CPPF Localism and Planning Event
On the evening on the 14th of July 2011 I attended an event run by Cambridge Past Present and Future on localism and planning.
The focus was on the Localism Bill.
The key points I took away were:
The “Neighbourhood planning” provisions in the Localism Bill are democratic in relation to areas [...]
CBbid Logo.
In February 2010 I wrote about Cambridge’s City Centre management organisation, Love Cambridge, considering raising taxes. On Friday the 15th of July 2011 Love Cambridge took some more steps towards levying a tax by sending out a survey to business rate payers in the city, asking what they’d like to see money raised [...]
The Guest Road area is to see the largest increase in residents parking permit charges
I have just returned from observing a meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council’s cabinet where the decision was taken to increase Cambridge’s on street parking charges. The cabinet approved raising the annual charge for residents parking permits from around £40-50 to £70-£80. [...]
Cambridge City Council has published a draft of its annual complaints report in advance of a meeting of the council’s standards committee on Wednesday the 15th of June.
I think the report fails to fulfil its role of enabling councillors to check the council’s complaints system is working. The key problem is that the definition of [...]
Remote Control Horse at the 2011 Strawberry Fair
Cambridge’s establishment, including the city council, the Executive Councillor for Arts and Recreation Rodrick Cantrill, and the police have all declared the 2011 Strawberry Fair an unequivocal success and this line appears to have been unquestioningly parroted by the city’s press.
I agree that there were many positive aspects [...]
Ian Nimmo-Smith as Mayor of Cambridge (Source)
I observed the latter part of Cambridge City Council’s Full Council meeting on the 26th of May 2011. This was the “annual meeting”, the first of the civic year, and the first for the newly elected councillors. I arrived well after the ceremonial fancy dress session and after [...]
There is a proposal to reduce the yew trees to the right of the Garret Hostel Lane path to 4m high this winter.
Last week, in response to a Freedom of Information request to Clare College, the papers for meetings of the Cambridge Backs Committee since 2007 were released.
Background to the Backs Committee
The [...]
Map of Cambridge’s North Area
On Thursday the 24th of March 2011 I attended Cambridge City Council’s North Area committee, held in the Manner School on Arbury Road.
A new format for the meeting was being trialled. The public seating which is usually rows of chairs, had been replaced with tables with 4-6 seats placed [...]
Cambridge City Councillors in the Council Chamber During a Suspension in the 17th February 2011 Full Council Meeting.
I observed Cambridge City Council’s full council meeting on Thursday the 17th of February. I have written a previous article about disruption at the meeting.
The main item on the agenda was the approval of the council’s [...]
On Thursday the 17th of February I went to the Guildhall in Cambridge to observe a full meeting of Cambridge City Council. On arrival I found the main doors to the building closed and locked. This isn’t usually the case when there is a full council meeting. There was no indication anything was [...]