Update 27th March 2020
Published: 27 March 2020
On behalf of Longstanton Parish Council, we want to say a massive thank you to the community for the way you have pulled together at this, lets face it, very strange time. We have over 100 volunteers who are helping where they can, with little tasks such as collecting shopping, prescriptions or just providing a phone call.
It is lovely to see the rainbows in windows around the village. If you have any photos you would like to share of the rainbows you have painted or have seen, please send them to me. I think there are quite a few people who would appreciate being able to see them if they are not able to get out and about.
The next edition of Longstanton Life will only be available online. There will be a few copies which will be available for those without Internet. So, if you know of a neighbour who does not have access to the Internet, please let us know so we can arrange for them to have a copy.
Cambridgeshire County Council
Road projects across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
In light of the Government guidance about ‘stay at home’, after speaking to our contractors and in order to protect the public and our workforce, we have taken the decision to close down all project sites.
During these difficult times, we have taken the latest advice, assessed the staffing issues due to COVID-19 and taken into account a number of supply chain partners who have already begun to withdraw. We also want to keep our roads open and available for key workers and emergencies as well as protect the workforce and our contractors who are not able to work whilst adhering to the 2m/6ft distance rule. We will make our sites safe and close down.
This will include, the Dutch-Style roundabout project in Cambridge and the King’s Dyke advance work. The A15 Jct 18, Rhubarb Bridge works will complete tomorrow (Friday) as planned, with just minor finishing elements such as landscaping to follow at a later date.
All emergency, safety critical work and essential maintenance will continue and resources will be prioritised for this to be carried out.
Cllr Steve Count, Leader at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “It is absolutely vital we all follow the advice from Government and stay at home. We have assessed this impact on our highway services contracts and the ability to deliver on the ground and adopt a managed approach to the tightening restrictions and reduce risk. That is why both councils have taken this decision.”
Cllr John Holdich, Leader at Peterborough City Council, said: “We have to be sensible and protect the public as well as our workforce. With a number of supply chains shutting down their operations, the need for social distancing, along with the pressure on resource we have had to take this decision to close down our sites. The work on Rhubarb Bridge is in the closing stages and will finish tomorrow as planned.”
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Helping provide schools and early years settings with clear information
As the Local Authority we have been listening to schools and early years settings, and along with daily updates and conversations already taking place, have now provided comprehensive answers to the most commonly discussed topics.
Jonathan Lewis, Service Director for Education at Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council said: “We have been working hard to provide schools and early years settings with clear information to help them navigate the ever-changing situation. Yesterday we wrote to our Heads and Leaders to share a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions, which we complied based on the intelligence we have gathered from working closely with schools and Trust leaders, and through our daily meetings with the Department for Education. We will keep these updated on a daily basis.
“With regard to Free School Meals in particular, we have been working hard with schools to put in place plans to continue our provision, so those families in receipt do not lose out. A government scheme was planned for vouchers but this has been delayed. Unfortunately we have been told about a scam where fraudsters have targeted parents so I want to reiterate, if you do receive an email asking for your bank details in relation to this, do not give them over, just delete the email straight away.”
As of yesterday (Wednesday), only 2% of school children registered in Cambridgeshire were in attendance, while in Peterborough this was 1% - this shows parents are continuing to do their bit to stop the spread of the virus by keeping their children safely at home.
The Government has launched its free WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Service. Parents and the public are encouraged to sign up to receive trustworthy and timely general information and advice about the Coronavirus.
To use the free GOV.UK Coronavirus Information Service on WhatsApp, simply add 07860 064422 in your phone contacts and then message the word ‘hi’ in a WhatsApp message to get started.