Many people wanting to escape busy city life choose to move to Cambridgeshire thanks to it huge areas of countryside and great links into London. Those living in the county can benefit from both the calm rural areas as well as being able to easily travel back into the capital for a day trip.
Advertisement
If you are planning to move to the county soon or just want to explore the many villages on offer, you might want to take a trip to Horningsea. The little village can be found just outside of the city of Cambridge and can be reached by walking along the River Cam.
The village has two pubs, the Plough and Fleece and the Crown and Punchbowl. As well as offering an impressive food menu filled with British classic dishes, the Crown and Punchbowl has nine rooms to stay in if you want to extend your trip.
The Plough and Fleece features “a fine dining room at the front and a traditional rustic bar” as well as a beer garden that overlooks the River Cam for those warmer days. The pub is community owned and is currently looking for new tenants to carry on running the venue.
Advertisement
Aside from the pubs found along the high street, the only other facility in the village is the garden centre. The Scotsdales Garden Centre in Horningsea is home to the largest Weber BBQ showroom in Cambridge and has a “wonderful” pet section that dogs can explore if they are on a lead.
You can find a range of gardening essentials as well as garden furniture, bird feeders, and even a gift shop. At the Sunflower Café, you can get fresh cakes, toasties, sandwiches, and breakfasts using lots of local ingredients.
The village has had a place of worship for over a thousand years but parts of the current church date back to the 11th century. The church had to be extensively restored in the early 19th century.
If you are interested in moving to Horningsea, properties in the village range from detached and terraced houses to semi-detached properties. This three bed detached house with a thatched roof sold in 2024 for £600,000 and this four bed terraced property sold for £490,000.
The controller, who appeared to be working ground and directing aircraft, then instructed an incoming flight to go around the runway.
The nose of the jet was mangled (Picture: Reuters)
There was no immediate confirmation of deaths or injuries (Picture: Reuters)
He tells the Air Canada flight to ‘hold position’, adding: ‘I know you can’t move. The vehicles are responding to you now.’
Another voice says ‘man, that wasn’t good to watch’, before the controller replies: ‘I know, I was here. I tried to reach out to ’em…
‘We were dealing with an emergency earlier and I messed up.’
Advertisement
The other worker replied: ‘No man, you did the best you could.’
Around 72 passengers and four crew members were on board Flight 8646, which was travelling from Montreal to LaGuardia.
It was going down the runway at 131mph, according to flight-tracker website, FlightRadar24.
UPDATE: Analysis of tower audio and map of the airport indicates the aircraft was showing a speed of 114kts or 131mph.JAZZ646 (yellow line) was cleared to land on Runway 4. Truck 1 & Company (green line) requested to cross RW 4 and was authorized to cross by the tower at… https://t.co/ZObElHh2s6pic.twitter.com/TQ053wyJzv
All of the UK’s bank holidays have been confirmed by the Government for the rest of 2026. Between the different nations, dates for bank holidays can vary so it’s important to check you know when they’re taking place, depending on where you live.
Advertisement
Easter weekend is when the next batch of bank holidays will take place and it includes Good Friday, April 3, and Easter Monday, April 6, for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, only Good Friday is recognised as a bank holiday in Scotland – not Easter Monday, Chronicle Live reports.
Recently officials set out the remaining bank holiday dates for this year via X, the social media platform previously called Twitter. Several posts specify that UK-wide bank holidays will take place on Good Friday, as previously noted, along with Mondays May 4 and 25.
Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.
All UK nations will also observe bank holidays on Christmas Day, December 25, and Monday, December 28 (as a substitute Boxing Day). Meanwhile, Monday, July 13, represents the Battle of the Boyne bank holiday for Northern Ireland, while in Scotland, Monday, August 3, marks the Summer bank holiday. The rest of the UK – England, Wales and Northern Ireland – will observe this year’s Summer bank holiday on Monday, August 25.
Advertisement
On Monday, November 30, Scotland alone will commemorate the St Andrew’s Day bank holiday. And, as revealed last month, Scotland will enjoy an additional bank holiday this year.
