Latest news with #Fens
BBC News
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Search for driver of Mercedes that crashed in Wisbech ditch
Police are looking for the driver of a Mercedes found crashed and abandoned in a ditch in the silver car was found on a farm estate in Walton Road, Wisbech, at about 09:30 BST on Police said the farmer assisted by moving a large poacher block - a concrete barricade intended to keep vehicles away from the land - to allow them access to the site.A recovery truck then retrieved the Mercedes from the ditch. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Chicken Town review – endearingly daft Fenland crime caper has a shedful of charm
There are echoes of Shane Meadows and the Coen brothers in this cheerful crime comedy set in the Fens in eastern England. It's endearingly daft and unexpectedly charming for a film about small-town drug dealers full of knob jokes – and contains no actual violence from criminals who are more crap than nasty. There are some sparky performances from the young cast, and it manages to pull off natural, easygoing laughs without the cringe that often seeps into British comedies. Ethaniel Davy is brilliant as Jayce, who has just been released from 10 months in a young offenders' institution – wrongly convicted for crashing a stolen car. Now that he's out, he wants answers. What everyone except Jayce knows is that it was his best mate Lee (Ramy Ben Fredj, also terrific) behind the wheel of the car. Lee is the heir to a battery-chicken farming empire with links to organised crime. His dad, Lee Sr, has just remarried and sent him to live in a caravan at the edge of the family estate. Lee Jr is thick and spoilt, an adult man with a toddler brain, but like everything in the film, rather sweet underneath it all. Meanwhile Jayce and his old schoolmate Paula (Amelie Davies) get roped into a drug deal, joining forces with retired busybody Kev (Graham Fellows). Kev has somehow (plot is not this film's strong point) ended up with a shed in his allotment full of high-quality weed. The unlikely friendship between the two kids and Kev gives the film some of its funniest lines. In Kev's front room, Paula is mesmerised by his carriage clock, a retirement present. 'Is it ironic?' she asks, genuinely curious. 'No, it's brass.' And the final moment of comedy, a scene involving a joke about Kev's 67-year-old bladder is priceless. This is a very likable film. Chicken Town is in UK cinemas from 27 June.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Plan to protect habitats under 'intense pressure'
A plan to encourage and rebuild wildlife habitats in a nature-depleted county under "intense pressure" is set to be put to the public. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, which brings together the mayor and local councils, is set to approve a draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy at its meeting on Wednesday. There will be a consultation in July before it becomes one of 48 similar documents published across England setting out priorities and actions for that region. According to the draft strategy, Cambridgeshire has one of the lowest proportions of land designated for nature in the UK, at 3.3%, and the second-lowest woodland cover at 4.8%. But it said Cambridgeshire was home to many "internationally important" nature sites, with the Fens supporting populations of European eel and spined loach. It pointed to invasive species in the county, such as muntjac deer and American mink, and tree diseases that have impacted the Cambridgeshire landscape by killing elm and ash trees. The county's population had increased by 20% since 2000, the strategy said, putting "intense pressure" on local habitats such as Wicken Fen. The report said: "The rapidly growing population of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough does not have national parks, national landscapes or large areas of open access downland, forest, moorland or coast on its doorsteps." Cambridgeshire was also said to have lost 88% of its marsh habitat, 84% of its semi-natural grassland but gained 85% of its woodland between 1930 and 2018. Part two of the draft plan talked about protecting Cambridgeshire's chalk streams and historic orchards, and for the county's grasslands, woodlands and wetland habitats to be "cherished and managed". The strategy discussed differences anyone can make, such as gardeners leaving some of their lawn unmown for part of the year, or for farmers to crop less land at the edges of fields. Each of the 48 strategies will map out areas important for biodiversity, and those with the potential to be important, and produce a local habitat map. If approved, an eight-week public consultation on the draft strategy will begin on 18 July. Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk. Station project plants trees at expanded reserve Rare birds appear on restored wetland 'in hours' Nature reserve sees first crane chick take flight Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority
BBC News
16-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Cambridgeshire plan to restore under-pressure natural habitats
A plan to encourage and rebuild wildlife habitats in a nature-depleted county under "intense pressure" is set to be put to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, which brings together the mayor and local councils, is set to approve a draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy at its meeting on will be a consultation in July before it becomes one of 48 similar documents published across England setting out priorities and actions for that to the draft strategy, Cambridgeshire has one of the lowest proportions of land designated for nature in the UK, at 3.3%, and the second-lowest woodland cover at 4.8%. But it said Cambridgeshire was home to many "internationally important" nature sites, with the Fens supporting populations of European eel and spined pointed to invasive species in the county, such as muntjac deer and American mink, and tree diseases that have impacted the Cambridgeshire landscape by killing elm and ash county's population had increased by 20% since 2000, the strategy said, putting "intense pressure" on local habitats such as Wicken report said: "The rapidly growing population of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough does not have national parks, national landscapes or large areas of open access downland, forest, moorland or coast on its doorsteps."Cambridgeshire was also said to have lost 88% of its marsh habitat, 84% of its semi-natural grassland but gained 85% of its woodland between 1930 and 2018. Part two of the draft plan talked about protecting Cambridgeshire's chalk streams and historic orchards, and for the county's grasslands, woodlands and wetland habitats to be "cherished and managed".The strategy discussed differences anyone can make, such as gardeners leaving some of their lawn unmown for part of the year, or for farmers to crop less land at the edges of of the 48 strategies will map out areas important for biodiversity, and those with the potential to be important, and produce a local habitat approved, an eight-week public consultation on the draft strategy will begin on 18 July. Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Boots Bridge crash sees driver taken to hospital
A driver has been taken to hospital after a car rolled on to its side and a 4x4 landed on top of a barrier during a crash at an accident happened at the Boots Bridge junction, between Manea and Wimblington in the Cambridgeshire Fens, on Wednesday said one of the drivers was being treated at Hinchingbrooke Hospital with minor injuries. The road was closed for a short time while the vehicles were recovered and Cambridgeshire Highways made the barrier safe. Witnesses to the crash, which happened at about 14:50 BST, have been asked to contact new road markings and signs were installed at the waterside crossroads to try to limit the number of crashes. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
