Tag: SCDC

  • ‘Urgent food safety’ alert issued for Barkers Bakery

    Local food operators stocking products from Barkers Bakery, including shops and cafes in Histon & Impington, have received an “urgent food safety alert” requiring them to take immediate action.

    In a letter from the Waste and Environment team at South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC), dated 26 March, business operators were informed of ,“an urgent food safety matter concerning products supplied by Barkers Bakery of Broad Lane Industrial Estate, Cottenham” – relating to “serious hygiene issues at their premises”.

    The letter continued: “As a precautionary measure we advise all businesses that have received products from Barkers Bakery to cease use of all products immediately and remove and dispose of all stock, including those that may have been frozen.”

    The company’s premises in Broad Lane Cottenham serves as both its bakehouse and business headquarters.

    Local businesses who sell Barkers products have also been warned that “failure to take appropriate action may pose a risk to public health.”

    Barkers Bakery provides goods for both wholesale and retail customers in five stores across Cambridgeshire, including branches on Histon High Street and in Cottenham.

    The advice from the council’s Waste and Environment team could also apply to members of the public who may have purchased and frozen items produced by the bakery. Based on its warning to food business operators, these should be disposed of.

    Business as usual

    As of this morning (27 March), the Barkers’ outlet in Histon remains open to the public. Customers can continue to buy sandwiches, savouries and wrapped produce, but the bread shelves are bare.

    A handwritten notice on the shop door states: “Due to lack of delivery, we have no bread. Sorry.” HI HUB has been informed by a source close to the company that they “think the bakehouse is being refurbished.”

    Barkers’ goods are stocked by local businesses including Co-op stores but today an empty shelf remained where Barkers’ bread would normally be stocked.

    A spokesperson for South Cambridgeshire District Council said: “We’re investigating hygiene issues we found during a routine inspection of Barkers Bakery in Cottenham on Wednesday 19 March. During that inspection, the bakery chose to voluntarily close, so they could carry out work to rectify the issues”.

    HI HUB has reached out to Barkers Bakery for comment but, at time of publication, no response has yet been received.

    Anyone with concerns should email commercial.envhealth@scambs.gov.uk

    Updated 28 March 2025 – SCDC Waste and Environment team have issued further advice concerning affected products as follows:

    “In our initial alert, we advised businesses to dispose of all Barkers Bakery products due to possible contamination issues during production. We are now extending this precaution to include all Kings Cliffe Bakery products as well.

    “It has come to our attention that these two businesses, which previously operated separately, have now merged and are operating from Barkers Bakery, Broad Lane, Cottenham while continuing to use both brand names. Due to a lack of full traceability, and possible contamination of products, all products under both brands should be disposed of immediately”.

  • Cambridge Road dubbed ‘the fly tipping capital of Impington’

    Two large fridges and a pile of other waste were dumped on the road leading up to the B1049 some time around 18 March, causing a potential hazard to drivers as well as an environmental health concern for locals.

    Residents living at the southern stretch of Cambridge Road took to social media to comment on what they say is one of the worst incidents of fly tipping in their locality yet.

    One described increased incidents of fly tipping in the area recently, saying: “Cambridge Road feels like it is probably the fly tipping capital of Impington and it’s really frustrating.

    “We’re used to people just driving into our street and either throwing their rubbish out the window as they drive by, or opening the door and emptying out the contents of their footwell onto the street, just metres from the nearest bin. Also people urinating here is a regular sight.” 

    The same resident went on to detail how “large lumps of concrete and metal” and “an office chair with a bucket on top” had been dumped there recently, in addition to the “large quantities of general litter” which they say are common place. 

    The dumped waste on Cambridge Road was subsequently cleared by South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) operatives on Friday (21 March).

    The team from SCDC clear the fly tipped waste on Friday 21 March.

    Following the evidence

    White goods such as fridges and freezers need to be disposed of properly as they contain harmful chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) gases. Correct disposal of such items can cost up to £50, leading to many being fly tipped to avoid the fee.

    SCDC defines fly tipping as the illegal dumping of items and says anyone caught doing so could face a fixed penalty notice of up to £700.

    They say: “all instances of fly tipping should be reported to us using an online web form, whether you witnessed it take place or not. People can be prosecuted even if waste is fly tipped by someone else on their behalf.” 

    They also urge residents to: “… always use a registered waste carrier to provide a skip and collect your rubbish; and check the register of waste carriers on the Environment Agency website”.

    The Council’s environmental crimes officers will act on reports and follow up. If there is any information among the rubbish, such as bills or addresses, they can follow the evidence. 

    For the upcoming financial year, the Council will be purchasing an extra vehicle and employing another member of staff to support its enviro-crime team as it tackles fly tipping.

    READ ALSO: Histon couple deny fly tipping accusation | HI HUB

    Fill in the online form here to report fly tipping; and find out more about how to dispose of household items safely here.

