Tag: Nick Clarke

Unitary Authority For Greater Cambridge

17:07 Monday 11th November 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: So, the man who was, until earlier this year, the most powerful politician in Cambridgeshire local government, has declared his support for a radical shake-up, and the abolition of a tier of councils. It would mean an end to Cambridge City Council, East Cambs, South Cambs, Hunts District and Fenland. In their place, former Conservative Leader of the County Council Nick Clarke now favours a new unitary authority for Greater Cambridge, and an enlargement of the one in Peterborough that already exists. He says the move would save money and be more effective. I’ll get reaction live in the studio from the Leader of Cambridge City Council, and the Leader of Huntingdonshire District Council, both with axes apparently poised above their heads. But first of all Nick Clarke. Welcome.
NICK CLARKE: Good afternoon Chris.
CHRIS MANN: You didn’t say this when you were in power.
Continue reading “Unitary Authority For Greater Cambridge”

Carolin Göhler From Cambridge Past Present And Future On Development In Cambridge

08:07 Thursday 3rd October 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: The former leader of Cambridgeshire County Council says Cambridge’s economic success will grind to a halt unless the planning system changes to allow growth and development. It comes a day after City planners rejected a hotel’s application to expand, after a campaign run by residents keen to protect an historic town house next door, not a listed town house, just historic. Nick Clarke, who lost his seat on the County Council in the May elections says a balance between encouraging growth and protecting heritage has to be struck, but that at the moment, the system just isn’t working.
(TAPE)
NICK CLARKE: Nobody wants inappropriate development. But the city needs hotels. The city needs a new rail station, which is going to go ahead. But I’m also aware that the same discussion will take place about the rail station soon. The City Council would like gold plating on it. It’s not for that. It’s about a rail station at the moment. That’s what’s desperately needed. We saw it with Marshalls, and we’ll see it again elsewhere. And you’re right. There’s something about holding a city in aspic, and you can’t do that.
(LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well at the moment there are campaigns ongoing against the expansion of another city centre hotel. There’s also fierce criticism of the building of a Premier Inn and a Travelodge on Coldham’s Lane. Well Shara Ross from the Cambridge Hoteliers’ Association says people don’t realise that it’s all having a negative effect on the city’s future.
(TAPE)
SHARA ROSS: It’s about nimbyism. It’s about people just suddenly taking it upon themselves to protect a property that they’ve never held in any high regard before. And all of a sudden it becomes important to them. And they don’t think of the larger picture, and the growth of the city. And also not only the growth, but the sustainability of the city.
(LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: But it’s not just the development of hotels that is meeting with opposition. Campaigners are also having a go at several planned housing developments. We asked people in Cambridge which is more important, growth or heritage.
(TAPE) (VOXPOP)
PUBLIC ONE: I think expanding’s difficult. It’s already a crowded city, and expanding ten, twenty per cent is (such) a huge amount of expansion, that it seems like it will be hard for the city to manage that many more people.
PUBLIC TWO: I think we have to move with the times, and not be too nimbyist about it, but having said that, there are certain things which should be preserved. I’m thinking particularly of Grantchester Meadows. There was talk in the past of building on that, which I think that would be sacrilege.
PUBLIC THREE: Probably not too much more. With kids, I go to lots of groups. There’s lots of things on for small children, which is an amazing thing about Cambridge. I like to be able to get places really easily, on foot, by bike, so that would be lost if it got much bigger.
(LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well let’s speak to Carolin Göhler. She’s the Chief Executive of Cambridge Past Present and Future, a charity that champions the protection of green open spaces and sustainable development in the city of Cambridge. Morning.
CAROLINE GÖHLER: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: Are you holding back the future of Cambridge?
Continue reading “Carolin Göhler From Cambridge Past Present And Future On Development In Cambridge”

Upheaval At Cambs County Council

07:41 Tuesday 21st May 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: A crunch meeting is being held at Shire Hall in Cambridge today to decide who if anyone will be the big cheese, the big honcho, the head man, the head woman at Cambridgeshire County Council, although there are not too many women councillors it has to be said. Since the local elections at the start of the month, no party has had a majority of seats, so will the Tory group decide to run the Council as a minority, or will the Council be run by a series of all-party committees? .. Antony Carpen is a Cambridgeshire based political commentator .. Were you surprised Antony when Nick Clarke lost his seat and the Council went into no overall control? Were you surprised in Cambridgeshire? Continue reading “Upheaval At Cambs County Council”

