We are aware of a petition to 'Save Histon Road Playground' and have received a number of media enquiries about the concerns raised in the petition The petition relates to proposed development by Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP) an equal partnership between the council and housebuilder Hill including 42 private sale homes and 28 council homes This is part of the council’s programme of work across Cambridge to improve accommodation standards for people living in existing council homes; to build additional council homes to meet local needs; and to address wider housing supply issues one new access from the development into the recreation ground was approved as illustrated below This includes the reconfiguration of the metal railing around the play area but does not remove any of the recreation ground itself said: “I do understand that change can be challenging which I believe it will be in this instance “The Rec will be improved overall in terms of biodiversity and no recreation space or play equipment will be lost – in fact S106 funding resulting from the new development will ensure improvements including accessibility into the Rec and play areas and ongoing maintenance of the facilities on the Rec for years to come benefitting existing residents and new residents alike “If we didn’t include an access point for new residents we wouldn’t be doing our duty to help them access open space and facilities that will support their wellbeing And we have been working with existing residents throughout adapting our plans to find solutions that we think will work for everyone and we are grateful for their input to get to this point.” None of the open recreation space or play equipment will be lost from the Rec The reconfiguration of the metal railing to enable access from the new development will make way for the new access point but will divert around trees to limit impact biodiversity and the quality of play equipment will in fact be improved due to financial contributions from the developer The council has been listening to local people and adapting the plans as the project has developed: Enabling easy access to the Rec for residents in the new homes doesn’t ‘set a dangerous precedent’: there is an urgent need for new homes in Cambridge including market homes and council homes (as are planned for at this development) and people living in new homes just as people living in existing homes need access to open spaces The requirement for ‘Biodiversity Net Gain’ relates to the quality of natural spaces Planning guidelines determine that BNG can be achieved either on the site of a development or elsewhere The quality of the biodiversity will be calculated in advance of any development The commitment to Biodiversity Net Gain on Histon Road Rec will mean that both existing residents and new residents will benefit as a result of the new development The results of the elections that took place on Thursday 1 May will be announced on Friday 2 May The outdoor pool is open from 7am to 7pm every day through the summer months Histon Football Club (FC) have has raised an incredible £1,104.94 to support people via Arthur Rank Hospice Charity with an ongoing partnership with the Charity Thanks to the generosity of one of Histon FC’s existing sponsors advertising space has been funded on the roof of the dugouts along with matchday sponsorships for both the current and 2025/26 seasons Arthur Rank Hospice Charity joined Histon FC for their home fixture against G.N.G The Charity’s staff and volunteers were warmly welcomed with complimentary match tickets and there was a great atmosphere with 198 attendees on the day Guests included family members of a patient who had received care from the Charity a special pitch-side photo opportunity with the team and were invited to watch the match from the Board Room This lovely touch from Histon FC made the day even more memorable more the family with mascots Arthur Bear and Histon Hound making appearances and even taking part in a penalty shootout against the youth team at half-time as Histon FC secured a fantastic 3–1 victory a variety of delicious cakes were sold on the day and additional donations were collected at the gates – all contributing to the fundraising total the Charity were also present at the County Cup Finals double header The first match was the Sunday Challenge Cup Final between Coton Men’s Senior Sunday vs The second match was the Veterans Cup Final between Outwell Swifts Vets vs and our handmade Easter chicks to attendees while raising awareness of the Charity’s work supporting people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end of life care These are just a few examples of how the money raised will help make every moment count for our patients and their loved ones We are absolutely delighted to be partnered with Histon FC Everyone at the club have been so welcoming and generous and we are already looking forward to next season You can still support Histon FC’s fundraiser by visiting: https://lnkd.in/eJA3fi_q and their incredible supporters for helping Arthur Rank Hospice Charity make every moment count for more than 3,800 patients and their families each year For more information or to get involved in any form of Corporate Fundraising at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, please contact the Corporate Partnerships Team at partnerships@arhc.org.uk we would love to hear from you Cambridge Network Limited is a company registered in England under company No Website by KISS Home   What's On   Article Histon Road Recreation Ground in Cambridge was transformed into a hub of excitement on Saturday (19 April) as families gathered for a festive Easter egg hunt accompanied by over 100 parents and grandparents and other family members eagerly searched every corner of the children’s playgrounds and wooded area for 60 hidden eggs at the event organised by the Friends of Histon Road Recreation Ground (FoHRR) a volunteer community group dedicated to enhancing park access and community wellbeing designed the egg hunt to strengthen neighbourhood bonds and encourage residents to actively engage with their local recreational spaces A member of the committee said: “Our mission is to work with the city council to encourage participation and provide opportunities for people to be actively involved “We encourage our members to engage with the ongoing care and maintenance of this unique space Today’s children will be the legacy we are encouraging but a vital space for the encouragement and development of the wider biodiversity already existing in the recreation ground and park “Events like this help transform public spaces into hubs of community interaction.” The Easter celebration was supported through waiving some event charges from the city council and the Cambridge Investment Partnership which funded the cost of Easter egg prizes for every child FOHRR continues to develop programming aimed at bringing residents together and enhancing quality of life in the area A summer ‘Picnic in the Park’is planned for August. For more on upcoming events, or to get involved, visit fohrr.org.uk The Ladybird Pre-school has been running from the church and charity on Impington Lane for some time but The Salvation Army is now responsible for its day-to-day management Majors Rob and Georgina Symons arrived at Histon Salvation Army in 2018 and said as soon as they arrived they were struck by the school’s investment in children and families Rob said he believed The Salvation Army and the pre-school were a perfect fit He said: “Our mission is to support communities in meaningful and practical ways and early years education is such a crucial foundation for a child’s development We look forward to building on its existing strengths and ensuring it continues to thrive The pre-school already had an extremely good reputation.” Georgina has been on the pre-school management committee for a number of years and said the move was an obvious and natural transition She added: “It feels like a God-given gift to our church It’s a joy being able to spend time in the setting There is a need for early years settings in our area and this is a great opportunity to invest in our community and for the preschool to be part of something bigger where there is holistic support available for the family.”  The school currently has 24 children and opens for three days a week Plans are already underway to extend this to four days later in the year Claire Butcher has been joint leader of the pre-school for a number of years and said she is excited what the future holds She said: “We have people on our waiting list and are fortunate that our numbers are really consistent we can really get to know children and families Those who need practical support are made aware of how The Salvation Army can help from a community perspective There is a crossover between The Salvation Army and the pre-school.” for one morning a week and Claire said she is thrilled children have so many positive opportunities to learn and play.  