East Cambridgeshire District Council leader Anna Bailey writes for the Ely Standard.

It was brilliant to be sitting on the committee recently that had the privilege of agreeing and supporting several exciting new projects as well as recommending the budget to full council.

 This included a proposal to freeze the district council’s share of council tax bills for the eleventh year.

Stretham and Wilburton Community Land Trust was granted £1.21 million towards its Link project. This will see the creation of a wellbeing community hub, GP rooms, café and work units on CLT owned land.

This vibrant multi-use facility will support the local community, provide an area to offer complementary therapies and ensure GP services, which have not been available in the village for some time, can be delivered from the village once again.

This incredibly rare opportunity – a new GP facility within a village – is fantastic news for Stretham and the wider area and I applaud all those that have worked so hard on it.

We also agreed to allocate £423,107 towards Witchford Parish Council’s plans for an improved cycleway, as well as £15,000 towards Wilburton Parish Council’s plan for a new Multi Activity Games Area (MUGA) and tennis court.

The committee also supported the business case for a new Bereavement Centre to be built in Mepal, including an eco-crematorium, natural burial area, and a pet cemetery.

Set within flower meadows and woodland walks with views overlooking the lake, it will give the residents of East Cambridgeshire a beautiful and peaceful setting in which to say goodbye to and remember their loved ones.

The site has also been designed to protect and enhance the significant biodiversity and ecology that exists alongside the lake whilst still allowing low impact leisure use, such as walking fishing and bird watching.

The use of solar panels will mean it’s one of the first electric cremators in the country to be powered by renewable energy. The final decision will be taken by full council this month.