Shailesh Vara MP recently visited the Yaxley Community Fridge to see first-hand the work that Yaxley Parish Council and local volunteers are doing to ensure that food that would otherwise go to waste, goes to those who need it within the local community.

Mr Vara first visited the Community Fridge 3 years ago, when Yaxley Parish Council started operating it out of the Austin Hall whilst serving around 15-20 families. However, since the pandemic, there has been a vast increase in those using the facilities with around 100 families now visiting the fridge on a weekly basis, with nearly ½ ton of food being distributed. This has meant that they have had to move the operation to larger premises at the Pavilion on Middleton’s recreation ground, so as to allow social distancing and support the increased demand.

Mr Vara met with Yaxley District Councillor Kevin Gulson and some of the volunteers to see the new premises that they now work out of, and to hear of the benefits that Community Fridges bring not only to the local community but to the environment by reducing landfill waste and greenhouse gases.  

The Community Fridge operates every Wednesday and Friday between 10:30-11:30am and has around 15 volunteers who prepare and distribute the food parcels.

Following the visit Mr Vara said:

“It was a pleasure to visit the Yaxley Community Fridge again at their new premises to see how they have expanded and adapted given the recent pressures of the pandemic.

“The volunteers are doing a wonderful job to support this cause and I was encouraged to hear that several local businesses are playing their part by generously donating their food waste. However, there is always the need for extra supplies, so if there are any other local businesses that can help support the Community Fridge, I know it would be greatly welcomed.”

Cllr Kevin Gulson added:

“Yaxley Community Fridge volunteers were pleased to welcome Shailesh Vara to see how the fridge had grown in the 3 years following being set up by Yaxley Parish Council.

“Now with 15 volunteers who get food that would otherwise be sent to landfill. They make food packs every Wednesday and Friday for distribution in the community. 

“The volunteers were grateful for the recognition of their work in and for the community given by Shailesh.”

Shailesh Vara MP has welcomed the Government’s award of £675,432 from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Culture Recovery Fund to organisations within his North West Cambridgeshire constituency.

A payment of £479,765 from the Fund has been awarded to the Nene Valley Railway, a popular heritage steam railway, to help them reopen to visitors in the coming months.

Peterborough City Council will also receive £195,667 for local use.

This second tranche of funding from the Culture Recovery Fund builds on the grants already awarded to support museums, theatres, performance venues, historic sites and cinemas across the country as they reopen to audiences and visitors throughout the spring and summer. 

Mr Vara said:

“I’m delighted that both the popular Nene Valley Railway and Peterborough City Council will be benefitting from this fund. 

In these very difficult times, this additional government support will be welcome and it will help to make a real difference in recovering from the effects of the pandemic.”

Shailesh Vara MP has visited the Palmerston Arms on the Oundle Road in Woodston, Peterborough to give his support to the measures being proposed to ensure the pub can reopen in a COVID secure environment when restrictions are lifted.

The Palmerston Arms is a 400 year old listed stone built local pub, making it one of the oldest pubs in Peterborough.

The pub is situated next to some flower beds on an adjoining road and efforts are being made to work with Peterborough City Council to remove the flower beds to allow more space for customers to sit outside in a safe environment.

Pub landlord, Mr Simon Bond, is in discussions with the Council to progress matters and is being supported by Mr Vara along with Cllr Andy Coles and Andrew Willey who attended the meeting Mr Vara had with Mr Bond outside the premises.

The removal of the flower beds would provide additional space for customers to sit in and unless this additional space becomes available, it will be difficult for the Palmerston Arms to open again.

Following the visit Mr Vara said:

“I was very pleased to meet Simon at the Palmerston Arms and fully support his efforts to increase the area where customers can drink in a safe and secure environment.

“These are extraordinarily difficult times and I am in contact with Peterborough City Council about getting the necessary work done. I hope the Council will take a constructive and flexible approach in dealing with this matter so that the pub can open again.

“I look forward to enjoying a pint at the Palmerston Arms in the near future, along with some of the regulars.”

