Author Archives: Cambridge Town Owl

An old map arrived in the post a week ago which shows how extensive the east-west rail links from Cambridge used to be. Plus some recent findings in the world of old magazines and past research reports Above – the old Cambridge – Huntingdon – Kettering route. There are lots of photos on the RailwayContinue reading “The old local rail network around Cambridge a blueprint for light rail or regional rail links?”

Cambridge PPF arranged for the filming of the event at Wolfson College which meant I could pay more attention to who said what. (Scroll to the end to see the two positives. Save the best till last etc) Image: Trials of democracy. If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. A project fundedContinue reading “Few positives from the audience at Cambridge Past, Present and Future’s event on the future of Gtr Cambridge”

As Cllr Ingrid Flaubert of Trumpington Ward on the other side of the city switches from the Liberal Democrats to The Green Party over national policy issues Image: Trials of democracy. If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu Above – From Mr Polanski’s BlueSky page, with Cllr Flaubert (Greens – Trumpington) surroundedContinue reading “Over a hundred Green Party activists meet Zack Polanski at Cambridge North Station”

In a less-united debate compared with last night at South Cambridgeshire’s HQ in Cambourne, Cambridge Greens tore into the Government’s growth plans You can: Cllr Elliot Tong (Greens – Abbey) demanded a referendum on the policy – with the government picking up the tab “Were there any major surprises?” Not particularly if you’ve been followingContinue reading “Cambridge Green Party calls for referendum on Development Corporation”

I wrote about the new proposal a couple of months ago here. I’ve not seen *any* community engagement, but ultimately that’s for people like local councillors, the Mill Road History Society, Mill Road 4 People and others who live in Romsey that the developers should have at least made efforts to engage with if theyContinue reading “Romsey Labour Club site owner submits new planning application.”

South Cambridgeshire District Council held an EGM on the proposed Cambridge Development Corporation. It gave all councillors the opportunity to discuss their proposed collective response to the consultation on creating a new development corporation that would cover the areas of Cambridge City Council *and* South Cambridgeshire District in their entirety – powers that would stayContinue reading “South Cambridgeshire District Councillors unite against loss of planning powers”

I missed this first time around (at least I think I did – brain fog from too many blogposts!) but the public objections from Cambridge PPF along with other civic society groups raise a number of issues with this and other sci-tech applications – in particular public transport Image – Neurodiversity pins, because no one inContinue reading “Cambridge Past, Present and Future’s concerns on the Babraham Research Campus application”

Back in August 2024 the Cambridge Connect Light Rail group sought ministerial support for feasibility study funding that *really* should have been provided by either the Greater Cambridge Partnership or the Combined Authority – but neither was forthcoming. It remains to be seen if the current review by the CPCA under Mayor Paul Bristow withContinue reading “Busways and light rail – what’s already out there?”

The Housing and Communities Secretary published his policy paper here You can: Why the omission of adult education and lifelong learning institutions? Maybe it reflects the long-term enfeebling of what was once a prominent feature in many towns and cities, many of which crumbled in the face of long term austerity that began under MargaretContinue reading “The adult-education-shaped gap in the Government’s social cohesion policy”

Councillors on Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council will be debating their councils’ formal responses to the Government’s consultation later this month You can read the responses at: See also Cllr Katie Thornburrow’s blogpost at https://katiethornburrow.com/2026/03/lets-talk-about-the-greater-cambridge-development-corporation/ This sort of links to my earlier blogpost on the Mass Transit Study which BBC Radio CambridgeshireContinue reading “Councils publish draft responses on Cambridge Development Corporation proposals”