Lib Dem Recycling Lie

22 February 2007

In response to outrageous Lib Dem claims that the Labour group have proposed cutting the extension of recycling facilities in flats, Labour Leader Councillor Lewis Herbert today said: more >

"Arrogant" Lib Dems Accused of Adopting Budget before being agreed by Council

20 February 2007

Cambridge's Liberal Democrat Councillors have been branded as "arrogant" and accused of assuming a presidential style administration for publishing the City's Council budget before it has been debated, agreed and adopted by all Councillors later this week. more >

LABOUR'S ALTERNATE BUDGET FOR CAMBRIDGE WOULD DELIVER MORE SERVICES AND CUT COUNCIL TAX

7 February 2007

City Labour Councillors have published their alternative 2007 budget for Cambridge, proposing £300,000 in extra services for local residents and cutting the proposed Lib Dem 4.5% Council Tax increase down to 4%, to the same as level as the last two years. more >

Cambridge's Youth Champion attacks youth services cuts

19 February 2006

Cambridge's Youth Champion today attacked the city's ruling Liberal Democrats for failing to honour pledges over providing much-needed youth facilities in the city. more >

Lib Dem U Turn on Labour's Lost Trolley Law

4 February 2006

From the 7th of February the City Council will be fining any supermarket that does not remove trolleys left on the street within 24 hours of it being reported, using powers recently given to local authorities by the Labour government. more >

COLERIDGE COUNCILLORS THRILLED BY NEWS THAT FUTURE OF COLERIDGE SCHOOL HAS BEEN SECURED

29 January 2007

Coleridge Labour Councillors are thrilled by the news that Coleridge School now has a secure future as part of the Parkside Federation after years of uncertainty, and following the dropping of earlier county council plans to shift Coleridge pupils to a proposed new large school in Trumpington. more >

Labour leaders take affordable housing worries to minister

29 January 2007

Cambridge Labour leaders have met Housing Minister Yvette Cooper at Westminster to voice their concerns that plans for 20,000 badly needed affordable homes in the area could be at risk. more >

HGV ban decision 'unsafe', says mayor

23 January 2007

Cambridge Mayor Rob Dryden today branded a decision to reject his plea for a ban on heavy lorries using Cherry Hinton's narrow Lime Kiln Hill as "unsafe". more >

Crematorium decision 'heavy-handed'

16 January 2007

A leading opposition councillor is to urge Cambridge City Council to reverse its 'heavy-handed' decision to ban mementos from the city's crematorium. more >

Fight to save commons goes on

15 January 2007

The fight to save the commons of east Cambridge from being ploughed up for bus roads will be taken to a full meeting of the City Council next month. more >

'Not across the Commons and Meadows': East Cambridge rejects bus road plan

4 December 2006

The East Area Committee of Cambridge City Council has roundly rejected proposals for bus roads across Coldhams Common and Ditton Meadows.

The bus roads were contained in the Cambridge East Sustainable Transport Strategy undertaken by consultants Steer Davies Gleave for Cambridgeshire County Council looking at the potential transport impact of development on the City Airport and North Works sites. The County Council intends to use the study to support the Examination in Public Cambridge East Area Action Plan scheduled for the summer of 2007.

The East Area Committee comprises the Abbey, Petersfield, Coleridge and Romsey wards of the city and is chaired by Labour Councillor John Durrant.

'The East Area was unanimous in supporting my proposal to reject bus roads crossing the Commons and Meadows. We also reserved judgement on other drastic options such as removing the trees and verges on main roads throughout East Cambridge for bus lanes. I was pleased to receive the support of the local Liberal Democrats for we have now given a clear united message to the County Council â€" 'Not across the Commons and Meadows'.

Councillor Durrant, the City's Labour Environment Spokesperson and a founder of SOCAM (Save Our Commons and Meadows), which campaigned to stop the previous attempt to build a road across Ditton Meadows said,

'Our open spaces are the precious heritage of future generations but all too often planners and developers see them as an easy target for transport corridors, be they bus roads or the guided bus. They wouldn't dream of doing this to Grantchester Meadows so why do they treat East Cambridge like this? Unless these options are removed from the strategy then now will be the time to reform SOCAM.'

Councillor Durrant also co-chaired the Cambridge Futures study 'What Transport For Cambridge' published in 2003 and hopes that the County will now change their minds and abandon the commons and meadows routes.