She said: “We are excited about this new chapter and are dedicated to maintaining and enhancing these facilities which parents and carers have come to trust Our setting allows us to get to know families really well and we look forward to working hand in hand with them to make a lasting impact on young lives.” For more information on The Ladybird Pre-school or to get on the waiting list call 07786 752949 or email Sarah.Stonham@salvationarmy.org.uk Help us to continue to be there for people in their hour of need Copyright © The Salvation Army 2025 The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity in England (214779) Scotland (SC009359) and the Republic of Ireland (CHY6399) The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters Home   Sport   Article While their campaign may have ended with just one victory from 11 league outings, boss Chris Nunn is confident that his Histon side are ready to ‘kick on’ next season For a while the 12th-placed Stutes were on the fringes of the United Counties League Premier Division South play-offs but once their form tailed off Nunn opted to give some of the club’s youngsters a first taste of senior football with a view to them potentially stepping up on a more regular basis in 2025/26 And having also now made the necessary changes on and off the pitch since Nunn’s appointment in October 2023 “We started the season slowly for eight games or so while we were still tidying the squad up but then when you look at the next 16 games “We then dropped a few points around February and March and that’s when we decided to give a lot of young lads a chance and they did very well Some of them will be involved again next year there’s been a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes and we all feel the club is now in the strongest position that it has been in for a while “Only the top two sides have done the double over this season and that shows how competitive we already are but now we need to bridge that gap and that’s the target “I feel the play-offs is the minimum we should be looking at I came here to help the club get promotion and that’s what we’re looking to achieve “We’ll learn from our mistakes this season but now everything is ready for us to kick on next year.” The dust may have barely settled on the 2024/25 season yet Nunn is already busy plotting his summer recruitment He is not expecting to have to make wholesale alterations particularly with a group of ‘talented youngsters’ at his disposal he believes that a sprinkling of ‘game changers’ are required to move Histon into the higher echelons of the division “We’ve got a very good squad with a group of talented youngsters but we probably do lack a bit of experience in key areas,” he added “We need four or maybe five of what you would call game changers but it won’t be something like 10 or 11 new players coming in “Players obviously leave – that’s non-league football – but the sense I’ve got from the squad is that a lot of them want to stay “They can see what we’re trying to do at the club and what we’re building towards “Even though we finished lower than what we wanted the fact we were in the play-off picture for a good few weeks gives me confidence we aren’t far away “We’ve built some solid foundations and now we just need to take the next step.” As well as bringing in new players over the coming weeks Nunn will also be working to bolster his coaching team following the departures of Jordan Williams and Matt Vernon Histon signed off for the term with back-to-back defeats over the Easter weekend On Saturday Nunn’s side went down 2-0 at Northampton ON Chenecks before losing 3-1 at home to already-relegated Godmanchester Rovers 48 hours later Former Histon frontman Dan Brown put visiting Godmanchester in front at Bridge Road before the hosts equalised via defender Karl Saffery’s strike from distance Reece Page restored the away team’s lead before the break and they made sure of the outcome after the restart through attacker Declan Rogers who was playing his final game before retirement Home   News   Article Permission has been granted to turn an office block near Cambridge into a new place of worship The Redeemed Christian Church of God City of David Parish in Cambridge (RCCG) told South Cambridgeshire District Council that it needed to move as it had been given a notice to vacate its current site at The Paddocks employment area in Cherry Hinton Road The church sought permission to convert an office block in Trust Court Some parts of the building will still be used as office space while other areas will be used for worship services and group meetings multicultural church” and added: “Due to plans to redevelop The Paddocks into a research and development facility the church has been given notice to vacate the building by March 2025 two and three Trust Court are ideal for the church with ancillary offices as well as serviced offices to rent out.” The church office will be open from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Monday to Friday and a timetable of events is planned including Sunday services from 11am to 1.30pm a mother and baby group and choir practice – during the rest of the week The church would like to offer a foodbank service on Tuesdays The council granted planning permission for the change of use but advised that a management plan should be put together and regularly reviewed to reduce noise impacts after concerns were raised by environmental health officers about sound from the choir practice or services The report said: “This could include keeping windows and external doors closed during these activities use of acoustic equipment rather than amplification amending times when these activities take place so as to have less impact noise attenuation schemes and a complaints procedure (if complaints are received).” The Liberal Democrats have held the South Cambridgeshire District Council seat vacated by Pippa Heylings following her election as MP Newly-elected James Rixon said he was “very pleased” to have won the Histon and Impington by-election and hoped to “carry on with the hard work” being done for the area Cllr Rixon beat the other four candidates in the election on Thursday (24 October) with the Green Party’s Kathryn Fisher in third with 420 votes and Conservative Clive Pelbrough-Power below the wider district council election turnout from 2022 when 42.46 per cent of eligible voters in the ward cast a vote The by-election was called after Pippa Heylings, who had represented the ward, resigned following her election as the new MP for South Cambridgeshire in the July General Election The Liberal Democrat leader of the district council said it had been an “honour” to work with Ms Heylings in her six years as a councillor said of his win: “I’m just proud of the support and the team I have been a part of to get here.” He decided to stand as a candidate following support by local councillors surrounding a flooding issue He said: “I was just initially very impressed with the support I was given on the issues I had with my home and dealing with the council From the support I was given by our local councillors at the district council and county council I felt that was something I could contribute to.” Cllr Rixon noted that he had “got a lot of learning to do quite quickly” as a new councillor but was confident he would pick it up with the support of the Liberal Democrat team The council has 35 Liberal Democrat councillors nine Conservative councillors and one independent councillor A Histon man who assaulted and then raped a woman in an “horrific” attack has been jailed for 12 years attacked the woman at a property in Peterborough in the early hours of 21 January before pressing his thumbs into her eyes in what the victim described as an effort to gouge them out before she was eventually able to escape and use a neighbour’s mobile phone to get help Brown stole the woman’s phone and fled but was arrested at Peterborough railway station later in the day He was found guilty on all counts following a trial at Peterborough Crown Court last month On Friday (13 September) at the same court with a further three years to be served on licence He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life Det Con Helen Williams said: “Brown subjected the victim in this case to an horrific and sustained attack I’m pleased he has appeared in court and been jailed for this awful crime “I’d like to commend the victim for the bravery she has shown throughout the investigation and trial I hope the conclusion of the court process will help as she begins to rebuild her life “We continue to do all we can to support victims of sexual offences and bring perpetrators before the courts.” The road to Wembley slammed shut for Histon after today’s 2-0 defeat at Great Yarmouth Town in the FA Vase The Stutes made the trip to the Norfolk coast having beaten their hosts 4-3 in the same competition last season hosting Yarmouth gained their revenge in front of a crowd of more than 250 at The Wellesley to book their place in Monday afternoon’s second round draw Histon fell behind in the 18th minute when goalkeeper George Whitehall palmed the ball out only for the home side’s Ryan Jacobs to turn in the rebound And Yarmouth doubled their advantage early in the second half courtesy of Jesse Fenn After losing for a third time from their last four outings in all competitions Chris Nunn’s Histon will aim to return to winning ways on Tuesday (22 October) when they play host to Eynesbury Rovers in the United Counties League Premier Division South Both sides are locked on 16 points for the season with 11th-placed Histon one position better off by virtue of their superior goal difference the challenge for Histon is to follow suit again this season Captain Ben Leach went into the previous Onyx League Division One campaign expecting that his side would be battling towards the bottom end of the table 12 victories from 22 outings saw Histon finish the campaign in an unexpected second place I thought we’d be in the lower half of the table,” said Leach “To be fighting with four or five games to go to actually win the division “We had Henry Wilson and Ed Hyde churning out the runs John Turner had a great season with the ball “This year – as always – everyone is capable of beating everyone but we’ll aim to start well and see where it takes us.” Histon will have to make do without the services of the