Helen Tonks on MicroHomes

09:20 Tuesday 15th April 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[A]NDIE HARPER: Should we start building 37 square metre properties in Cambridgeshire to solve our housing crisis? That’s what we’re asking this morning, as Radio 4’s Costing the Earth programme investigates the Government’s plans to roll out the minimum space limit of 37 square metres right across the UK, and not in London alone. Now they’d be cheaper to heat, more energy efficient, but could we really expect people to live in an area that small? Helen Tonks is the Head of Housing at Cambridge based social housing association the CHS Group. Helen, good morning to you.
HELEN TONKS: Good morning Andie.
ANDIE HARPER: Now obviously the aim is to try and find a home for everybody, and given the limitations on space and cost, building everyone a nice house with a big garden is not an answer. Is this, do you think?
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St Neots the Poor Relation of Huntingdon

08:40 Friday 11th April 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Earlier in the show we heard how two of our districts are going to start sharing services. South Cambridgeshire and Hunts District Councils are to form a strategic partnership to share services and help the authorities to save money. So this got us thinking. Is this the start of a transformation, a revolution? Will we soon have one big council for Cambridgeshire, and would it save us a pot of cash? Well we’ve been called by a Hunts District councillor for St Neots, who wants the town to leave Huntingdon District Council and join South Cambridgeshire. His name is Steve Van De Kerkhove. Steve, good morning.
STEVE VAN DE KERKHOVE: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: What’s the matter with you?
STEVE VAN DE KERKHOVE: Well I’ll tell you what. Pretty much everyone I speak to in this town is sick to death of Huntingdonshire District Council.
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Ray Manning on Merging Functions and the Unitary Authority

17:17 Thursday 10th April 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Two Cambridgeshire district councils are to share some services in the future. South Cambs and Huntingdonshire Councils have said the partnership is in response to 25% cuts in national grant funding over the past three years. To explain more on that I’m joined in the studio now by Cllr Ray Manning, who is Leader of South Cambridgeshire. Ray, welcome. Thank you.
RAY MANNING: Hello there.
CHRIS MANN: So, what services are you planning to share?
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Sarah Brown – a Sense of Community in Cambridge

09:35 Monday 7th April 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[A]NDIE HARPER: Today we’re asking if you feel part of your community. This on the back of a survey which revealed that things are improving in the East of England. .. A study commissioned by the BBC found 60% of us in the East feel more connected to our neighbourhood than we did say ten years ago. But is that reflected in Cambridge itself? Can a city with a transient and growing population create a community feeling? Sarah Brown is the Executive Councillor for Community and Wellbeing on Cambridge City Council and joins me now. Good morning to you Sarah.
SARAH BROWN: Good morning. Thanks for having me.
ANDIE HARPER: Nice to talk to you. So Cambridge is a city, a vibrant city, with so much going on. And it caters for every need really and every interest. But can you say that there is a feeling of community about it?
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All Roads Lead To Rome

07:40 Monday 7th April 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: A new programme has been launched aimed at finding innovative solutions to the challenges Peterborough will face in the coming years. Businesses can now apply for funding to develop and test ideas to address problems like spitting in public places and the unhealthy nature of fast food. Let’s speak to Steve Bowyer from Opportunity Peterborough, running the project. It’s called Brainwave. Can you describe exactly how it works.
STEVE BOWYER: Basically you can register on the portal and you can put up any challenge you think the city faces. So it might be around waste. it might be around energy production. Whatever.

………

PAUL STAINTON: So it’s a bit like a dating website for ideas.
STEVE BOWYER: Sort of. Yes. Yes. And then what we also do is if you’re a funder, so if you’re a business angel or a venture capitalist, or anything like that, you too can register on that. And if you tag your interests as things like waste or energy or whatever.

……….

PAUL STAINTON: What sort of ideas are on there already? What are the challenges we’re trying to find solutions for at the moment?
STEVE BOWYER: Good ideas on there, good challenges on there around energy and waste and actually how do we create a circular economy where our waste is used better locally.

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Peterborough DNA – Future Cities Demonstrator – Questions Arising

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Tim Bick on the City Deal

10:07 Thursday 3rd April 2014
BBC Radio Cambridge

[A]NDIE HARPER: Two weeks ago, during the Budget, it was announced that Cambridge would receive £500 million in a grant from the Government. The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the City Deal would create more jobs for local people and improve transport links. He’s back in Cambridge today to meet workers and residents. But how will the money from the Deal actually achieve these targets? And is it good news for local people? Tim Bick is the Leader of Cambridge City Council and he joins me in the studio now. Tim, good morning to you.
TIM BICK: Good morning Andie.
ANDIE HARPER: So I suppose before we go any further, let’s just outline the money, what it is, how we’re going to get it, where it’s going to come from, because there has been already some discussion about the conditions and one thing and another. So in simple terms, what are we going to get and how?
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Benefits of Targeted Dredging

09:22 Monday 31st March 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[A]NDIE HARPER: A major report by the UN into the impact of climate change on humans has been released today, and it comes as dredging begins on the Somerset levels, following severe floods this winter. Many have blamed a lack of dredging for the floods crisis, but the Environment Agency has maintained it would not have prevented it. Only last week the Met Office said we will see more wet and warm winters, thanks to climate change. So is it time that we all sat up and took notice? David Thomas is the Chief Engineer of the Middle Level Commissioners. David, good morning to you.
DAVID THOMAS: Good morning Andie.
ANDIE HARPER: And of course the lack of dredging, or the cutting back of dredging over the years was roundly blamed for the flooding in the Levels this time round. Is just dredging therefore the answer?
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Green Energy Project at Impington Village College

17:40 Thursday 27th March 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Impington Village College has been given planning permission to start work on a million pound green energy project. It will include putting in three biomass boilers, that are calculated to reduce the school’s carbon footprint by 50%. The contract with the construction group Skanska is one of the largest entered into by any school in the UK. Fran Difranco is Director of Finance and Resources at Impington, and he joins me now. Hello Fran.
FRAN DIFRANCO: Good evening Chris.
CHRIS MANN: So, quite a big project. What’s led you to this?
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