Some aspects of this latest strategy are to be welcomed. Local councillors in the City and South Cambridgeshire have consistently represented the need for alternative routes to the congestion on Ditton Lane. And we haven't slammed the door on the options of close alignment to the railway corridors to Ely or Ipswich. However, overall this study fails East Cambridge. The airport development will contain around 30,000 people in 11,500 households with 5,000 jobs. But the highway impact is glaringly inadequate, particularly in ignoring the Southern Orbital Route. As with Newmarket Road, traffic on Queen Edith's Way and the Outer Ring Road looks destined for extended peak hour gridlock. Labour will continue to challenge development at Marshall's when the case for sustainable development remains in such doubt. Cambridge East deserves better.'

Transport strategy is a 'call to arms'.

22 November 2006

Labour councillors today expressed extreme anger at a report published by the County Council called 'Cambridge East Sustainable Transport Strategy'.

Labour Environment Spokesperson and Abbey Ward councillor John Durrant described the report as a 'call to arms' to those living in the east of the city and elsewhere who believe that green spaces on Coldham's and Stourbridge Commons should not be 'desecrated' by vehicular transport routes which the report proposes should be channelled across them.

Labour councillors were also appalled at what deputy leader Ben Bradnack called the 'sheer inadequacy' of the proposals. He pointed out that the report, while it threatens this 'unacceptable' intrusion on the commons, also admits that what is being proposed will be insufficient, because, as it says, 'It is clear that a sustainable transport strategy for East Cambridge will need to evolve as development continues'.

Cllr Bradnack said: 'This report expresses only pious hopes, and does not give us the answers that are needed, to the questions we have asked from the start, about whether this development will be sustainable in transport terms. This confirms our worst fears that the transport challenges may simply be insoluble. If that is the case as we suspect, the development itself will be un-sustainable. No developer will risk investing in such a risky enterprise, and Cambridge will not get the houses it needs'

Among the issues which Labour believe are not adequately addressed in the report

Existing problems

East Cambridge already experiences high levels of congestion on Newmarket Rd, Coldham's Lane and Mill Road. But the report only offers transport alternatives to mitigate the harmful effects of the proposed development - more buses, more cycling and walking.. It does not say how the existing situation might be improved, nor for how the consequences of the new development can be rendered other than seriously harmful.

Getting quicker to the bottlenecks

The impact and implications of proposals to widen Newmarket Rd only as far as the Elizabeth Way roundabout are likely to be increased congestion (if that is possible) in East Rd. There will also be increased congestion in Coldham's Lane, Brooks Rd, Perne Rd and Cherry Hinton Rd, where few improvement options options available. No improvements or mitigation is proposed for Mill Road, which could be expected to carry traffic from the south west of the airport to the city centre. More of Cambridge will become like East Road is now.

The myth of proximity

The report suggests that the proximity of the airport site to employment sites could reduce traffic congestion. But all the evidence in the report, and County Council officials themselves, indicate that congestion will continue to increase throughout the area, because there will be increased numbers of cars in use. Not everyone will be willing to cycle 3 miles in each direction to and from work daily come wind and rain. Labour believe that the choices available to those travelling to and from work should reflect ease of travel, not just distance - a distinction which local transport plans neither reflect nor recognize.

Value for money

The costs of the more desirable options (like burying bus routes in tunnels) are considered prohibitive; but the environmental costs of not doing so will be unacceptable to many. For example, the proposal to spend £15 million on a bus route across Stourbridge Common appears likely to enable just 4 buses an hour to use the route.

Going another way

Many will prefer to use orbital routes rather than suffering congestion. Some will try to enter Cambridge another way. Other workers, employers and investors will decide Cambridge is not worth the hassle, and go elsewhere. They may join Marshall workers taking to the A14 to get to Mildhenhall or Wyton.

Labour Leader Lewis Herbert said: These dreams of transport planners tell us a number of things we have long suspected about the willingness of both the Tory County Councillors and Lib Dem City Councillors to sacrifice East Cambridge on the altar of political expediency - not in their backyard. They are a stark warning to those of us who live in and represent this area of what will be done to our communities if we do not resist'

County Council ownership of Howard Mallett development site challenged.

19 November 2006

On 11th October the City Council approved an application by City Life to demolish the Howard Mallett Centre in Sturton Street and build an Innovation Centre on an adjoining site.

