Home   News   Article Two teenagers from Chatteris have been arrested and bailed along with two others after a serious assault on a boy in Papworth Everard on Saturday A 999 call was made to police just before 10pm reporting a 16-year-old boy had been stabbed in the face at the playing fields The boy was taken to hospital with serious and possibly life-changing injuries Four people were taken into custody at Parkside Police Station in Cambridge – a 17-year-old boy from Huntingdonshire a 17-year-old boy from Saffron Waldon in Essex Detective Inspector Lindsay Harbour said: “I understand the concern from the local community following this incident I hope it provides some reassurance that we have made four arrests “Officers are in the area carrying out enquiries I would urge anyone who has not yet spoken with us to make contact as soon as possible.” Anyone with information should contact police online via the reporting forms or webchat and quote 35/31987/25 Those without internet access should call 101 Conservative candidate Paul Bristow was elected mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough on Friday (2 May) The former Peterborough MP won the election with 60,243 votes Labour’s Anna Smith was unable to succeed her party colleague Dr Nik Johnson Liberal Democrat Lorna Dupré was just behind Here’s what the candidates had to say after the election result was announced at the Ross Peers Sports Centre in Soham The newly-elected mayor began his winner’s speech by thanking his team and his wife He went on: “It’s a shame that on this good day we’ve seen so many committed Conservative councillors lose their seats but I think we can turn around and say that we’re getting Cambridgeshire and Peterborough moving.” Mr Bristow was critical of Labour’s campaign which focused on the fact that he owns a house in St Albans “It seemed perhaps one of the most vindictive wicked and personal elections we’ve seen in Cambridgeshire by the Labour Party He thanked outgoing mayor Dr Nik Johnson for his service Dr Johnson decided not to stand again for health reasons Mr Bristow reassured his voters that he will deliver on all his pledges and signed off his speech saying: “There is lots to do and we start that work straight away I’m going to kiss my wife and have a drink.” Read our interview with Mr Bristow here Reform UK candidate Ryan Coogan congratulated Mr Bristow on his win He beat us fair and square in this election we are the official opposition to the mayoral candidacy here in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and we will certainly be holding the manifesto to account.” Mr Coogan thanked everyone involved in his campaign and said it was an “absolute pleasure” to take part we have seen a phoenix rising and we will be here to hold all of the various Parliamentary big guns to account in the coming years also congratulated Mr Bristow on his victory as well as all the other candidates for putting themselves forward She also thanked the election teams across the county She said: “I’m proud of my record at the Combined Authority - helping to turn it around after a rocky start and delivering making my contribution to so many fantastic projects from ARU Peterborough to the Centre for Green Technology from Chatteris Museum to Cambridge bus station introducing pre-9.30 travel for concessionary passes and taking our buses back under public control.” “I would’ve liked to have seen these things through and implemented my plan for change but I will always be proud of what I have contributed.” Ms Dupre began her speech thanking her partner and team She also thanked the residents of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who voted for her she said: “You have made a large number of very expensive promises to the population of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough “We’ll be watching carefully to see how you move forward in the coming months and years.” She also addressed Reform UK candidate Ryan Coogan Ms Dupré stated that the first past the post system “no longer stands up as the representative system of government” Dr Johnson was elected at the last election in 2021 using a supplementary vote system which meant that voters expressed a first and second choice When the leading candidate did not get 50 per cent from first choice votes the lowest candidate was eliminated and second choice votes were counted That proved enough for Dr Johnson to oust the favourite Ms Dupré said that the Labour governments needs to “think again about electoral reform and a fair voting system” She signed off her speech saying: “Mr Bristow Green party candidate Bob Ensch was not present for the speeches A 33-year-old accused of committing several outbuilding burglaries and stealing thousands of pounds worth of machinery will face trial appeared briefly at King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday where it was confirmed he will face trial at Norwich Crown Court Hodgkins is accused of four counts of burglary other than dwelling in Downham Market The thefts were all thought to have taken place between Friday Hodgkins is accused of taking tools and machinery worth £10,000 from one unit and chainsaws worth £1,000 from another He is also accused of stealing tools from two other units worth £311 and £188 entered no plea at his appearance at the King’s Lynn court but it was confirmed he will face trial at Norwich Crown Court on May 29 He was released on conditional bail with orders not to enter Norfolk A Fenland business has launched a new website Suttons Performance Packaging, based in Chatteris, unveiled the new site to showcase the “bespoke protective packaging products” that it manufactures where the company provides helpful information on various topics including packaging legislation improving sustainability and information on products and materials The company has been trading since 1962 and became part of Macfarlane Packaging in 2023 technology and manufacturing businesses shipping “high-value” products and equipment an updated visual appearance and improved performance on different devices we also wanted to ensure that the information on our website reflected our collaborative approach to working with our customers “We have added a considerable amount of useful content to the new site while taking great care to ensure that