It appears that Labour/ Conservative proposals to fine drivers using key roads in and out of Cambridge in peak hours may be for the scrap heap, or at least the City Deal chair, Labour councillor Lewis Herbert, has declared them ‘unviable’. It’s excellent that the huge volume of objections appears to have forced the Cambridge […]

As the county council boundary review is concluding, the parliamentary one is just beginning. This review like the local government ones aims to reduce our representation as well as to even up the numbers. Nearly all parliamentary constituencies are becoming larger, ie more voters per MP. The Boundary Commission’s initial proposal is to move Queen […]

The Local Government Boundary Commission has made its final recommendations on the new county division boundaries – and Queen Edith’s is to stay as an independent division, and NOT be merged with Trumpington, despite their earlier recommendations.The new division will be larger than the current one, with  an estimated 8,342 electors compared to 7,694 now. […]

The Greater Cambridge City Deal is a partnership between central and local government to deliver new infrastructure in Cambridge and the sub-region. It is managed by a board comprising leaders of the councils in the area (Lewis Herbert, Steve Count and Frances Burkitt), plus representatives from the universities and business. They have just launched proposals […]

The good news: The Government is proposing to devolve some powers, giving Cambridgeshire and Peterborough control over funding for new housing, transport and other infrastructure. The bad news: in return, they are demanding we have an elected mayor. Unlike ceremonial mayors, elected mayors take executive decisions. The government’s plan is for an elected mayor to […]

Peterborough and Cambridgeshire could come together with a joint authority and an elected mayor, under government devolution proposals. The good news is that the deal would bring more money for transport, housing and other infrastructure. The bad news, for many, is that the government demands an elected mayor. All the councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterbrough […]

By now, we all know that the UK narrowly voted last week to leave the European Union. The result has opened up huge fault lines in both the economy and the body politic, which will take much time and much hard graft to resolve. It has also created a great deal of personal uncertainty and […]

COMMUTER PARKING in Hills Road near the colleges is just as bad as ever, especially acute when it’s raining cats and dogs like it was yesterday – as fair-weather cyclists/pedestrians / bus users) take to their cars. But take courage: work on parking restrictions has been going on behind the scenes. Here is an update. […]

The Boundary Commission is re-consulting yet again on its new county council division boundaries, following complaints about the last, rather rushed, phase of consultation. You can see their recommendations on the Boundary Commission website at: http://www.lgbce.org.uk/current-reviews/eastern/cambridgeshire/cambridgeshire-county-council. The number of divisions (voting areas) is going down by roughly 10%. Cambridge will in future have only 12 […]

Here is the agenda for the next South Area meeting: http://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=2890&x=1. Decisions will be made on policing priorities, community grants and environmental improvement schemes. 7pm, 18th April, St John’s Church, Hills Road.