Old Hands Welcome New Faces To Cambridgeshire County Council

17:20 Tuesday 7th May 2013
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CHRIS MANN: The political fallout following the County Council elections continued today. The results left no party with an overall majority. The Conservatives are the biggest party with 32 of the 69 seats. The Liberal Democrats are second on 14. UKIP third on 12. Labour have 7, and there are 4 Independents. A number of questions remain, the foremost of which is, after the loss of Nick Clarke’s seat, who is going to lead the Conservatives, and therefore most likely lead the County Council. It’s looking like it will be the Acting Leader, Mac McGuire versus Whittlesea’s Martin Curtis in that contest, which is at two o’clock on Friday. And then the question remains of whether an official alliance of parties will be formed, or is needed, to run the Council. That’s certainly been on the mind of Peter Reeve, the UKIP councillor for Ramsey, who explained earlier on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire that he would like to see a coalition of the minority parties. (TAPE)
PETER REEVE: It would be very difficult in terms of the numbers, but technically if I could get, and I am being very proactive on this, if I could get Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Independents to all agree that we should have a coalition group, there is no need to have the Conservatives in power. .. (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: .. The idea that UKIP could form a coalition with Labour was given short shrift by Paul Sales, Leader of the Labour Group. (TAPE)
PAUL SALES: You cannot be serious. The Labour Party in coalition with UKIP and the Liberals? Peter is a very enthusiastic guy. He fails completely to understand the way the Council works. The most likely outcome is going to be that the Tories will form a minority administration. I’ve been a member of a minority administration, and that would be sufficient for most things. But any sort of a formal coalition is completely impossible. (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: And Conservative Mac McGuire, the Interim Leader of of the County Council, was equally dismissive. (TAPE)
MAC MCGUIRE: I mean gosh, that’s the best laugh since the last time I watched You’ve Been Framed on television. Paul’s absolutely right. What an unholy alliance that would make. (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: An unholy alliance. Well, we’ll hear more from Peter Reeve in just a moment or two, the Leader of UKIP, but Kilian Bourke is Leader of the second largest party, the Liberal Democrats, and he joins me live now. Kilian, hello.
KILIAN BOURKE: Hello.
CHRIS MANN: Would you form an alliance with UKIP? Continue reading “Old Hands Welcome New Faces To Cambridgeshire County Council”

A14 Upgrade – Contributions Invited

08:20 Wednesday 27th March 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Fifty years ago the Beeching Report was released, massive cuts to lines, massive cuts to jobs. It begs the question, are we suffering for it now, as our roads struggle with the weight of traffic. And could expensive projects like the Guided Bus and the proposed A14 upgrade have been avoided if Beeching had never happened? And even if the need is there, can our train companies provide a financially viable service? Nick Clarke is the Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council. Morning Nick.
NICK CLARKE: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Do you wish Beeching had never been born? Continue reading “A14 Upgrade – Contributions Invited”

Kilian Bourke’s Response To The Cambridgeshire County Budget – Election Year 2013

17:18 Tuesday 22nd January 2013
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[C]HRIS MANN: A rise in council tax, a loss of 99 jobs, and the opening of a council-run care home – these are just some of the things included in Cambridgeshire County Council’s budget proposals. £32 million worth of savings need to be made, and will be discussed at a Cabinet meeting next week. The Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council is Nick Clarke for the Conservative Party. He explains why the authority may build its own care home. (TAPE)
NICK CLARKE: The reality is that the private nursing homes can get more money for private individuals than they can from us. And we look after the most vulnerable. So we’re hoping to build a care home that will provide some additional capacity, which means that we can control our costs, which will then reinvested in .. in .. for .. for elderly people. (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: That’s Nick Clarke, Leader of the County Council, talking on this programme at this time last night. Well Kilian Bourke is the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Cambridgeshire, the official opposition. He joins me this evening. Kilian, hello to you.
KILIAN BOURKE: Evening Chris.
CHRIS MANN: Your reaction to the proposals in the budget made by the Conservatives? Continue reading “Kilian Bourke’s Response To The Cambridgeshire County Budget – Election Year 2013”

Nick Clarke On The Cambridgeshire County Budget – Election Year 2013

17:17 Monday 21st January 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Cambridgeshire County Council has unveiled its proposed new budget for the next financial year. If it’s approved, council tax will go up by 1.99%, 99 jobs will go, and there’ll be £32 million worth of savings. Here with the headlines, joining me in the studio, is our reporter Govinda Gill. Govinda, tell us about the money. Continue reading “Nick Clarke On The Cambridgeshire County Budget – Election Year 2013”

Clegg Moots Cash Boost For Northstowe

17:08 Thursday 22nd November 2012
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CHRIS MANN: The Government today put the Cambridgeshire new town of Northstowe firmly at the top of its building priorities, as it looks to solve the nation’s housing crisis. It’s to share in a £250 million injection of cash to unblock delays and get work on the first of a planned 10,000 new homes started by the Spring of 2014. The announcement was made today by the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, and afterwards he told me more. (TAPE)
NICK CLEGG: A number of sites around the country including Northstowe which have have got blocked for various reasons, and you’ll know as well as I do that there’s been a bit of stopping and starting on the Northstowe project for some time now, and basically .. and there are several other sites like Northstowe around the country, in other parts of the country, where if we can only unblock them, all at the same time, we’d be able to build close to 50,000 new homes across the country pretty quickly, including of course up to 10,000 homes in Northstowe. And I’ve announced today that we’re putting up, as far as central government is concerned, £225 million to be made available to those sites, so that we can finally get building. And I very much hope that that’s the final bit in the jigsaw puzzle if you like, which is required to give the green light to Northstowe becoming a reality, and not just a dream on a planner’s map.
CHRIS MANN: So how much of that £225 million will be spent on Northstowe? And what exactly will it be for? Continue reading “Clegg Moots Cash Boost For Northstowe”