Cllr Andy Coles added:

“Simon approached me to ask if the flower bed at the side of the pub could be removed so he could start his business up quickly.  The Council support this but wanted Simon to fund the works.  As the flower bed is on a highway the Council wanted our contractor Skanska to do the work which has been costed at £4000, which Simon can’t afford.  I’m grateful for Shailesh Vara MP’s support which will hopefully enable Simon to open up the pub for his customers”.

Mr Simon Bond commented:

“I was very pleased that Shailesh visited the pub and saw first-hand the work we are doing in preparation for opening up again.

“It’s important that we can use the space currently occupied by the flower beds at the side of the pub and I hope that Peterborough City Council will be supportive and help with their removal. This is crucial because otherwise it will be difficult to open while at the same time ensuring that all drinkers are properly socially distanced.”

Andrew Willey added:

“The community working together have made the area a much nicer place to be and it’s just the sort of place to meet up as the lockdown eases.”

Shailesh Vara MP recently hosted a meeting between Highways England and representatives from several villages which come off the A14 at dangerous junctions.

The virtual meeting, arranged and chaired by Mr Vara, enabled the villages to put their case to Mr Martin Fellows, Regional Director of Highways England, as to the serious risk to safety which local residents face daily.

Also attending was County and District Councillor Ian Gardener who put the case for the villages and was supported by many of the representatives who gave their own account of the dangers faced by the local community.

Mr Vara is backing the campaign by the villages for work to be undertaken by Highways England, including short term safety measures to be put in place while a more long term solution is considered.

The Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, James Palmer, has given his support to the campaign too.

Having listened to the arguments put forward by the villages, Mr Fellows has agreed to Highways England having onsite meetings at various locations which the local community feel are in need of being made safe.

The villages represented at the meeting included Bythorn & Keyston, Ellington, Leighton Bromswold, Easton, Catworth, Spaldwick and Barham and Woolley.

Following the meeting Mr Vara said:

“This was a very constructive meeting and I’m grateful to all those who took the trouble to attend. I am in no doubt that these are dangerous junctions and I am very pleased that Mr Fellows and his team have agreed to engage with the local community.

“The separate onsite meetings at the junctions will help to identify the dangers to be addressed and I know the local community will do all they can to work closely with Highways England.

“I will be keeping a close eye as matters progress.”

Cllr Ian Gardener added:

“I was very pleased with the constructive nature of the meeting and I am looking forward to working with Shailesh Vara MP and Highways England and the various Parish Councils in getting safety improvements on the A14 between Ellington & Keyston.”

Martin Fellows of Highways England commented:

“Our road network is a vital part of everyone’s life and we’ll never stop looking for ways to improve on safety and reliability. Substantial vegetation clearance has already taken place on the A14 over the past year to improve visibility, as well as road markings and signage improves, and we’ll look to continue this work in the future. We always welcome the opportunity to hear first-hand from residents and to discuss any concerns they have, and this meeting with Mr Vara and local residents proved to be very useful.”

Cllr Cliff Spink from Bythorn and Keyston Parish Council said:

“Because of the acknowledged risks associated with the junctions on the A14 road between Titchmarsh and Ellington a meeting was chaired by Mr Shailesh Vara MP. Representatives from County and Parish Councils were present together with Department for Transport and Highways England. Mitigation measures were discussed including speed control, better hazard signage and improved vegetation management. It was agreed that Highways would conduct site visits with respective Parish Councils and then a further meeting in three months’ time to discuss progress”.

Shailesh Vara MP has welcomed the Government’s announcement for Project Gigabit which is a new £5 billion scheme to bring faster broadband to hard to reach areas.

The scheme will benefit 500,000 homes and businesses, including some in Cambridgeshire, which will be amongst the first to benefit.

The contracts for the first group of areas will go to tender in the spring and work is expected to start in the first half of 2022.

The Government funded project will prioritise areas that currently have slow connections and which would otherwise have been left out in broadband companies’ rollout plans.

The Government has also said that the successful Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme will be relaunched with a £210 million cash injection to give people in eligible rural areas immediate financial help to get gigabit speeds.

