Consolidated East Cambs District Councillor’s Report – April 2026
Submitted on behalf of: Councillors Mark Goldsack, Ian Bovingdon, Lucius Vellacott and Keith Horgan
Dear Soham Town Councillors.
Council Meetings
A number of ECDC meetings have been held since our last meeting and agendas, recordings, minutes and decisions are available of the ECDC website here: https://eastcambs.gov.uk/council/meetings-agendas-and-minutes
ECDC News
New bin deliveries start on March 30th
We are very pleased to confirm that from Monday 30 March 2026 residents in East Cambridgeshire will begin receiving their new black waste and food bins.
Attached to the new bins is an information pack and a calendar. This tells us what to put in each bin and which bins to put out and when. It will also tell you when your new collection starts.
It’s important to note that residents are being asked not to use the new bins until the service starts from 1 June. Black wheeled bins and food caddies put out before these dates will not be collected because they require specialised vehicles which won’t start operating until 1 June.
Local Government Reform
The Secretary of State, Steve Reed, has started to announce the outcome of the Unitary Authority (UA) plans for Suffolk, Norfolk, Hampshire and Essex (as these are in the first phase of changes) but has delayed a decision for Sussex and Brighton. Some of the choices involve splitting some District Council areas between UAs which is somewhat unexpected.
The announcement for Cambridge & Peterborough is not due until the Summer of 2026 with four ‘options’ still under consideration.
Recent ECDC Press Releases (https://eastcambs.gov.uk/press-releases)
Of note in these were:
Holidays Activities and Food (HAF) programme
East Cambs District Council were again pleased to support our County Council colleagues in highlighting this programme via our social media channels. HAF provided children in receipt of benefits-related Free School Meals a fully funded place at participating holiday schemes for up to 16 hours. In addition, recently arrived refugee families and families experiencing financial hardship were also eligible.
We are happy to answer any questions arising from this release.
DCllr Keith Horgan
• 12 potholes reported by me in February were repaired in Soham North in March as they were deemed to pose “an immediate safety risk”. I would encourage others to use the CCC Highways ‘Report It’ tool to inform of others needing attention. The link is here: https://highwaysreporting.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/en-gb
• The Sanctuary tenant in Foxwood South with reported environmental problems which I have escalated to the relevant Housing Officer has now received assurance that there is no risk from fumes derived from her neighbour’s boiler. A Gas Safe registered engineer has visited site and carried out checks to reassure everyone there is no cause for concern.
• The 93-year old lady in West Drive Gardens, who has been troubled by higher than expected gas bills, was visited by myself and the Team Leader of our Community Help & Advice Team. Sanctuary have agreed to send a gas engineer to check her boiler and another person to inspect damage to some broken floor tiles.
• Feel free to contact me via Keith.Horgan@eastcambs.gov.uk
DCllr Mark Goldsack
• Firstly, I would like to thank all that passed on their condolences for the loss of my dear father Barry. I must say that I have been somewhat out of action for the last month attending to family business but am back and moving forward again now.
• I am worried by the fact that 11 pupils from Isleham primary school have NOT been offered places at Soham VC.
• In addition, I am concerned by the dreadful SEND performance attained by CCC, for children needing assessments for statements of support so I am currently researching what can realistically be done to improve all educational related matters.
• I am also worried by primary school SEND support because without statements in place for support children are receiving a poorer education than they deserve. That is not down to teachers but funding for a currently broken system. I will see this fight through and keep STC posted.
• Finally, despite being told before that the Eastern Gateway s106 agreement was finalised, as of last Wednesday, I have been informed that there remains one matter before it is signed and finalised. As soon as I know it is done I will circulate a copy of agreement for STC members.
• Feel free to contact me via Mark.Goldsack@eastcambs.gov.uk or alternatively Mark.Goldsack@cambridgeshire.gov.uk for County Council matters
DCllr Ian Bovingdon
• Mark’s comments on the pupils was mentioned to me only yesterday so good to see we are on the case.
• In addition, constituents are very concerned with LGR and how that may impact East Cambs. The concerns are that they don’t want parking charges, and debts from Cambridge in particular.
• I will be following up on the BP garage as the EV charging stations are still not commissioned and members of the public are considering going Electric but have concerns about delivery, despite the proliferation of solar panels all over the patch.
• I have also had questions regarding increased traffic from the new developments in the town and several re potholes, all of which have been directed to the relevant departments.
• High Street parking in Soham has also been raised again particularly on the Zig Zags outside Blue Donkey and blocking the driveways and there is still parking on the pavements on both sides of the street.
• Feel free to contact me via Ian.Bovingdon@eastcambs.gov.uk
DCllr Lucius Vellacott
• Apologies for my absence last month due to a meeting clash
The Bus Situation
• I have pressed Mayor Paul Bristow for a resolution to the idea of a timetabled bus via Soham and Wicken, which he reassured me would be included in the franchising arrangements. There is currently a legal matter which will conclude in the Summer, at which point the CPCA will begin franchising and a service via Wicken will be included
• Tiger on Demand continues to run, but awareness and take up is low.
Local Updates
I am disappointed, but not surprised, that my Planning Committee colleagues could not find a sufficient reason to refuse the Wicken Battery Storage application. I had argued that impact to the landscape was the one matter of judgement we could go for, but with the technical information lining up and the near certainty of a successful appeal, the Committee instead took as much of its power as possible and, by a vote of 7-4: Appended 4 additional conditions (relating to security and safety mainly – these will be published in the Decision List for the 1 April Planning Committee on the ECDC website, as well as the originally-proposed conditions in the report)
Delegated authority to REFUSE the application should the applicant fail to agree the conditions
It was a 3-hour hearing with balanced views, so I was happy in that respect. The applicants did not appear to know anything about Wicken, though… so attention now turns to holding them to account and ensuring the best of a bad situation.
The A142 and Downfield’s roundabout were resurfaced overnight again only in the worst patches (but a win is a win…)
I’ve received complaints about the vibrations caused by lorries on the High Street. I’ve asked Highways to get in touch with the main haulage companies and farms to request that they stick to 20mph. This is a tough issue, but we are working on it.
Matters Further Afield
• I have been appointed as East Cambridgeshire’s representative to the UK’s Local Government Association and will therefore carry a whole ONE vote at the General Assembly in July!
• Feel free to email me via: lucius.vellacott@eastcambs.gov.uk
