Cambridgeshire County Council continues with plans to find a new organisation to take over or even buy out Shire Hall on Castle Hill – the site where Cambridge was first settled.
You can read the Cambridge News report here. You can watch the video of my PQ being read out, but as the substantive vote for Item 11 was passed (see the meeting papers here), officers will be re-marketing the site.
Combined Authority approves transport plans for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough.
Following the ejection of the ruling Conservatives in Peterborough, the CPCA was finally able to approve the plans. The caveat is that ministers still need to approve transport plans (*Why?!?*).
“The [Local Transport & Connectivity Plan for Cambs & Peterboro’] may require a review and some revision on receipt of the guidance from central government.”
CPCA Board Meeting Papers item 15 (main report) 29 Nov 2023
There is also the additional caveat of what Michael Gove has lined up for Cambridge – especially when the Chair of Homes England delivers his report, raising the possibility of a new Cambridge Development Corporation taking over planning responsibilities from local councils. Will that also include transport planning too?
Comparing today’s transport plans with those of a generation ago
Head up to the Cambridgeshire Collection (3rd floor, Central Library, Lion Yard, Cambridge) and you’ll find they have a host of withdrawn stock going on sale for £1 each. Dangerous place for me to be.
The problem is that some of the items are inevitably huge files so will take time to digitise. One thing we are reminded of however, is the geographical boundaries of the Cambridge Economic Sub-Region.
Above – the Cambridge Sub-Region as of 2001, by Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council’s Review of their Structure Plan
That structure plan essentially combines housing and transport visions in a sort-of co-ordinated way. Getting hold of it (or rather, realising that it exists!) means that it will be much easier for a new generation of researchers to compare what the present plans are with what was previously proposed. It also enables people to have a look at the time it has taken from ideas to move from first concept to the more serious stages – such as East West Rail.
The East of England Regional Spatial Strategy Review mentioned EWR in 2004.
Above – from the East of England RSS 2004
I remember hearing civil servants in my office talking about this and not being able to make much sense of it back in my mid-20s – but with hindsight the shortcomings of the institutions, systems, processes, structures, and dare I say it the mis-placed personnel and the limitations of the politicians (ministers, MPs, councillors) now seem to make more sense a generation later.
House of Commons Transport Committee on Strategic Transport
With those shortcomings in mind, MPs cross-examined Sir John Armitt of the National Infrastructure Commission (who I met during my Fast Stream days) and Lord Hendy of Network Rail. You can watch the hearing here.
There was one particular remark I found striking by the Chairman of Network Rail. Have a listen from here.
“If you go back to what I was remarking on with processes in London, the contrast between the previous decades and where reports were periodically published full of diagrams, schemes, and projects, virtually none of which were done – I’ve got shelves full of them at home”
Lord Hendy to Commons Transport Select Committee, 29 Nov 2023
That speaks volumes – and don’t think those reports came cheap either. Does that sound familiar?
“There is remarkably little to show for the more than £200million that the government has so far given the GCP and Combined Authority to spend on transport. Nearly all of it has been paid to consultants for reports rather than delivering new transport options.”
Smarter Cambridge Transport, 08 Dec 2021
Talking of the Greater Cambridge Partnership, they have a new set of papers out
Their Joint Assembly meets at The Guildhall on 11 December 2023 – you can see the papers here.
The bit I’ve picked out
Above – High cycle traffic routes from the GCP
The challenge is how to make them safer for cyclists – or alternatively, where do you designate new safer, segregated cycleways, pavements, and active travel routes? At the moment I think we’re only dealing with things piecemeal. At some stage, ministers of whichever party are going to have to come up with far more radical policies, demand far more radical proposals, and undertake a massive public information & education programme if we are to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels in what time is available. If any.
Rail Future and Cambridge Connect
If the prospect of freezing outside at the Mill Road Winter Fair on Saturday 2nd December 2023 doesn’t sound appealing, then head on down to Rail Future East’s annual Cambridge Meeting (I’ve added it as an event on Cambridge Connect’s FB page here).
The guest speaker this year is Martin Seiffarth of Network Rail, so if you are a regular passenger/commuter, this might be one for you.
Cambridge City Council – Full Council Thurs 30th November 2023
For those of you who follow things at The Guildhall, pop into the Full Council meeting from 6pm in the main council chamber. The papers are here, although there’s little of substance for this one. That said, there are a few interesting public questions that have been submitted around which people and institutions are involved in the various central-government-driven plans for the future of our city.
And finally – The Great Cambridge Crash Course: new events
- Great Cambridge Crash Course – Introduction. Sat 09 December 12:15pm-1.45pm at Rock Road Library. <<– Click here to book
- [TBC – awaiting venue confirmation]. Great Cambridge Crash Course – Introduction. Sat 16 December 12:15pm-1.45pm [NOT at Rock Road]
- Cambridge 2040 – Michael Gove’s plan to ‘Supercharge Cambridge’. Sat 23 December 12:15pm-1.45pm (with mini-booksale for last minute presents!).
- Watch out for a new series of events including some more introduction events starting in Mid-January 2024.
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The Cambridge Town Owl 