Author Archives: Cambridge Town Owl

On how people on low incomes and face two sets of barriers when it comes to trying to influence decisions made about where they live – and also has wider impacts on policies trying to deal with loneliness in society This is my second attempt at trying to write this post because I got side-trackedContinue reading “How often do you go to events where the food and drink is ‘on the house’?”

The author of ‘Human Transit’ (in the metro public transport sense) has invited any interested groups to organise a speaking event and/or a 2-day transit design course both in and for our city TL/DR? See JW & Associates’ transit network design course here. Image – from Cambridge Connect Light Rail Given a number of CambridgeContinue reading “Transport infrastructure expert Jarrett Walker will be in Cambridge in Sept 2025”

With the consultations on the Cambridge Growth Company and the new unitary council looming, now is the time for civic-minded residents to speak up. Town, gown, and county. TL/DR? Look at the charter here – and specifically at the commitments from Section 7. Image – The Trials of Democracy, which has more events coming upContinue reading “The University of East Anglia has created a civic charter – can Cambridge University get one too?”

The multiple symptoms are now impossible to avoid. So long as Ministers and in particular The Treasury insist on holding onto the levers of power that might lead to improvements, little will change Image: “Cambridge& – Impossible Stories”. Part of me is like: **I’ll give you an impossible story! ‘Ordinary resident on minimum wage workingContinue reading “Chronically high land and property prices are poisoning our city”

With three major developments next to each other, it will be interesting to see how the final designs compare, contrast, and interact, when they are finally built TL/DR? See the Crown Estates consultation here – you have until 02 July 2025 to send in your views. I went along to the Cambridge Business Park consultationContinue reading “Who will build the best development west of Cambridge North Station?”

…something that I’ve been waiting nearly a decade for – along with everyone else who has been supporting the Cambridge Connect Light Rail proposals Image – Puffles the Dragon Fairy in Haverhill back in April 2014, linking up the town’s rail-reopening campaign with the emerging work on what became the GCP Credit to Daniel FultonContinue reading “Combined Authority Mayor Paul Bristow says next step for light rail is a feasibility study”

You can read the extended piece here, and it answers some of the issues raised by councillors and residents alike. And for those of you who want to get stuck into the issues, get involved with the Cambs Unitaries Campaign. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s invitation letter is here – the one referred to in the aboveContinue reading “Ministers publish update on unitary council proposals”

I rocked up to the afternoon session of a pair of workshops at the recently-opened Cherry Hinton Hub in South-East Cambridge. While I was the youngest person participating (the morning workshop had a more diverse group age-wise), the united call for the University of Cambridge to bring back a civic lifelong learning function was somethingContinue reading “Cherry Hinton residents demand better from Cambridge University”

And not just because I want to apply for one to try out civics pop-up stalls Basically the city council’s small grant scheme excludes individuals and unless you are a fully-functioning, established constituted organisation with a history of successful delivery, the barriers to applying for anything are prohibitive. “What are micro-grants?” “A ‘micro-grant’ means aContinue reading “Cambridge, can we run some community micro-grants schemes?”

Will it be a ground-breaking splendidly beautiful visionary design, or will it be carbuncle-tastic and enrage His Majesty? Also, the Combined Authority publish videos of some of its events at the big UKREIIF property industry jamboree in Leeds. TL/DR? – See the consultation event on Wed 04 June 2025 in North Cambridge, and see theContinue reading “Crown Estate invites you to see North Cambridge business park masterplan”