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Cambridge City Council 2008/9 Budget Scrutiny
Cambridge City Council’s budgets were yet again under scrutiny at a meeting at the guildhall this evening (13th February 2009). The meeting was scheduled to enable scrutiny of the opposition budget presented by the Labour group, but because of the significant changes in the Liberal executive’s budget made in January the scope of the meeting […]
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Budget Cuts Without Service Cuts – Too Good to be True?
I observed a meeting of Cambridge City Council’s executive on the 29th of January 2009 at which a report on proposed savings required to balance the 2008/9 budget in light of strains (which I have detailed in a separate article) was presented. Council Leader, Ian Nimmo-Smith described the situation as a “perfect storm”, factors contributing […]
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Conservators of the River Cam – January 2009
Last Thursday, the 15th of January, I went to see how decisions relating to Cambridge’s River Cam are made at a meeting of the Cam Conservators, which was held in the fantastically opulent setting of the old hall at Queens’ College. One of the main items the Conservators discussed was regulating punting in the forthcoming […]
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December 2008 – North Area Committee Cambridge
I attended Cambridge City Council’s North Area Committee on the 11th of December 2008. I made representations to my local councillors, and other members of the committee before the meeting, specifically on Policing North Cambridge. City Cllrs Levy, Upstone and Liddle were absent, as was County Councillor Hughes who it was reported was in Hospital. […]
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Setting Police Priorities for North Cambridge in December 2008
I attended Cambridge City Council’s North Area Committee on the 11th of December 2008. One of the things councillors had on their agenda for this meeting was the setting of the police priorities for North Cambridge for the forthcoming quarter. The policing section of the meeting is run as an open meeting to which members […]
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New Flats to be Built in a Garden in the Chesterton Conservation Area
Cambridge City Council’s North Area Committee on the 11th of December 2008 approved a planning application to build a block of flats in the garden of 7 Church Street, Chesterton. Mr Bond spoke on behalf of the Old Chesterton Residents Association (OCRA), he opposed the application. He wanted the area to remain mixed, and he […]
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Cambridge City Council’s £80m Reserves – An Update
Following Cambridge City Council’s October 2008 announcement which revealed it had £9m invested in Icelandic banks which it might have lost the council’s investments have been the focus of a lot of attention from councillors, the press and the public. I have attended some of the recent meetings where the situation has been discussed. I […]
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Suggestions in Advance of the December 2008 North Area Committee
I wrote to my local councillors in advance of the Cambridge City Council North Area Committee meeting which is to be held on Thursday the 11th of December 2008. I made some comments on items on the agenda which are reproduced below. I have made my comments on the policing agenda item separately. 1. Matters […]
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Ownership of Quayside in Cambridge
At Cambridge City Council’s full Council meeting on the 4th of December 2008 Cllr Herbert, the leader of the Labour opposition in Cambridge, asked a question to Cllr Cantrill the Executive Councillor for Customer Services and Resources about Quayside. His question was: Given the central importance of Quayside to the life of the City, and […]