it remains easy for visitors to find what they need.” The company employs 45 people at its Chatteris site designing and manufacturing a range of packaging products This year is the 40th anniversary of the Chatteris Christmas Lights committee and celebrations are being planned to mark the occasion The volunteer-led organisation has chosen a child from a local school each year to switch on the lights and this year it is hoping that they will all come together for the switch-on record-keeping hasn’t been the best in the past and the committee only has the names of 11 of those who have turned on the lights and would like the others to come forward They would also love to hear from previous volunteers who have helped with the lights visitors’ stories and any old pictures so the museum can put together a wonderful display detailing the history The lights display was started in 1985 by a small group of residents who had been putting lights on the horse chestnut tree in front of the church decorations appeared on more and more buildings with lanterns criss-crossed between lampposts throughout the town centre the lights continue through the voluntary organisation which relies on grants and public donations to enable the displays to go ahead The cost to replace the current display would be more than £200,000 To get in touch email christmaslightschatteris@gmail.com Plans for 20 homes in Chatteris are up for discussion at Wednesday’s Fenland planning committee with officers recommending approval despite 13 letters of objection The application by Mr D Dalrymple of Beauville Properties Ltd wants to build the homes on land south of 116 to 120 New Road and the town council has offered no objections but suggests the properties be bungalows rather than houses An officer’s report to the meeting explains that a previous application for 20 homes had been approved The site is approximately 9.4 hectares and is neighbouring the existing Green Park development at the top of New Road near the A142 The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System board says the proposed development would impact on the town’s only GP practice As such the health organisation wants to see a donation of just over £17,000 to help with the provision of the extra medical staff that would be needed and the space required at the surgery Cambridgeshire County Council also wants financial contributions towards the cost of providing additional school places totalling £326,196 plus a further £2,950 for the town library the officers pointed out that “due to known viability constraints with the district” the full amount of infrastructure contributions cannot be secured Objectors the the plans have raised various concerns There are also worries over possible contamination of the land from previous uses Three members of the public also wrote in support of the application The officer’s report says that the number of homes applied for is considered acceptable The report concluded: “In considering the positive aspects of the scheme subject to the satisfactory completion of a S106 agreement to ensure necessary infrastructure is secured to support this development and appropriate planning conditions it is considered that the development would contribute toward the district’s housing stock where future occupiers would likely contribute toward the local economy “The scheme would not result in any significant environmental impacts In weighing the identified harm of the scheme against the identified benefits the proposal outweighs any disbenefits of this development.” parents and grandparents descended on a town park over the weekend for an Easter event Friends of Little Acre Fen Pocket Park (FLAPP) in Chatteris fun-filled sunny Saturday with a variety of races Prizes were given out to the winners as well as sweets for everyone who took part The town council gave special thanks to FLAPP member Sandie Mellors who took on the task of putting together the activities alongside her peers representatives of the guide and scout groups and community volunteers In Bloom and the town council said those people were impressed by the open space which allows all ages to appreciate the beauty of the Fens FLAPP chairman Ian Mason ended by encouraging everyone to take part in future planned activities A Chatteris woman who was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a crash at the weekend has died died in hospital last night after the blue Ford Tourneo she was driving left the road and collided with a tree near Woodwalton Yesterday, officers launched an appeal for witnesses and information after emergency services were called to Monkswood Road at about 4pm on Saturday Kim was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge with serious life-threatening injuries following the crash A 13-year-old girl who was a passenger in the car suffered minor injuries Anyone who saw what happened or has dashcam footage should report it through Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s website using reference CC-08032025-0323 Anyone without internet access should call 101 Home   Whats On   Article Among all the celebrations next week to mark a historic day there will be 40s music and an afternoon tea May 8 marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe and Chatteris Royal British Legion will be commemorating this event A short service will be held at the War Memorial at 2pm followed by an afternoon tea in Bricstan Hall at 2.30pm There will be 1940s music and a raffle to really set the afternoon with a swing Tickets for this event are £5 each and can be purchased at The Old Bakery Councillors are being asked to consider investment in the area’s leisure centres at a “significant and unprecedented scale” not previously undertaken A report drafted by officers on possible investment in the leisure centres in March includes the addition of a swimming pool at one centre and a remodel of another will go to Fenland District Council’s Cabinet meeting on Monday before then going to full council Councillors asked officers and the portfolio holder for leisure to assess the district leisure centres and develop a planned investment programme to ensure the facilities are fit for purpose for the future The report highlights the costs of potential projects across all four centres and offers the Cabinet