Community

Pboro City Council COVID-19 updates 9 & 11 June

UPDATES: 9 & 11 June 2020

Council’s aim to raise the profile Carers during difficult times, by #MakingCaringVisible – As part of National Carers Week, Cambridgeshire County and Peterborough City Councils are highlighting the challenges faced by unpaid carers and recognising the contribution they make to families and communities in our region.

This year’s theme, #MakingCaringVisible asks people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed information, advice and support.

Being a carer can be very rewarding, but can also be very hard work. There are lots of reasons why caring for someone can leave carers needing support, particularly with the pressures of lockdown. It’s important that they think about their own mental and physical health and emotional wellbeing as well as the person that they are caring for. Support is available for anyone who cares for someone else, whether they call themselves a ‘carer’ or not. This support can help make the caring role easier and it can free up more time for carers to take care of themselves.

Laura Green, Carers Support Manager, Cambridgeshire County Council, said, “In the last census 65,000 people identified themselves as carers in Cambridgeshire, and close to 20,000 in Peterborough, but we know the numbers are likely to be higher as those providing care don’t often see themselves as a ‘carer’. We often hear people say ‘I’m just helping my mum/brother/friend’, but regardless of whether it’s picking up shopping or providing 24/7 personal care, we can help people access the right information, advice and support so that carers can continue to provide the vital the work that they do. Please do get in touch.”

If you provide care for someone, our partners are on hand to help: Caring Together for adult carers in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and for young carers in Peterborough; Centre 33 supports young carers in Cambridgeshire and Making Space helps carers in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who look after someone with mental ill health. Information for carers is available on the County Council / City Council websites.


Cambridgeshire and Peterborough bus passes – Bus passengers are being made aware that the times they can travel using concessionary passes will change from next week.

At the start of the lockdown in March, both Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council worked with operators to allow concessionary bus passes to be used before 9.30am. By relaxing the time limits, people were able to access supermarkets and the reserved shopping slots being offered to elderly residents at the time.

However, the introduction of national social distancing measures has since resulted in a reduction in capacity on public transport. To ensure that there is sufficient public transport capacity for key workers before 9.30am, it has been decided that bus operators will no longer accept concessionary passes before 9.30am from Monday 15 June onwards.

In addition, wearing face masks on public transport will become compulsory on Monday, 15 June. Further details are on the Government’s website.

Cllr Ian Bates, chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council’s highways and transport committee, said: “This decision has been taken to ensure that key workers can continue to get to work during peak times. The change was introduced at a time of supermarket shortages and stores were giving preferential times to over 60s. However, these shortages are no longer occurring and many supermarkets no longer offer specific time slots.”

Cllr Peter Hiller, Peterborough City Council’s cabinet member for strategic planning and commercial strategy and investments, said: “We feel the time is now right to return to the usual arrangement for concessionary fares. As always we will continue to engage with passengers and welcome any feedback.”


Dr Liz Robin vlog – Dr Liz Robin, Director of Public Health for Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, explains why the wearing of cloth-made face coverings is now being recommended to reduce the spread of coronavirus, why wearing one means you are thinking of others, shares some tips about wearing one, and how this advice is in addition to the other measures such as handwashing, social distancing and staying at home as much as possible. Read the Government’s advice on how to wear and make a cloth face covering.

Click here to watch today’s video blog. Dr Liz Robin is available for down the line interviews about the current COVID-19 situation or the contents of today’s Vlog. Please contact the newsdesk to check availability.


From road safety education officer to reablement worker – A video filmed by a Peterborough City Council staff member shows what her experience of being redeployed has been like so far.

To To watch the video of Jenny explaining what her redeployment experience has been like, click here.

Jenny Wright usually works as a Road Safety Education Officer, but due to current restrictions around coronavirus, she is unable to carry out her normal role, as she usually works in schools and other education settings which are currently closed for most pupils.

All Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council staff who are unable to carry out their normal roles have been redeployed, and Jenny is now working as a reablement worker.

Normally, reablement is a service that provides care and support to adults living in the community. It delivers a programme of time limited, reablement intervention to enable individuals to increase their confidence and ability to live as independently as possible within their everyday environment and community network.

As part of their role, the reablement team visit vulnerable people at their home and ensure they have enough food, are hydrated and have taking any medications they may need.

