Practical proposed steps for East Cambridgeshire.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Follow Arbour Square’s grant through to social rented homes
The council has approved funding to convert planned sale homes at Arbour Square to social rent.
Proposed response: Track the agreed change through to completed homes being available in the intended tenure.
Evidence
Who could lead: East Cambs Trading Company and East Cambridgeshire District Council.
- Start now
Publish the grant conditions, delivery responsibilities and the remaining steps before homes can be let.
- Over the next few years
Report completion and letting of the converted homes separately from other affordable tenures.
- Over the longer term
Check whether the agreed social rented homes remain available and well maintained.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Arbour Square affordable homes: Council grant approved. See the dated project evidence.
Measure: Homes completed and let as social rent, grant conditions met and unresolved defects.
Trade-off: A grant decision is not a completed or occupied home. Delivery still depends on the project’s remaining work and agreements.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Arbour Square affordable homes →
Proposal
Make Ely’s new routes work as complete journeys
Ely–Soham has entered a funded programme, while New Barns Avenue has a separately listed footpath scheme. Neither announcement proves an open, continuous journey.
Proposed response: show each route’s remaining gaps, safe crossings and connections to everyday destinations.
Evidence 1 · Evidence 2
Who could lead: Cambridgeshire County Council with East Cambridgeshire District Council and delivery partners.
- Start now
Publish the local route designs, scheme-level budgets, outstanding permissions and confirmed dates.
- Over the next few years
Track usable sections and crossings as they open, testing them with people who walk, wheel and cycle.
- Over the longer term
Maintain the full connection and measure who uses it for everyday trips.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Ely–Soham decision of 6 October 2026; New Barns Avenue programme decision of 3 March 2026.
Measure: Continuous sections opened, accessible crossings, defects repaired and use after opening.
Trade-off: County-wide allocations are shared across schemes. Land, design and construction dependencies can change the target dates.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Ely to Soham walking, wheeling and cycling route →
New Barns Avenue footpath →
Proposal
Use the museum’s longer lease to plan for the future
Ely Museum has an extended lease to support future investment.
A clearer tenure position can help the museum seek funding.
Evidence
Who could lead: East Cambridgeshire District Council and Ely Museum.
- Start now
Publish priorities for the historic building.
- Over the next few years
Seek grants against a costed programme.
- Over the longer term
Maintain access and review local use.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Ely Museum: long-term lease: Lease extended to support future investment. See the retained dated source.
Measure: Funded improvements and museum access.
Trade-off: A longer lease does not itself pay for repairs.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Ely Museum: long-term lease →
Proposal
Close the gap between a funded route and a usable journey
The Ely–Soham route has a construction target of March 2030.
Residents still need workable journeys while delivery is pending.
Evidence
Who could lead: Cambridgeshire County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and the Walk, Wheel, Cycle Trust.
- Start now
Identify current gaps and interim safe connections.
- Over the next few years
Publish design and construction milestones.
- Over the longer term
Check the complete route with users when it opens.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Ely to Soham walking, wheeling and cycling route: Funding programme approved; construction completion targeted for March 2030. See the retained dated source.
Measure: Completed continuous route and safe connections.
Trade-off: Interim measures must fit the eventual design.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Ely to Soham walking, wheeling and cycling route →
Proposal
Keep affordable-housing funding tied to homes people can occupy
The Arbour Square grant changes the intended tenure of planned homes.
A funding decision is not proof that homes have been let.
Evidence
Who could lead: East Cambs Trading Company and East Cambridgeshire District Council.
- Start now
Confirm the grant agreement and completion schedule.
- Over the next few years
Verify completed homes and social-rent terms.
- Over the longer term
Track occupation and longer-term affordability.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Arbour Square affordable homes: Council grant approved. See the retained dated source.
Measure: Completed and occupied social-rent homes.
Trade-off: Delivery and ongoing maintenance costs still need to be met.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Arbour Square affordable homes →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £1,038 a month (August 2026) in East Cambridgeshire council area. This is £421 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 10% in Sutton to 25.3% in Ely East — a gap of 15.3 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together. Start by checking the different needs in Ely East and Sutton; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Average private rent is £1,038 a month (August 2026) in East Cambridgeshire council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 10% in Sutton to 25.3% in Ely East — a gap of 15.3 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average monthly rent →
Evidence: Average home price →
Arbour Square affordable homes →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
20.8% of people in East Cambridgeshire council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 13% in Ely North to 25.8% in Bottisham — a gap of 12.8 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in Bottisham and Ely North; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 20.8% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 13% in Ely North to 25.8% in Bottisham — a gap of 12.8 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
4.1% of people reported bad or very bad health in East Cambridgeshire council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.7% in Ely North to 5% in Littleport — a gap of 2.4 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap. Start by checking the different needs in Littleport and Ely North; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 4.1% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.7% in Ely North to 5% in Littleport — a gap of 2.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
35% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in East Cambridgeshire council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.2% in Ely North to 21% in Soham South — a gap of 9.8 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in Soham South and Ely North; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 35% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.2% in Ely North to 21% in Soham South — a gap of 9.8 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Ely Museum: long-term lease →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in East Cambridgeshire council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
New Barns Avenue footpath →
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
4 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Ely Museum: long-term lease →
Arbour Square affordable homes →
Ely to Soham walking, wheeling and cycling route →
New Barns Avenue footpath →
Proposal
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 9.4% in Ely North to 17.5% in Littleport — a gap of 8.1 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
Who could lead: The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services.
- Start now
Check current advice and support access in Littleport, using the census pattern as a starting point and asking residents what is missing.
- Over the next few years
Test joined-up housing, work and health support, and publish who takes part, who cannot reach it and what changes.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained outcomes and whether gaps between neighbourhoods narrow, using comparable dates and measures.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 9.4% in Ely North to 17.5% in Littleport — a gap of 8.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 14 of 14 wards.
Measure: Access to support, unresolved housing problems and sustained work or health outcomes. Census percentages alone cannot measure a new programme's success.
Trade-off: Targeting neighbourhoods can miss people in need elsewhere. Avoid labelling every resident by the average for their ward.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages →
Ely Museum: long-term lease →
Arbour Square affordable homes →
Ely to Soham walking, wheeling and cycling route →
