Author: Clerk

Newsletter – February 2020

Community Warden Scheme

The first Parish Council meeting of the year got off to a lively start with members of the public raising several issues that they felt strongly about. High on the agenda was the proposal previously raised at the December meeting to join the Community Warden Scheme. There was general support for the aim of the scheme which is to help tackle loneliness and undertake some small practical tasks for elderly residents that can speed their return from a hospital stay or delay transfer into a care environment.

The main reservation that was raised was whether this should be the responsibility of the Parish Council or other bodies, such as the NHS. It has been apparent for some time that more and more tasks are being devolved to parish councils by national, county or district authorities, very often to save them money. But someone has to pay and although this scheme will be funded centrally for two years, in the long run the parish, which is you as rate payers, takes on the funding responsibility in whole or in part. After some debate the Council decided that the merits of the scheme could not be ignored and gave its support.

Buses

Another hot topic raised in the public forum session in January was the lack of good public transport linking the village with the guided busway. The suggestion was raised of providing a minibus which could operate a shuttle service with help from volunteers. It was agreed that this would have to be an agenda item for a future meeting when more detail was available, including the long-term funding requirement it would place on Willingham residents.

Speeding

Yet another subject high on the list of priorities. Work continues on a number of fronts including the bid for a 40 mph buffer zone before the Earith Road entrance to the village, a legacy grant for a footpath to the orchard and a privately funded highways initiative for warning signage of ‘Children Playing’ on West Fen Road. The Council also agreed at the January meeting to fund an additional speed indicator device. The type chosen will have messaging and recording facilities. It will be semi-portable and located in the coming months at the speeding hot spots.

Keeping Warm

We have had a relatively mild winter so far but it may not last and keeping warm at home, particularly for older folk or anyone that is ill, is very important. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for a grant to make your home more energy efficient. For more information please contact the Cambridgeshire Home Improvement Agency at HIA@CambsHIA.org or phone them on 01954 713330.

Fly Tipping

This has become more of a problem in recent times. It’s a sad fact that some people are prepared to mess up the environment for their own convenience. Courts are getting tougher on this and can issue fines of up to £20 000. If you see anyone dumping rubbish please give us the details of time, place and vehicle registration number and we can pursue it.

Communication

Members of the public are most welcome at all Parish Council meetings and are free to speak on any subject but to be fair to everyone the comments must be kept brief. There is also an annual meeting in May open to all residents and from January a member of the parish council will be joining the district councillors at their regular surgeries. For issues outside of these forums contact details are listed below for the parish clerk and key councillors.

The Parish Council website carries a lot of information on council activities and shortly that information will also be made available on a non-interactive Facebook page.

Exciting and unique opportunity for your community: Environment Agency Waterways Volunteers


See below from the Environment Agency

I am writing to tell you about a new and unique lock volunteering role available to residents of Parishes and Towns near to Houghton, St Ives, Godmanchester and Eaton Socon locks on the River Ouse. The role will involve volunteering with the Environment Agency to assist boaters at  lock sides and attending waterways festivals. Volunteers will be trained by the Environment Agency and will be given a uniform and ID badge.  
 
The scheme is managed by Cambridgeshire ACRE on behalf of the Environment Agency. You can contact the scheme co-ordinator, Rachael Brown on 01353 865037  or email her at rachael.brown@cambsacre.org.uk.

Rachael is also happy to take any general inquiries about the scheme, what the role involves and how to apply.  In addition there is an Anglian Waterways Volunteer scheme website which gives more details about the scheme and how to apply, the link for this is here: https://anglianwaterwaysvolunteerscheme.wordpress.com/
 

88K Lost to Courier Fraud in Cambs this month

Dear subscriber,

You may recall earlier this month we warned of ‘courier fraud’ scams where fraudsters pose as a police officer or bank official to persuade their often elderly and vulnerable victims to hand over large amounts of cash.

We have been made aware of seven separate instances where people across Cambridgeshire have lost almost £88,000 to courier fraud this month alone.

In six out of the seven instances this month, the fraudster has cold-called the victim by telephone posing as a police officer claiming they had someone in custody as part of a fraud investigation.

The bogus officer told the victim there was an issue with their bank account or requested their assistance with an ongoing investigation. The ultimate aim of the call being to lure the victim into withdrawing cash from their bank and later handing over money to a courier.

On the other occasion the fraudster has claimed to be from the tax office, claiming the victim owed in excess of £10,000 and would be arrested if they didn’t pay the outstanding balance. In this instance the victim was told to hand over cash and also purchase thousands of pounds worth of Amazon vouchers from a supermarket.

Criminals are increasingly turning to vouchers as a method of obtaining funds since these are much more difficult to trace than banking transactions.

Between 18 and 26 January five victims in the East Cambs area lost a total of £78,500 and on two occasions in Peterborough, on 8 and 24 January, two people lost a combined £9,000.

This recent spate of courier fraud is appalling and must be stopped. Not only is the financial detriment significant, these crimes often have a devastating impact on the health and wellbeing of the victims and their families.

Whilst the latest reported incidents are all in the same two areas, it is likely the scammers are working through a list organised by postcode and therefore there is a strong chance this scam will appear in other areas too. We urge residents to please be vigilant to this and pass the message on so others can be vigilant too.

Please remember your bank and the police would:
• Never ask for your bank account details or PIN over the phone
• Never ask you to withdraw money and send it to them
• Never ask you to send them your bank cards or any other personal property
Further information about courier fraud can be found on our website here http://bit.ly/35W0NYB.

If you are suspicious about a telephone conversation you should end the call and contact us via our non-emergency number, 101. Ideally use a mobile phone or a friend’s phone or wait at least five minutes before calling to ensure you aren’t reconnected to the offender.

To report an incident in action or if you are in immediate danger always call 999.

Community groups and individuals are invited to become a registered supporter of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Against Scams Partnership. Supporters receive information about the latest scams and funding or training opportunities and are provided with resources to increase scams awareness in their local community. For more information visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/against-scams or contact Charlotte Homent on 01954 284635.

Our Cyber Security Advisor is available to present to different community groups on how to protect themselves from scams. Enquiries should be made via email to CyberProtectCambs@cambs.pnn.police.uk.

Please help us spread this message as far and wide as possible to prevent further losses to those in our community.

Kind regards,

Message Sent By
Lauren Alexander (Police, Senior Communications Officer, Cambridgeshire Constabulary)

Cambridgeshire Road Safety Partnership Survey

The Cambridgeshire Road Safety Partnership are undertaking a review of local Road Safety governance, strategy and delivery. To this end they have commissioned a survey to gain an insight in to the concerns, needs and desires of the people of the county. The survey is open for a relatively short period of time and they would like as many people as possible to complete it. To help with this, can you please:

* Complete the survey yourself
* Promote the survey as widely and as often as possible within the county

The link to the survey, which closes on 6th February, is  https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/33PW2/ 

Many thanks for your help in this matter,

The Cambridgeshire Road Safety Partnership