aforementioned Wilson who has opted to join Sawston & Babraham in the East Anglian Premier League And while Leach is disappointed to lose the youngster’s services “We always knew that Henry was destined for a higher level,” Leach said of the batsman that was sixth in last season’s run-scoring charts “We were lucky to have him last season and while we’re disappointed to lose him we want to see him go as high and as far as he can the bowling pair of Ben Kavanagh and Chetan Chauhan have both returned to the club while Seb Harrison will bolster the batting ranks The top order batsman was one of the highest scorers throughout the region last term with his Saturday form for Little Shelford alone seeing him score a total of 973 runs at an average of 88.45 Harrison has also impressed at age-group county level and in 2023 he won the Rajen Mahendra Trophy for overall Cambridgeshire Boys’ Player of the Year following a campaign in which he scored 634 runs with an average of 53.58 Leach said: “Seb is a very different player to Henry but equally as talented We’re giving him a platform and I’m sure he’ll end up playing at a higher level “I’m sure he’ll do great things for us this season.” Histon start the 2025 season at Eaton Socon on Saturday (19 April) Histon dropped further off the pace in the United Counties League Premier Division South play-off race with a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Rugby Borough on Saturday The Stutes went into the encounter at Bridge Road having won none of their previous five games in all competitions And that sequence has now stretched to six fixtures after third-placed Rugby headed back to Warwickshire with all three points in tow Rugby broke the deadlock midway through the first half when Shad Reza finished off a neat team move with a close-range finish at the back post And the away side remained a goal in front until stoppage time at the end of the contest when substitute David Kolodynski made sure of the outcome The loss has left Chris Nunn’s side sitting 11th in the Premier Division South standings with a nine-point gap to the top five Histon will seek to kickstart a much-needed upturn in form on Saturday (15 March) when they entertain fifth-placed Daventry Town October’s reverse fixture between the two sides in Northamptonshire went the way of Histon who ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Tom Binder and Pharrell Anderson Permission has been granted for 70 new homes to be built on the site of a former car dealership in Cambridge despite more than 130 formal objections against it Concerns raised include the impact of the development on children’s safety in the Histon Road Recreation Ground which was previously home to the Murketts car dealership and an unused workshop area of the ATS commercial unit will include 28 council homes and 42 market-sale properties executive councillor for housing at Cambridge City Council said there was a “pressing need” for high quality and sustainable housing The developer is Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP) which is a collaboration between Cambridge City Council and the housing builder There were 133 objections formally lodged with concerns raised including the impact on the safety of Histon Road Recreation Ground due to more people travelling through the park from the proposed new access point Originally two new access points to the recreation ground were proposed but the developer agreed to drop this to one new opening after concerns were raised It said a new eastern access path would be created and a planned central path will no longer be built a parent of young children who lives about two minutes away accused CIP of taking away a “chunk of playground” that they have “no right to do” “I would also like to emphasise the number of objections 100 plus thoughtfully written and lengthy ones is no small number,” she told the council’s planning committee on Wednesday last week this will ride roughshod over local feeling Most people accept there’s nothing wrong with building new homes on a brownfield site but what they don’t like is the typical squeezing in of a development and the fact that its lack of green space means Hill can instead offer easy access to the recreation ground as an attractive sell for new residents.” environmental and social public benefits” that the homes would create They said the proposed development did not provide the amount of onsite public open space required by council policies But they highlighted the proposed link to the recreation ground and the proposed financial contribution of over £77,000 for improvements to Histon Road Recreation Ground The gas-free development will feature a mixture of two three and four bedroom terraced and semi-detached homes The design aims to reduce carbon emissions Secure cycle storage and good pedestrian links promote sustainable travel and transport with key facilities within walking distance added: “Throughout the pre-planning process we engaged with the local community by hosting several consultation events we continued to work closely with planning officers and community members to incorporate their feedback and address any concerns we made several changes to enhance the overall design and functionality of the development This careful consideration of public feedback underscores our commitment to creating a high-quality sustainable development that fosters community interaction while meeting the needs and expectations of local residents.” A parent has threatened she will “do a Swampy” and chain herself to railings on a children’s playground if plans that she says will reduce space in a recreation ground go ahead Mum-of-one Katyuli Lloyd is leading a campaign to prevent a new entrance being made into Histon Road Recreation Ground from a planned housing development which does not have its own large green space chair of the Save Histon Road Playground Steering Group the new entrance would require around 700 square metres of the park’s space although Cambridge City Council puts the figure at 650 square metres She is also concerned that this sets a precedent for developers to piggyback on existing park space rather than provide their own She has also set up a petition against the park changes which has attracted almost 1,200 signatures Ms Lloyd said: "We are unhappy with the loss of 700 sq m of playground space due to reconfiguration of the railings to create an entrance to Histon Road rec from the new housing development.” “The development does not allocate its own (large) green space so in order for it to receive planning approval they propose to ‘borrow’ biodiversity net gain and the amenity park land of Histon Road Recreation Ground adjacent to it This entails creating a new access point leading directly into the playground and reconfiguring the current railings.” we will just start doing a Swampy and chain ourselves to the railings I have four people who have told me that they will stand in the way of any bulldozers or chain themselves to fences.” Swampy was an environmental activist in the 1990s who became famous after taking direct action against expansion of the A30 in Fairmile Permission was granted in September last year for 70 new homes to be built on the site of the former Murketts car dealership despite more than 130 formal objections against it which is a collaboration between Cambridge City Council and the housebuilder The development will include 28 council homes and 42 market-sale properties Plans for the housing development have not yet been finalised as the S106 developer money that CIP must provide for the community has not yet been agreed Ms Lloyd hopes this delay could still give the campaign time to prevent the changes to the recreation ground Her petition says: “A rough triangle of land will be annexed off and will no longer be accessible to the local children This is in spite of the land being originally bought as a children's recreation space being under covenant and one of Cambridgeshire's protected green spaces “The local community has already fought long and hard and our efforts have been rewarded: two of the proposed three access points have been stopped one still remains; and this not only takes land away from our children but allows CIP to get away without having to contribute their own green space or biodiversity in the area.” A Cambridge City Council spokesperson said: “None of the open recreation space or play equipment will be lost from the Rec The reconfiguration of the metal railing will make way for the new access point but will divert around trees to limit impact biodiversity and the quality of play equipment are in fact going to be improved due to financial contributions from the developer We have been listening to local people and adapting our plans as the project has developed a meeting was held with residents in April 2024 and following feedback from that meeting the designs were amended from two access points to one from the new homes In November 2024 we further consulted with residents on the enhancements to the Rec on accessibility “Enabling easy access to the Rec for residents in the new homes doesn’t ‘set a dangerous precedent’ There is an urgent need for new homes in Cambridge The council spokesperson added that 650 metres would be affected and that the development would have “an open space in the centre and landscaped areas” They said the entrance won’t lead directly onto the children’s playground area of the rec and add that the land used will still be accessible “it will just be outside of the enclosed play area which was a key requirement raised at the public consultation and will also benefit from a new path and improved lighting.” The council added that bulldozers will not