Author Archives: Cambridge Town Owl

…and why won’t ministers allow such alternatives to be considered by local government? The wider Political context is Labour’s Dr Nik Johnson’s election victory back in May 2021 where to the surprise of many of us, he won the Combined Authority Mayoral Election running on a promise to prioritise improving buses – see this interviewContinue reading “What are the alternative ways of subsidising bus services other than council tax precepts?”

The fragmentation of the public sector combined with an over-complicated planning system that seems to make everyone angry combined with the mystery that is where power resides at the University of Cambridge and its colleges are all reflected in this particular case – a piece of sporting infrastructure for a rapidly-growing city that we areContinue reading “The West Cambridge Swimming Pool case shows how difficult it is for the public to hold decision-makers accountable”

So told the representative of the University of Cambridge to Cambridge City Councillors on 09 Sept 2015 [Updated to add – things get *even more complicated* in the subsequent post here] Image – Cambridge Land Justice Campaign – formed by students who are interested in many of the issues that I discuss below. You canContinue reading ““[The] University wish to work proactively with the City to deliver the swimming pool.””

It’s up to individual constituencies to make their own local contests the opposite of the stage-managed bore-fest that will inevitably be the national campaigns if contemporary electoral history is anything to go by. Anyone who has the misfortune to remember the 2001 General Election will know what I mean by that – surely the dullestContinue reading “How can voters ensure issues rather than personalities are debated at the general election?”

You can view the strategy here, and send your views in here I can’t write too much on this because I’m still brain-fogged up after CamCycle’s AGM (you can read the 2023 annual report here which covers things like actions achieved, income, and expenditure as is required by charity law) The housing strategy email (seeContinue reading “Homes for our future – Cambridge & South Cambs 2024-29”

Despite the withheld papers for the meeting on 29 January 2024, the published items reveal just how badly broken our governance structure is, and why the next government has to overhaul them if Cambridge (however you choose to define it) is to get the public infrastructure that cities need in order to function properly. YouContinue reading “Cambridge Civic Quarter – make or break for Cambridge City Council”

I asked Cambridge City Council for a progress update. The news that the University risks losing the planning permission because of time expiring astonished – and students should be absolutely furious over this. You can listen to the response by Cllr Katie Thornburrow to my public question here One for Cambridge University staff, students, andContinue reading “Cambridge University risk losing planning permission for West Cambridge Swimming Pool”

See the details here – do you know any local groups in your area who could organise similar debates, whether on specific local issues or on a wider range of things? See the meeting details here – do let the organisers know if you are going! Above – Harston Village Hall’s website is here TheContinue reading “Harston to kickoff the first pre-general election debates on 14 Jan 2024”

If you are a child of the 1980s/1990s, time to read up in before the general election campaigns start! TL/DR? Have a browse through some of the 21st Century books on Citizenship here – it’ll give you a crash course on the essentials of politics in the UK. Want a cheap paper copy that pre-datesContinue reading “I learnt more about democracy in this children’s book from the olden days than in 18 years at school/college in 1980s/1990s.”

One of the things about democracy education is ensuring we have an active civic society that knows what to look out for, when, and how to flag things up. Basically it shouldn’t be left to a small committee of councillors or some sad schmoo like me to pick up on these things. Furthermore, if doneContinue reading “Who is monitoring the Cambridge monitoring report? Anyone?”