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Cllr Fiona Onasanya on School Funding
I noted that my County Councillor, Fiona Onasanya (Kings Hedges, Labour) didn’t say anything at all during her first county council meeting, and pointed out she didn’t speak during the council’s recent debate on the A14 and infrastructure referenda. In response to this Cllr Ian Manning tweeted to say Cllr Onasanya had “contributed to the […]
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Hunts District Cllrs Get Opportunity to Grill Commissioner Bright
Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner Graham Bright Huntingdonshire District Council have invited Police and Crime Commissioner Graham Bright to lead the council’s “headline debate” at its meeting on Wednesday the 26th of June. The show starts at 7pm and 45 minutes have been scheduled for councillors to grill Commissioner Bright. Huntingdonshire District Council is “in […]
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Cllr Shona Johnstone as Cambridgeshire’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner?
Cambridgeshire’s new Police and Crime Commissioner Graham Bright’s election, albeit with just 3.96% of the electorate making him their first choice, gives him a huge amount of patronage. Mr Bright is free to spend as much as he likes on staff he appoints to his personal office and on salaries, expenses and allowances for “deputies”. […]
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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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Secrecy and Confusion as Cllr Cantrill Takes Responsibility for Midsummer Common and Jesus Green Tree Planting
Cambridge City Council has felled many trees from Midsummer Common; significant funds have been allocated for replacements. During the “open forum” of the 24th of June 2010 West Central Area committee where members of the public are able to question councillors I asked: Is there a date yet for the proposed meeting to discuss new […]
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Cllr Tim Bick Presents City Council Position on Aggressive Punt Touting
Cambridge punter wearing rubber gloves and a lifejacket earlier this year. At Cambridge City Council’s annual meeting on the 27th of May 2010 Tim Ward, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Arbury put the following question to the Executive Councillor for Community Development and Health, Cllr Bick. (Cllr Bick has also been given city wide responsibility […]
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Cllr Cantrill Asked for Update on Strawberry and Raspberry Fairs
A rather empty Midsummer Common – Calm before the storm? At Cambridge City Council’s annual meeting on the 27th of May 2010 Cllr Sarah Brown put the following oral question to the Executive Councillor for Arts and Recreation Cllr Cantrill: Could the Executive Councillor provide the council with an update on the event that may […]
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Cllr Julie Smith Flailing in Efforts to Bring City Council Chainsaws Under Democratic Control
These two substantial trees at the junction of Newnham Road and Barton Road may be felled according to council plans. In April 2009 I was present at a West/Central area committee where Julie Smith, Cambridge City Council’s Executive Councillor for Arts and Recreation (a portfolio which includes the city’s green spaces) gave clear instructions to […]
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Luard Road – Sedley Taylor Road Traffic Calming
I attended the Cambridge Traffic Management Area Joint Committee on the 26th of January 2009. While the County Council is the Highways Authority for Cambridge they delegate many highways decisions a joint committee made up of both City and County Councillors. County Councillor John Reynolds (Girton) is a member of the committee, as the lone […]
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Cllr Ward Defends Sidelining Arboricultural Officers on Jesus Green Plans
Cllr Tim Ward has written a letter to the Cambridge Evening news which has been published today (13th December 2008). He is responding to Bronwyn Hipkin who recently wrote: Having read with alarm of the fate of 59 trees on Jesus Green which Cllr Smith tells us are all diseased and dangerous, I rang the […]