Now City Council officers have challenged the County Council's right to dispose of the south-east corner of the site to City Life, on the grounds that this actually belongs to the City Council. On 16th November Lib Dem Executive Councillor for Commercial Services and Resources Rod Cantrill will be asked to decide whether to do a deal with the County Council to allow the scheme to go ahead. Labour members fear the Lib Dem party whip will put pressure on Cllr Cantrill to agree to the deal.

Petersfield Labour councllor Ben Bradnack, Labour spokesperson for Commercial Services and Resources, said:

'Not only has the County Council attempted to dispose of a site it does not own. It has subverted its own procedures in conducting the sale through a backstairs deal rather than transparent and open competition. And it has allowed Lib Dem Councillor Nichola Harrison to force the deal through the County Council against the wishes of more than 600 local residents who signed a petition opposing the City Life proposals.

'The City Council should use this opportunity to ensure that the County Council does not get away with its unprincipled approach; and I shall be writing to Executive Councillor Rod Cantrill to ask him to rule in favour of maintaining the City Council's ownership, whatever the views of his Lib Dem colleagues'.

Petersfield's other Labour councllor, Kevin Blencowe pointed out that if the City sustained its challenge on ownership of the site, this could open up several options.

He said: 'City Life threaten they could remove community facilities entirely from their proposals; but that would not meet planning conditions imposed by the City Council; so they would have to re-apply for planning permission. They might then want to re-consider their plans from scratch.

' At the Planning Committee meeting it was suggested that the building could be shifted further north into the existing car park and turning it through 180 degrees, on a site of which the County Council are legitimate owners. This would not meet the aspirations of local people, but it would increase the St. Matthew's Piece open space considerably.

'Or City Life could develop elsewhere, which is the preferred option of local residents'.

Labour calls for for toxic mercury analysis at Crematorium

14 November 2006

Cambridge Labour city councillors today (Tuesday, Nov 14) welcomed a U-turn by the ruling city Liberal Democrats in supporting Labour's call for 100% elimination of toxic mercury pumped out by the chimney at Cambridge Crematorium, caused by the incineration of metal dental fillings.

Labour councillors also repeated their call for action to measure and if necessary remove current and past mercury pollution in adjacent fields.

Thursday's (Nov. 16) new Community Services Committee report now proposes to eliminate 100% of toxic mercury pollution by 2012. But only last year, the Liberal Democrat-controlled committee report proposed no local action, despite Labour pressure on this hazardous pollution, other than to propose buying 'abatement credits' from another council.

While welcoming the U-turn, Labour leader Lewis Herbert attacked the failure in the new Liberal Democrat plan to respond to Labour's 2005 demands for proper analysis of decades of mercury pollution affecting farmland near the council-owned crematorium at Girton.

Cllr Herbert, said: "A year ago we called for 100% elimination of both past and future toxic mercury at the crematorium, including, as a safety check, full analysis of soils near the crematorium.

"We are grateful for the Liberal Democrat U-turn on future mercury control, but it is completely irresponsible of them to ignore years of past pollution. Soils analysis is an essential precaution, given the Europe-wide move to remove mercury from the environment.

"If the Liberal Democrats are as green as they say they are, they must ensure that soil in the next-door field is properly analysed and, if needed, undertake a proper clean-up to prevent the risk of illness or death from people eating polluted crops grown there."

He said there were 30 dentists in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire, where the crematorium is sited, each using an average of 1 to 1.5kg of mercury every year, according to available data. This meant, with some 2,700 cremations annually, many kilos of it had been pumped out of the chimney in recent decades, falling quickly on to neighbouring farmland.

Traditionally, dentists have used metal fillings containing a high percentage of mercury. It is estimated that they use more than 100 tonnes of mercury nationally each year. A significant percentage of this goes up crematoria chimneys, causing local ground and air pollution.

Government figures say that roughly one tonne of mercury a year is emitted from UK crematoria, 16% of overall mercury in the country's air, or 20 tonnes over the past two decades.

Lib Dem councillor uses casting vote to sell off sheltered housing - Labour backs tenants while Lib Dems ignore them

9 November 2006

City Labour Councillors last Monday backed a proposal from John Marais and other elected tenant representatives to retain Simons House sheltered housing in Arbury Ward rather than sell it off to a Housing Association. The Lib Dem decision leaves an uncertain future for the site and the expected demolition of eight well-loved bungalows.

