BY-ELECTION CALLED ON SAME DAY AS MAYORAL & COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTIONS
A by-election has been called at East Cambs District Council in the Stretham Ward, following the last minute, unexplained resignation of a Lib Dem Member. The by-election will take place on the same day as the Mayoral and County Council elections, Thursday 1st May 2025.
Speaking of elections, it is notable that only one Mayoral Candidate in the race for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is dedicated solely to the role of Mayor. The Lib Dem and Green Candidates are both standing for election to the County Council as well as Mayor. The Reform Candidate is going for the triple, by standing for the Mayoralty, the County Council and East Cambs District Council. The Labour Candidate is already a Cambridge City Councillor.
It is against the rules to be a Councillor in any of the Constituent Authorities whilst being the Mayor. So if any of the four Candidates are successful in their various quests, all of them will cause immediate expensive by-elections; only the Conservative Candidate will not cause this extra cost to the tax-payer. Having cake and eating springs to mind!
Back at East Cambs four new £100k Homes have been completed at the former swimming pool site in Ely and keys handed over to the new owners. The Eden Square site has been built by Palace Green Homes, part of the Council’s wholly owned company – East Cambs Trading Company. East Cambs District Council adopted the £100k Homes model when the Labour Mayor of the Combined Authority scrapped it.
£100k Homes are first time buyer, discounted homes, and unlike shared ownership, the purchaser owns 100% of the property for the purchase price of £100k and can build up equity during their period of ownership. The discount gets passed on to the next owner in perpetuity.
It was so lovely to meet Jasmine and Lauren who are now neighbours and the proud new owners of their first homes in Ely. They are both local and they both work within a stone’s throw of their new homes – they can roll out of bed and get to work within minutes! Massive congratulations to them both.
Also on the subject of new housing, East Cambs District Council has been recognised for its support of community led development and commended as ‘trailblazing’ in a new independent report presented to Government.
The report focuses on the Kennett Garden Village development, which is a 500 home, high-quality, low density, near net zero scheme based on garden village principles.
Once completed this infrastructure first scheme will deliver 350 open market homes, 150 affordable homes which includes 60 affordable homes that will be owned and managed by Kennett Community Land Trust (KCLT), and 9 £100k Homes. It also includes a primary school, a perimeter road, village green, village centre, land for healthcare and improvements to the junction, known locally as The Bell Inn Junction.
KCLT led the scheme from the very first day and were involved in every step of the process and worked tirelessly to build a vision for this flagship development that has the community at the heart of it.
The 60 affordable homes that are being acquired by KCLT will be available for those who have a local connection, enabling eligible people to live and/or work in the areas that they have a strong connection to. And I am delighted to report that the first two CLT tenants recently moved in! Congratulations to all involved in this amazing community led development.
Anna Bailey
East Cambs District Council, Member for the Downham Ward
Leader of the Council
Deputy Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough
Chairman of East Cambs Community Land Trust
Deputy Chair Political of Ely & East Cambridgeshire Conservative Association
