Tag: Catherine Smart

Cambridge Population Estimates – A Difference Of Opinion

08:18 Tuesday 15th October 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Is Cambridgeshire being short changed by the Government, because the official figures suggest our population is lower than it actually is? That’s the question we’ve been asking all morning on the Bigger Breakfast, and trying to come up with ways of counting people proper – better – whatever. But Cambridge MP Julian Huppert and Peterborough’s Stewart Jackson are concerned that the Office for National Statistics are not giving accurate figures for the number of people who actually live in the county. Johnnie D. can explain what that means, and what effect it might have. First of all Johnnie, who are these people at the ONS, and how do they compile these statistics?
JOHN DEVINE: Good morning Paul. Yes, it’s their job to collect all sorts of information about the population and present that to the public. And they use things like official registrations of births and deaths, as well as information about migration, to try and predict which areas will grow in the coming years, and which areas will see a decrease in the population.
PAUL STAINTON: So are they accurate? That’s the big question, isn’t it?
Continue reading “Cambridge Population Estimates – A Difference Of Opinion”

Rescue Remedies For Victims Of Cambridgeshire’s Housing Crisis

08:20 Tuesday 25th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: A homeless hostel in Littleport is reopening to support families who find themselves with nowhere to live. It’s part of a five year plan by East Cambridgeshire District Council to reduce the amount they spend on emergency bed and breakfast accommodation. earlier we heard from Council Leader James Palmer. He said the hostel was closed in 2009 because homelessness wasn’t a problem. (TAPE)
JAMES PALMER: No problem goes away for good, but for several years we hadn’t had an issue on homelessness at all. And obviously, as any council does, savings have to be made where they can. Now the situation arose that there were people in homelessness. We made changes to the system we were using. We had I think twenty three families homeless at Christmas, and now we’re down to one. And obviously we are reopening, we’ve refurbished and we’re reopening the hostel in Littleport, which will help, should there be an influx in the future. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well Jenny Rhodes is running that hostel. She’s from Sanctuary Housing. Morning Jenny.
JENNY RHODES: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: So who exactly does the hostel provide accommodation for? Continue reading “Rescue Remedies For Victims Of Cambridgeshire’s Housing Crisis”

Cambridge City Council And The Welfare Reforms

17:23 Thursday 11th April 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Cambridgeshire has been named as one of the areas in Britain where people will be best off as a result of the Government’s welfare reforms. It says former industrial areas including Middlesborough, Liverpool and Glasgow will be disproportionately affected. However, wealthier areas, predominantly in the South, such as Cambridgeshire, Surrey and the Cotswolds, will see the smallest financial losses. In a moment we’ll debate the reforms with two local politicians, but first let’s find out more about the research. Here’s Professor Steve Fothergill, formerly of Cambridgeshire University, now of Hallam, who led the study. (TAPE)
STEVE FOTHERGILL: Well, everybody’s known that the welfare reforms were going to take large amounts of money out of people’s pockets and out of the economy. Continue reading “Cambridge City Council And The Welfare Reforms”

Cambridge Rented Sector – Council Targets Dodgy Landlords

08:20 Wednesday 16th January 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Cambridge City Council wants to get tough on rogue landlords, advertising for a Landlord Liaison Officer to inspect rented properties around the city. Decent salary, forty grand a year. It’s also looking to set up an empty homes office, with a further £40,000 from the Government’s new Homes Bonus. So how bad is the accommodation offered in Cambridge’s rented sector? Well Catherine Smart is Executive Councillor for Housing at Cambridge City Council. She’s with us this morning. Morning.
CATHERINE SMART: Good morning. Can I just correct one thing. £40,000 is what we’re putting into the budget. That wouldn’t be the salary, because of all the on-costs of employing somebody.
PAUL STAINTON: Alright. What is the salary? Continue reading “Cambridge Rented Sector – Council Targets Dodgy Landlords”