During the Covid-19 outbreak, the reablement service is ensuring that they help to deliver care and support to those people who need it most.

Explaining what her new role involves day to day, Jenny said: “Working as a reablement support worker means that I’m looking after people in their own houses and really reenabling them to gain some independence, or if not able to regain independence, then looking at packages that may be put into place to help them look after themselves in the future. So really, it’s all about morning visits where I will be helping people get up in the morning, making them drinks, making them breakfast, or helping them to make it for themselves. And also making sure they’ve taken their medication.

“Then there might be lunchtime visits as well where you may be helping people again to make sure they’ve had adequate foods, fluids and again, medications. And then there’s evening visits where you’ll be putting people to bed, effectively, helping them to get showered and washed and undressed and again checking that they’ve eaten and then helping them to bed, again checking their medication.”

While individuals in the “shielded” category should not generally be meeting with others face to face, all staff are working strictly in accordance with Government guidelines and wear appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) when on shift, including a face mask, gloves and pinafore apron.

Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald, cabinet member for Adult Social Care, Health and Public Health and member of Peterborough City Council, said: “Redeployed staff like Jenny have helped our reablement teams continue doing the vital work they do while many vulnerable people are isolating.

“I’d like to thank Jenny, other redeployed staff and all reablement workers for the brilliant work they are doing, as they are helping so many people who need it most.”


Peterborough City centre ready to welcome back shoppers – Peterborough City Centre is ready to begin welcoming back shoppers from Monday (15 June), with an emphasis on ‘shopping local’ following a relaxation of the Government’s Covid-19 lockdown, with more open-air cafés, pubs and restaurants to follow in the summer.

From Monday, non-essential shops will begin re-opening their doors to try and recoup lost profits over the past 12 weeks. They are now completing the recommended Government Covid-19 risk assessment and putting the final touches to their stores, with one-way systems, closed changing rooms, counter screens and a raft of new measures to ensure the safety of both staff and customers.

It is expected that bars and restaurants will follow suit in July with plans to allow many to spill out onto the pavements and areas like Cathedral Square and the Guild Hall to maximise footfall while allowing social distancing to still take place.

Detailed advice for shoppers and a full list of measures that are being taken to ensure safety is available on the council’s website www.peterborough.gov.uk/besmartstayapart

The re-opening has been coordinated by the Peterborough Economic Recovery Programme (PERP), a partnership comprising of Peterborough City Council, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Peterborough Positive, Opportunity Peterborough and large outlets like Queensgate Shopping Centre. The PERP has also consulted with Disability Peterborough and the city’s Safer Off the Streets partnership.

Together, the PERP has reached out to help city businesses recover from the impact of Covid-19, giving support and guidance on how to get their businesses started again. In the future, it will look to help these businesses build back stronger and to support independents in moving towards an additional e-commence model to future proof their business.

The measures, which aim to protect both shoppers and businesses from Covid-19, have been made possible thanks to the Government’s Re-Opening High Streets Safely Fund, from which it will be possible for the city council to claim back £181,500.

Councillor Marco Cereste, cabinet member for waste, street scene and the environment at Peterborough City Council, said: “We understand that some of residents may be eager to get some much-needed retail therapy, while others will be a bit more cautious and about venturing out. That’s why we want to give people all the information they need to know before they plan their visit, including what to expect and what the city is doing to help keep them safe.

“In return, we’re asking shoppers to take notice of the social distancing signage, to be polite and courteous to each other and to our volunteer marshals, who are giving up their own time to help keep you safe.”

Tom Hennessy, chief executive of Opportunity Peterborough, said: “The re-opening of non-essential shops from Monday is good news for our city centre and the shops within it, many of which have felt the impact of a loss of trade for many weeks.

“We are fortunate in Peterborough, as we know our economy is strong and our High Street has a profitable retail offering. We’ve been working closely with businesses over the past week to ensure they are supported and prepared for re-opening and have the tools and skills to be able to do this confidently. It is imperative that we do whatever we can to kick-start trade in a safe and controlled way.”

City/Town re-openings in Cambridgeshire is also handled by Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council and Huntingdonshire District Council. Please contact them for their details.


Cambridgeshire County council assists in preparations to get towns and cities ready to welcome back shoppers –The highways team at Cambridgeshire County Council has been working closely with its partners to ensure towns, cities and villages have enough pedestrian and cycle space to allow social distancing and to protect people’s safety.