various options to move forwards with and George Campbell centres carried out in 2021 identified a raft of work needed just to maintain their condition In total more than £10million of work was identified and so far £1million of capital work has been carried out meaning there is still £9.155million of work outstanding The report adds: “Given the value of the capital work options for the leisure centres members need to give serious consideration to the financial impact potential financial risks and overall affordability as a part of their considerations of this report the financial cost of each potential option is emphasised whilst noting the community benefit that any enhancement would bring.” which are likely to see the abolishment of Fenland Council in 2028 also has to be considered when members look at the projects suggested The council currently has budgeted £2.160million for the essential works and that included the recently completed energy efficiency work an additional circa £7million of condition survey work is required just to keep the centres in good working order in the next five years before any additional investment in improved facilities is considered.” A recent survey carried out at the much newer Chatteris centre identified a further £50,000 of work The report continues: “The financial investment outlined in the report for leisure is significant and unprecedented and at a scale not undertaken previously Members need to consider any investment in leisure centres alongside any other potential aspirations for other Fenland Inspire projects given the large scale financial investment required.” Recommendations in the report includes approving moving forward with the significant refurbishment project at the Manor Leisure Centre The option being put forward is to demolish the existing sports hall building which needs a new roof at a cost of at least £500,000 with the facilities then being added to the swimming pool building A completely new leisure centre has been ruled out because of the £25million price tag Cabinet are being asked to approve the necessary preliminary plan of works stages up to stage 4 which will cost £626,463 Once that is complete Cabinet will decide to either recommend to full council to proceed with a new sports all at an estimated cost of £13.49million or to halt the project The recommendation for Chatteris is to approve the £50,000 for the necessary repairs and then to consider “carefully” the Chatteris swimming pool project – and to approve the spending of £164,482 on the first few stages of the works programme plan – which will look at the viability and costings The report says: “A swimming pool will fit on the footprint of the land adjacent to the current leisure centre The land is in the ownership of Cambridgeshire County Council and the current Chatteris Leisure Centre lease would need adjusting to reflect the additional land required and what it is to be used for This work will need to be undertaken initially alongside consultation with Cromwell School to avoid any abortive works in the case of a lease being refused.” The swimming pool proposed would be a 25m x 4 lane deck level pool with a swimming customer only changing village It would be suitable for all manner of swimming from baby sessions all the way through to competitive club swimming The report points out: “There are considerable upfront costs to develop both these proposals prior to any construction work commencing therefore before commissioning works to develop these proposals members need to have a high level of certainty that they are committed to delivering these projects to the final stages of completion and opening to the public otherwise there will be sunk cost.” Funding for many of the projects will come through borrowing – the costs of which would be partially off-set by income from the leisure centres At the George Campbell the recommendation is for Cabinet to agree to fund a number of short-term projects at a cost of £390,000 There is also a suggestion on spending around £2million on further improvements these include remodelling the reception and the two old swimming pool changing rooms into a cafe space an advanced spin studio and increasing the space of studio one to make it more flexible The recommendations for the Hudson are for both short term and medium term improvements Spending already identified includes £450,000 on Padel courts (indoor smaller tennis courts) plus a further £2million on condition survey work It also recommends that officers and the portfolio holder look at further refurbishment options for the centre While the Hudson in Wisbech the suggestion is to add three external covered Padel tennis courts at a cost of £450,000 adapt a multi-function space that is currently used for spinning into an assisted fitness and older persons health and wellbeing space and to make use of unused space in the gym for activity rooms for boxfit In the medium term the Cabinet is being asked to consider the addition of a kitchen space to generate additional income from soft play parties remodel the sports hall and possible soft play improvements and to consider further uses for the sports hall linked with a new cafe Cabinet is also told “to note that agreement to pursue any of the projects above is subject to full council approval of the budget on February 24 2025” The report points out: “Members may wish to agree to all noting that the condition survey works are essential to the operational integrity of the centres and cannot be easily avoided if members wish the centres to remain open these condition works will be superseded by new capital investment if selected by members e.g the Manor Sports Hall roof will not be replaced if a new single refurbished site is selected as an option.” Once again Chatteris is one of the top spots for Christmas lights in the area following the town’s annual switch-on event on Saturday Organisers were delighted with the huge crowds who filled the streets to watch local school pupils flick the switch to light up the town for the festive period As the crowds of visitors enjoyed the fun fair rides volunteers were busily walking around with collection buckets Each year it costs over £20,000 for the lights to happen more than half of this amount comes from donations so every penny given on the night really does