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Liberal Democrat Inconsistency in Cambridge
Only a mile or so separates Cambridge’s Guildhall where Cambridge City Council sits and Cambridgeshire County Council’s Shire Hall however the gulf between what the Liberal Democrats are saying in the two chambers is enormous. The Liberal Democrat groups in each council appear almost entirely at odds with each other when it comes to the […]
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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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Residents’ Representation on the City Centre Partnership Board – Love Cambridge
On the 9th of February 2009 I attended the residents’ briefing for the new Cambridge City Centre Partnership, “Love Cambridge”. The meeting was organised primarily as a director of the new organisation to act as a representative/advocate for Cambridge residents is being sought. A Job description and Person Specification for the residents’ representative was distributed, […]
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Parking Controls – Blinco Grove Area
On-Street Parking Controls – Blinco Grove Area 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 decisions to a joint committee made up of both City and County Councillors. County Councillor John Reynolds (Girton) is a […]
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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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Trees to be Felled on Midsummer Common
Barry Higgs and Dick Baxter of the Friends of Midsummer Common attended the West Central Area committee on the 8th of January 2009, they reported that on the day before they had been shown around the common by a City Council Officer who identified a number of trees to be felled. They asked if there […]
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Policing West and Central Cambridge – January 2009
I attended Cambridge City Council’s West Central Area Committee on the 8th of January 2009. One of the main items on the agenda was “Safer Neighborhoods”, the meeting’s chair was almost tripped up by the cryptic title and had to ask the committee manager what the policing item was called saying: “Is it Safer Communities?”. […]
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Asking Questions About Money Owed to Cambridge City Council from Folk Festival Online Ticket Sales
I attended Cambridge City Council’s West Central Area Committee on the 8th of January 2009. During the public forum I asked a series of questions about the Cambridge City Council news release stating the council is owed £618,000 by SecureTicket UK and is taking legal action in the High Court in an attempt to recover […]
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Cambridge City Council Owed 618K by Folk Festival Ticket Seller
On the 7th of January 2009 Cambridge City Council issued a news release stating that the council was owed £618,000 from ticket sales for the Folk Festival which the ticket seller “SecureTicket UK” was due to pay in August 2008 but had still not been received by the council. The council has initiated legal proceedings […]