Cambridge City Council’s Cultural Strategy 2024-29

Final strategy document published by Cambridge City Council. It’s worth noting that a separate Cultural Infrastructure Strategy is due to be published as part of the emerging new Greater Cambridge Local Plan You can read the strategy at item 8 (first paper in the list) Some of you may also want to compare Cambridge’s strategyContinue reading “Cambridge City Council’s Cultural Strategy 2024-29”

Power with Purpose – overhauling Downing Street

The report from the Institute for Government might have been missed by most people, but as Harriet Harman said earlier, this is *really important* Image – How to be a Minister, by former minister John Hutton with Leigh Lewis You can watch the summary video below: The summary proposals are: You can read the fullContinue reading “Power with Purpose – overhauling Downing Street”

There are alternatives to Gove’s Case for Cambridge – Part 2

Following on from Part 1 here that looked at what Cambridge and surrounding towns/villages might need to do to come up with a locally-designed vision, this post looks at some of the things to consider – and how/why it’s not simply a case of building pastiche houses, concert halls, and museums alongside the sci-tech things.Continue reading “There are alternatives to Gove’s Case for Cambridge – Part 2”

There are alternatives to Gove’s Case for Cambridge – Part 1

The lack of detail in Michael Gove’s Case for Cambridge, published with The Budget 2024, shows how complex building such a case is. But if the people of Cambridge and Cambridgeshire are to come up with alternatives, we need to know some civic essentials As I mentioned in my previous blogpost: Browse through The Treasury’sContinue reading “There are alternatives to Gove’s Case for Cambridge – Part 1”

The Case for Cambridge – want to talk about it?

Come along to one of my Great Cambridge Crash Course events! Some of you may recall a similarly-titled initiative from nearly a decade ago. It was even on BBC Look East Above – BBC Look East via Cambridge Ahead, 09 Oct 2015 Furthermore, Smarter Cambridge Transport and Rail Future East produced this piece listing theContinue reading “The Case for Cambridge – want to talk about it?”

Hunt and Gove’s utopian dream for Cambridge 2040

Ministers finally publish their Case for Cambridge – but still have not confirmed the boundaries of their proposed development corporation. It all sounds very ‘Hand in Hand – German Allstars” 2020. Sing along! Above – if only we had German pop music to listen to when learning the language as 1990s teenagers in Cambridge! “So,Continue reading “Hunt and Gove’s utopian dream for Cambridge 2040”

Ministers were warned about planning inspectors messing things up

And now Queen Edith’s Ward in Cambridge has its own case study. Image: Queen Edith’s Community Forum – chances are some of you will want to raise this at a future forum meeting (or alternatively on the F-book Page here as well). Local residents are *not* happy with this mast. This was something local residentsContinue reading “Ministers were warned about planning inspectors messing things up”

Civic Spirit in Cambridge – do we have any?

And if not, can we generate enough of it to shape our city’s future in the run up to the general election? Before I start, a quick reminder of the two events coming up this month on Cambridge’s past and its future, both being held at the Central Library in Lion Yard, Cambridge See https://cambridgetownowl.com/workshops/Continue reading “Civic Spirit in Cambridge – do we have any?”

Cambridge University’s colleges risk undermining the impact of the University’s research…

…by failing to meet even the basic legal requirements on the minimum wage – let alone the Cambridge Living Wage, for those on the lowest incomes. Pictured – the student-led Cambridge Land Justice Campaign – which is campaigning on inequalities issues associated with the University of Cambridge During my various periods of house-bound boredom IContinue reading “Cambridge University’s colleges risk undermining the impact of the University’s research…”

Cambridge, why are the main routes into our city filled with dull buildings?

I was looking at another planning application that, yet again replaces a not-particularly inspiring building with one that’s even worse It’s on Castle Hill at the Histon Road Junction by Mount [not so] Pleasant. Before Proposed ****Oooooooh!!!! Ugly Sh****te!!!**** At this rate I’m gonna be rockin’ up to a future planning committee and playing thisContinue reading “Cambridge, why are the main routes into our city filled with dull buildings?”