Buckingham Palace said in February: “To mark the achievement of Scotland’s men’s football team competing at the Fifa World Cup for the first time in 28 years, we consider it desirable that Monday, the fifteenth day of June in the year 2026 should be a bank holiday in Scotland.
“Now, therefore, we, in pursuance of section 1(3) of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, do hereby appoint Monday, the fifteenth day of June in the year 2026 to be a bank holiday in Scotland.”
Complete list of UK bank holidays for 2026
England and Wales
Thursday, January 1 – New Year’s Day
Friday, April 3 – Good Friday
Monday, April 6 – Easter Monday
Monday, May 4 – Early May bank holiday
Monday, May 25 – Spring bank holiday
Monday, August 31- Summer bank holiday
Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day
Monday, December 28 – Boxing Day (substitute day)
Scotland
Friday, April 3 – Good Friday
Monday, May 4 – Early May bank holiday
Monday, May 25 – Spring bank holiday
Monday, June 15 – World Cup bank holiday
Monday, August 3 – Summer bank holiday
Monday, November 30 – St Andrew’s Day
Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day
Monday, December 28 – Boxing Day (substitute day)
Northern Ireland
Tuesday, March 17 – St Patrick’s Day
Friday, April 3 – Good Friday
Monday, April 6 – Easter Monday
Monday, May 4 – Early May bank holiday
Monday, May 25 – Spring bank holiday
Monday, July 13 – Battle of the Boyne (substitute day)
Two people, 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, and an unnamed University of Kent student, have died following the start of the meningitis outbreak. Thousand of people have been vaccinated against the disease.
09:26, 23 Mar 2026Updated 09:26, 23 Mar 2026
The number of cases of meningitis linked to an outbreak in Kent has dropped as thousands of young people in the area are vaccinated against the disease. Confirmed cases have fallen from 23 to 20, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in an update on Sunday morning, after they were downgraded following further testing.
Meanwhile, suspected cases under investigation have also fallen from 11 to nine, meaning the total number of cases is 29, down from 34 on Saturday. Two people, 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, and an unnamed University of Kent student, have died following the start of the outbreak.
But now a doctor has explained why a national lockdown in an effort to halt the spread of the meningitis is not on the cards. Dr Ahmed, who has almost half a million followers on TikTok, where he describes himself as “healthcare Gordon Ramsay”, said he recognised people are concerned about the outbreak, but issued a note of caution.
Advertisement
“Ok, untwist your panties, put them back in the drawer, and listen,” he said. “Yes, the meningitis outbreak now involves 29 people, and two of them have died, and a nine-month-old child is struggling for their life in ICU. It is very scary.
“But at the same time we have seen one of the fastest national healthcare responses from the government [in] the last decade, with over 6,000 courses of antibiotics and over 25,000 courses of vaccines given out to people who are at risk.”
He added meningitis spreads “very differently” from a virus such as Covid-19, and said a national lockdown is “very unlikely” for two reasons.
“Number one, meningitis needs very close contact and sharing utensils and vapes, things that would normally have body fluids on them, in order to spread from person to person,” he said. “It does not just spread over long distances through the air.
Advertisement
“And number two, this kind of outbreak is not entirely unexpected. The UK has three to 400 cases of meningitis B in a year that break out in small outbreaks like this. What is unprecedented about this outbreak is that the outbreak can be traced to literally one single location, and the fact that it’s meningitis B, something that we don’t routinely vaccinate our young teenagers for.”
Calling on people to “keep calm”, he concluded: “So yes, while it’s very scary that it can just start symptoms within two days and then kill someone within another couple of days, it just doesn’t have the characteristics that will allow for a national outbreak and a lockdown.”
NHS Kent and Medway said more than 9,078 meningitis B vaccines had been handed out as of Saturday evening while 12,595 antibiotics had been administered.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
What is meningitis?
The NHS describes meningitis as “an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord”. It says the condition can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers, and young adults.
Advertisement
The organisation warns meningitis can be very serious if not treated quickly, and can cause sepsis, which can be fatal. It can also result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.
