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Conservative County Council Responsible for Snow and Ice Say City Lib Dems
Searle Street is one of many Cambridge streets where both the road and pavements have been coved by a sheet of ice for many weeks this winter.. Last night I attended the North Area Committee where the state of gritting in Cambridge was discussed. Key Points City Council Leader, Liberal Democrat, Ian Nimmo-Smith revealed the […]
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Secrecy Surrounding Contract to Sort Cambridge’s Recycling in Peterborough
New blue bins for mixed recycling are to be distributed in Cambridge next month. Details of the city’s contract for dealing with the recycling have not been made public. On the morning of the 6th of October 2009 I attended Cambridge City Council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee. I used the opportunity for members of the public […]
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Cambridge City Council Decide to Make a Huge Leap Forward In Terms of Openness and Transparency
A buffet was provided for councillors and officers during a break in the meeting. I was hungry so I took up an offer of a sandwich. There were no professional press present. I guess I got the sandwich which would have otherwise been offered to them. (Photos of the meeting itsself were not permitted) I […]
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Asking the Police to Record The Costs of Crime
I am concerned Cambridgeshire Police are not recording the costs of criminal damage like this. During Sgt. Wragg’s update on North Area policing at Cambridge City Council’s North Area Committee on the 2nd of July 2009 he said he had received no suggestions on ways to improve the police’s regular reports. When he invited me […]
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Highlights from an Audit Meeting: Cambridge City Council Pays its Chief Executive £120,000 and is Still Collecting Poll Tax from Four People
Cambridge City Council’s Chief Executive was paid at least £120,000 in 2008/9. Cambridge City Council’s Civic Affairs Committee met on the 24th of June 2009. The committee is the council’s audit committee, they were reviewing the council’s accounts and audit reports. Often at a council meeting one word will be picked on and over-used by […]
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Cash Injection for More Affordable Housing Prompts Restart of Arbury Park Building Work
Some homes at Arbury Park are very close to the busy A14 dual carriageway. There are proposals both to widen the road and to build homes even closer to it. Building work has restarted at Arbury Park in North Cambridge; this has been prompted by a relaxation of the rules intended to ensure that the […]
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Posters on Railings in Cambridge
The Vibrancy of Cambridge’s Culture is Illustrated by the Number and Variety of Posters on City Centre Railings. Photo by Prisoner 5413 (license). I attended Cambridge City Council’s West Central Area Committee on the 18th of June 2009. During the open forum section of the meeting which is for members of the public to ask […]
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Cambridge City Council Reshuffle
I observed Cambridge City Council’s Civic Affairs committee on Monday the 11th of May 2009 which discussed councillors’ roles for the upcoming year. The formal discussion at a public meeting occurred following a Liberal Democrat group meeting on the Saturday two days earlier, the real decisions had been made there. The headline changes are: Cllr […]
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Missed Opportunity at the Penny Ferry Car-Park
Cambridge City Council is currently refurbishing the riverside car park and adjacent areas in Chesterton at a cost of £62,523; a very large amount of money given what is being done. In the last few days it has become apparent that the “Lead Councillor” for the project, Cllr Liddle, is not happy with what is […]
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Looking into the Folk Festival Mistakes
On the evening of Monday the 30th of March 2009 Cambridge City Council’s Civic Affairs Committee considered a report into how the council came to lose £644,951 which was not paid to the council by the company it appointed to sell Folk Festival tickets online in 2008. I have written a previous article on the […]