Have your say on the future of local councils
Residents, businesses and other stakeholders across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are being asked for their views on the future of local government.
On the ground with East Cambs
As your district council, we focus on delivering projects and provide funding to support and enhance our local communities.
By listening to what our residents, businesses and organisations really want, we have been able to deliver hundreds of schemes that enhance people's lives the length and breadth of our district.
You can use our interactive map to see examples of where we have invested money for the benefit of the community:
The map includes details of:
- market town projects: We invest funds in our market towns to help make our high streets a better place to live, work and shop which is great for residents and the economy too
- parish and town council projects: We provide councils with grants and funding to deliver projects which meet the needs of residents, such as improvements to village halls, recreation grounds and doctors' surgeries
- bus and cycle networks: We have carried out feasibility studies and provided financial support for a number of bus, cycle and walking initiatives to help support sustainable travel and connect our rural communities
- funding for community groups and sports clubs: Whether it is funding for Community Hubs, supporting a Baby Bank or helping a Men's Shed, we aim to improve the health and wellbeing of thousands of people every year
- business support: Through our support for local businesses and training and skills initiatives, our aim is to give East Cambridgeshire the cash-injection it needs to help it reap rewards in terms of attracting more businesses, boosting the economy, creating new jobs and enhancing skills
- creating a cleaner, greener East Cambridgeshire: Projects such as our community orchard initiative and converting our bin lorries to HVO all help in our ambition to become net carbon zero
District-wide projects
Alongside those projects shown on the map, we also support the following district-wide projects:
| Name | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Super-fast broadband | 2015 to 2019 | District-wide roll out of super-fast broadband across 69 areas |
| Covid-19 business grants | 2019 to 2023 | District-wide grants administered to 3,321 businesses, totalling £21,015,981 |
| Gold standard for the council housing service | 2019 to 2023 | District-wide Housing and Community Advice Service achieved the gold standard of service recognised by the National Practitioner Support Service (NPSS) in 2020 |
| New bus service proposals for East Cambridgeshire | 2019 to 2023 | The New Bus Service Proposals for East Cambridgeshire prospectus was adopted by the council in November 2020 |
| Cycling and Walking Routes strategy | 2019 to 2023 | The council adopted an East Cambridgeshire Cycling and Walking Routes Strategy in November 2021. The council has committed to prioritise ten cycle routes for feasibility exploration |
| Support for local High Street retailers | 2019 to 2023 | District-wide supported local High Street retailers by reducing Business Rates by 33% |
| Environment and Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan | 2019 to 2023 | District-wide, developed and delivered the strategy and action plan |
| East Cambs Community Land Trust set up | 2017 to 2019 | District-wide established in November 2017 as an umbrella Community Land Trust (CLT) for the whole of East Cambridgeshire |
| Transferred waste contract to East Cambs Street Scene Ltd | 2017 to 2019 | District-wide |
| Supported the creation of an additional 460 jobs | 2015 to 2019 | District-wide |
| Community Land Trust (CLT) grants | 2019 to 2023 | District-wide grant scheme established for groups wishing to set up a community-led development group. For more established groups, the council also has a pre-development grant that can support groups with pre-development costs |
More about our projects
Council approves £2.3 million funding for community projects
Council approves £95,000 High Street Renewal Fund to help improve Littleport and Soham
Community groups encouraged to apply for grants up to £1,000
Where the money comes from
We receive funding from a broad range of sources.
A large proportion comes from putting in successful bids to the government and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
Some of our projects are funded through Council Tax.
Money is also provided to the council from developers who contribute funds through a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). CIL is a planning charge, introduced by the government to ensure that new development contributes to the cost of the infrastructure it will rely upon, such as schools and roads. Our CIL money has helped to expand St Mary's practice in Ely, improve the A142 at Witchford roundabout and build a new youth and community centre in Littleport.
How much we invest
In 2022/23 we invested £2.3 million in 9 community projects, such as improvements to cycle and walking routes, community hubs and village hall upgrades. This is on top of £10 million in community infrastructure and £3.8 million to parish councils.
Market Town Fund projects worth nearly £3 million have either been completed or are underway to help boost the economy of East Cambridgeshire.
We are also seeking £3.2 million to spend on projects to enhance skills, create jobs and explore new and innovative ways of working.