It is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection – bacterial meningitis is rarer, but more serious, and it is this type of the disease which the two people in Kent died from. Infections can be spread by sneezing, coughing, or kissing, and is usually transmitted by people carrying the virus or bacteria in their nose or throat, but who are not ill themselves.
What are the symptoms of meningitis?
The NHS says symptoms of meningitis can develop quickly and in any order. Someone with meningitis may not develop all these symptoms. They can include:
a high temperature (fever)
being sick
a headache
a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it
The beach forms part of a picturesque walk along the coast
A posh seaside town under two hours from Cambridge has untouched sands waiting to be discovered. Although Cambridge has much on offer with its fine architecture and breadth of history, there are no sandy beaches in sight.
Advertisement
Luckily, beaches are not far away. One with beautiful untouched sands is at Burnham Overy Staithe. Around two hours from Cambridge, this is a secluded beach on the north Norfolk coast.
A path to the beach stretches over around a mile, making it the perfect place to take a leisurely stroll or quick stop on the way to somewhere else. The well-kept sands are a beauty to see.
For anyone wanting a beach stop that isn’t overcrowded, this beach is also the perfect place for that. Once people have seen the beach, a visit to the picturesque town of Burnham Overy Staithe is also worth the trip.
Advertisement
Previously, this town has been named as one of the “poshest” in the UK by The Telegraph. It’s close to Burnham Market and Sandringham, and it’s also a major sailing hub.
While visiting the town, people can see the Burnham Overy Staithe windmill, which dates back to 1816. There are plenty of cute places to eat and drink, such as the community pub known as The Boathouse.
This is described as a “popular spot for lunch and coffee”. There are also plenty of places to walk in the town and beach, as the beach forms part of the North Norfolk coast circular walk.
On the National Trust website, it said: “Wander through Burnham Overy Staithe near Brancaster, and enjoy beautiful sights of the North Norfolk coast and its wildlife. This circular route follows part of the Norfolk Coast Path and passes through Holkham National Nature Reserve.
Advertisement
“There’s the opportunity to visit Burnham Overy Town, St. Clement church with its Norman tower, and catch sight of the Tower Windmill along the way.” With the weather getting warmer, this posh town and beautiful beach may be worth a visit.
Living under the threat of bombardment is terrifying. Barely an hour passes in Tehran without the sound of an explosion. Nowhere feels safe.
We moved quickly and didn’t stay in one place long. Police stations and checkpoints were being targeted, it seemed. We passed through those as quickly as we could. At night we watched explosions light up the sky, air defence fire opening up in reply.
That is what Iranians are coping with day by day, night by night.
We were only the second international news team allowed into Iran since the start of the war, for a week joining a few others already based there.
Advertisement
It was difficult to get into the country and to reach Tehran, and once there, it was hard to operate and dangerous.
Image: People at a funeral for security chief Larijani and the crew of a sunken navy ship
We took the risk so we could ask two questions that can’t be answered outside the country: How is Israel and America’s air war on Iran affecting its people? And what does its government, battered but not beaten, plan to do next?
At the sites of one airstrike after another, the answer to the first question was tragically clear.
Advertisement
Innocent civilians are bearing the brunt of the Israeli-American campaign, and increasingly so.
Like the pensioner whose daughter was at home in their block of flats when it was hit by missiles. They blew the block apart, and the one opposite, as well as whatever their attackers were targeting. Her body was found in the rubble three days later, he told us through furious tears.
The term precision targeting loses much of its meaning up close. In this case, a centre belonging to the Basij paramilitary volunteer force seemed to have been destroyed – but a lot else besides, an entire city block to be precise.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Inside Iran’s children’s wards
In a hospital, we were confronted with heart-wrenching tragedy. Four-year-old Anita lay dying in intensive care. She has severe head injuries after her home was caught in an airstrike. Her mother Zeebar cried over her comatose child, telling her: “We are waiting for you, we are waiting for you.” Doctors say Anita is not likely to wake up.
Downstairs, Fatima stood over her grown son, who had received a chunk of shrapnel in his arm, sent flying three blocks, he said, from another airstrike as he had left for work.
“This war must stop,” she told us. “It is innocent civilians being hurt.”
