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Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Bick Insults Labour’s Cllr Sinnott
Order broke down at Cambridge City Council on the 14th of April 2016 when the usually polite leader of the Liberal Democrat group Cllr Tim Bick rudely insulted Labour’s Cllr Ann Sinnott. Cllr Bick said: When Cllr Sinnott stands up, and really I wish someone would blow something between her ears sometimes… Quite what Cllr […]
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Cllrs Ditch Planning Rulebook To Let Applicant Maximise Rental Profits to Pay for Care
1 Greystoke Road, Cambridge On Monday the 5th of March 2012 I observed City Councillors on Cambridge’s South Area committee consider a planning application to divide a property into two, enabling each part to be let separately. This was an interesting case because almost all councillors ditched normal planning practice and made a decision on […]
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Magistrates Removed from Cambridge Community Safety Partnership
Cambridge magistrates have been removed from Cambridge’s community safety partnership – the body which co-ordinates the city’s police, probation services, councils, health bodies, universities and others in their efforts to prevent and reduce crime and generally make Cambridge a safer and more pleasant place to live. Labour councillor Ann Sinnott, representing Cambridge residents, voted for […]
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Cambridge South Area Committee Farce – February 2015
I observed Cambridge’s South Area Committee on the evening of Monday the 2nd of February 2015. The meeting was the most farce-ridden disheartening display of attempted democracy I’ve observed. Almost every element of the meeting was either a farce itself or highlighted a farce elsewhere in one of Cambridge’s local councils. Cllr Amanda Taylor claimed […]
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Farce As Councillors Refuse Permission for Smaller Extension Saying It Is Too Big
On the 18th of August 2014 I watched Cambridge City Councillors unanimously deny planning permission for an extension on the grounds it would be too big. The councillors making the decision appeared unaware that the applicant had already been given permission by the council for an even bigger extension and that he was actually seeking […]
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Policing South Cambridge – July 2012
Cherry Hinton Village Centre – Location of the Police Priority Setting Meeting On the evening of the 16th of July 2012 I attended Cambridge’s South Area committee where councillors held the police to account and set new local police priorities for the area. About fifty people were in the public seating; many were council officers, […]
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Cambridge City Council – Oral Questions – October 2011
Cambridge City Council Chamber I observed Cambridge City Council’s full council meeting on Thursday the 20th of October 2011. The following oral questions were answered: Q1 Costs of Police and Crime Commissioner Elections From Leader of the Labour opposition Cllr Herbert to the Leader of the council, Liberal Democrat Cllr Reid : What will the […]
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Cambridge City Council – Full Council July 2011
Cambridge Guildhall (Library Image: These Doors Were Open for Thursday’s Meeting) I observed, and took part in, a meeting of Cambridge City Council’s full council on Thursday the 21st of July 2011. Preliminaries The front doors of the Guildhall were open when I arrived and it was possible to walk straight in. This is a […]
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Cambridge City Councillors Jostle to Get Snouts in Trough
Cambridge City Council’s Mayor and Deputy Mayor Process into the Council Chamber Before the Councillor Allowances Debate On the 7th of April I observed a Cambridge City Council meeting. Despite many important items being on the agenda, including the future of the NHS and setting the city wide police priorities the item to which most […]