Author: Clerk
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Against Scams Partnership – update
Scam in Focus – Bogus trades people
This months Scam in focus and how to protect yourself.
A trade scam is where scammers are using legitimate sites in order to find victims.
When winter passes, our thoughts soon turn to all those spring maintenance jobs we couldn’t do in the colder months. So how do you find good tradespeople to do work on your home and protect yourself from rogue traders who overcharge for poor quality goods and services, or demand money upfront and then don’t show up to do the job?
- Recommendations from friends and family is a good starting point, but, with people moving around more often these days, it might not be possible to get a personal recommendation if you are new to an area. That’s why people are increasingly turning to the internet to find tradespeople and comparison and finder sites are springing up for this purpose. CAPASP recommends, however, sticking to the more well-established sites such as Safe Local Trades, https://www.safelocaltrades.com/ , Buy with Confidence https://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/ , Checkatrade https://www.checkatrade.com/ or TrustATrader https://www.trustatrader.com/ which have robust vetting and reviewing procedures in place and which are therefore highly unlikely to list any rogue traders.
- Stay within your comfort zone when interacting with potential tradespeople, if you feel that something isn’t right, trust your gut instincts and assume that it probably isn’t and break the contact. If a tradesperson then pesters you, it can be a further sign that they are not legitimate.
- Tradespeople are usually sole traders or a very small team who are unlikely to have a receptionist or secretary. They will be conducting their call-backs in the evenings and weekends when they have some time, so, if you are called back immediately, by a secretary or receptionist, or by the person himself, that could be a warning sign.
- Good tradespeople are inundated with work and have a waiting list, so another warning sign could be If you are told they can start the work immediatly. Everyone gets cancellations, even genuine tradespeople, but they will generally move up the jobs in order. It is rare therefore that a good tradesperson will be able to come in the next week so be prepared to wait several weeks, it will be worth it in the long run.
- Genuine tradespeople won’t ask for the invoice to be paid in full before the work commences. Now remembering that they are usually sole traders or small businesses, they may ask you to pay for the materials up front. If this is the case they won’t be offended if you tell them to give you a list of what they need and you order it and pay for it and get it delivered to your house.
More information about your consumer rights when dealing with tradespeople can be found here: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/cancelling-building-or-decorating-work/
If you wish to report a tradesperson to Trading Standards you can do so via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline 0808 223 1133 or using the online form here: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/report-to-trading-standards/ . If you have been intimidated by a tradesperson and wish to report it to the Police, call 101 or use the online form here: https://www.cambs.police.uk/report/Report . In an emergency situation, always call 999.
A14 C2H Road Closures week commencing 17th January 2022
A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire: major improvements
We are currently carrying out finishing works for which we need to close lanes or carriageways on the A1, A14 and some local roads at times, usually overnight
between 9pm and 6am, unless otherwise stated. A clearly signed diversion route will always be in place for closures.
For this week, the planned closures are:
Full closures
Saturday 22 8am to 5pm
• B1514 Brampton Road between Scholars Avenue and Edison Bell Way
Vehicles on the Huntingdon town centre side will be diverted onto the ring
road, St Peters Road to A141 west to Brampton / Brampton Racecourse
junction and into Brampton via B1514.
Vehicles on the Brampton side of the closure will follow this diversion in
reverse.
Pedestrian access will be maintained via the footpath.
For more information about this scheme, visit https://nationalhighways.co.uk/ourwork/a14-cambridge-to-huntingdon
Green Bin Collections
South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City Council residents are being asked to put their green bins out as normal from Wednesday 12 January, with waste crews working to empty as many as possible each day. The intention is to empty all green bins in line with the published schedule, but crews may not be able to reach all properties. While they work to bring the service back up to normal, it will not be possible to report any missed green bin collections in January. Find out more including your scheduled collection day and to read our FAQs: https://www.scambs.gov.uk/return-of-green-bin-collections/ See less
Proposed Policing precept increase – online survey
 Commissioner Proposes Precept Increase To Support Record Officer Numbers For Cambridgeshire and Peterborough |
| Good afternoon Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston has today launched an online survey asking for people’s views on his proposed increase to the policing part of council tax. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey – a link is provided below or you will find it on the Commissioner’s website (cambridgeshire-pcc.gov.uk). The Police & Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire | Consultations & Surveys (cambridgeshire-pcc.gov.uk) Many thanks and a happy new year. |
Lateral Flow Tests – update from South Cambs District Council
COVID community update on Lateral Flow Tests – 7 January 2022
As you will be aware, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has meant there has been a huge surge in demand for Lateral Flow Tests (LFT) and demand is currently outstripping supply at times. Although this is expected to be a temporary problem, obtaining test kits is currently not as straight-forward as it has previously been, especially since the most convenient source – local pharmacies – have not had a regular supply of test kits since the rise in demand.
