Helpston Parish Council

15/10/2026

Could your local group or organisation benefit from some financial support?

Helpston Parish Council is inviting applications for community grants for the 2026/27 financial year.

The Council is keen to support local groups, organisations and community initiatives that make a positive difference to life in Helpston.

Grants may be considered for projects and activities that:

✅ Promote health, fitness and wellbeing.

✅ Encourage social inclusion, community participation and good neighbourliness.

✅ Improve our local environment and enhance village life.

Whether you’re an established community organisation or a smaller group with an idea that could benefit Helpston residents, we’d be pleased to hear from you.

📧 HOW TO APPLY

In the first instance, please email [email protected] to request a Grant Application Form and a copy of the Council’s Grants Policy.

📅 APPLICATION DEADLINE: THURSDAY 5 NOVEMBER 2026

Completed applications must be received by this date.

All applications will be considered by Helpston Parish Council in accordance with its grants policy and available funding.

Help us make Helpston an even better place to live!

Helpston Parish Council

14/10/2026

📢 HELPSTON’S FUTURE — YOUR PARISH COUNCIL NEEDS YOUR HELP

Peterborough’s new Local Plan: consultation closes at 11.59 pm on Thursday 12 November 2026

Peterborough City Council’s Proposed Submission Local Plan includes allocations for 207 additional dwellings in Helpston:

• Grasslands, West Street (LP57.6) — 60 dwellings
• Land north of John Clare Primary School (LP57.7) — 67 dwellings
• Broadwheel Road (LP57.8) — 80 dwellings

These proposals could significantly affect our village, its infrastructure, countryside and character.

WHAT IS YOUR PARISH COUNCIL DOING?

Helpston Parish Council is examining the proposals and preparing an evidence-based representation.

This is the Regulation 19 consultation. Representations are submitted to Peterborough City Council and subsequently considered through independent examination by a Planning Inspector. The examination considers legal compliance and the four tests of soundness: whether the Plan is positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy.

Our objective is to ensure that the proposals are properly justified, their combined effects are fully assessed, and any necessary infrastructure and mitigation can be delivered.

We are examining five principal areas:

🚗 Traffic and transport — including our two railway level crossings, congestion, road safety, pedestrian access and school traffic.

💧 Drainage and sewerage — including existing problems, capacity and the implications of additional dwellings.

🏫 Education — John Clare Primary School’s capacity and the implications of additional families.

🏘️ Scale of development — whether 207 additional dwellings represent an appropriate and sustainable level of growth for Helpston.

🌳 Our Neighbourhood Plan — whether the proposals reflect its evidence, objectives and protections, including village character and infrastructure.

We are also examining how the three allocations relate to one another and whether the relevant masterplanning requirements adequately address their combined effects, infrastructure needs and delivery.

For Grasslands, this includes reviewing the site’s planning history, including earlier Inspector decisions concerning its equestrian use and the justification for a countryside location.

Any necessary mitigation, including measures relating to traffic and the level crossings, must be supported by evidence, agreed where required and shown to be deliverable.

The Council will consider which changes the evidence justifies, including whether allocations should be removed, reduced or subject to stronger safeguards. Our final position remains subject to formal Council approval.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

We welcome factual information, photographs, dated observations and relevant documents concerning:

✅ Traffic queues and delays at the level crossings.
✅ Road safety, speeding, parking and pedestrian difficulties.
✅ Flooding, surface-water drainage and sewerage incidents.
✅ School access, capacity and local infrastructure.
✅ Impacts on countryside, historic features and village character.

Specific examples are especially valuable. Please identify the location, date, approximate time and circumstances of your observations. Where possible, include supporting photographs or records.

Your local knowledge can help the Parish Council identify and test important evidence.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

📅 Now until late October: Evidence gathering and preparation of the Council’s response.

📅 Monday 26 October: Planned working group meeting to review evidence and develop the draft representation.

📅 Monday 2 November: Planned residents’ public meeting. This is separate from a formal Parish Council meeting. Further details to follow.

📅 Monday 9 November: Planned Parish Council meeting to consider and approve its formal representation, with submission to follow ahead of the consultation deadline.

📅 11.59 pm on Thursday 12 November 2026: Deadline for consultation responses.