    When reporting incidents of fly tipping it is useful to include the following details:

    • Exact location
    • Date and time the fly tipping was discovered
    • The contents and size of the fly tip
    • Details and photos of the items
    • Vehicle registration numbers

  • Grant success for village charity, HI Friends

    Village wellbeing charity, HI Friends, is one of nine organisations across South Cambs set to receive a grant award under the South Cambs District Council (SCDC) Net Zero Villages Scheme.

    A total of £360,000 has been made available through the scheme, from which HI Friends has been granted £55,000 towards the purchase of an electric community minibus.

    Other recipients include Shepreth, Oakington and Horningsea Parish Councils, a community pub in Ickleton and, in nearby villages, Over and Cottenham Community Centres. Full details of all awards can be found on the SCDC website.

    Funding for the scheme was provided by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, with supplementary funds contributed by the District Council.

    Tackling climate change

    In a press release, SCDC writes that the scheme empowers voluntary groups, parish councils and community-minded businesses to tackle climate change by reducing carbon emissions from community assets, such as village halls, and using nature-based solutions to adapt these buildings for a future with more extreme weather patterns. The grant also welcomed proposals for low carbon transport schemes, such as e-bikes or community shuttle buses.

    Launched in December last year, Histon & Impington was originally excluded from the scheme because the village was deemed to be part of the ‘Cambridge built-up area’. But, HI HUB enquires with the Office of National Statistics 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, leading to SCDC admitting they had wrongly excluded Histon & Impington and six other South Cambs villages from the scheme.

    Talking to HI HUB, chair of HI Friends, Neil Davies, said: “HI Friends is thrilled with news of the award of a £55,000 grant award from the SCDC Net Zero Villages Grant Scheme towards the purchase of a new electric powered Community Minibus for Histon and Impington.

    HI Friends existing diesel powered Community minibus.

    “This will have a dual benefit for our two villages in helping to secure the future of the much valued community minibus and in a small way contributing towards the local Net Zero target and less polluted air”.

    The community minibus provides transport to residents across the community who might otherwise find travel difficult; offering lifts to attend groups, shopping and outings. The minibus is also available for use by community groups serving all ages.

    ‘Immensely grateful’

    Sharing his thanks to those behind the expansion of this grant scheme to our village, Neil added, “the charity is immensely grateful to Liz Hill of HI HUB for her successful campaign to ensure communities like ours could apply to the grant scheme, and to District Councillor James Rixon for pro-actively suggesting HI Friends make a grant application.

    “There is much work still to be done to progress and deliver the project including the procurement of a suitable vehicle and its conversion, as well as the need for new driver volunteers coming forward”.

    Read more about the work of HI Friends on their website.

    Related stories : Council-u-turns-on-green-grant-scheme-following-hi-hub-investigation and village-blue-bus-offers-community-a-ticket-to-ride

  • Rose and Crown upgrade on hold after planning refusal

    Milton Brewery has reacted angrily to South Cambs District Council (SCDC) turning down their planning application for creating more space and improved facilities at the Rose & Crown.

    Pub group Individual Pubs Ltd, established to run pubs serving Milton Brewery beers, had requested Listed Building Consent to replace some outbuildings with a new single storey side and rear extension. Their plans also proposed other related external works, including an air source heat pump.

    ‘Unsympathetic addition’

    Consultees included Histon & Impington Parish Council, who expressed their support for the work, subject to Highways Authority concerns being resolved and an acoustic fence installed to protect neighbouring properties.

    But objections to the plans were raised by the SCDC Conservation Officer, who said the “position and form, and to some extent size”, of the proposed extension “fails to be sympathetic to the listed buildings”. They also commented on the proposed “boundary placement” of the building, saying it is “harmful to the character and setting of the listed building at No.4 Glebe Way” – also a Grade II listed building.

    In refusing the application, planners endorsed the Officer’s view, saying that the proposed extension is an “unsympathetic addition” to the building and that the plans breach a section of the legislation covering listed buildings and conservation areas, as well as the National Planning Policy Framework and the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan.

    Challenges and ambitions

    The Rose & Crown had sat empty for some considerable time under previous owners, Everards, before Milton Brewery announced plans to take over the pub in September 2024.

    Talking to HI HUB last autumn, brewer Richard Naisby was mindful of the pub being a Grade II listed building when he revealed some of the challenges they faced. “Radical change is not just unlikely but forbidden”, he said.

    Sharing his frustrations at refusal of the plans, he told HI HUB: “The decision is a shocker. The local plan mentions the Rose & Crown by name as something to be supported and, though a listed building, [SCDC’s] own decision refers to ‘less than substantial harm’ to the heritage asset. What they seek to ‘conserve’ is the motley collection of outbuildings which is frankly an eyesore.

    “We reached out to the three local councillors to ask them to call in the decision – without effect. All of the public comments were supportive of our plans including the Campaign for Pubs and Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). We put a lot of work into the application and the arbitrary way it has been rejected is infuriating.

    “We are considering our options – including appeal to the Planning Inspectorate – but it all adds vastly to time and expense and represents a genuine risk to the future of the pub. We’ve posted the decision notice in the pub so people can judge for themselves – but it is a shoddy piece of work.”

