Category Archives: Uncategorized

I’m not sure what the Better Beehive Campaign are going to make of this proposal given their campaigning on the proposals for the Beehive redevelopment on the other side of Coldham’s Lane, but it feels like a missed opportunity to get a new station at Coldham’s Lane built This follows on from my previous blogpostContinue reading “RailPEN proposes building two multi-storey car parks on Cambridge Retail Park. Instead of a railway station”

The blurb said: “This event is being hosted by Landmark Chambers in partnership with Mills & Reeve and Bidwells. It is free to attend and will take place in person at Jesus College, University of Cambridge, CB5 8BL.“ Pictured: Hideous Cambridge by Jones and Hall. Please can we avoid past mistakes? I found out aboutContinue reading “When the planning experts came to Cambridge”

The data seems to tell an astonishing story – one that needs to be clarified by senior executives and ministers given the choices the Government is making on future growth See Mark Williamson’s response to former Queen Edith’s ward councillor Sam Davies MBE. “So the East of England is the second worst region in theContinue reading “Why has the total number of beds at Addenbrooke’s stayed static over the past quarter of a century?”

Comments from the councillors should be publicised more widely – if only to let residents know more about what building work is happening in our city There were two important debates at The Guildhall earlier this evening for Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee (see the papers here), but sadly few were there to observe onlineContinue reading “What councillors had to say about Cambridge’s house building statistics and on East West Rail”

…possibly in February 2025 according to the Better Beehive Campaign. Time to look at the planning application documents again – all 540 of them! Go to the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service here, Then hover over ‘Search’ -> ‘Planning’ -> ‘Simple Search’ and type in the reference: 23/03204/OUT The text of the application summary reads:Continue reading “Beehive redevelopment’s planning hearing coming up…”

Does anyone know where to start for something that involves all of us? (A bit like the climate emergency? Many of you may have spotted the headlines about the Prime Minister’s speech on all things AI – and this new ‘Opportunities Action Plan’ (which you can read here) which is also published today. The Government’sContinue reading “Who has got time to become an AI and media literate active citizen?”

The Society of Local Council Clerks (or SLCC – because everyone’s an acronym these days) has a number of interesting looking courses on their books. Just don’t expect anyone to be interested when they find out the fees I’m picking on the SLCC as a case study to illustrate the wider malaise in lifelong learningContinue reading “Anyone got four grand spare to learn about local government?”

The Combined Authority has published its papers for their Skills and Employment Committee – and it has lots to say on adult skills. You can read the papers here – the committee also welcomes public questions (you can email them over via here, and an officer will read out your question on your behalf) ThisContinue reading “Cambridgeshire’s lifelong learning offer is still far too narrow”

It didn’t need to be like this but successive governments and councils have cut the libraries and archives service to the bone – to the extent that it can barely provide the bare minimum. Yet some of the Closer to Communities pilots show it’s not all bad news – as young people from Fenland andContinue reading “The Cambridgeshire Libraries Service annual report paints a miserable picture of underfunding”

There are a couple of meetings coming up next week (13th Jan 2025) but with over 170 pages of meeting papers for the one hosted by Cambridgeshire County Council, it can be easy to get lost in the paperwork! Every time I look at any governance structures that involve politicians I find myself singing theContinue reading “Do you know who to put questions to on healthcare services in/around Cambridge?”