PLEASE MAKE YOUR OWN REPRESENTATION TOO

Residents are encouraged to submit their own comments through Peterborough City Council’s official consultation.

The examination considers evidence and sound planning reasons; it is not decided by the number of objections. Individual submissions explaining specific concerns and suggesting changes can be particularly helpful.

Sending evidence to the Parish Council does not replace submitting your own representation.

📧 Send information to the Parish Clerk:
[email protected]

🔗 Read the consultation documents, guidance and submit your representation:
https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/planning-and-development/planning-policies/local-plan-review

Thank you for helping to protect and plan responsibly for Helpston’s future.

Helpston Parish Council

30/09/2026

Crossing update.....
We have been informed that the contractors undertaking the works at the crossing and closing the road will be doing so overnight between 7pm and 6am to limit disruption.
The signage on the side of the road isn't completely clear on this. Thank you.

25/09/2026

Huge congratulations to the children of our school. One of the smallest in the County, but consistently excelling across so many competitions.

Well done to the staff for developing an environment in which they thrive. 🏆

Today we took a team of children from Years 3-6 to AMVC for the annual schools cross country competition. The children were unbelievable in their performance and won!

Year 3/4 Girls Team - 🥇 First Place
Year 3/4 Boys Team - 🥇 First Place
Year 5/6 Girls Team - 🥇First Place
Year 5/6 Boys Team - 🥈Second Place

John Clare Overall - 🥇 First Place 🎉

An amazing consistent performance as always and excellent effort from all the children. We are very proud of you all!

24/09/2026

We have been formerly made aware of the road closure next week for Glinton Road from the 30th for up to 3 days.

We have been informed BT need to carry out essential works on a telegraph pole that had been hit by a vehicle. The attached shows the closure. Pedestrians and school buses will be allowed through.

We have highlighted the issue regarding this in parallel with the Marholm road closure and wat to hear if there is any movement on either.

16/09/2026

NOTICE of MARHOLM ACCESS ROAD CLOSURE 21st Sept - 16 Oct

We have received notification that the road to Marholm from the junction at the top of Heath Road will be closed from the 21st September to the 16th October for a Culvert replacement. Please see the attached photos from Peterborough Highways.

11/09/2026

Next Parish Council Meeting

06/09/2026

The Parish Council will be holding an 'Extrordinary meeting' tomorrow evening (Monday 7th Sept) at 7.30pm at the village hall, specifically to discuss our approach to the upcoming consultation around the Draft Local Plan.

This will form our communication out to the village on how you can all assist. You are welcome to come and observe the discussions if you wish.

31/08/2026

HEATH ROAD UPDATE - Many of you are aware of the signage and new cabins present on Heath Road.

The Government and Anglian water are funding a £6m project through the Environment Agency and Jacksons Civil Engineering to install an 'Engineered Cap' over a previous landfill operation to stop rainwater passing through it and potentially into the aquifer.

This is a very positive action taken, with the area fully reinstated afterwards. The Langdyke Countryside Trust are discussing potential improvements in reseeding models and improved habitat.

The works are due to be completed in summer 2027.

20/08/2026

I know many of you have been anxious to hear news of the repair of Lolham Bridge and the reopening of King Street.

I am pleased to share with you that both will be open in October 2026. Its been a complex project (the Environment Agency have required works to be completed only in certain months of the year and English Heritage have, quite rightly, wanted the work to be completed to a high standard including the use of lime mortar than can only ‘set’ when its not too cold or too hot…this has been challenging this summer.

While works will be completed to the point where the bridge and road will be safe to use in October 2026 further works will be required in the summer of 2027, and so the road will need to be temporarily closed again then. I hope you agree that this is a far better option than the road remaining closed until autumn 2027.
Lots of people have worked hard on this including my fellow Cllrs Peter Hiller and Neil Boyce and Helpston Parish Council who undertook a survey demonstrating the strength of feeling for the reopening of the road- a big thank you to everyone that completed this.

I cycled King Street last week and its looking very grubby with shrubs growing onto the highway, fly tips and more… I have asked for this to be cleaned up before the road is reopened.
Best wishes, Cllr Kevin Tighe