The team has been working with city and district councils across Cambridgeshire to make temporary changes to the highway to make shopping areas Covid-19 secure – including putting down floor stencils, removing planters and other street furniture to create more space, widening footpaths and installing temporary barriers. These will guide shoppers and ensure enough space to keep a 2m gap from each other when they return to town and city centres to use non-essential shops, some of which are opening on Monday (15 June).

Councillor Ian Bates, chair of the highways and transport committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We’ve been working closely with both town, district and city councils and the Combined Authority to ensure that when shoppers return to our high streets, they have enough space to observe social distancing and are clear about what they are supposed to do.

“Our county’s high streets, like the entire nation, have felt the impact of a loss of trade for many weeks. Now shoppers are returning, we are doing everything we can to support the vibrancy of towns and cities and to ensure customers can return in a safe way by providing the space to allow them to keep 2m apart.”


Resident parking support in Cambridge – from next week, resident parking enforcement in Cambridge will revert back to how it was pre-lockdown.

At the start of the lockdown in March, Cambridgeshire County Council in partnership with Cambridge City Council, worked together to suspend parking enforcement in Cambridge. By relaxing the rules, the aim was to help critical workers, keep the roads free for emergency vehicles and essential deliveries.

However, in line with national guidance, city centres will be re-opening from Monday (15 June) onwards. Therefore, in order to protect residents from a potential influx of vehicles from people visiting the city centre, all resident parking schemes in Cambridge will continue to operate as they did previously.

Cllr Ian Bates, chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Highways and Transport Committee, said: “We took the steps with the City Council initially to help critical key workers, we wanted our streets not to be cluttered with badly parked cars and allow customers to park for essential visits e.g. near food shops, the hospitals and pharmacies. We also had to consider the safety of the traffic officers.

“We feel the time is now right to re-introduce resident parking – we are supporting the recovery of the city centre but we need to protect residents particularly as many more are now working from home following government guidance. We also want to help kick start the economy so we won’t be enforcing our Pay and Display bays in Cambridge City and we’ll work with the City Council to reintroduce further parking enforcement when the time is right.”

This doesn’t affect the free parking permit scheme for the critical care workers who can still park their vehicle in all Resident Permit Parking Areas and on-street Pay and Display bays in Cambridge City, whilst carrying out essential duties, without having to worry about cost or time restrictions. For more information on this visit our website

In Peterborough, all council owned car parks are currently free of charge until July 13th.

Parking in Cambridgeshire is also handled by Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council and Huntingdonshire District Council. Please contact them for their details.


Council’s Coordination Hub’s work with Carers helps couple feel safe while giving back the gift of time – Aware of the additional pressure upon unpaid family carers during the coronavirus lockdown Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council have been busy calling carers across the region to make sure they have access to support.

Managed and operated by redeployed Council staff and volunteers, the ‘Countywide COVID-19 Coordination Hub’ have been supporting carers and the most vulnerable members of society, helping with access to food, deliveries and medication, signposting to professional services, arranging a friendly phone call and offering a point of contact should any needs arise – all with the aim to help people protect themselves from the risks associated with Coronavirus.

Those working and volunteering in the hub are speaking to carers young and old every day, from all walks of life, including Mr F, who was finding it increasingly difficult to care for his beloved wife during the lockdown.

Mr F, himself in his 80s and recovering from throat cancer, is a full-time carer for his wife, who is disabled and unable to leave the house. He was having to make essential trips for food and medication, meaning he was having to leave his wife alone at home for prolonged periods.

Having experienced some issues he was becoming more and more reluctant to visit the shops, but with a lack of any available online delivery slots and not being classed a priority, he was left with no choice but to continue making the trips.

Mr F was contacted by the Council and referred to the Coordination Hub, and the couple are now receiving support with food deliveries and medication.

Mr F said: “I can still get about to a degree so I wasn’t expecting a call from the Council – but I’m so glad they got in touch. I don’t like leaving my wife home on her own, and the last time I went to the supermarket a young man pushed me out of the way and demanded he was let in before me. It did make me a bit nervous about being out on my own, but there was nothing else I could do as I should be self-isolating.