    Support and advice

    Commenting on the situation, recently elected District Councillor for Histon & Impington James Rixon, shared: “All three District Councillors have endeavoured to provide supportive advice on and explanation of the planning process to the applicant Mr Naisby.

    “Collectively we recognise the importance of the Rose and Crown to Histon & Impington and the challenges faced in updating it to be a thriving business and community asset.

    “The feedback from officers was clear in that, whilst they suggest a new extension to the property could be supported, the submitted design was not acceptable from a heritage perspective, due to its impact and close proximity to the listed property.”

    Full details of the application, reference 24/04242/LBC, can be seen on the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning website.

    READ ALSO: milton-brewery-prepares-to-revive-histons-rose-and-crown and rose-and-crown-opens-for-business

  • How well do you know your bins?

    How well do you know your bins?

    To bin or not to bin… that is the question. And then should it be, green, blue or black? Despite our best intentions, the world of waste disposal can be a messy minefield. Lucy Callington is here to help you get sorted.

    Even something as simple as making a cuppa can cause a bin quandary. Take-away coffee cups can’t be easily recycled, but making a brew at home can be tricky too. And even though used tea bags and coffee grounds can be tossed in the green bin, plastic milk bottles have to go in the blue… and, ay there’s the rub… the small pull-tabs from the top of the milk bottle can only be put in the black.

    Unwanted wine glasses and glass tumblers (broken or unbroken) can go in the black bin, but glass jars and bottles should be stashed in the blue instead. And did you know that, if you buy fruit in a punnet, the plastic can be recycled in your blue bin, but oddly enough, the mesh nets from oranges cannot?

    So if you’re trying to up your recycling game this new year, here’s a few pointers to help you play this bin bingo!

    Into the Blue

    Your blue bin is the go-to place for most of the items we use and discard on a daily basis:

    Blue bins are the first port of call for waste
    • Foil – ideally rolled in a ball the size of a tennis ball
    • Cling film
    • Cardboard – except if it’s wet, when it should go in the green bin
    • Egg cartons
    • Tetra Pak cartons
    • Aluminium tubes – like tomato puree
    • Bottle tops and plastic lids
    • Sandwich packs – without the plastic window (which needs specialist recycling)
    • Ice cream tubs
    • Yoghurt pots
    • Plastic fruit punnets
    • Plastic milk bottles
    • Aerosols
    • Glass jars and bottles
    • Broken glass jars and bottles
    • Bubble wrap
    • The foil base of BBQs

    Going Green

    The green bin can swallow up most kitchen waste, cooked and uncooked food and more:

    Food waste of all kinds can go in the green bin
    • Corks – natural only
    • Paper and kitchen towels – use these to line your caddy
    • Teabags
    • Coffee grounds
    • Tissues
    • Bread
    • Some butter wrappers (made from greaseproof paper)
    • Bamboo
    • ‘Bagasse’ food packaging

    The ‘go-the-extra mile to recycle’ items…

    Soft Plastics Recycling at the Coop
    Soft Plastics Recycling at the Coop Photo: Val Robson

    And then there are those annoying items that can’t be recycled at home. While it’s tempting to hurl these in the black bin and have done with it, with a little more effort these items can have a second life.

    Plastic bags, biscuit and crisp packets can be recycled at most major supermarkets in bins labelled, ‘soft plastics’. Our local Co-op also has a bin beside the entrance for these, which is emptied every day due to popular demand.

    All medicines and inhalers should be returned to a pharmacy or other healthcare provider which accepts them.

    Medicine blister packs can be recycled in branches of Superdrug. Batteries can be recycled in some supermarkets and shops, such as Tesco Milton; printer ink cartridges can be taken to the Salvation Army shop, or Rymans branches in Cambridge; and look out for organisations that recycle baby food and cat food pouches.

    If you know of any other specialist recycling schemes, do let us know at news@hihub.info

    Back in Black

    If all else fails, there is the black bin – to scoop up everything that cannot be reused or recycled. And for larger items, and electrical goods, there is the Household Recycling Centre at Milton. Your black bin is the place for:

    Non-recyclable household items destined for the black bin
    • Fruit mesh nets
    • Polystyrene and packing chips
    • Mirror glass, wine glasses and tumblers (broken or unbroken)
    • Pringles tubes –  although sometimes these can be recycled at specialist centres
    • Nappies
    • Wipes – bin them to prevent toilet blockages
    • Cooking oil – contained in small plastic bottles
    • Plastic corks
    • Sponge scourers
    • Jute bags
    • Wrapping paper that contains foil
    • Coffee cups
    • Post-It notes – the glue on these means they can’t be put in the blue bin
    • Sello-tape
    • Cigarettes – including butts
    • Candles –  these can also be melted into new candles
    • Black plastic bags
    • Cable ties
    • Cat litter and animal faeces!
    • Ash from briquettes or coal

    An A-Z of rubbish

    Find a full list of what can and can’t be recycled on the South Cambs District Council’s website here. And if you can think of an item that isn’t covered you can send feedback to the council here.

    To find out more, visit What are my bins for? – South Cambs District Council.

    [copy updated 17/1/25 and 20/1/25]