Advertisement
Image: Iranian mother Zeebar holds the hand of four-year-old Anita, in a coma after US-Israeli strikes
Regardless of what is being targeted, and however precise, the bombs being dropped on a densely populated city will cause civilian casualties.
In January, in Tehran and across the country, people were being shot at by their own security forces when weeks of protests were suppressed.
Thousands were killed, shot dead by the security forces, say activists and human rights groups.
Whenever I mentioned this to government supporters or officials, they blamed foreign agents for stoking the unrest.
Thousands attend Iran funerals
Advertisement
The tension we felt in the city goes back to that crackdown too. We were able to operate freely in the places where we were given permission to film, but few people were prepared to go on camera. Off-camera though, people were more open.
One man talked with contempt for the “extreme” nature of the authorities and hoped it would change after the war.
Which brings us to the second question we had come here to ask. What of the government and what it does next? We were not there long, and only in one city, but for now at least, Iran’s leadership appears confidently in control.
Dominic Waghorn’s final thoughts after a week reporting in Iran
Advertisement
Suppressing unrest is, of course, easier in a time of war.
But the air campaign may be helping the government too. Many Iranians see it as an attack on them and their country as much as the state. When you are living in mortal fear of your family and home being obliterated from the skies, it is hard not to take it personally.
Israel’s attack on Iran’s major South Pars gas field, for instance, was condemned by one Iranian we spoke to. Why attack that, he asked. For many, an attack on the gas field is an attack on everyone in Iran, regardless of their political affiliation.
The government has fervent supporters too, lots of them. They were out in force in the street for the funeral of Ali Larijani, a top government figure buried with others. Tens of thousands attended.
Advertisement
As we stood among them, the limitations of Israel and America’s ambitions became more glaring.
If you assassinate the leaders of people whose religion embraces martyrdom, this is what to expect.
Advertisement
Iran has a long tradition of honouring the virtues of resistance and no surrender. Iranians are reared on stories of foreign treachery. Their government is drawing on all that to reinforce its support.
Iran seems to have been waiting for this war for years. Its leadership is hydra-headed, programmed to replace itself. It has so far proven surprisingly capable of responding to attacks with speed and strategy despite its enemies’ claims it has been decapitated.
We left with a sense they are bracing themselves now for a long war. For the ordinary people, that means weeks, if not months, more terrifying uncertainty and the risk of death and injury. For their leaders, it means projecting defiance, digging in and outlasting the enemy.
The classic BBC documentary Driving School that made Maureen Rees from Cardiff a household name can still be enjoyed
Long before the phrase ‘reality TV’ was popularised by early 2000s shows like Big Brother, Popstars and Survivor, there was a television docusoap that captivated the nation – BBC’s Driving School.
Advertisement
Driving School paved the way for the fascination with programmes documenting real-life situations, even turning one of its participants into a star.
Debuting on the BBC in 1997, Driving School was a fly-on-the-wall documentary following a group of learner drivers around Bristol and South Wales. Despite being produced on a shoestring budget, it was aired during primetime and gave rise to one of the first reality TV celebrities, Welsh icon Maureen Rees.
The series was conceived and directed by British film and documentary maker Francesca Joseph, with narration provided by Quentin Willson, who would later host the similar programme, Britain’s Worst Driver.
A quarter of a century after its premiere, all six episodes were made accessible on BBC iPlayer and viewers can still enjoy the episodes, reports the Mirror.
On IMDb, reviewers have lauded Driving School as “hilarious” and a “milestone” in television. One reviewer noted: “It’s largely forgotten now but this series marked a change in TV documentaries.
“It was conceived as a simple documentary about the trials and tribulations of teaching people to drive but as the footage came in it became apparent that the stars of the show were the learners not the instructors. Maureen Reese (sic) rapidly became the pupil that everyone tuned in to see. Each week we wanted to see what danger she would encounter.”
Advertisement
They continued: “A small milestone in the story of TV.”
Another commented: “Doesn’t anybody remember this documentary? It was hilarious! In fact, most of it doesn’t even stick in my mind but I remember Maureen Rees as the mad welsh woman always arguing with her husband and nearly decapitating everyone else on the road. Plus, she failed her driving test about 8 times! It really was a good watch.”