Moreover, the Government will make up to £110 million available to connect public sector buildings, such as GP surgeries, libraries and schools, in the hardest to reach parts of the UK.

Mr Vara said:

“I welcome Project Gigabit and the fact that homes and businesses in my constituency and in Cambridgeshire more generally will be among the first to benefit with this project to achieve faster broadband.

This will make a huge difference and be of benefit to many of my constituents living in rural and hard to reach areas. The investment is particularly important as we recover from the pandemic.”

Jeremy Quin MP, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence, today announced in the House of Commons that Notices to Quit that have been served on MoD tenants at Wittering will be extended from 30 September 2021 to 31 March 2022. 

In his statement to the Commons Mr Quin acknowledged his engagement with Mr Vara who has been trying to secure a future for the houses so that the tenants can remain in them.

This announcement follows on from Notices previously served on the tenants by the MoD, who are required to hand back properties to the freehold owner, Annington Properties Limited, with vacant possession.

In the meantime, Peterborough City Council is liaising with the two parties and considering acquiring the properties with the tenants in occupation with a view to including the houses as part of the Council’s housing stock.

Mr Vara has again spoken with Mr Quin and asked him to do all he can to help facilitate the transfer of the houses to the Council so that there is security for the tenants concerned.

Following the announcement Mr Vara said:

“I welcome the 6 month extension as Peterborough City Council is in contact with the two parties to see if they can acquire the properties with the tenants still in occupation.

As well as giving some additional comfort to the families concerned, the extra months provide more time for an agreement to be reached between the Council and Annington.”

Shailesh Vara MP has welcomed the decision by Oatly, a global leader in the making of oat drinks, to open its first UK factory in Peterborough. The factory will be based in Mr Vara’s North West Cambridgeshire constituency which includes parts of the city.

Oatly is headquartered in Sweden and is the world’s original, and largest, producer of oat drinks.

The investment will be seen as a sign of confidence in the future of the UK as the country pursues a new path outside the European Union and seeks to recover from the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

The new premises will be one of the world’s largest plant-based dairy factories, producing 300 million litres of oat drinks with capacity to increase production to 450 million litres.

Work is expected to commence soon on the construction of the state-of-the-art premises with production expected to commence in early 2023.

As well as providing employment during the construction stage, once completed, the factory is due to bring in at least 200 new jobs to the area.

The site will provide an end-to-end solution, using oats sourced from across the UK and supplying the domestic market with its plant based dairy produce.

Oatly place considerable importance on sustainability and have made it central to their production process. The company will strive to ensure that by 2029 it uses 100% renewable energy and that it decreases its energy and water consumption as well as waste by 75% compared to 2019.

Mr Vara said:

“This is fantastic news. Oatly are a global leader in their sector and it is a massive show of confidence in the UK for them to open a factory here.

As the UK pursues its path outside the European Union and seeks economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic, I am delighted they will be coming to Peterborough in my constituency and creating more jobs and opportunities.

This is also great news for the plant-based industry generally as the company will be sourcing its oats from across the UK.

Oatly’s values of sustainability and protecting the planet align with the city’s ambitions and clearly signify the area as a destination of choice for companies looking to succeed in the UK.

I look forward to working closely with the company as it invests in the local community and develops its workforce in the lead up to the opening of the factory.”

Shailesh Vara MP has secured an important meeting with Martin Fellows, Regional Director for Highways England to discuss safety concerns at various junctions along the A14 in his constituency of North West Cambridgeshire.

Mr Vara is working with District and County Councillor Ian Gardener who is also keen to see improvements made to alleviate the hazards that villagers currently experience. 

Mr Vara has been contacted by a number of residents and Parish Councils who are trying to improve the safety at a number of the junctions. These include the junctions at Bythorn and Keyston, Brington, Molesworth, Ellington, Easton, Catworth, Spaldwick and Leighton Bromswold, all of which are impacted by dangerous joining and crossing points on the busy A14 trunk road.

The Parish Councils have been liaising with Highways England for some time asking for improvements to be made to the junctions, but little action has been taken to date.