“The lady from the Council was brilliant. My wife and I now have online slots with two supermarkets, and we’ve received a food bundle that was just great. They are also helping pick up our medication. It may sound like a simple thing to some people, but I can’t tell you how much it means to us, just knowing that someone is looking out for us and there if we need them.

“It helps us feel safe and gives us back time with each other, and also means I can work on my photos before my next amateur photography competition. I’ve no idea though how to make a photo of my fridge exciting. I don’t even think the Council could help with that.”

Helen Duncan, Head of Adult Safeguarding at Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, said: “The number of people taking on caring responsibilities nationally and locally is growing faster than ever, and this has only been heightened by the coronavirus lockdown, this year national carers week is focusing on making caring visible. We support carers from all walks of life, young and old, and often they don’t give themselves enough credit for the incredible work they do for others. Being a carer is rewarding, but it is difficult. We want carers to know you are not alone. Through the Council’s and our partners there is a lot of help out there for you, so please get in touch.”

If you provide care for someone, our partners are on hand to help: Caring Together for adult carers in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and for young carers in Peterborough; Centre 33 supports young carers in Cambridgeshire and Making Space helps carers in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who look after someone with mental ill health. Information for carers is available on the County Council / City Council websites.


Scam awareness support – From Monday (15 June) we will again be supporting Scam Awareness Fortnight, coordinated by Citizens Advice.

A scam is a crime where the criminal attempts to manipulate their target in order to extort money from them. While people of any age, gender or economic background can fall victim to scammers, these criminals will typically target elderly, vulnerable and isolated members of our community. Figures suggest that 53% of people over the age of 65 have been targeted by scammers.

Especially in the current climate, people are even more at risk of scammers, and even more in need of our vigilance and protection.

In addition to raising awareness of the ongoing scams carried out on the telephone, the internet, by post or on the doorstep, the focus of this year’s Scams Awareness Fortnight is to raise awareness of scams which are taking advantage of the uncertainty and isolation caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Current scams related to COVID-19 include the sale of fake and overpriced PPE equipment, unofficial virus testing kits, unsafe vaccines and miracle cures, unauthorised shopping or medication collection services and home decontamination services.

Our main line of defence is sharing knowledge as widely as possible and encouraging people to report scams to help protect others. Unfortunately, it is estimated that 7 out of 10 (68%) of people targeted by a scam do not tell anyone about it and only around 5% of scams are reported.

Cllr Steve Criswell, Chair of the Communities and Partnership Committee, said: “It’s a disheartening thought that anyone would take advantage of the uncertainty and loneliness that so many of us are experiencing in the current climate. However, to help guard against such despicable crimes and protect ourselves and our vulnerable neighbours we should raise awareness of scams and warn everyone to be vigilant.”

Over the next two weeks, we will strive to raise awareness of: the kinds of scams being committed amid the Covid-19 outbreak; how to recognise the signs of scams being carried out on your neighbours; and how you can prevent and report scams.

Please help promote Scam Awareness Fortnight on social media using the #scamaware hashtag.

For further information on coronavirus scams see https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus/beware-of-coronavirus-scams and for free downloadable resources for coronavirus and all types of scams, visit the resources webpage of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Against Scams Partnership (CAPASP) www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/against-scams . You can follow us on Facebook @CAPASP19 or Twitter @CAPA5P.

For further advice on scams, please call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline: 0808 223 11 33.

To report a scam, please call Action Fraud: 0300 123 2040.


Leader’s Vlogs – Councillor Steve Count, leader of Cambridgeshire County Council and Councillor John Holdich, leader of Peterborough City Council have recorded separate vlogs for residents across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. They both talk about shops re-opening from Monday.

Watch Councillor Steve Count’s vlog here

Watch Councillor John Holdich’s vlog here


Updates to Stagecoach timetables from this weekend – There will be further changes to Stagecoach timetables across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough from Sunday, June 14 onwards.

The changes come as part of a phased step-up in services, as some Park & Ride services were resumed on May 31.

For more information visit the Stagecoach website here


You can keep up-to-date with any changes to our services on our websites:

Our advice and latest information on Coronavirus can be found on both websites – www.peterborough.gov.uk/coronavirus and www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus


Coronavirus: what you need to do

  • Stay alert
  • Control the virus
  • Save lives
  • Socially distance – stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people
  • Wash your hands

Anyone can spread the virus!

Full guidance on staying alert and safe can be found here.

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