The popularity of Driving School resulted in a four-part celebrity edition which was broadcast in 2003 to support Comic Relief. Presented by Mel Giedroyc, famous faces taking part included Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates, television legend Paul O’Grady, EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy and Big Brother star Jade Goody. They discovered live during the Red Nose Day appeal whether they had been successful. None of them had.
Meanwhile, Maureen from Cardiff, now 84, went on to enjoy a television career and even released a pop single. She presented the short-lived Really Useful Show, in which she learned car maintenance and appeared as herself in the sitcom Barbara, as well as travelling to the US to be interviewed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In 2001, she appeared as a chapel woman in the coming-of-age film Very Annie Mary, which was set in Wales.
In 2004, she participated in the Channel 5 series Back to Reality, a programme featuring former reality TV stars. She made it to the final day, finishing as runner-up to Princess Diana’s former lover James Hewitt.
Maureen released a single, a cover of Madness’ Driving in My Car, which reached number 49 in the UK Singles Chart, with the video featuring her driving Betsy, her powder-blue 1990 Lada Riva estate.
Driving School is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
A UK military expert has said Donald Trump is “floundering around” in his attempts to end the war in Iran.
Former national security adviser Lord Peter Ricketts said the US president “is making it up as he goes along” more than three weeks after the conflict began.
His comments, on Radio 4′s Today programme, came as the countdown continues on Trump’s ultimatum for Iran to re-open the Strait of Hormuz or risk their power plants being “obliterated”.
The president issued the warning as the vital waterway – which carried around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply – remains effectively closed to traffic because of the risk of Iranian attacks.
Advertisement
However, Lord Ricketts said: “Iran is not going to capitulate to Donald Trump’s threat and ultimatum and so he is going to have a massive decision to take”.
“Does he walk away from the ultimatum – he’s done that many times in the Ukraine and Gaza context – or does he double down and smash up the power stations, rather like the Russians have behaved in Ukraine for the last three or four years?
“In which case, Iran certainly will retaliate against American and Gulf oil and gas assets. They can do that and they will do.
“Then Trump has to decide what to do further. Does he at that point double down again, does he start talking about introducing troops?”
Advertisement
He added: “This is the problem of someone who behaves like Trump. Nobody dares speak truth to power and therefore he is making it up as he goes along.
“He’s floundering around with massive stakes, because every time he makes one of these threats, the Iranians are confirmed in their view that holding the Strait of Hormuz tightly in their grip as they’re doing is a very powerful weapon and they’re not going to unlearn that.”
Trump and Keir Starmer discussed the importance to the global economy of the Strain or Hormuz being reopened in a telephone call on Sunday night.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The leaders discussed the current situation in the Middle East, and in particular, the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to resume global shipping.
Advertisement
“They agreed that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was essential to ensure stability in the global energy market.”
The actor, himself nominated for a 2013 Bafta Television Award for playing Ken in the BBC’s sitcom Cuckoo, said: “I see the whole event as an opportunity to wave a flag for this beloved medium and, with the exception of one commissioner, two execs and a co-star that I have personal beef with, I will do everything I can to ensure it’s a night of warm celebration for all.”
Advertisement
And for his next task… ✉️ Greg Davies will host the 2026 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises!
The nominations for this year’s #BAFTATVAwards with @pandocruises will be announced across BAFTA socials tomorrow at midday 👀
Davies, 57, said he was “thrilled” to take on the role.
Advertisement
Emma Baehr, executive director of awards and content at Bafta, said: “His sharp humour, warmth and energy will set the stage for an unforgettable night honouring the very best in British television.
“The ambition, craft, and sheer range of talent on-screen and behind it continues to raise the bar.
“We can’t wait to shine a spotlight on the creatives who defined 2025’s standout programmes.”
Last year’s awards attracted an audience of 2.5 million on BBC One and iPlayer.
Advertisement
Greg Davies, host of Channel 4’s ‘Taskmaster’ (Channel 4)
They are partnered with P&O Cruises for the fourth year running and the cruise line’s Memorable Moment Award is the only one that the public vote for.
