Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Cambridge North planning application – outline permission for which was controversially granted on appeal by ministers in the dying days of the Conservative Government in 2024, is back with detailed proposals. But how will they deal with Anglian Water’s new policy of routine objections? See the BBC Cambridgeshire summary here, and see me andContinue reading “Detailed plans for Cambridge North boxes to be presented to city council”

The potholes in the roads are very visible symptoms of a much greater set of problems whose roots are in Westminster. Is there a local solution given the huge rise in heavy construction traffic associated with Cambridge’s rapid growth? The Cambridgeshire context is the £73million the county council allocated for highways maintenance funding My photoContinue reading “Potholes? We’ve got them too. But where does the buck stop?”

The Cambridge Growth Company’s consultation sets out the powers it seeks to acquire from local government in Cambridgeshire – and councillors are not happy. Is there a workaround? Possibly. But it might require some innovations in structures and lines of accountability. BBC Cambridgeshire quoted some councillors who described the move as a power grab. AboveContinue reading “Is there a solution to the Cambridge planning powers issues?”

You’ll be delighted to know that theres ***another consultation*** – this one on strategic planning that was scrapped by Eric Pickles’ pen back in 2010, a few months after the East of England spent the best part of a decade putting the old East of England Regional Plan together. Such is the life of civilContinue reading “Regional Planning returns – but it’s still a big messy picture”

…while the Cambridge Growth Company responds to concerns from councillors about the transfer of planning powers East West Rail has confirmed some further public events in/around Cambridge in March 2026 Thursday 5 March     2pm-7pm    St Andrew’s Church, Cherry Hinton,  Coldhams Lane, Cambridge CB1 3JS    Saturday 7 March   12pm-5pm St Thomas’s Hall, 17 Ancaster Way, Cambridge, CB1 3TT  Saturday 14Continue reading “East West Rail schedule events on new Cambridge East Station”

Cambridge United Football Club has published its official response to the draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan You can read: In their submission they recommend the council planners make provision for both the improvement of the Abbey Stadium, and also for a possible move ideally to somewhere on the Cambridge East (Airport) site. That said, theContinue reading “Cambridge United FC and the future of Cambridge”

Fenland District Council has an open consultation on the future of the district (see here) – closing date 16 March 2026, as the district plans for the next quarter of a century (to 2050) The drivers for this were both the proposed reservoir which needs more work done on the plans according to OfWat backContinue reading “Chatteris & Fenland’s new local plan in a growing Cambridge sub-region”

Both the leader of the city council and his opposition shadow leader speak out against the proposed removal of planning powers from local government to a new Cambridge Development Corporation (*Note some workshop and offline discussion ideas here) You can read: While I’ve not seen a published statement from The Greens, their 2023 manifesto wasContinue reading “Cambridge councillors oppose loss of planning powers”

The Government has published its statutory consultation with four options You can read the consultation here Each of the councils were invited to submit proposals containing significant evidence bases to support their proposals. Further down the page is an explanation of why they’ve gone into so much detail: “Although this will be a technical exercise,Continue reading “Localgov reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough”

Draft boundaries/areas confirmed as Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District only – and small scale planning applications will remain within local government control – but can the development corporation put an end to Kett House Karbuncle designs? You can access the consultation here Does anyone want to take part in some offline discussions on theContinue reading “Cambridge Development Corporation consultation launched”