be used to remove the railings create the new entrance to the rec from the housing development Histon halted their eight-game winless run in all competitions with a 3-1 home victory at the expense of G.N.G Oadby Town yesterday afternoon It has been a tough period for Chris Nunn’s side who have seen their hopes of reaching the United Counties League Premier Division South play-offs evaporate they returned to winning ways against their relegation-threatened visitors at Bridge Road to move up to 10th in the table Captain Max York got the ball rolling for Histon inside the opening five minutes of the contest when he powered in a header Taylor Franklin’s solo effort doubled the home side’s advantage in the 32nd minute but the deficit was duly halved six minutes later courtesy of Suleiman Nassor who scored with Oadby’s first effort on target the outcome was eventually made safe in the 73rd minute when Joe Sutton converted from the penalty spot after Pharrell Anderson had been upended inside the box Histon will seek to put back-to-back victories on the board next Saturday away at second-placed Aylestone Park Plans to build 15 flats on top of a row of shops and a library have been narrowly voted down after concerns it would “exacerbate” parking problems A developer argued there was a ‘clear need’ for the new homes in Histon but faced opposition from some in the village Developer Camel Projects (Histon) Ltd proposed that six of the 15 flats above the single-storey row in School Hill would be made available as affordable housing South Cambridgeshire district councillors were told that the commercial units had recently been refurbished under a planning application approved back in 2019 The application included proposals to redevelop the neighbouring Tesco supermarket to extend the size of the building and create nine flats on top of it But planning officers said this work has not been undertaken and explained that if the latest development for the 15 flats extension was approved the previous plans for nine flats could not go ahead without changes Officers told the planning committee the amount of car parking proposed in the redevelopment was an “underprovision” compared to council policy requirements But they considered one allocated parking space per flat and 18 spaces for people using the shops to be “sufficient in this instance” arguing the redevelopment would “exacerbate” parking issues with drivers pushed to park on surrounding streets Les Blackman told councillors the plans “represent urban overdevelopment in a rural conservation village” said there was a car parking management plan and that the “scheme seeks to provide much safer parking” He also said there would be a “significant increase” in cycle parking provision The one and two-bedroom flats would meet a “clear identified need” in the area with the “significant public benefit” of six affordable homes Cllr Bill Handley was “troubled by the parking issue” We have not heard anything about mitigation.” Cllr Dr Richard Williams noted that the site was already short on car parking and said approving the proposals would make it an “extreme underprovision” He questioned if the committee could place any weight on the transport assessment provided by the developer as this included the seven parking spaces on the road in its calculations and therefore out of the developer’s control Planning officers said under their own assessment they considered there would be enough parking Cllr Anna Bradnam was “mindful” that if they did not approve the latest application the previous proposals for the supermarket redevelopment could still go ahead and felt those plans “present a more unattractive option for the village as a whole and this part of the village” she shared concerns about the proposed parking Cllr Peter Fane said the six affordable homes were a “significant factor” but was conscious the plans could lead to more cars parking in nearby residential streets Five councillors voted to refuse the plans while four voted to approve them and one councillor abstained Sam Roach has announced his departure from Histon with immediate effect The long-serving goalkeeper made 260 appearances for the Stutes and he was between the posts for yesterday’s 2-0 home victory over Newport Pagnell Town in the GCS Hire Fleet United Counties Football League Premier Division South less than 24 hours on from that win at Bridge Road Roach has confirmed that it was his last outing for the club He wrote on the social networking site X: “This is not what I thought I’d be writing but as of today my time at Histon FC has come to an end after 260 competitive games “I would like to thank all my team-mates past and present and wish you all the best of luck for the rest of the season “To the Histon supporters – you’ve all been amazing and thank you for your continued support “I am now looking for another club to carry on my career with.” Histon boss Chris Nunn replied: “Good luck Sam Someone will be getting a great lad and a great keeper.” On the eve of the new season’s opening day, Histon boss Chris Nunn has made a late addition to his squad Pharrell Anderson is the new arrival at Bridge Road – a young attacker who ended the previous campaign at Cambridge City The 20-year-old made a total of 10 appearances for the Lilywhites one of which came in the Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup final victory over Wisbech Town Prior to joining City towards the back end of 2023/24 Anderson scored two goals from 23 outings for AFC Rushden & Diamonds – the club where he first worked under Nunn’s management with Anderson set to go straight into the squad for tomorrow’s GCE Hire Fleet United Counties Football League Premier Division South opener at home against Northampton Sileby Rangers Nunn wrote on the social networking site X: “Delighted to bring Pharrell in He is only 20 and will get better for sure Having worked with him previously we know what he can offer The lad needs to hit a reset button and we are here to help him.” Imagine that one week you’re playing football for Histon FC against the likes of Clacton and Newmarket Town (no disrespect to either of them) and the next you’re facing the mighty Manchester United Well that’s exactly what happened to Milton resident Duncan Confrey when Manchester United came to town 35 years ago – on 19 May suddenly found himself marking one of the world’s top strikers who had recently returned to the UK from FC Barcelona: Welsh international Mark Hughes But how did this unlikely match-up against one of the richest and most widely-supported clubs in the world come about and played in a testimonial game for Man U,” explains Duncan whose brother Fraser Confrey has been the club secretary of Milton FC since 1986 and is known locally as ‘Mr Football’ “And Alex Ferguson liked what he saw and signed him up – and as part of the deal managed to get £30,000 for Giules and also persuaded them to bring the full first team down to Cambridge to play a friendly Duncan – who describes himself as an “old-fashioned uncultured centre back” who would “go through everything” – started off playing in the Histon reserves but quickly made it into the first team set-up He recalls that the match against Man United was played at the Cambridge United ground “because I think in the end there was about 6,500 people who came out on the Friday night to watch it which was something else – a new experience “I’d played a few games for the first team maybe 200 people – and to walk out in front of 6,500… and you can hear them shout your name – you know exactly who it is but when you look up and there’s a sea of faces The Manchester United squad that day included such luminaries as Jim Leighton Alex Ferguson – who had yet to be knighted – fielded a strong team that day the final score was still a very respectable 3-1 to Manchester United Though he was extremely passionate about football and 100 per cent dedicated to playing the game Duncan admits that he didn’t always ‘keep tabs’ on all the big names in the top flight meaning that he had never heard of the player he was assigned to mark “[Histon team-mate] Gary Haylock said to me ‘That’s who you’ll be marking then Dunc’ and I said ‘Who’s that?’ He said ‘Mark Hughes’ and Mark Hughes was about the best-known centre forward in world football at the time “He’d just not that long before been signed to Man U back from Barcelona “And then I recognised him because I’d seen him on Match of the Day or whatever “I looked at him and one of his thighs was two of mine – he was known for his thunder thighs but luckily enough because I didn’t know him the club captain was also the centre back,” he observes I had to take the captain’s place – Chris Hutton “So I came on I think about 10 minutes into the second half “I know it sounds funny but when he said ‘Right Dunc “Just running up and down the touchline in front of that many people “Then I got on and I was marking Mark Hughes – and what a hard man to mark As you were running back to your box to defend it Duncan says he had a “fantastic game against him” preventing Hughes from getting on the scoresheet and reveals that his brief but memorable association with the highly-decorated player didn’t end on the pitch “We got back into our dressing room and we were all euphoric came out and our changing room door opened and Mark Hughes was stood there,” he remembers are you going to let Mark Hughes out your pocket so he can go for a pint?’ “And the whole room erupted and everyone was laughing But I did get a pint with him in the bar afterwards and had a word with Alex Ferguson and the rest of the players – and they must have stayed for a good hour and a half so they had the team coach and they headed back there which was the nightclub in Cambridge at the time “And that was as near to being famous as I think I’ll ever be was go to watch the game that night and then made a night of it by going out for the rest of the evening so we got a round of applause when we first went in and everyone was coming up to us for an autograph just a great night all round – and it’s still remembered to this day that’s the first question: ‘Is he still in your pocket?’” says he would have chosen to represent Scotland over England internationally if he had had the chance He went on to play for Histon for 10 years Other well-known players he came up against during that time included Alan Brazil He also won 72 caps for Wales and scored 16 goals things didn’t really work out for Giuliano Maiorana at Manchester United “He got signed just when the Class of ‘92 were just coming through,” explains Duncan “So he had Giggs and Lee Sharpe – they were his two main competitors for the left-wing spot – and he was doing well but he got a bad injury which forced him out of professional football very skilful and I’m still friends with him to this day so the two brothers played each other that night – Salvatore for Histon and Giuliano for Man United.” it’s a night that still puts a smile on Duncan’s face Reigning Thurlow Nunn East Anglian Premier League champions Sawston & Babraham have made two additions ahead of the 2025 campaign who have won three of the last four titles have dipped into Onyx League Division One to bring in youngster Henry Wilson from Histon Wilson was sixth in the Division One run-scoring charts last term with his total of 665 runs from 14 innings at the crease Wilson’s return of three centuries was also a joint high in the league while his knock of 170 in the eight-wicket victory over Southill Park was the biggest individual score of the campaign And he has been joined at Sawston & Babraham by Nikhil Gorantla The former Perse School pupil has previous East Anglian Premier League experience from a stint with Saffron Walden who played for South North Cricket Club in Northumberland last season has had previous spells with the likes of Warwickshire II it has been confirmed that all-rounder Callum Guest has replaced Dan Heath as the new first-team captain who stepped down at the end of last season following six years in the position has since been appointed skipper of the Rams’ second team for 2025 while Dom Cameron will captain the fourth side The 24th Histon Beer Festival is now under way the event launched on Monday (2 September) and runs until Saturday (7 September) Festival committee member Colin Myles said yesterday (Tuesday): “It’s going very well yesterday was as busy as it was on the Monday last year – and that was our record year.” Colin notes that this Saturday will be the first time that the festival will run for the whole day and that six bands will be performing throughout the day and then it had a couple of years off due to Covid For more information, visit histonbeerfestival.co.uk A man has been charged with murder following the death of a 38-year-old in Cambridge on Tuesday (17 September) Police were called by the ambulance service with reports of violence at a property in Histon Road A 38-year-old man from Cambridge was discovered at the property in a serious condition and was treated by paramedics The victim has not been formally identified A post mortem is scheduled to take place today (Thursday 19 September) at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge has been charged with murder and will appear at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court today Detective Inspector Lee Martin said: “We believe this is an isolated incident but additional patrols have been put in place since Tuesday to reassure local residents “Our thoughts are with the victim’s family – who are being supported by specially trained officers.” Histon saw their three-match winning run in the United Counties League Premier Division ended by a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Aylestone Park on Saturday While Chris Nunn’s Stutes put in a battling display at their Bridge Road base the title-chasing visitors ultimately had too much quality as they sealed a result that saw them open up a three-point lead over St Neots Town at the top of the table Park broke the deadlock with 11 minutes on the clock when Abdul Rahman Sunmonu swept the ball in at the back post from Lamar Parkes’ low cross They took that one-goal advantage into the break and duly extended it just shy of the hour mark through Billy Key who turned the ball in from close range after more creative play from Parkes they continued to battle on and they set up a nervy finish for the away side when substitute Taylor Franklin halved the deficit in the 83rd minute And Histon captain Max York had a good chance to secure a point in stoppage time but his effort was kept out by Park goalkeeper Liam Castle The loss has seen Histon drop down to ninth in the table with a five-point gap to the play-offs ahead of their trip to Newport Pagnell Town on Saturday (7 December) the Aylestone clash marked a debut for new signing Will Ronald The 17-year-old right-back has joined Histon on a work experience loan deal from EFL League One outfit Northampton Town A mortgage broker strangled his wife to death at their Histon home so he could claim her life insurance and pay off his growing debts guilty of murdering Sian Hammond at their home in Primes Corner had spiralling debts of more than £300,000 and spent months lying and creating excuses to delay payments to HMRC and a financial company The life cover was worth £450,000 - and he told one company following his wife’s death that he would be able to pay off the debt The court was told that Hammond called police at 2am after murdering Sian But today the jury returned its unanimous guilty verdict and Hammond will be sentenced on 23 July described it as an unusual case because suspicions were not raised until a coroner’s post mortem examination on 3 November which identified injuries that caused alarm A forensic post-mortem exam a week later concluded the cause of death was compression of the neck Det Insp Stott said: “The pathology played a key part in this investigation and this started to show how Mr Hammond had lied about how his wife had died “Once the investigation progressed it showed Hammond to be a competent liar and the large debts and financial pressures he was under became clear His greed and fear of losing his public standing led to him murdering his wife to benefit from her life insurance and to continue to hide his debt and lies “Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Sian; she was a loved and well-liked person and an active and successful businesswoman.” Sian’s family previously said: “Everyone that knew her would agree Sian was one of the friendliest people you could have the pleasure of meeting The court heard on the day of the murder Hammond and his wife had spent the day together shopping and using their home gym Their home CCTV showed no other person had entered or left the house that night and there was no suggestion that anyone else was involved Hammond was arrested for murder on 10 November told Cambridge Crown Court that a post-mortem examination “established Sian Hammond had been strangled and sustained other injuries” A forensic pathologist gave evidence explaining how the injuries to Sian were consistent with a struggle Then police discovered he had been putting off paying debts by making claims he had cancer and was getting a divorce The jury heard Hammond admit to being a “good liar” and that his claims had helped to delay his repayments Days before Sian was murdered, Hammond called her life insurance company and made a payment to reinstate the policy who ran a business called Hammond Mortgage Services with about £200,000 of this was owed to Legal and General and an agent who was pursuing this debt called him on October 30 “He told her his wife Sian had died that morning and even though they were divorcing she was the mother of his children,” Mr Paxton said The prosecutor said the defendant’s case was that they were happily married Mr Paxton said that Hammond spoke to the agent again on November 3 about the debt and inquired “if he was able to pay off the debt quicker as he would be having life insurance paid to him would Legal and General review the interest payments on the debt balance” “Sian Hammond had been dead barely a week and this was the defendant’s focus,” Mr Paxton said He said that Hammond “had eyes on the prize of Sian’s life insurance pay-off” Histon continue to be upwardly mobile in the United Counties League Premier Division South following yesterday’s 3-1 victory at Northampton Sileby Rangers The win – the Stutes’ third in a row – has moved them up to seventh in the table four points outside of the play-off places with at least one game in hand on the majority of sides above them On what was the club’s first ever visit to the O’Riordan Bond Stadium Histon fell behind when Ben Fitzjohn put the home side in front with the half-time whistle fast approaching Chris Nunn’s visitors went into the break having levelled up the scoreline courtesy of Luca Cardines’ equaliser Histon went in front for the first time just after the hour mark when skipper Max York smashed in a free-kick before they opened up a two-goal advantage via Tom Binder Histon’s winning streak is set to be put under thorough examination next time out on Saturday (30 November) when they play host to second-placed Aylestone Park the Park have won their last three league encounters on the bounce during which they have scored 12 goals – including a thumping 7-1 win at the expense of Newport Pagnell