Voting is open for six nominees, including when Jamie, played by Owen Cooper, snaps at the psychologist in Netflix’s Adolescence, and when Alan Carr won The Celebrity Traitors on BBC.
Also up is the “I didn’t make it, did I?” line in Channel 4’s Big Boys, and when police are warned of an ambush plot to silence a key witness in the BBC’s Blue Lights.
Voters can also choose Bob Mortimer and Richard Ayoade’s speed date in Prime Video’s Last One Laughing, and when Byron leaves for Brighton to start university and introduces herself as Paris, in the BBC’s What It Feels Like For A Girl.
The victim, named locally as Scarlett Faulkner, was found by emergency services on Saturday with catastrophic head injuries.
A mum who was savagely attacked on a roadside has been left fighting for her life. The victim, named locally as Scarlett Faulkner, 20s, was found by emergency services on Saturday with catastrophic head injuries.
Advertisement
The scene, on the R494 at Birdhill, Co Tipperary, remained cordoned off by Gardaí, on Sunday, reports Irish Mirror. The R494 roadway – a short distance from the lakeside towns of Ballina and Killaloe, located between Nenagh and Limerick – was closed in both directions to allow Garda forensic investigators conduct a technical examination at the scene.
Ms Faulkner, who is in her 20s, is believed to have been attacked by one or a number of people who were armed with weapons. She was left for dead at the side of the road at around 5.30pm on Saturday. The injured lady is understood to be a respected member of a Traveller family from Limerick city.
Gardaí were working on several theories as to the background of the assault including that Ms Faulkner may have been travelling in a car that was rammed by a group in another vehicle, dragged from her car, and attacked with implements at the side of the roadway.
Ms Faulkner was initially attended to by HSE paramedics at the scene and then airlifted by a Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) Saturday evening. Doctors continued to monitor her at UHL where she underwent scans as her devastated family maintained a vigil.
Advertisement
Paramedics transferred Ms Faulkner from UHL to Cork University Hospital head trauma unit on Sunday where her condition remained serious. Family members posted photographs of Ms Faulkner on social media and asked that people pray that she would recover from her injuries, which Gardaí described as “critical”.
Advertisement
“Come on sister please you can do this. Everyone please (say a) prayer for my sister Scarlett. Love you sister,” stated a Facebook post. Another wrote in a heartfelt tribute: “I love you with all my heart, you will always be my best friend big sister. My heart is shattered in 1 million pieces.”
“God please don’t do this to us ,” they stated. “Last time I saw you was only few nights ago you came to my trailer and when you were leaving. I said Scarlett I love you please mind yourself and you hugged me and kissed me in the jaw you said stop worrying ill be back.”
Another posted: “Could everyone please say a prayer for my cousin Scarlett Faulkner that she makes a full recovery amen.” And, another post read: “Plz god beautiful mother Teresa and saint pio and saint Anthony this girl Scarlett Faulkner will be ok.”
Appealing for witnesses, a Garda spokeswoman said: “Any road users who were on the R494 between Birdhill and the M7 motorway between 5pm and 6pm on Saturday, 21st March 2026 and may have camera footage (including dash-cam) are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí. Investigations are ongoing.”
Advertisement
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Nenagh Garda Station on (067) 50450, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.
One hospital worker said it is a ‘crazy situation’ when trying to leave the hospital along the road
04:00, 23 Mar 2026Updated 07:12, 23 Mar 2026
Ambulance held up on ‘nightmare’ road near hospital
Hospital staff have described traffic along a road where traffic can queue for up to 40 minutes at peak times as an “absolute nightmare”. Some staff at Hinchingbrooke Hospital and the Hinchingbrooke estate deal with traffic problems daily along Hinchingbrooke Park Road.
Especially during peak times, residents and staff never know how long it will take to get out of the road. One worker from Hinchingbrooke Hospital, who wished to remain anonymous, said she finds it an “absolute nightmare” to leave the hospital and get onto the road after leaving work at 3.30pm.
Advertisement
“I finish work and never know if I will have to queue down the road or not,” said the worker. She added: “It can be stressful working for the NHS and when you finish work you just want to drive home without sometimes having to sit in your car for 30 to 40 minutes to get to the bottom of the road.
