Author Archives: Cambridge Town Owl

…rather than asking a few (of us) to give up a lot – something that former Mayor of Cambridge Paul Saunders talked to me about many moons ago (pre-EURef) when it felt like no one was taking much interest in local democracy, let alone politics generally. Both the EU Referendum (along with the Brexit fallout)Continue reading “Asking lots (of us) to give a little as we build back better”

Made all the more difficult to deal with because no one individual is to blame for where we are vs where we could be: There have been multiple shortcomings by many people and institutions – not just Central Government either. I want to start with one of the most controversial people in post-war Cambridge: MrContinue reading “Despondency over the future of Greater Cambridge – and the missed opportunities”

The under-funded sector awaits what the new Secretary of State Gove has to say in terms of policy, but the rebranding of the department into something with far too many syllables doesn’t bode well Now The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Which is a rubbish acronym. Let’s face it, they all were. DepartmentsContinue reading “Does anyone have a positive vision for the future of local government?”

You can read about them here, and can browse through their member organisations here. This post invites Cambridge Ahead to engage systematically with people and organisations in the arts, sports, and leisure industries in the context of the future of Cambridge, including networks such as the Cambridge Art Network. “Who has the power to makeContinue reading “Cambridge Ahead will need a strategy to engage with non-members in order to deliver on its vision & purpose”

I was moaning earlier on about the lack of local council coverage in Cambridge’s daily newspaper the Cambridge News – formerly the Cambridge Evening News when I delivered it during my early teens on my paper round in the early 1990s. The one prize reporting role they used to have was the Local Government CorrespondentContinue reading “Reach PLC is damaging a historic newspaper brand – and it doesn’t need to”

Can we make use of the emerging local plan to help with this? For example not building all over every spare green space there is? ***Not another report!*** #SorryNotSorry You can read the full report here. The headlines make for depressing reading in terms of both the impact of Covid (£600million of revenue lost toContinue reading “How do we secure the future of public sport and leisure services?”

The *earliest* it can open is 2035. Which means a five year gap between the start of the 2030 local planning period and when the first new homes in that period can be occupied Read Anglian Water’s document here. You can see the concept below. Above – p8 – projected area where a reservoir couldContinue reading “Early plans for a reservoir in the Fens to water Cambridge & South Cambs”

The sheer volume of information contained in the online document library is so great as to be intimidating even to this old hand. Fortunately there is enough time to put together something radical that could make this critical local plan one that has far more engagement with the people of Gtr Cambridge, and one thatContinue reading “Greater Cambridge Planning will need a very different sort of communications strategy for this new local plan 2030-41”

So I don’t forget – but also it covers sites and issues that would have been missed out in the call for sites. Which involves comparing the First Proposals map here… (and screengrabbed below…) …with the site submissions map from developers and landowners here – and also screengrabbed below: One thing to note is thatContinue reading “Comparing the first sites selected for the Greater Cambridge Local Plan 2030-41 with those submitted”

How do the 24 visions published in 2015 look today, having been through Brexit and still in the midst of a global pandemic? Being stuck indoors for much of the time these days sort of has its advantages when exploring through published documents, but I wouldn’t wish brainfog or chronic fatigue on anyone. I’m sortContinue reading “Visions for Cambridge 2065 in a climate emergency”