Category Archives: Uncategorized

…because chances are one of them will have a magazine about it. Me quoting Moya Lothian-McLean quoting author Sarah Woolley in my previous blogpost. I had to go into town today (i.e. the centre of Cambridge) and picked up some reading material to last a month, including a couple from this selection: Above – EasterContinue reading ““Find three causes and focus on those””

…and local elections are just one part of what constitutes local democracy. (A reminder that 89 is the target for this year’s candidates to beat – because no one wants to get fewer votes than Puffles the Dragon Fairy!) So how far can local activism and community action towards filling some of the voids? ChallengeContinue reading ““Local Democracy is not a spectator sport””

What might the county of our future look like? Cllr Hilary Cox Condron (Labour – Arbury) of Cambridgeshire County Council took a big step forward with a number of activist groups One of the big gaps in responding to the climate emergency that has persistently remained is the lack of visualising what a transformed cityContinue reading “Reimagining Cambridgeshire at Cambridge University”

On why the proposed Oxford-Cambridge railway should be *more ambitious* in taking road traffic off, and why the OxCamArc became a victim of its own lobbyists’ hype. You’ll have seen the headlines calling for the business case to be published and/or East West Rail to be scrapped. Ditto the rearguard action by the big businessContinue reading ““Don’t throw the EastWestRail baby out with the OxCamArc bathwater!””

But First…This. I’ve put my name down as a candidate for one of the Patient Governor vacancies at Addenbrooke’s (i.e. the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Board of Governors). …so I also recorded a video. …Don’t all laugh at once! I’ve posted links to my previous blogposts on local health and social care deliveryContinue reading “Common strands of Cambridge’s ‘too difficult to solve’ problems at recent council meetings”

We face multiple and conflicting demands on land use. There are better places for solar panels to be installed to generate electricity – even though installation costs might be more expensive than using open fields. Another case of a community opposing the construction of a new solar farm in/next to Cambridgeshire. This follows the applicationContinue reading “Ministers need to update planning policy on solar panels and solar farms”

The proposals, published today by the Greater Cambridge Planning Service raise a whole host of issues that go far beyond the impact of the development, and go to the heart of the sort of city the people who make up our city want it to become. First of all, the proposals for a new swimmingContinue reading “The Perse School’s plan for a new swimming pool on Long Road, Cambridge”

…involves finding out about them in our fragmented system of local government I’ve written numerous articles following my December 2021 stays in hospital. On public transport and healthcare staff On improving local council links with doctors’ surgeries On loneliness as a public health and public policy issue On weak institutional links with local government OnContinue reading “Holding the providers of health and social care services accountable”

This blogpost looks at practical actions that don’t simply involve handing over money to the causes that have the highest profiles and the loudest voices – but instead looks at longer term partnerships where everyone can benefit At the Supersize Cambridge event in July 2016, the late Allan Brigham, the local historian gave this hard-hittingContinue reading “How can Cambridge’s employers support civic society in improving our city and county?”

Cambridge University’s Strategic Framework hardly mentions the interests of the city which both hosts, and gives the name to the University. Looking out for the people of Cambridge is something that former Vice Chancellor Sir Ivor Jennings QC said the Dons should never forget. (Image from the Cambridgeshire Collection – an investigation by the FTContinue reading “Cambridge University’s future strategies must be created in partnership with Cambridge town and surrounding villages”