Town Goals from teenagers Faith Harrison and a wonder-strike from Gabriella Giussani sent Cambridge City through to the semi-finals of the Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup with a morale-boosting 2-0 win at Wimblington on Sunday Stewart Nichols’ side have saved their best for cup competitions this season and hope to build on the FA Cup run that has already seen his young team make the headlines have been handed a tough draw against Kevin Jacklin’s high-flying Histon at Bridge Road on Sunday chances were few and far between as both sides struggled to cope with the heavy pitch Harrison had the first opportunity after 111 minutes but dragged her shot wide City then had a lucky break two minutes later when goalkeeper Erica Meale’s attempted clearance hit the home team’s striker but the City stopper was able to collect the rebound At the other City captain Sakina Dhirani shot narrowly wide after a Summer Taylor free-kick and Harrison shot on goal from the edge of the area The pressure eventually told in the 40th minute when Harrison converted after good work on the right by Tye Smith and Newman Smith played a sublime cross with the outside of her foot into the path of Harrison who finished for her 10th goal of the season the second half was a much livelier affair Meale was called upon a couple of times in the first few minutes and Harrison almost got her second and after being put though by Lily-Ann Winney Anais Winney then had a shot on goal as City began to reassert their superiority The second goal duly came on 65 minutes after City had three bites of the cherry to increase the lead Anais Winney fed Harrison but the Wimblington goalkeeper came out well to block Smith hit the rebound but was it cleared on the goal-line before falling to Giussani who from 20 yards out hit a dipping drive into the far corner apart from a good save from Neale and some good defensive work by centre-back Lexie Pryke were happy to run the clock down as they looked forward to the semi-finals Manager Stewart Nichols said: “We started slowly on a very boggy pitch but once we moved the ball across the back line and made them work hard to try and win the ball back we got the upper-hand and it became an easier game “The second goal particularly was good build-up play with a perfect set up from Faith and a well-placed strike from Gabriella.” It will be a tough test in the next round against Histon.” City return to league action on Sunday (23 February) and host Needham Market Manager Chris Nunn is pleased with the progress that has been made during his year in charge of Histon Having inherited a side that was second from bottom in the United Counties Premier Division South Nunn guided the Stutes to finish in 11th position last term And while results have been inconsistent for much of the current campaign 13th-placed Histon have multiple games in hand on the majority of the teams above them Nunn said: “The one thing you’ve got to do as a club is get things aligned both on and off the pitch and after a lot of hard work I feel like the club is now ready to really push on “When we came in we were second from bottom and it was an experienced squad but we finished in mid-table and we’ve worked to bring in a younger set of players “We hope now that this group we’ve got together can be at the club for a while and really build something “I think the fans can see the work we’re doing and it’s still a work in progress “I’m not the sort of manager that is just going to go out there and sign four or five experienced players “We’ve got some young and hungry players at the club They’ve got plenty of energy and that’s the sort of football I want to be watching every week “It’s been a good year and I’m happy with the progress “There’s some real stability at the club now and we’ve got a good foundation to build on.” Nunn’s men were beaten 3-1 by Bourne Town in the League Cup at the weekend But despite bowing out of the competition a round before the quarter-finals Nunn saw plenty that he liked in the overall performance He added: “Certainly in the first half that’s some of the best football we’ve played since I’ve been at the club “We made one mistake before half-time and we were punished for it – we didn’t deserve to be behind “We lost our shape a bit after the second goal but then we got back into it and their goalkeeper has made two fantastic saves we’ve just come up against really ruthless opposition “Of course we wanted to win the game and progress to the next round but when I look at the way we played who scored Histon’s goal against Bourne at Bridge Road will miss the league trip to Easington Sports on Saturday (9 November) because of suspension Tom Binder is also banned for the encounter in Oxfordshire while forward Connor Barnes will remain absent a late check is set to be made on the fitness of attacker Pharrell Anderson Histon boss Chris Nunn has revealed that the decision to release Sam Roach was driven by a need to strengthen in other areas of the pitch The goalkeeper, who made almost 260 appearances between the posts for the Stutes, announced his shock departure from the club via social media on Sunday Roach had kept a clean sheet in Histon’s 2-0 victory over Newport Pagnell Town in the GCE Hire Fleet United Counties Football League Premier Division South But while the club is not facing any financial hardship Nunn opted to part ways with Roach to free up funds for potential new additions The boss said: “Sam was one of our top earners and like all football clubs we want to strengthen but you need to also balance the books a really good goalkeeper and I have nothing negative to say about him whatsoever It’s with a heavy heart we have to announce the departure of long standing stopper Sam Roach.259 appearances over 9 seasons, being here for the last 7 seasons in a row.A league winner, and a much liked figure. Sam will be massively missed around Bridge Road.#stute pic.twitter.com/6VkGJR8Von “It’s just as a business you have to do the right thing for the club It might come across as ruthless and harsh and it might not read too well but I’ve got to do what’s best for the club “The club isn’t in any trouble or anything along those lines but we need to generate some funds if we do end up strengthening other areas of the pitch All I can do is be honest about the situation and as I say Sam has been fantastic for the club for a long period of time.” Nunn, who is due to see his side play host to Yaxley tonight went on to confirm that he was in talks with a couple of possible signings – including George Whitehall, who arrived as Roach’s replacement last night He added: “We’re speaking to a couple of players at the moment but we also have some injuries so we need to work out where we are with them as well “The likes of Matty Allan and Pharrell Anderson are two or three weeks away from being fit and they’re very good players at this level so we need to be mindful we’ve got that quality coming back “But George has come in – he’s a very good goalkeeper and a great lad – and maybe one or two more (will come in) as well We’ve got talks going on for the areas I feel we could do with some strengthening.” Histon head to Stowmarket Town in the FA Vase on Saturday (21 September) A drink driver, who hit a moped on the A14 near Histon, has been disqualified from driving. Police were called on 30 August after Graeme Bull hit the moped at about 10.30pm with his BMW. Bull, 38, of Lambourne Road, Hardwick, initially drove away from the scene but returned a short while later stating he panicked. He provided a roadside sample of 59 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath – over the legal limit of 35 micrograms. However, he failed to provide an evidential sample in custody. The rider of the moped, a man in his 20s, suffered minor injuries. Bull was disqualified from driving for 18 months at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (17 October) after pleading guilty to failing to provide a specimen for analysis. He must also carry out 100 hours unpaid work. PC Elizabeth Cook said: “There is no excuse for choosing to get behind the wheel of a car while over the drink or drug drive limit. Bull’s decision on this day put other road users’ lives at risk.” Cambridgeshire Constabulary operates a confidential, 24/7 hotline to report suspected drink or drug drivers on 0800 032 0845. Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayogreatest hitscambridgeshirenewsMan who died in Cambridge named by police as murder suspect appears in courtNeil Lakhani passed away at a property on Histon Road on Tuesday - Jonathon Austin A man who died following an incident in Cambridge on Tuesday passed away at a property on Histon Road after emergency services were called at 11:39 am to reports of violence Mr Lakhani was pronounced dead at 12:15 pm A post-mortem examination carried out at Addenbrooke’s Hospital on 19 September concluded that the cause of death was compression of the neck He appeared at Cambridge Crown Court today and is scheduled to attend a plea and trial preparation hearing at Peterborough Crown Court on 21 October Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) Histon boss Chris Nunn says consistency is key in the race for the United Counties League Premier Division South play-off places The Stutes are four points outside the top five in ninth spot and there’s seven teams realistically chasing the last two positions after last weekend’s 2-1 home win over Leicester Nirvana “It’s going to be the team that is consistent between now and the end of the season,” said Nunn We’ve won four out of the last five so if we continue with that sort of points ratio then I’m convinced we’ll make the play-offs “We’ve got 12 games left so we’re probably going to need eight or nine wins I’m a massive Arsenal supporter and they can’t worry about what Liverpool do and it’s the same with us we’re doing that and picking up results because of it I’m not the sort of manager who looks at other results in the bar afterwards as we’re not at that stage yet “You’ve got to focus on where you are yourselves and that’s what we’re doing we probably played better than we did on Saturday but that was against the team top of the league We’ve got to be positive and try and win every game we play.” Histon can give their top-five chances a big boost with victory at home to fifth-placed Northampton Chenecks this Saturday (2pm) “If we want to have ambitions of making the play-offs then these are games you’ve got to go and win,” added Nunn “I know people think maybe you’ll be happy with a draw but we want to be beating the teams near the top “They’re a good side with good players and the top goalscorer (Lewis Irwin) in the league so it’s going to be tough but we’ve got to make it tough for them “I tend not to try and worry too much about the opposition as you’ve got to make sure you have your own house in order.” Reflecting on the weekend’s victory over a lively Leicester side who belied their standing in the bottom four Nunn was pleased that his team got the job done Goals from Joe O’Neill – his first for the club – and Connor Barnes proved decisive for Histon “I thought it was a really good second-half performance,” said Nunn “In the first half we were a bit lethargic and slow in what we did but the second half was a big improvement and it was a deserved win “We went 1-0 up and gave away a penalty towards the end of the first half but them scoring didn’t change my half-time talk I was just disappointed with how we played and what we did “Everything was too slow and there was no urgency it was as though we were going to coast through the game and it just doesn’t happen at any level and if you’re not on it then it’s hard to get on it “We were struggling to gain any momentum because we were too slow but we addressed it at half-time and fair play to the lads they stuck to the task a lot better in the second half we didn’t take it but we got there in the end It was a big win for us against a dangerous side with a lot of pace and energy so it was pleasing to get the win “We haven’t lost consecutive games in the season and the pleasing thing was it was the second game running we got over 300 which is great for the club We need the supporters behind us to help us in games.” Histon bowed out of the FA Cup at the first stage on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat at 10-man Stowmarket Town The visiting Stutes took the lead at Greens Meadow – and they also had a numerical advantage for the final 20 minutes – but they were unable to make either of those factors count as they exited the competition in the extra preliminary round who saw a two-goal advantage slip away the previous weekend in the GCE Hire Fleet United Counties Football League Premier Division South broke the deadlock in the 24th minute thanks to Matty Allan’s finish hosting Stowmarket were level within five minutes via Magic Smalls’ free-kick from distance that caught out Histon goalkeeper Sam Roach Stowmarket lost the red carded Kal Benham midway through the second half yet it was they that scored the tie’s decisive third goal when Reece Lanbridge applied the finishing touch from a corner Histon will go in search of their first victory of the new campaign on Saturday (10 August) when they travel to face Bugbrooke St Michaels in a league fixture which is followed swiftly on Tuesday (13 August) by the visit of March Town United to Bridge Road the club has announced the signing of defender Max Ryan Histon boss Chris Nunn has encouraged his players to ‘embrace’ their upcoming hectic schedule At a time when some of the Premier League’s biggest names are speaking out against the increasing number of games that they are being made to play the Stutes are heading into a busy period of their own On Saturday (5 October) Nunn’s men will play host to Eastwood CFC in the Knockout Cup with that tie kickstarting a sequence of six matches in 18 days but having lengthened their unbeaten run in all competitions to four matches following last weekend’s 5-0 win at G.N.G Oadby Town Nunn believes that his players have momentum on their side He said: “It’s going to be tough for the players You see the Premier League players coming out and talking – mine have to go to work in the day before playing “The squad is going to be tested and when you look at the run on paper we’re playing some top teams and we have a Vase tie in there as well “You can look at that and think it’s quite scary but we’re getting better and we’re getting stronger there’s some confidence building after a tough start to the season so hopefully we can go out there and enjoy these games and embrace them Daventry and Yarmouth in the Vase – these are the games as players and managers that you want to be involved in If we can pick up some positive results then it will put us in a good position heading into November and beyond.” What has been particularly pleasing for Nunn of late has been the return of goals Throughout their ongoing run of unbeaten form Histon have found the back of the net on 15 occasions And the manager has attributed the goal rush to being able to field a consistent side He added: “I won’t pretend that there is some magic formula behind it I’ve been a manager for a long time and I know that you go through difficult times where things don’t go for you and then all of a sudden it changes “What has helped us recently is that we’ve had some consistency in terms of team selection “We’re still very much a work in progress but what we’ve got is a good set of lads that are working hard to improve “I like my sides to be on the front foot and sometimes that brings with it some criticism when we concede goals late on – like we did in the 4-4 draw with Yaxley “But I want my side to be entertaining and we’ve been that in recent weeks Hopefully when a few of the injured lads come back we’ll kick on more.” Nunn has also been impressed by goalkeeper George Whitehall The youngster came in to replace the long-serving Sam Roach last month and he kept his first clean sheet in last weekend’s big away victory “George has settled in really well and I’ve no doubt he’ll go on to have success at a higher level – and hopefully that’s with Histon,” said Nunn “At the weekend he saved a penalty when we were winning 2-0 and he also made a big save at 1-0 We all know goals change games and he’s pulled off two important saves in big moments “He’s a confident boy and while he’s not the finished article he’s got a great attitude and he’ll keep getting better and better.” Councillors are to debate plans for 70 new homes in Histon Road Concerns have been raised about the impact on children’s safety in the Histon Road Recreation Ground But planning officers at Cambridge City Council believe the scheme offers “significant benefits” and have recommended approval The proposals were put forward by Cambridge Investment Partnership a development company set up by the city council and Hill Investment Partnerships to build new council homes and private homes across the city A former car sales and garage site in Histon Road is earmarked for redevelopment into 45 houses and a block of 25 flats with 28 of the homes to be made available as affordable housing But with more people travelling through the park from the proposed new access point The developer has already agreed to drop one of the two access points “This improved eastern access point will create a safe enhancing the overall connectivity of Histon Road Recreation Ground “The updated landscape design for the eastern access includes a new path segregated from the road by hedging and street trees leading directly to Histon Road Recreation Ground.” But one objector said the access would “severely damage the safety and utility of the existing children’s play facilities” The objector called for “green space within the actual footprint of the development” “Otherwise it just amounts to stealing from the city and local residents for the benefit of the developer why not include neighbouring gardens as well I can see no justification for appropriating and damaging existing community green space.” Others complained the plans represent “overdevelopment” One said: “There are huge concerns that 70 dwellings on the site which will hardly encourage people to be settled and no green space to speak of (plus insufficient cycle parking etc.) it is simply too many.” Planning officers suggest the development would offer “significant economic They acknowledged it does not provide the amount of on site public open space required by the council policies but highlighted the link to the recreation ground and the proposed financial contribution of more than £77,000 for improvements to it The officer’s report said: “In the assessment of the application it was important for officers to weigh up the option of delivering more open space on site compared to the option of creating a denser form of development which made a more meaningful contribution to housing delivery (affordable and private) in the city “Officers considered the proposed approach to be a more appropriate strategy for the site in question and scale of development proposed “Officers considered the delivery of a larger area of open space on a site immediately adjacent to an existing recreation ground which can be accessed directly from the site would be classed as making inefficient use of a brownfield site in a sustainable location A planning committee will meet today (Wednesday) to discuss the plans Histon manager Chris Nunn is not shying away from talk of play-offs and promotion ahead of this weekend’s season opener Having inherited a side sitting second from bottom in the GCE Hire Fleet United Counties Football League Premier Division South last October Nunn successfully guided the Stutes away from relegation trouble They eventually finished comfortably in 11th position but this time around the former Biggleswade Town boss wants more Whether or not his team are good enough to be in the battle for Step 4 football will ultimately be determined over the weeks and months to come who will see his side begin their 2024/25 campaign at home to Northampton Sileby Rangers on Saturday (27 July) said: “The target last year was trying to get us safe as quickly as possible and we achieved that “But there’s no doubt a club like Histon should be fighting to get out of the league at the top end – not the bottom end and certainly nobody will put more pressure and expectation on us than I do “Will we be good enough to make the play-offs but I’m not going to hide away from the fact it will be our ambition to get there I’m not going to be one of those that just says we want to do better than last year “I didn’t join this club to just be happy with finishing in the top 10 or something like that “It’s a big ask to turn it around in a year or so but we’ve got to go for it and that’s what we’ll be doing If we don’t manage it then it won’t be for the want of trying.” If Histon are to be in the promotion picture then they are going to need to find the back of the net on a more regular basis And Nunn is hopeful that the recent addition of the attack-minded trio Luke Young Charlie Black and Matty Allan will help to boost the goals return He added: “We try to analyse things as a management team and in the last few years no team has gone on to finish in the top five without scoring at least 70 goals “It’s no guarantee that even 70 will be enough but we had to work out where that sort of number was coming from “We need goals from more than one or two sources and we think we’ve addressed that we’ve the recruitment we’ve done “Too many times last year we were winning by the odd goal but instead of extending the lead we got pegged back and didn’t score again.” Nunn has also signed centre-back Karl Saffery from Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division side Lakenheath And barring any unexpected long-term injuries Nunn is not anticipating any more new arrivals before the big kick off Manager Chris Nunn concedes he got it tactically wrong at the start of Histon’s thumping defeat on Saturday The Stutes lost 6-1 at fellow mid-table United Counties League Premier Division South side Coventry United They were 3-0 down inside 20 minutes and never recovered I got it wrong from the beginning,” said Nunn “I changed it around and we responded really well and I’ve been manager for 14 months so there’s only one person to look at – me “It was always going to be tough because they can do that to teams on their big 3G pitch but we probably made it tougher for ourselves I know when I’ve got it wrong and I know when I’ve got it right they had defender Karl Saffery red-carded before substitute Taylor Franklin’s late consolation Nunn said: “What you have got is a bad day and I’m disappointed with the sending-off because it turns it into a disaster That one tackle impacts a further three games “It impacts the game that you’re sent-off in you’re a great manager and a great team and It was a second successive away loss for the Stutes who have fallen off the pace in the race for play-off places “We set a really tough target in terms of making the play-offs,” said Nunn we were second-bottom in the league and maybe it’s too much of an ask to make the play-offs within a year But you have got to set yourself these aims “There’s no point saying ‘We’re happy with finishing in mid-table’ when that’s not the case.” still remain in the mix for a top-five finish But there were one or two worrying signs on Saturday that reared their heads We were second in the form table for the previous 16 games we have been competing against the best teams “They have dropped alarmingly and I need to find out why.” who were due to play a Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup semi-final at March Town United last night (Tuesday) begin a run of three Saturday games at home in a row against Hinckley AFC this weekend A burglar has been jailed after a passer-by took photos of him and called police at about 7pm on 21 September by smashing a window He searched a bedroom but as he was leaving a passer-by heard the house alarm and saw the intruder walking along the driveway followed him along Winders Lane and called police drove off in a silver Ford Focus while an unidentified man The passer-by noted down Ford’s number plate and it was located in Harrow similar to one Wall was wearing in the photographs Wall was arrested at a house in Molewood Close on 25 September and it was discovered that he had also broken into a house in Carisbrooke Road had attempted to burgle a house in Copped Hall Drive Wall was jailed for two years and four months on Wednesday (19 February) He pleaded guilty to another count of burglary and one count of attempted burglary and received no separate penalty for these said: “I’d like to commend and thank the passer-by of the Histon burglary as his photo and the information he passed onto us played a big part in getting Wall convicted “It was also very brave of him to follow a potentially dangerous criminal who had just burgled a property “Burglary is a despicable crime that leaves people feeling incredibly vulnerable in their own homes so it’s great Wall is now behind bars.” visit the dedicated pages on the force website an annual celebration where the villages raise money for the local community kicks off this Saturday (29 June) and runs until the following Sunday (7 July) This year’s line-up has something for everyone Feast Flower Festival - 29 June-1 July: The annual Flower Festival will be held this year from Saturday to Monday at St Andrew’s Church 1 July: A celebration of the life and art of Betty Ray There will be live music by Red Velvet culminating in an auction around 30 of Betty’s works. The paintings preview is from 2.30-4.30pm, followed by the auction, from 7.30-9.30pm. Entry is free, and there are welcome drinks from 7.15pm. View the paintings at feast.hisimp.com/charity-art-auction 2 July: This takes place at 6.30pm at the Recreation Ground 3 July: This adult tournament starts at 6.45pm at Impington Village College and all equipment is provided All fees go directly to the 2024 Feast Funds Six Inches of Soil film showing - Thursday 4 July: A free screening of the popular film will be followed by a panel discussion The showing is from 7-10pm in Saint Andrew’s Centre Book a ticket at eventbrite.co.uk/e/six-inches-of-soil-feature-length-documentary-and-panel-discussion-tickets-904087880187 5 July: Dance the night away on Histon Village Green with the 78 RPM Big Band The show is from 7.30-10pm and adult tickets are priced at £8 Bring your own food and drink and something to sit on 6 July: The Feast Market will take place on the village green from 9.30am-12.30pm 7 July: Finish the week-long Feast in style at the Community Orchard Breakfast will be served from 10.30-noon (bring your own mug if you can) and other attractions include wildlife photography with Penny Reeves and moths with Ed Turner 7 July: Feast Songs of Praise on the theme of ‘Taste and see…’ at St Andrew’s Church For more information, visit feast.hisimp.com or hihub.info/news/village-groups-gear-up-for-feast-week-2024/ Histon’s disappointing end to the 2024/25 season continued with a 2-1 defeat at Leicester Nirvana at the weekend It was not too long ago that the Stutes harboured genuine hopes of forcing their way into the United Counties League Premier Division South play-offs a sequence of seven outings without a victory (eight in all competitions) has seen Chris Nunn’s men slip down to 11th in the table 13 points adrift of the top five with just four fixtures remaining Histon started brightly against in-form Nirvana at Hamilton Park and they broke the deadlock after just four minutes when Connor Barnes played in Pharrell Anderson the home side drew level before the break courtesy of a Mussa Bham free-kick that found the bottom corner And it was the same player that went on to score the match-winning goal 10 minutes from time with a strike at the back post Histon will aim to record their first league win since 8 February on Saturday (5 April) when they welcome G.N.G Oadby Town to Bridge Road Oadby head into the encounter in the relegation zone with a one-point deficit to safety Following Saturday’s 2-1 win over Bugbrooke St Michaels, Histon have announced a couple of player departures Luke Young, who joined the club in the summer from Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division side Lakenheath has moved on after scoring two goals in 21 appearances for the club The attacker has joined fellow United Counties League Premier Division South outfit Eynesbury Rovers and he marked his debut for his new club with a brace during the weekend’s 5-1 thrashing of Yaxley In making the move to the Alfred Hall Memorial Ground Young has linked up with former Histon players Sam Roach and Oliver Brookes Mattia D’Angelo has secured a switch to neighbouring Godmanchester Rovers The midfielder made featured on 17 occasions for Chris Nunn’s team this term after progressing through Histon’s Under-18s side D’Angelo could now feature against his former club when Histon travel to face bottom-of-the-table Godmanchester on Boxing Day