Compost Awareness Week in Cambridgeshire

09:55 Tuesday 6th May 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[A]NDIE HARPER: It’s the start of Compost Awareness Week. This is a week of activities, events and publicity to improve awareness about using organic waste as a resource to produce compost. We’ve just been treated to a beautiful Bank Holiday weekend, and no doubt many of you spent the time in your gardens, but how many of you bothered to make your own compost? How many of you would have bothered to do what we did, which is when we moved quite recently, we filled two sacks up of compost that I had created in one of our two compost bins, and took it with us, because it was such good stuff? Well Mark Shelton is the Education Manager for AmeyCespa. Mark, good morning.
MARK SHELTON: Morning Andie.
ANDIE HARPER: Nice to talk to you. I remember when Donarbon ran the site at Waterbeach a few years ago, I spent a fascinating day there, I have to say, being shown around, and certainly the garden composting department was a busy one, and you could in those days go and buy garden sacks of compost. Does it still happen?
MARK SHELTON: We give it away free. It still happens, and we’ve actually got a visit today, so we are still showing people around, and people are still welcome to come. It’s free here at the Waterbeach site, and we also make the compost available free at our March and our Alconbury sites.
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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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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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Catherine Smart on Tackling Homelessness in Cambridge

08:10 Friday 7th March 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: A new accommodation service for the homeless officially opens today in Cambridge. It’s already got rave reviews from folks who stayed there. The Springs, based on Victoria Road, is an adult training foyer. It’s run by the social housing provider Riverside. Their area manager Kevin Scanlon explains how The Springs differs from a traditional hostel or shelter.
(TAPE)
KEVIN SCANLON: To stay here you have to agree to enter into education training and employment. The idea behind that is certainly we want people to learn new skills, and be able to be employable and contribute to society. It gives them a batter opportunity to move on into their own home. And certainly in Cambridge it’s very difficult to find accommodation. And you’ve got a much better chance of finding a real home if you’re employed. ..

PAUL STAINTON: Let’s speak to Cambridge City councillor with responsibility for housing, Catherine Smart. Catherine, good morning.
CATHERINE SMART: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: This facility plugs a real gap, doesn’t it, for people who don’t need the sort of intensive support of a homeless shelter, but who aren’t yet ready to live on their own. It’s sort of helping them help themselves, isn’t it?
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Tim Bick on the 2014 Draft Local Plan for Cambridge

10:09 Friday 14th February 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[S]UE DOUGAN: Last night Cambridge City councillors met to discuss the Local Plan, a fairly hefty document outlining the plans for the future development of the city. Despite hearing from objectors and receiving petitions, the Plan was passed, and will now be submitted to Government. So, what was decided, and what does it mean for the city? The Leader of the Cambridge City Council Tim Bick is with me now. Good morning Tim.
TIM BICK: Good morning.
SUE DOUGAN: The Local Plan was approved last night. So what’s the next stage?
TIM BICK: The next stage is that the approved Draft Plan goes to a planning inspector, a Government planing inspector, who will carry out hearings on the Plan, allowing again lots of people, developers, residents, traders, businesses, to put their point of view on the Plan over the summer. And we would hope to hear a response, a final response to our Plan by the end of the year.
SUE DOUGAN: Right. And now what key decisions were made in that Plan or about that Plan last night?
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Cambridgeshire County Council Plans To Build Homes

07:08 Tuesday 28th January 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: They’ve got the land. They need to make money to balance the books. So should Cambridgeshire County Council set up its own property development company? It’s an idea that will be discussed by councillors today, and the Council say it would generate income, at the same time as helping meet the urgent need for new homes. Well let’s hear now from Ashley Walsh, who’s the Labour Party’s spokesperson for Resources on Cambridgeshire County Council. Morning Ashley. Good idea or bad idea?
ASHLEY WALSH: I think it’s a good idea. I have families in my division in Cambridge who can’t afford to live and help their children live in the city they grew up in. There’s a massive housing crisis in Cambridge, and we need to build social housing. You said earlier that why did we ever stop building social housing. Well I’m glad to see the County Council and Tories on the County Council accepting the need to build more social housing.
PAUL STAINTON: Why did we stop building social housing? I grew up in a council house, pit houses in Yorkshire. That was de rigeur. Remind us why we stopped.
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Catherine Smart On Cambridge City Council Eviction Policy

17:07 Thursday 19th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Peterborough has been named as the “hotspot” by the homeless charity Shelter, when it comes to homes being repossessed. A report released by them today says over 1,100 home owners lost their property in the twelve months to September this year. That’s 1 in every 63 homes. Nationally that figure is almost 1 in every 105 households across England at risk of eviction or repossession. The research is based on figures from the Ministry of Justice. Antonia Bance, Head of Campaigns at Shelter, joined me a little earlier.
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