Cambridge opens its brand new ‘one-stop-shop’ for community consultation / A ‘shared space’ for various activities / A ‘collective memory‘ for Cambridge
Have a look at https://www.cambridgeroom.org/ and scroll down and sign up for updates.
See also the photographs from Ze’ev Feigis of Borough Architects here
Cambridge Urban Room – nearly two years in the making
I first wrote about it following the press release back in July 2023, which seems like a world away. This is something that we have been long overdue and it’s great that we now have it – including a scrapbook-style wall with a plotted history of Cambridge the town’s painful growth throughout the 20th Century. (The photographs from Mr Feigis above show there are more than a few things that can be added to it).
I dropped off two backs of books on planning, housing, citizenship, and local government – including a couple on local government finance because the TCPA (Town and Country Planning Association) amongst others has been kicking off again (good) about the chronic underfunding of town planning functions in local councils (See their campaigns here, their books here, and some second hand older ones here).
One of the titles I dropped off was a copy of the Holford Wright Report of 1950
Hopefully they will
Several of us also discussed what the two town planning legends proposed as road bypasses in 1950 (See the digitised maps here) versus what we got a few decades later in the form of the M11 and what became the A14. That shows how quickly the post-war uptake of the motorcar was (although the political history of it written up over half a century ago by William Plowden, one of Sir Edward Heath’s special advisers, may have some details which will shock you). I also showed various people the still-unbuilt plans for an eastern entrance to Cambridge Railway Station. I think local politicians are insisting that East West Rail sort out that 75 year sore point!
That’s not the only local infrastructure improvement we’re waiting for. William Davidge’s report on our regional plan from back in 1934 recommended the old county council (as it was in those days, much smaller) build a new road bridge at Foxton over the railway line. We’re still waiting – and I will be astonished if something isn’t built in time for the new East West Rail services, because a heavily-congested road combined with even more frequent barrier closures will only create more problems.
Above – Davidge (1934) p88 – proposed roads and just as importantly, protected green spaces. See if you can spot Foxton, and the old Varsity Railway Line.
I’ll be looking to run some informal events, talks, and discussions on a range of things from local urban history – people, places, and things that happened, as well as more chances to learn about politics, public policy, and who is proposing what on the future of our city.
Talking of Cambridge’s future – Cambs Unitaries Campaign
We’re meeting on Sat 08 March 2025 at the Mill Road Community Centre from 11am. (You don’t need to sign up but I created an EB page here) It’s free, all welcome. We’ll have maps and diagrams of the options we think local councils have regarding the proposed restructure amongst other things. More details from Cambs Unitaries Campaign here.
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Below – from the Cambs Unitaries Campaign, population data diagram by Phil Rodgers. While there is some flexibility on numbers, ministers have said to consider a population of 500,000 for new unitary councils to be a minimum.
The Cambridge Town Owl 