City Centre Access – two months for Greater Cambridge Partnership to come up with something new

Following the decision to proceed with the busways, the Greater Cambridge Partnership now needs to come up with something substantial to deal with the ‘last mile’ problem – something that they should have solved first. Ben Hatton has written up the Cambridge News account of last week’s Board Meeting. The problem that the GCP nowContinue reading “City Centre Access – two months for Greater Cambridge Partnership to come up with something new”

Whose future vision of Cambridge is being delivered, and why?

Some of you may have seen the spoof letter to the people of the city regarding access to Grantchester Meadows following the restrictions put in place by landowner King’s College. Picture the scene: The King of England (Henry VI to be precise) rocked up to Cambridge and surveyed the scene on Milne Street. He sawContinue reading “Whose future vision of Cambridge is being delivered, and why?”

The approval of the Greater Cambridge Busways reflects the broken governance system of our city & county

The origin of this lie with the Coalition Government and their decision to create the Greater Cambridge Partnership, and later under the Conservatives to create the Combined Authority – instead of undertaking the long overdue national restructure of local government. It does not, however remove the risk that the general public will look at thisContinue reading “The approval of the Greater Cambridge Busways reflects the broken governance system of our city & county”

Cambridgeshire County Council to maintain a presence on Castle Hill, Cambridge – could this include an enhanced heritage offer?

Pictured: Campaigners calling for Cambridge’s Castle Mound Historical Monument to be protected from potential privatisation. Back in 2016 shortly after the EU Referendum I decided to switch my focus away from national politics and move it towards local history. I made my way to the top of the Hill and recorded this piece: …and I’veContinue reading “Cambridgeshire County Council to maintain a presence on Castle Hill, Cambridge – could this include an enhanced heritage offer?”

What happens to the proposed Cambourne-Cambridge busway buses when they hit Grange Road?

Above – me on Queen’s Road Green, pointing towards West Road – and Grange Road beyond it, from way back in 2017. The same question applies for the CSET buses from the east when they hit Addenbrooke’s? Only I’ve been asking these questions for years. ***Look at how much hair I have! (and how fewContinue reading “What happens to the proposed Cambourne-Cambridge busway buses when they hit Grange Road?”

“Greater Cambridge looks forward to multiple long and bitter disputes with communities”

Pick up a copy of this week’s Cambridge Independent (23 June 2021) – it’s all in there. The next big decision is on 01 July at the Greater Cambridge Partnership Board – you can read the 678 pages of meeting papers here. Above – Chris Rand, Editor of the Queen Edith’s Newsletter (posting in aContinue reading ““Greater Cambridge looks forward to multiple long and bitter disputes with communities””

The Rights of the River Cam – and Cambridge’s Biodiversity Strategy

The consultation on the new strategy opens next week – subject to approval from city councillors Some of you may have spotted this by Tony Booth for Friends fo the River Cam. [Update – the Cambridge News report from the event is now up here] See also the poems via Alice Willitts here. A numberContinue reading “The Rights of the River Cam – and Cambridge’s Biodiversity Strategy”

There’s much more that Labour’s Angela Rayner could consider on civil service diversity beyond oxbridge graduates

It goes far beyond the Civil Service Fast Stream (of which I was an in-service candidate back in 2006), and covers issues such as lifelong learning, and the local-central division of powers. Labour’s deputy leader could commission some in-depth research that could incorporate those issues that collectively may have a far greater impact on diversityContinue reading “There’s much more that Labour’s Angela Rayner could consider on civil service diversity beyond oxbridge graduates”

The Kite in Cambridge is an unsuitable site for commercially marketed laboratories

Above – Christ Church Cambridge on Newmarket Road, from Britain from above [EAW013079] in 1948. Most of the buildings to the right of it were demolished to make way for The Grafton Centre. Savills would be far better advised if they worked with the people of Cambridge in deciding the future of The Grafton CentreContinue reading “The Kite in Cambridge is an unsuitable site for commercially marketed laboratories”

Mill Road For People – and the new Cambridge Living Streets survey results

How do you solve the problems of a street like Mill Road? And what did the survey of over 300 people by the new Cambridge branch of what was originally The Pedestrians’ Association have to say? Some of you may have seen the proposals from the https://millroad4people.org/ group. You can also see this account ofContinue reading “Mill Road For People – and the new Cambridge Living Streets survey results”