For most people this will simply mean some extra patience when ordering tests online. The national system refreshes the delivery slots available every 30 minutes, so if you visit the website and no tests are available, try again in 30 minutes.
For those who urgently need tests and are able to travel, an alternative is to visit one of the rapid testing centres from where kits can be collected. In South Cambridgeshire there is a regular pop-up session in Cambourne, but all the details about the locations of these sites can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website.
Perhaps the biggest concern is for those people who rely on LFTs so they can attend regular medical appointments but find it difficult or impossible to do so online. In such circumstances, people can still ring 119 to place an order. We would suggest that during this time it would be wise to place the order in plenty of time before it is needed – especially if a medical appointment is coming up.
Highways Events in and around Cambridge – january 2022
Please find attached the highway events diary for January. The diary shows all known events and their associated highway restrictions.
Those considering organising a Jubilee event should visit our website for guidance or contact highway.events@cambridgeshire.gov.uk for an informal conversation before applying.
Please note –
- Expected attendance figures are now colour coded. Larger events are easily identifiable (RED – 5000+, ORANGE 500 – 4999 and below 499 no colour).
- Expected attendance figures show the maximum attendance on any one day of the event.
- Events link directly to their entry on the one.network web page, where more details can be found relating to associated traffic management.
As usual the diary can be searched and filtered via the arrows in the title bar.
Upcoming Highlights
The Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival in Whittlesey (planned 15th January 2022) has now been cancelled.
- 6th March – Cambridge Half Marathon
Jubilee Events
Event organisers planning a Jubilee event(s) can find additional guidance at Platinum Jubilee events – Cambridgeshire County Council. For an informal discussion before applying please contact us at Highway.Events@Cambridgeshire.gov.uk or on 01223 729070.
Additional Resources
Potential event organisers are urged to review the current government guidelines. As well as following any recommendations from relevant governing bodies/associations, to ensure Covid – 19 risks are identified and mitigated within risk assessments. * Details of all highway events can be found on https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/roads-and-pathways/highway-events/
Council meeting 12th January 2022 – CANCELLED
Please be advised that the meeting scheduled to be held on the 12th January 2022 has been cancelled. The next Full Council meeting is due to be held on the 2nd February 2022.
Parish Council Vacancy – Election Notice
Do You Know Where To Report Scam Messages?
  |
 Do You Know Where To Report Scam Messages? |
Fake emails and text messages are a common tactic used by cyber criminals, their goal is often to convince you to click a link. Once clicked, you may be sent to a dodgy website which could download viruses onto your computer, or steal your passwords and personal information. In order to try and convince you that their messages are legitimate, criminals will pretend to be someone you trust, or from some organisation you trust. This could be your Internet Service Provider (ISP), local council, even a friend in need. And they may contact you by phone call, email or text message. Reporting suspicious emails: If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, you can report it by forwarding the email to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service at: report@phishing.gov.uk As of 31st October 2021, the number of suspicious email reports stands at more than 8,100,000, with the removal of more than 67,000 scams and 124,000 URLs. Thank you for your continued support. *In a small number of cases, an email may not reach our service due to it already being widely recognised by spam detection services. The vast majority of reports do reach our system so please keep reporting any suspicious emails you receive. Reporting suspicious text messages: You can report suspicious text messages to your mobile network provider, for free, by forwarding the text to 7726. If you forward a text, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and take action, if found to be malicious. If 7726 doesn’t work, you can find out how to report a text message by contacting your provider. (On many Android devices and iPhones, pressing and holding on the message bubble should present the option to forward the message) For more of the government’s latest advice on how to stay secure online, visit the Cyber Aware website: ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware Thanks for reading! If you found this information useful, please help us spread the word by forwarding this email to your friends. |
| Message Sent By Action Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National) |
| To reply or forward this email please use the buttons below or these links: Reply, Rate, Forward / Share. |
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Information from SCDC regarding accessing Vaccines
Road closures for week commencing 13th December 2021
We are currently carrying out finishing works for which we need to close lanes or carriageways on the A1, A14 and some local roads at times, usually overnight between 9pm and 6am, unless otherwise stated. A clearly signed diversion route will always be in place for closures.
For this week the planned closures are:
FULL CLOSURES:
Monday 13th to Friday 17th (five nights)
- A10 northbound between the Milton junction 33 gyratory and Butt Lane – vehicles will be diverted east on the A14 to Newmarket junction 37, north on the A142, west on Ely Southern Bypass and then either South on the A10 for access or re-join the A10 northbound to continue their journey
Sunday 19th 12.01am to 8pm
- A1514 Brampton Road between the RingGo car park and Edison Bell Way – vehicles on the Huntingdon town centre side will be diverted onto the ring road, St Peters Road to A141 west to Brampton/Brampton Racecourse junction and into Brampton via B1514. Vehicles on the Brampton side of the closure will follow this diversion in reverse.
