Tag: Cambridge City Council

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”

Tim Ward On Funding An A14 Upgrade

08:18 Friday 11th October 2013
BBC Radio Cambridge

[D]OTTIE MCLEOD: Lots of other councils giving money towards the A14 upgrade. East Cambridgeshire District Council paying £1 million; Huntingdonshire District Council are paying £5 million; Fenland District Council contributing £800,000; Peterborough City Council planning to contribute £1.5 million; Cambridge City Council, the city that the A14 really goes closest to, apart from possibly Huntingdon, they’ve said that their wallets will be staying absolutely closed. Tim Ward joins me. He’s the Executive Councillor for Planning at Cambridge City Council. Tim. It’s a farce, isn’t it, if Peterborough contribute and Cambridge don’t?
Continue reading “Tim Ward On Funding An A14 Upgrade”

Cambridge city centre access – Council seeks to trim disabled parking provision to make room for bike racks

09:09 Thursday 10th October 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[A]NDIE HARPER: As I mentioned, we’re talking about disabled parking bays this morning. Are there enough in the County? Or maybe there are too many. Are we getting the balance right? In Cambridge the City Council is considering turning some blue badge bays into cycle parking. Councillors discussed it at a meeting this week, but deferred approving the plans so there could be more time for consideration. Well Labour City councillor Gerri Bird was at the meeting, and opposed the move. Gerri, good morning to you.
GERRI BIRD: Good morning Andie.
ANDIE HARPER: So what was up for discussion precisely Gerri?
Continue reading “Cambridge city centre access – Council seeks to trim disabled parking provision to make room for bike racks”

Cambridge City councillors divided over Parker’s Piece art installation

17:22 Monday 7th October 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Now a question that’s being posed to councils up and down the country right now: how can you justify spending on the arts, and other arguably non-urgent projects, at a time of austerity measures?
Cambridge City Council tomorrow will discuss new proposals for the Football Rules public art project for Parkers Piece. They want four shortlisted artists to be paid one thousand five hundred pounds each to submit ideas. So, is that really money well spent when costs are so critically being examined, services being cut, and jobs are under threat? Well joining me now from the ruling LibDems is Andrea Reiner, Executive Councillor for Public Places. Andrea Hello.
ANDREA REINER: Hello.
CHRIS MANN: And from the opposition Labour Group, Cllr George Owers. Hi George.
GEORGE OWERS: Hi.
CHRIS MANN: So Andrea, just tell us. What is this money going to be spent on, and can you justify it at a time like this?
Continue reading “Cambridge City councillors divided over Parker’s Piece art installation”

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”

Sven Töpel Brookgate On The CB1 Gateway And Station Project

07:39 Thursday 2nd May 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Well a few moments ago we were live at Cambridge Railway Station, celebrating the news that four million pounds is to be spent improving the facilities there. The money will be spent on the ticket hall, and was donated by developer Brookgate, as part of a condition for developing the CB1 redevelopment. But because the building is listed, all changes have to be approved by Cambridge City Council. The news has been welcomed by Linda McCord, who’s the Passenger Manager at Passenger Focus. She says it’s long overdue. (TAPE)
LINDA McCORD: I travel very regularly, and congestion, particularly at peak in the morning and the evening, it’s really just not pleasant for passengers. It’s very small, and really it needs to be completely revamped and extended. And that’s what we’re hearing is going to happen. So it’s very good news for passengers. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: But Geraint Hughes, Partnership Manager at Greater Anglia, said plans will be hampered because the building was listed. (TAPE)
GERAINT HUGHES: We are constrained by this wonderful building that we have to deal with here. I think in certain circumstances we’d like a lot of areas to be bigger. But we have to deal with the space that we’ve got. We are very concerned about creating a gateway for the city here that the city really deserves, and what it wants. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well let’s speak to the Chief Executive of the developers of the CB1 development, Brookgate. Sven Töpel’s here. Morning Sven.
SVEN TÖPEL: Hello. Good morning to you.
PAUL STAINTON: Are you pleased this money’s going to improve something so integral to Cambridge like the railway station? Continue reading “Sven Töpel Brookgate On The CB1 Gateway And Station Project”

Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two

17:42 Wednesday 17th April 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]ETER SWANN: We spoke to John Bridge of Cambridgeshire’s Chamber of Commerce. He’s called for the Leader of Cambridge City Council to support plans for a widened A14, regardless of his political views. Mr Bridge says all local authorities must set aside politics to form a united front in order to convince the Government to improve that stretch of the road between Cambridge and Huntingdon. (TAPE)
JOHN BRIDGE: There’s little doubt that the A14 upgrade is the top of every business’s priorities, because they know and understand the detriment it can have on our economy, and clearly the real benefit we would derive from seeing the current problems dealt with, which is why we find it very difficult to understand that one of our local councils feels unable to support what we feel is absolutely necessary, and to my mind, has the full support of businesses and the majority of people, who desperately know and understand why it needs to be done. (LIVE)
PETER SWANN: It should just be mentioned that it was announced last week that work to widen a short stretch of the A14 between Histon and Girton will begin in 2014. But we’re talking about the larger project here. Councillor Tim Bick is the Leader at Cambridge City Council. He joins us on the show now. Evening Tim.
TIM BICK: Good evening Peter.
PETER SWANN: So first of all, just underline your position. You’ve heard what John Bridge has had to say. Are you against then any kind of redevelopment for the A14? Continue reading “Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two”

Safer Streets In Peterborough – Petition On Council Agenda

07:19 Monday 15th April 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: There have been renewed calls for Peterborough City Council to support the 20 is Plenty campaign. Residents in Park Ward have compiled a petition calling for lower speed limits in their neighbourhood, whilst opposition councillors will also be raising the issue at this week’s Council meeting. Our reporter Johnnie D. is in Park Ward this morning. Morning Johnnie.
JOHN DEVINE: Good morning Paul. We have to explain that 20s Plenty is a national campaign to make 20mph the default speed limit wherever people live, in residential areas of course, instead of 30mph like it is now. Cambridgeshire County Council have signed up for it. Peterborough City Council have not yet, and I’m actually now standing talking to you Paul from Princes Gate in Peterborough, which runs alongside the entrance to Central Park, a public green space. Lots of joggers and dog walkers around even now. The road is not very long, but it’s in the middle of Princes Street , which is one side, and Princes Gardens which is the other. And they cross importantly Broadway, a very busy road, and Park Road. So it’s like two very very busy crossroads, either side of this short road I’m on now. And there’s residential housing each side of those roads, cars parked either side of the street, an area where you wouldn’t like to see speeding traffic really Paul. I’ve got with me this morning Richard Ferris from the 20s Plenty campaign for Peterborough, and Labour councillor John Shearman. So Richard first, why does this area need a 20mph speed limit?
RICHARD FERRIS: Because we’ve got very narrow streets here, as you say, and it’s become very dangerous now for pedestrians and cyclists. You see a lot of cycling on pavements, because cyclists no longer feel safe on the roads. The traffic speeds round here are above 30mph, at least 50% of them. And it would just make for a safer environment for everybody.
JOHN DEVINE: We’ve seen two or three examples already standing here this early of illegal driving, haven’t we, just up the road here? Continue reading “Safer Streets In Peterborough – Petition On Council Agenda”