The tenant move arose because the Government is currently considering a new plan for Cambridge to have clear control of its own housing finances (one of only six such councils in a national trial). This is projected to allow much more local reinvestment in rental housing.

Labour Councillors made the same point last year in a council motion saying LibDem cost cutting was premature given the rapid changes occurring in housing finance.

The vote at Monday's city Housing Management Board was a cliffhanger. Despite having twice as many councillors than Labour on the Board, it took the casting vote of Cllr James, LibDem Councillor for Arbury Ward to break a 7-7 deadlock on the isse.

Tenant representatives and Labour Councillors objected to a whole bunch of sell-off issues at Simons House because it did not require future minimum standards from the new owner, did not specify future sheltered housing use, failed to spell out a minimum number of homes in any redevelopment, and left future rent changes up to the new owners.

Labour Group Leader Cllr Lewis Herbert said 'Cambridge has a growing population of over 60s who we are so glad to see living much longer too. This needs much more sheltered housing, not less. Virtually no affordable housing for older or disabled people is currently being built in new developments around Cambridge.

'Labour Councillors will continue to support tenant representatives in their campaign to get the council to fill this massive need in Cambridge for older and disabled Cambridge residents, many in desperate of suitably adapted homes for rent.

'As an Arbury Councillor, Cllr James has let down the city as well as older residents and bungalow lovers in his own Arbury ward.

Tenants over 60 last year voted convincingly to stay as Council tenants, when the Lib Dem Council also promised to retain council housing.

Labour Councillors and tenant representatives also oppose the proposed total closure of Tiverton House (Coleridge) and sell off plans for Seymour Court (Romsey), part of an overall council plan to reduce sheltered housing in the city by at least 50 homes.

MEP Lights Fuse to Blow Dodgy Fireworks out of Cambridge

30 October 2006

With Guy Fawkes night only days away, the use of fireworks is reaching its zenith and so too are the often horrific fireworks related injuries, but a Cambridgeshire Euro MP is leading a campaign to see the number of accidents involving fireworks cut through higher quality production, better labeling standards, new age limits, and ensuring that labeling is in English.

This period last year in Cambridgeshire saw fourteen people hospitalised with injuries from fireworks, while nationally 1,141 ended up in hospital. Richard Howitt MEP is pressing for a new law in the European Parliament to make sure that all fireworks imported into the UK reach the highest possible standards. This law is due to be voted on in Parliament for the first time shortly.

One of the most important changes this law will make is in enforcing standards on fireworks coming into the UK from outside the EU. The majority of fireworks sold in the UK are imported from China (96% in 2004) and importers of fireworks must face identical obligations to ensure compliance with safety requirements as those faced by manufacturers in Europe.

Labour's Richard Howitt MEP said:

"The UK has the highest accident rate in the EU, and malfunction of fireworks are often the cause. Incorrect labeling, labeling which is not in English, poor quality misfiring rockets, all this cannot be allowed to continue with the horrific burns and scarring on show in the accident and emergency units at Addenbrookes every Bonfire Night.

" Fireworks can be spectacular but we need to take action now to force manufacturers who want to have their fireworks sold in our shops to reach the highest possible standards."

Labour's Ben Stafford tops the poll

19 October 2006

After competing for youngsters' votes, the results are in for I'm a Councillor, Get Me Out of Here.

Over the last two weeks six Cambridge city councillors have been answering questions and chatting online to youngsters, only tearing themselves away to visit schools and youth centres to drum up support.

They were then voted out one by one.

Coun Ben Stafford came out top as the IAC Youth Champion 2006 for Cambridge, with 58 per cent of the final votes.

He said: "I'm delighted, and very honoured to have won this year's I'm a Councillor, Get Me Out of Here in Cambridge.

Thank you to all the young people who voted for me throughout the week.

"The interest in this event, and in Local Democracy Week generally, has been great. It shows that young people do care about politics and about what goes on in their local areas - we have had some excellent questions on a whole range of topics, and I hope that the young people and the schools that have got involved feel we've provided them with some useful answers.

"I'm sure people will be pleased to know that, unlike winners of Big Brotherand other reality shows, I have no plans to launch a pop career or become a TV presenter."

London's 2012 Games need you! Tessa backs Cambridge campaign

20 October 2006

Senior politicians in Cambridge have teamed up with the Government to urge local residents to volunteer at the London Olympics and Paralympics - and some have already signed up to help.

