Author Archives: Cambridge Town Owl

Today’s Cambridge Arts Network conference at The Guildhall saw delegates grappling with increasingly frustrating issues as the powerlessness of the people and small institutions became more than apparent In our globally-recognised city that is run like a market town, our city’s arts networks (including the Cambridge Arts Network, and CamCreatives) tried to unpick a numberContinue reading “Cambridge Arts Network takes on some very difficult challenges”

The Levelling Up Committee of the House of Commons took evidence earlier today – and came out with some damning quotations about the construction industry’s failures to accommodate children and young people. Image: Remember the Cambridge Playlaws project? You can read through the written submissions here. (I originally thought there were only three – whichContinue reading “Designing child-friendly communities”

The ex-Labour Cabinet Minister, now multi-tasking as an academic and a TV breakfast show worked with a team of researchers at Harvard, MIT, and UCL, to examine the massive regional inequalities in the UK which was published in Feb 2024. Pictured: East of England Regional Plan 2010 They are part of a series of papersContinue reading “Regional Government again – Ed Balls at Harvard”

These could be of interest to existing residents beyond the neighbouring wards – especially when it comes to our existing civic and social infrastructure gaps. You can see the timetable below Above – from South Cambridgeshire District Council The ones delivered in partnership with Cambridge City Council are: To get a feel for some ofContinue reading “A new round of community forums covering housing developments on the edge of Cambridge – 2024”

…especially when so many of your tenant and member organisations are struggling to recruit suitably qualified staff to fill vacancies This was the point I put to the representatives of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus following their speeches at the Queen Edith’s Community Forum AGM earlier. (See my previous blogpost) The exclusive institutional culture of theContinue reading “‘You can’t build the biggest employment site in Cambridge and not have a lifelong learning centre on it’”

Three gatherings in two days with a trio of very different groups of people gave me a snapshot of where our city is at – along with its structural weaknesses and our civic potential. One gathering was running a workshop on the relationship between central and local government for the Cambridge University Climate Society, anotherContinue reading “New community event organising in South Cambridge”

What are they, how do they work, and what might they be used for? And what are their drawbacks? (Image: From Brighter Citizens, 1947) Some of you may remember Keith Garrett from Cambridge who has stood at the last three general elections as a candidate in Cambridge for Rebooting Democracy (2015, 2017, 2019 – youContinue reading “‘Labour would introduce citizens’ assemblies’”

Our city goes to the ballot box for the city council elections, and we are joined by the county and the City of Peterborough for the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections on 02 May 2024 – less than three months away “Elections are due to take place in Cambridge on Thursday 2 May 2024. TheContinue reading “General election public events in and around Cambridge for 2024/25”

In my case it’s Cambridge City Council, but elsewhere it might be your borough or district council, or unitary council. Blogpost image – Cambridge ACORN the community union which campaigns on community issues especially rental housing. This post stems from one of the strangest full council budget meetings that I’ve seen for years – interruptedContinue reading “Any housing campaigners want to table this question to their local council?”

Late last year, members of the Cambridge branch of ACORN the Community Union (sort of like a trade union but not based in a specific workplace – and not to be confused with the Community Trade Union) voted to pick improving bus services – and in particular supporting bus franchising, as their campaign for thisContinue reading “ACORN Cambridge’s new campaign for better buses in/around our city”