As 2016 draws to a close I’m very pleased to be able to report some good progress on three projects.
Firstly, the Ely bypass has been given the final go-ahead, and work is due to start on the bypass in January 2017, with the new road set to open in Spring 2018. Cambridgeshire County Council, the Department for Transport, the Local Enterprise Partnership and East Cambridgeshire District Council have been working together to fund and progress the project. Since being elected I have had multiple meetings with these bodies, including DfT Ministers, to secure investment for the bypass, and I am so glad that the project is now reaching a conclusion.
Secondly, last week, the Department for Education released its proposal for a national fairer funding formula for schools. In its latest proposal, Cambridgeshire will be receiving an increase in its funding, receiving approximately £7 million more overall, a rise of 1.8%. Having actively campaigned for this for three years, I am pleased that a fairer funding formula is in progress. Since my election as MP for South East Cambridgeshire I have taken the state secondary head teachers in my constituency three times to Westminster to meet the Secretary of State for Education, and impress on the Government the importance of improved funding for our area.
The new proposal has been assessed on a school-by-school basis, so the percentage of funding given will differ per school. The consultation is open until March 2017, and if your school is affected I urge you to give the Government any further feedback by following this link to ensure the best deal for our area: https://consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/schools-national-funding-formula2/
Thirdly and finally, my Cambridgeshire colleagues in Parliament and I are working together in our efforts to maintain walk-in services at Minor Injuries Units across the County, including the MIU at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Ely. In recent weeks I have had meetings with the local NHS and others, and impressed upon them the importance of keeping services local. I will continue to press for our services to be retained.
I am continuing to work on a variety of other projects as well and I will update you as they progress.
I do wish you all the very best for Christmas and I hope you have a wonderful New Year!
Best wishes,
Lucy
Lucy Frazer MP