count There is also a JustGiving page where people can make a contribution to ensure the town continues to shine bright each Christmas Father Christmas was in his grotto at the town’s museum where he happily chatted to youngsters eager to make their Christmas wishes There was also a Christmas fair at the Salvation Army with lots of stalls for people to browse while there were carols played by the brass band near the parish church The church also hosted other musical entertainment as well as the annual Christmas tree festival Home   Sport   Article Chatteris Town Reserves lifted the North Cambs Junior Cup on Thursday night after a dominant display saw them win the final 4-0 against Manea United The Lilies led 2-0 at half-time at March Town’s GER ground after a Charlie Munns penalty and an effort from Sam Bond with Callum Cooper and man of the match Harry Powley netting after the break After the Cambs County League 1B outfit had triumphed over their 2B opposition manager Adam Whiting told The Citizen: “We have put in some really good performances recently and won some big games to put ourselves in the position to be in a cup final it was a closely contested game for the initial 15 minutes we dominated Manea in every area of the pitch “We were solid at the back and caused them chaos at the other end of the pitch who ran at them all game and gave their defence a headache “It was just one of those days where all the lads turned up for the big occasion and deservedly lifted the trophy at the end of the night.” won 4-1 at home to Outwell Swifts and 3-1 at home to Wisbech St Mary Reserves A clutch of charities have been given a financial boost thanks to an organisation that has its roots going as far back as the 16th century The Court Leet is a Chatteris charity that raises money through revenue from land it rents and then uses the cash for the general benefit of the town and Court Leets were mentioned in the Doomsday Book and were made up of 24 jurors This year the Chatteris Court Leet received a record number of applications – mainly thanks to spreading the word about the organisation and the work it does on social media who became the charity’s first woman chairperson in 2022 staged a small presentation outside the town council chambers in Church Lane to present the chosen recipients with their cheques Hayley said: “We are pleased to have supported Chatteris Town Football Club Friends of Little Acre Fen Pocket Park and Peter Pan Preschool and are delighted to have helped them to purchase much needed equipment to help the residents of Chatteris It is wonderful to have received so many requests The Chatteris Court Leet meets annually to award donations to clubs/charities/organisations that are open to all Chatteris residents to purchase equipment to assist their good works and a message will be posted on Facebook in January Police are appealing for witnesses and information after a Fenland woman suffered serious injuries in a collision near Woodwalton Emergency services were called to Monkswood Road at about 4pm on Saturday after a blue Ford Tourneo left the road and collided with a tree A developer is threatening legal action against a town councillor over comments made in posts on the social media platform Facebook Lee Bevens attended Chatteris Town Council last night to raise his concerns about Cllr Ken Perrin and remarks made in respect of developments that architect Mr Bevens has planned in the town speaking at the open public forum part of the meeting told councillors that he was fed up with the accusations He said he had never been accused of lying before but said that was exactly what Cllr Perrin had done on Facebook Mr Bevens said Mr Perrin had also accused him of misleading the council when he made a presentation at a meeting in the summer – again the comment was made on Facebook He said Cllr Perrin was already pre-determined when it came to planning applications and said he did not want him voting on any of his plans in the future who had also said he was a victim of Cllr Perrin’s Facebook posts Both men questioned what they could do about the situation with mayor Cllr Anne Hay suggesting they take the matter to the monitoring officer at Fenland District Council who was responsible for ensuring councillors follow the code of conduct She said: “I want to make it clear that the views expressed by Ken Perrin are not the views of this council We have spoken to him about his posts on social media also raised concerns about Cllr Perrin’s behaviour and said he had read posts about the town council “bullying him” Cllr Marks said Cllr Perrin had a “blatant disregard” for how he should conduct himself and suggested that the monitoring officer might be the way forward Town councillor Alan Gowler said he had tried hard to work with Cllr Perrin but he had not been interested Cllr Gower also said Cllr Perrin had posted on Facebook claiming that the town council had banned him from being on the council’s planning committee Cllr Gowler said it had simply been suggested that because he was so obviously pre-determined on all applications he should not vote because it would be breaching code of conduct rules Cllr Hay said that Cllr Perrin was able to vote on planning applications at full council meetings and that he had never been prevented from doing so Mr Bevens and Mr Howard said they had come to the meeting for advice and they would be taking the matter to the monitoring officer as suggested Mr Bevens said: “We wanted to do it the right way.” But while the debate was raging in the council chamber in Church Lane but was instead busy resigning as both a town councillor and as a member of the British Democrats Party He posted to Facebook to say: “Nothing to do with anything else other than my party being reluctant to shake off their associations from the past I have never been linked to or a member of any repugnant and vile organisation but certain party members would not let them go I believe in contesting through the ballot box and it is enough fighting the opposition - let alone fighting the past members' associations “It has been a great privilege in serving and knowing you and would like to take this opportunity in thanking you for your support and - to some of you He also sent a brief email to town clerk Mrs Melton to say he had resigned “as of now”.