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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 Adopts New Protocol for Making Decisions on Tree Works
People find it easier to deface notices of tree works and put their own notices on trees than to object formally to the city council’s proposals. Cambridge City Council’s new policy for consulting on tree works was taken to the Council’s Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee on the 29th of June 2009. I had commented […]
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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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Trees Just Large Weeds Made Out of Wood Says Councillor
The Paradise Nature Reserve Often Looks A Little Overgrown and Wild Photo from CycleStreets (license) On Monday the 22nd of June 2009 Cambridge Liberal Democrats issued a press release titled Lib Dems welcome cash help for city’s wild spaces in which they announced a number of projects to be carried out in Local Nature Reserves. […]
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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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Following up the Folk Festival Losses – An Update
Cambridge City Council lost £644,951 of public money when the company it contracted to sell folk festival tickets online in 2008 didn’t pass the money it took on to the council. On the 30th of March 2009 the council’s civic affairs committee received the report of an internal review into the loss and asked questions […]
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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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Strategy for Locating New Homes in Cambridgeshire
On the 7th of April 2009 I observed a meeting of the “Joint Cambridgeshire Regional Spatial Strategy Review Panel”. County Councillors, Cambridge City Councillors along with District Councillors from Huntingdonshire, East Cambridgeshire, and South Cambridgeshire discussed the high-level strategy for locating new homes in the region. Councillors received a presentation from consultants and discussed what […]
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Cycling on Hills Road Bridge During the Roadworks
I attended Cambridge City Council’s South Area Committee on the 2nd of April 2009. During the policing agenda item James Woodburn, representing the Cambridge Cycling Campaign, spoke about the situation on Hills Road Bridge. The roadworks on the bridge have resulted in narrow lanes for traffic, it is impossible for cyclists to be overtaken safely […]