The majority of councillors at Cambridgeshire County Council backed a series of motions yesterday (Tuesday, 14 July), including a proposal from Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, Leader of the county council, to develop further support for Ukrainian residents within the county and to identify additional opportunities for them to contribute to the Cambridgeshire economy.
Cllr Nethsingha’s motion recognised the contribution of Ukrainian residents and the importance of strengthening resilience locally and across Europe. The council agreed to request that the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) considers producing an advice and information pack for businesses interested in partnerships with Ukrainian companies, working with local authorities and business organisations, to ensure residents and employers could access reliable information to support them to develop these arrangements.
Councillors also agreed to ask the Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee to consider how council services can continue to support Ukrainian residents and families in Cambridgeshire, including through access to libraries, adult education, English language provision, employment and skills support, community integration and signposting to relevant services.
A supported motion from Councillor Peter Rees asked the council to explore funding opportunities to assess water quality in highway run‑off, particularly in sensitive habitats such as chalk streams. Although the council has no statutory duty to collect this data, concerns have been raised about the impact of run‑off on fragile ecosystems and the delivery of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Work will begin with partners including Anglian Water, the Greater Cambridge Partnership and the CPCA to identify potential opportunities to take this forward.
Councillors unanimously supported an altered motion from Councillor Samantha Hoy, which was proposed on her behalf by Cllr Chris Boden and seconded by Cllr Alex Beckett, for safety improvements outside Westwood Primary School in March. The council will now investigate proposals to deliver a permanent controlled crossing outside the school, including available funding options, with recommendations to be considered as part of the 2027/28 capital programme, through the Highways and Transport Committee.
Finally, the council also agreed a motion from Councillor Elliot Tong to strengthen member engagement on youth unemployment following the Department for Work and Pensions’ interim Young People and Work report published in May. Members will receive regular updates on data relating to young people aged 16 to 24 in Cambridgeshire who are not in employment, education or training, alongside information on ongoing internal and external support programmes. Further proposals will follow once the full report is published.
The Full Council meeting was live‑streamed on our YouTube channel, where it can now be watched back. The papers discussed are available to read on our website.