“We very often have to queue to get out of the staff car park at the top of the hospital before we even join Hinchingbrooke Park Road. This is because the traffic is just backed up all the way down the road up to the hospital and everyone is trying to get out.”
The woman said traffic has been a problem for a “few years” and finds it a “crazy situation” as there is only one road in and out of the estate. She said: “This problem has been going on now for a few years and nothing ever seems to get done about it.
“The lights at the bottom of Hinchingbrooke Park Road don’t seem to help and the traffic just backs up. Once you get past the traffic lights the traffic seems to run easily.”
Advertisement
Another hospital worker, who also wished to not be named, has also experienced problems with the traffic. She said: “Generally, the traffic situation is bad. It can take ages to get out of the hospital car park as it backs up. It has been like this for years.”
Residents who live in the Hinchingbrooke estate are also frustrated with the continuous congestion problems. Keith Cooper said the road is “regularly gridlocked” with “massive delays getting in and out of the estate”.
Advertisement
He added: “We will regularly see blue light runs delayed or stuck. It’s only a matter of time before something catastrophic and avoidable happens as a consequence.
“Emergency services are stretched as it is and the impact of the delays isn’t just about the speed of getting help, but the number of calls a stretched ambulance service can make. If residents in Huntingdon are waiting too long for an ambulance to arrive, even if it isn’t critical, then the traffic problems in Hinchingbrooke are part of the problem.”
A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service Trust said: “We have no evidence of this development having any impact on emergency vehicle response to date. Should that situation change, we would liaise with Huntingdonshire District Council directly to identify remedies.”
John Greenhalgh, chair of the Hinchingbrooke Residents’ Association, said he has repeatedly shared concerns about congestion. He said it is “scary to think what could happen” if an emergency vehicle is delayed getting through the road. He added: “Ambulances getting caught is a matter of public safety. Sometimes every second counts.
Advertisement
“It’s been like this for a number of years. You will see ambulances come down from the hospital. They get out and then there is a big HGV and they [ambulance] can’t get through. We are in a situation where it will only get worse with developments.”
Joe Corrall, also part of the residents association, said traffic along the road has got “noticeably worse in the past few years”. He added: “It’s rapidly reaching a point where at peak times any normal journey should expect a 20-minute or more delay just to leave or enter the estate.”
Joe said he is “continually amazed” at how often ambulances appear to get stuck on the road. He added: “When you’ve suffered an injury or are in dire medical care, the last thing you want to hear is that your ambulance is delayed.
“For such a vital service that literally saves lives, it beggars belief that it’s not top of the agenda to protect ambulance access and ensure that help gets where it’s needed fast. Rapid responders heading out to critical injuries know every minute counts.”
Advertisement
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust oversees Hinchingbrooke Hospital. As part of the hospital’s development, the trust is looking at ways to make travel to and from the site easier.
A trust spokesperson said: “As part of the redevelopment of Hinchingbrooke Hospital, we are taking the opportunity to make travel to, from and around the site easier. By improving traffic flow, particularly on Hinchingbrooke Park Road, we aim to create a more efficient and positive experience for everyone who uses our services.
“Our plans include creating a second access road onto Views Common Road, with the aim of improving flows in and out of the site and creating dedicated access for emergency vehicles. Initial feedback to these plans has been positive and we continue to work closely with local residents, parish councils, the planning authority and other local stakeholders including the Ambulance Trust.”
Cambridgeshire County Council is in charge of roads in the county. A council spokesperson said no issues have been raised about emergency services using the road.
Advertisement
However, the spokesperson added: “We’re aware of the congestion along Hinchingbrooke Park Road and understand the concerns raised. It is a busy area in peak periods due to the school and the hospital, so we carried out a study which included traffic modelling to help improve the traffic flow.
“As a result, at the end of last year, we changed the use of the lanes and the operation of the traffic lights. We also adjusted the signals at the railway station.
“We are monitoring these changes, which will help us evaluate the effectiveness of the changes over time. We are still in a period where drivers are adjusting to the new layout.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login