Category Archives: Uncategorized

What the report in 1924 on The Guildhouse Co-operative Centre for Adult Education can teach today’s politicians and policy-makers Image: The Centenary Commission on Adult Education Report 2019 (Which needs looking at again as it was drowned out by the Brexit noise in the general election). You can browse through the guide that arrived thisContinue reading “The lack of adult education and lifelong learning centres was called out 102 years ago”

And why do big infrastructure projects in the UK cost so much more than most of the rest of the world? Image: Land Value Capture in the USA – read how they do it You can read the Government’s One Year Review of the Green Book here “What is the Green Book?” “The Green BookContinue reading “Why did The Treasury not cover Land Value Capture in its Green Book Review?”

If you’ve not been to the People’s History Museum, have a look here. The ‘PM-in-waiting’ as the media are setting him up as, gave his first policy speech post-by-election at the Museum You can watch the speech in full via the AP here – do have a listen What Mr Burnham is up against isContinue reading “Will Treasury let Andy Burnham overhaul local government finance? From his speech at the People’s History Museum”

For those of you that have forgotten, the Mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Paul Bristow included getting a light rail for Cambridge built, and ‘making the Mayoralty matter’ in his manifesto You can browse through his manifesto here. Image: Political Education for Adults (1983) by the old Advisory Council for Adult andContinue reading “How can the CPCA Mayor raise the profile of the Mayoralty with an unfamiliar public in an era of low trust in Politics?”

Ministers have responded to MPs who have raised the Forest City Concept with them. The Combined Authority Mayor for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Paul Bristow was also asked about it at his public questions event at Cambridge Guildhall on 25 June 2026 (see my previous blogpost) and he was dismissive of both the concept and ofContinue reading “Cambridgeshire MPs debate Forest City proposed for West Suffolk”

Two sets of question-and-answer sessions for CPCA Mayor Paul Bristow in the continuing heatwave You can listen to Chris Mann’s cross-examination of the CPCA Mayor on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire here. (Available till end of July 2026) I’ve not yet listened to the above, but one thing journalists are able to do that most councillors don’tContinue reading “CPCA Mayor faces questions at Cambridge Guildhall – and BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s Chris Mann”

The Town and Country Planning Association publishes a page of guidance and links on involving children and young people in town planning – as two large planning applications land at Greater Cambridge Share Planning Service’s desks. You can browse through the TCPA’s resources here One of the resources included is the UN Convention on theContinue reading “Two large planning applications – hearing the voice of young people”

Cambridge City Council announces on social media it is bringing in its Red Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (they need also to put this on their website landing page as at the time of posting, there isn’t anything informing local residents about the extreme weather conditions). #IAgreeWithPuffles – and everyone else who thinks something should beContinue reading “Cambridge Greens call for urgent council meeting on extreme heat alert”

Suddenly 1999 seems a very long time ago, and the extreme heat that we were warned about is now here. So why are we so badly prepared? Interesting day to ask such a question given the Prime Minister resigned earlier this morning following Andy Burnham’s election to Parliament with a huge majority last Thursday. IfContinue reading “Red Alert for Extreme Heat – and retrofitting cities for extreme climate events”

Also on supporting community projects, and coming up with something that does not mention the word ‘school’ Not least because one of the biggest barriers to people taking part in anything involving education and learning are their negative experiences at school during childhood. Cambridgeshire has a new Local Democracy Reporter Hence my surprise at seeingContinue reading “Why combined authorities are not set up to deal with disconnection in society”