“Our waste and recycling crews have kept a full service going throughout this time and the IT and planning teams ensured we were one of the first councils in the country to host online meetings.
“Despite the pandemic, the council has forged ahead with its corporate plan and we have had some successes to celebrate.
“The housing team achieved national recognition by the National Practitioner Support Service challenge, being awarded gold for their approach to homelessness prevention.
“New and refurbished affordable homes have been delivered at Haddenham Community Land Trust and at the ex-MOD site in Ely. Residents will also soon be moving into the first eight £100k homes to be built by Combined Authority in Cambridgeshire, which are located in Fordham.
Naming of the estate turned out to be the least of the multifarious issues that faced HCLT.
Initially it was to be called West End Gardens but the district council felt it sounded too similar to the existing road West End which lies adjacent.
The trustees suggested an alternative, Ovins Rise, that was accepted. The name refers to Ovin, who is believed to have been the steward of Etheldreda, the East Anglian Queen who lived from 636-679AD.
A dash of luxury inside the first community land trust home at Haddenham
- Credit: HCLT
A stone plinth called Ovins Stone is in Ely Cathedral but was originally found in Aldreth; a replica can be found in Haddenham churchyard.