Local Government Minister Eric Pickles has this morning cited my recent article Tips for Observing and Reporting on Public Meetings in Local Government in an official Department for Communities and Local Government press release. The release is sub-headded: “Abuse of state powers as councils threaten bloggers with arrest” and states: Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, [...]
I spoke at Cambridge’s West / Central Area Committee on the 10th of January 2013 following a speech by Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Graham Bright. While I didn’t manage to record myself while I was speaking I do have video of the Commissioner’s face while I was speaking which I have published along with [...]
Sgt Wragg of the police with councillors at the Cambridge North Area Committee Elected councillors should set local police and crime priorities and hold their local police and other agencies to account for their performance against them. Priorities should be set after councillors have heard from those with an interest in policing the area. Evidence [...]
A Holistic View Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s Police and Crime Commissioner should provide strategic direction not just for the police, but for the work of the courts, prison and probation services, local councils and other bodies with an impact on policing, crime and justice matters in the area; including schools and health service providers. The creation [...]
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 [...]