopping at the supermarket, in fact the land is privately held and not a public car park.
It says the current car park is capable of accommodating 47 cars, but the spaces are not formally marked and are not to standard dimensions, and Andrew told HI HUB: “Even without the current development proposals we would be re-organising the car park to facilitate efficient space utilisation and orderly parking.”
The latest proposals would see 20 spaces created at the back of the site and a further 13 along the side access road beside Tesco. Whilst this total is 3 more than permitted under the 2019 planning permission, 15 spaces – one for each flat – would be prioritised for residents, compared with just 6 under the previous plans. Each resident would be given a single permit to use the car park but no specific spaces would be allocated to any particular retail or residential unit, or the library.
The length of time a retail customer, café or library user could use the car park for free would be limited to 45 minutes between 6:30am and 6pm – just half of the 90 minutes permitted under the planning permission currently in force. After that a charge of £1 per hour would be applied, and only residents with permits or others with special permission would be allowed to park overnight. No provision is made for staff parking at the commercial units on the site, though “travel planning advice will be available” to them.
Image: Camel Projects / SLR Consulting
The Transport Statement also refers to on-street and public car parking available nearby. It suggests that this is not currently at full capacity and can accommodate many more vehicles. A survey commissioned by the developer reports a total of 99 public parking spaces being available within a 3-minute walk of the site, with spaces for up to 9 cars in the lay-by along the site frontage on School Hill offering free short-term parking of up to 30 minutes, and a further 50 spaces at the public car park off the High Street, owned by the Parish Council. It found the maximum current demand for parking in the area to be 65 cars.
Consultation
The plans for completing the School Hill development have been taking shape for some while. In 2022 Camel Projects had pre-application discussions with the planning authority about a proposal for 18 residential units on the site, after which revisions were made. The new proposals were re-presented to the Greater Cambridge Design Review Panel in February 2023, and in July 2023 to members of the Histon & Impington Parish Council planning committee. They welcomed the improvements that the first stage of the development has made to School Hill and the plans for affordable housing, but they also raised questions about several issues, including the percentage of affordable homes and car parking.
The statutory public consultation on the plans is due to close on 2 January 2024 but the Parish Council is applying for an extension to this date so that the planning committee can communicate with the community as a whole and hear the concerns they have.