Please note some changes to this coming weekend’s closures:
The planned extended closure of the B1514 Brampton Road on Sunday 12 has been further delayed by one week and will now take place on Sunday 19 00:01 to 20:00. There will now be an overnight closure in order to jack up Span 3 on Saturday 11 between 8pm and 5am.
*Cancelled* Sunday 12 9pm – 6am
A1 northbound between Buckden roundabout and A14 westbound Brampton Interchange junction 22
For all queries relating to the scheme, please email: A14CambridgeHuntingdon@highwaysengland.co.uk
Further updateson scheme progress can be found on our website.
Kind regards
A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme
National Highways | Woodlands | Manton Lane | Bedford | MK41 7LW
Web: http://www.nationalhighways.co.uk
Willingham Parish Council Christmas Office Hours
The Willingham Parish Council Office will be closed over the Christmas Period. It will be closing at 1pm on Wednesday 22nd December 2021 and reopening on Tuesday 4th January 2022 from 10am.
If over the Christmas period you have an urgent enquiry Councillors’ details can be found in the Willingham News and on the Parish Council website.
Message from Jyoti Atri Director of Public Health for Cambridgeshire
As part of our ongoing efforts to support local businesses to work through the challenges of COVID-19, please find below and attached information regarding recent legislation and guidance changes that may affect your business. This is all aimed at preventing the further spread of the pandemic.
Coronavirus: Enhanced Response Area
From 1st November 2021 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have moved into an “Enhanced Response Area” (ERA) due to the rising rate of COVID-19 infections particularly in our older population. This increase, coupled with low vaccination rates in some parts of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough means pressure is building on our local health services. This is exacerbated by increased levels of COVID-19 infections in the general population, and staff being unable to work because they are infected or isolating. If unchecked, this will also impact on health care for other non-Covid needs.
The Enhanced Response Area was originally due to end on 5 December 2021 but this has now been extended until 24 December 2021, when it will be reviewed again. Information regarding the Enhanced Response Area status can be found on our website.
A message from the Director of Public Health, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough
Attached to this email is a message from Jyoti Atri, Director of Public Health, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, which provides an update on the current COVID-19 situation facing Cambridgeshire, as well as an overview of recent COVID-19 legislation changes. The message highlights key measures that can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace and also provides advice regarding Christmas events.
Prime Minister Briefing
As you may be aware, the Prime Minister held a press conference on 27 November 2021 in response to the news of a new COVID-19 variant (Omicron Variant). The announcement highlighted that additional COVID-19 controls were to be introduced, including changes to travel restrictions, face coverings and self-isolation. Details of the announcement can be found on the Government’s website.
Face coverings – legislation update
From Tuesday 30 November, new regulations require staff and customers to wear face coverings in certain types of businesses such as shops, banks, premises providing personal care and beauty treatments, takeaways without space for consumption of food or drink on the premises, public transport, etc. There are a number of exemptions to these requirements. For further details regarding which business types are affected by this change, the exemptions and advice about face coverings, please see the Government guidance Face coverings: when to wear one, exemptions, and how to make your own.
Settings in which face coverings are required must also display signage or take other measures to ensure customers are aware of the requirement to wear a face covering on their premises where there is no applicable exemption or reasonable excuse. To assist businesses with this requirement, the Government has designed template signage that can be used, available on the face coverings poster website or on the Omicron Social Media and Posters resources website.
Omicron Self-Isolation – legislation update
Changes have been made to self-isolation requirements. Anyone in England who is notified by NHS Test and Trace (or other specified bodies) that they are a close contact of a suspected, or confirmed, case of the Omicron variant will be legally required to self-isolate regardless of age or vaccination status. Guidance regarding self-isolation requirements can be found on the Government website.
Travel restrictions
From 7 December 2021, anyone aged 12 and over must show a negative PCR or lateral flow test result before travelling to England from abroad. The person must take the test in the two days before they travel to England. The person must also take a PCR test within two days of arriving and self-isolate until a negative test result is received, even if fully vaccinated. Check what you need to do to travel to England from another Country.
A number of countries and territories have been added to the Government’s red travel list, which places strict travel restrictions upon those who enter England from the affected areas. Information regarding the countries and territories can be found on the Government website.
For further updates regarding changes to legislation and guidance, COVID-19 and workplace controls see the Government’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) website. Our South Cambridgeshire District Council website also provides useful information for businesses regarding COVID-19.