Author Archives: Cambridge Town Owl

The deputy civic mayor for the previous municipal year was elevated to the mayoralty earlier today. She follows in the footsteps of previous Romsey Labour councillors Bill Briggs and Labour MP Barry Gardiner – whose daughter Cllr Beth Gardiner-Smith (also of Romsey) seconded her nomination You can listen to the new Mayor of Cambridge’s speechContinue reading “New Mayor of Cambridge Dinah Pounds’ music and arts vision for our city”

We had a hint that two new multistorey car parks were being planned, but I didn’t assume the designers would go for a particularly hideous design for a facility that will become obsolete within a decade of completion. TL/DR? Have your say here – closing date 29 May 2025 I first wrote about this backContinue reading “RailPen follows Kett House developers with ugly monstrosity”

While the big institutions decamp to Leeds for the UK property corporate fest, some new things are bubbling away closer to the grassroots of our city You only have to look at the Combined Authority’s LinkedIn feed to see who is saying what about our county. In the meantime, there are a few things bubblingContinue reading “Together Culture and The Cambridge Room creating spaces for community conversations”

The think tank had to rebrand after TeamNigel hijacked their name for the Brexit chief’s latest party political incarnation. To celebrate that rebrand, they have published a series of short pieces on what needs to be done. What’s new? And what have we heard before? You can read the report here TL/DR? The problem isContinue reading “Re:State’s proposals to reform the state”

A new leader of Cambridge City Council, a county council with a Liberal Democrat majority, and a new order at the Combined Authority Image – Cambridge Playlaws, when young people spoke out about inequalities in our city You can read the meeting papers for the following: The Combined Authority won’t meet until early June InContinue reading “New councils meet at the start of the municipal year”

I’m still reeling from what one youngster asked me and a fellow volunteer of the Queen Edith’s Community Forum at today’s Queen Edith Summer Fete when we asked him about current and future facilities for children and young people. The children and teenagers of Queen Edith’s did not hold back when it came to describingContinue reading “*What’s a youth club?*”

It’s still early days – and a consultation looms this summer before he makes his report that will include a recommendation on the geographical area his development corporation powers should cover You can watch the video commissioned by the Federation of Cambridge Residents’ Associations produced by Great St Mary’s (the venue) here See also PhilContinue reading “Peter Freeman convinces some but not others about his approach to grow Cambridge”

Another candidate for a potential second volume of Hideous Cambridge? Either way, tell the developers what you think After all, some of you might like this and think Cambridge doesn’t have enough of this sort of building. Above – from BBC Cambridgeshire, the design by Bennetts Associates “What were they inspired by? An Excel Spreadsheet?”Continue reading “Developers propose bland block for key southern gateway into Cambridge”

UDL Being Urban Design Learning who produced a series of videos on some of the recently-built developments on the edge of Cambridge There are very few tickets left for the talk by Mr Freeman of the Cambridge Growth Company on Thurs 15 May at Great St Mary’s What do Cambridge’s new developments look like? YouContinue reading “As Peter Freeman prepares to face Cambridge residents, UDL asks what you can learn from our city”

…as an alternative to allowing employers to recruit from abroad. So where is the big strategy for adult education and lifelong learning that the Commons Education Select Committee recommended back in November 2020? Or was today’s Immigration White Paper a Political response to both the Conservatives and TeamNigel? After all, the Tories got an evenContinue reading “The Prime Minister and Home Secretary talk about investing in the UK’s own workforce…”