Author Archives: Cambridge Town Owl

Jen Williams’ article on the late Sir Howard Bernstein, the former Chief Executive of Manchester City Council from 1998-2017 provides much food for thought You can read her article here You can follow her on Bsky Here I’ve been following Jen Williams’ posts on birdsite for years and strongly recommend her writing on all thingsContinue reading “Manchester’s lessons for…Cambridge?”

I missed this from the Subnational Transport Organisation ‘England’s Economic Heartland’ as I was busy moaning about the March-Wisbech rail study, but at the same time the former published their report on rail priorities between Oxford and Cambridge It states: “EEH’s Rail Main Line Priorities Study, published today, provides a comprehensive baseline of rail inContinue reading “Another strategic transport report – this one covering Cambridge’s regional rail links”

Has *anyone* visualised what Cambridge might look like once all this building work is done? And has anyone visualised what it might be like if all of the projects go ahead with no co-ordination as seems to have been the case over the past decade? Before I start, a quick reminder I’m on Bsky –Continue reading “East West Rail’s consultation raises the big question of a Cambridge Masterplan”

The start of the statutory process at the end of which the Transport Secretary will decide whether to authorise the construction of the C-2-C busway, has begun And it’s not cheap. Above – from the estimated costs (which you can probably double if not treble given past form!) “Forty-million-smackeroonies for advisers?!?! (20% of the costs).Continue reading “GCP’s Cambourne to Cambridge busway application submitted to DfT”

Cambridge City Council will be debating the future of the civic quarter at The Guildhall on 21 November 2024 from 5.30pm (See the papers here). Looking at the proposals, surely Mr Pennycook knows this is no way to govern a city with a globally-recognised name See Phil Rodgers’ Thread here. Also, for your in-depth scrutiny,Continue reading “The Housing Minister must know that existing funding and governance structures for Cambridge are unsustainable”

With over 1,600 jobs being created as a result of the proposed redevelopment of one of the old Peterborough brickworks, politicians need to consider how to upgrade the rail infrastructure in Peterborough and Fenland. (See also the Fenland Local Plan 2014) See the Cambridge News report here. Also, you can view the documents via https://www.publicaccess.fenland.gov.uk/publicaccessContinue reading “New Sci-Tech Park at Whittlesey must kick start rail infrastructure improvements around Peterborough”

If the Crown Estate is going to spend over £1billion on increasing the density of the business park on the southern side of Cowley Road, then some of that investment has to benefit the children and people of King’s Hedges ward next door. TL/DR? “Join us at our upcoming public consultation events to help shapeContinue reading “Crown Estate to revamp Cambridge Business Park – can it help fund a new swimming pool on the other side of Milton Road?”

This was for non-devolved parts of England that have not had their budgets devolved to Combined Authorities, picked up by FE Week. I dread to think what it’s like when you include the Combined Authorities FE Week wrote about it here Above – Josh Meoor for FE Week 08 Nov 2024 The data comes fromContinue reading “Why has there been a massive underspend in adult education in the early 2020s?”

Dr Andy Williams (again) asks for a much-improved system of information management to ensure everyone can keep track on what each other is doing Presumably this is prior to any massive overhaul of local institutions in the face of an over-fragmented structure, but it makes sense. Have a listen to Dr Williams at the CombinedContinue reading “Can Cambridgeshire’s local governance institutions keep all their papers in one place?”

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority have neither the funding nor the powers to provide for one – and neither do its partner institutions Let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that anywhere in England has got a ‘world class offer’ on adult education and lifelong learning. Which is why I was astonished to see thisContinue reading “What does a world class offer on adult education look like?”