Mr Vara will chair the meeting which will include Cllr Gardener, representatives from the villages affected as well as Mr Fellows from Highways England. The meeting will provide an opportunity for the local community to put their concerns directly to Highways England and discuss a way forward.

Mr Vara said:

“The A14 is a very busy road and the junctions to a number of the villages are dangerous to road users. This needs to be addressed and it is important that residents are able to directly put their concerns to Highways England. I am grateful to Martin Fellows for agreeing to meet with us and I very much hope that we can agree a way forward which will ensure greater safety for all concerned. 

“As well as working towards a longer-term solution, I hope that in the meantime Highways England can be persuaded to take some short-term action to make the junctions safer than they currently are.”

Cllr Ian Gardener added:

“I have been working with the Parish Councils along the A14 and our MP to get improvements to the A14 Junctions between Ellington and Keyston/Bythorn as they are difficult to enter and exit due to their design and the speed and volume of traffic on the A14. The Keyston and Bythorn junction is particularly bad due to visibility and speed issues. I am therefore extremely grateful that our MP Shailesh Vara has secured a meeting with Highways England to discuss this important matter for our residents.”

Cllr Clifford Spink, Parish Councillor for Bythorn and Keyston Parish Council commented:

“Major road improvements to the A14 trunk road, to both the east and west of Junctions 14 – 20, have increased traffic flow on this already hazardous section of road.  On a daily basis the general public have to negotiate joining and crossing high speed traffic with no acceleration or deceleration lanes. The Parish Councils are looking for long term modification to these dangerous junctions. In the shorter term we are pressing urgently for risk mitigation measures which include speed restriction, improved signage to indicate hazards, and better vegetation management to facilitate clear line of sight.”

Martin Fellows, Regional Director of Highways England said:

“We appreciate the desire for local parish councils to secure improvements to this section of the A14 and we’re engaging with them to understand their particular concerns about these junctions.”

“While our monitoring of road safety doesn’t show any significant safety issues at these junctions, we’re sympathetic to their concerns. Therefore, we’re currently investigating options for appropriate short-term minor safety improvements.

“We’ve also recognised the need to improve our cyclical maintenance in this area, so from this year our vegetation management will be increased around these junctions to improve visibility.”

Shailesh Vara MP has teamed up with Cllr. Simon Bywater in calling upon Anglian Water to improve the drainage system in Sawtry, Huntingdonshire. This follows many years of surface water flooding and sewage drainage problems.

Following floods over many years, local residents have been reporting problems to Anglian Water but to date little action has been taken to remedy the repeated problems. Recent weather conditions have again heightened the need for improvement as many residents experienced flooding to their properties, including sewage overflowing from drains. In some cases, residents have been unable to even flush toilets due to the pressure on the system.

Research carried out by Cllr. Bywater has shown that the last drain survey in Sawtry was carried out in 1850 and since then Sawtry has grown substantially and undergone many changes. This includes many new housing developments which have added more pressure to the existing drainage network.

Working with Cllr. Bywater, who lives in Sawtry, Mr Vara has written to Anglian Water’s Chief Executive, Mr Peter Simpson asking for Anglian Water to work with Cambridgeshire County Council in conducting a drain survey at the earliest opportunity and find a long-term solution to the ongoing problems.

Mr Vara said:

“I am working with Cllr. Simon Bywater to try to secure a better and upgraded drainage system in Sawtry. At times of floods, over many years, local residents have been suffering with surface water and the drainage of sewage and the need for long overdue work is now very pressing.

I have written to Peter Simpson, the Chief Executive of Anglian Water, urging Anglian Water to work with Cambridgeshire County Council to undertake a thorough drainage survey to determine the problems and then take the necessary remedial action”

Cllr. Simon Bywater added:

“Sawtry has had significant flooding issues over many years and it’s clear to me that the man-made drainage system under the village is not functioning properly when we have any noticeable rainfall.

I am calling on Anglian Water in conjunction with Cambridgeshire County Council the lead flood authority to carry out a full drainage survey of the village in order that we can understand what the problems are and who is responsible for addressing them.

Until then the problems that we have seen in the village will just continue and this is not acceptable for our residents.”