With the countdown to national Olympic glory well and truly under way, 2012 organisers are asking for up to 70,000 volunteers from all walks of life, and with a variety of skills, to help deliver the most successful Games of all time.

Launching the local campaign at the Cambridge United football club, Cllr Kevin Blencowe, Labour's sports and leisure spokesman, told members of the Cambridge United Football Academy that though the Games were some way off, every sport lover was eagerly anticipating them.

The huge size of the Games meant organisers would need a large pool of volunteers to make them a success. Coun Blencowe, himself a keen footballer, added: "You don't have to be a great athlete yourself. But we're looking for responsible people to act as volunteer stewards, marshals, first-aiders, drivers and so on. And it's not a problem if you're not sure what you'll be doing in five years' time; it's about registering an interest, hearing about what might be available, and being there in the run-up and during 2012.

"The Games will be very important to the Eastern region and we want as many people in the area as possible to help in this way. For those of us born after 1948, hosting the Olympics will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience - so if you want to take an active part, now is your chance."

The recruitment of 'Games time' volunteers - registered 2010 or after - will not be done on a first-come-first-served basis. Instead, volunteers will be selected for a number of reasons, including their skills and especially their volunteering experience.

In a statement to the Cambridge Evening News, Tessa Jowell, cabinet minister responsible for the Games, backed the launch of the local campaign today, saying: "I'm hugely excited by the Cambridge campaign challenging as many residents as possible to lend their skills and be part of the greatest peacetime volunteer force Britain has ever seen."

If you or your family and friends want to volunteer please register by visiting http:www.london2012.com/en/gettinginvolved/volunteering/

Daniel Zeichner selected as Labour's new Parliamentary Candidate

16 October 2006

CAMBRIDGE LABOUR members have selected Victoria Road resident Daniel Zeichner to succeed Anne Campbell as their new Parliamentary Candidate.

Daniel Zeichner emerged victorious from a ballot in a contest which has been underway for three months.

As a key Labour target seat for the next general election Cambridge was chosen as the first seat in the country to select its new Labour Parliamentary Candidate.

During a packed hustings meeting Mr Zeichner declared himself to be "a socialist in a modern context."

Anne Campbell, former MP, hailed Daniel Zeichner as 'the next MP for Cambridge' and said 'the contest has already invigorated the local party':

"I was extremely impressed by the calibre of candidates taking part in the contest - showing Labour is a strong force that is constantly renewing itself.

"I have worked closely with Daniel on the National Policy Forum - Labour's top policy making body. Daniel is an energetic local campaigner who is not afraid to stand up to the Labour leadership on issues he cares about."

Speaking after his victory Daniel Zeichner said, "Making Cambridge fairer: Homes that Cambridge people can afford, and a transport system fit for this century rather than the last, are the priority for Cambridge - and will be my priorities too.

"Today I pledge to be accessible: I will keep in touch with Cambridge residents and listen to all the people of Cambridge.

"But I also want to explain our values, our ideas.

"Now, more than ever, we must make the case that an injustice to one is an injustice to all and that what happens far away can affect us all.

"I believe that we can use the forthcoming change in national leadership to reinvigorate the Labour Party.

"And I believe that leading from the front, taking local people seriously, rebuilding trust and working closely with Labour colleagues, we can and we will make Cambridge Labour again."

Daniel is aged 49. He studied history at Kings College. He works as a national political officer for the Trade Union UNISON, promoting the interests of low-paid women working in public services. He is working closely with Labour Ministers on changes to housing policy to secure more affordable homes. He lives in Victoria Road with his long term partner Barbara (who prefers to be known as Budge).

He was a promising middle distance runner in his youth. He enjoys walking and cycling.

All newsprint and very little reality

6 October 2006

The City Council has issued a press release about its supposed 'consultation' with local residents about waste bins left on streets. This suggests it has consulted with 3,500 residents.

But on the ground, the picture has been somewhat different. In Petersfield, residents have complained that:

- the chosen method of 'consultation' involves putting a response form through letter boxes with no freepost facility attached. We need to be told how many responses have been received, and why no freepost to encourage people to respond ?

- the 'consultation' appears not to involve calling personally on those having difficulties with the present system, since a. it is done during daytime when no one is at home; b. few house calls appear to be made even in daytime. We want to know how many households have actually received calls, and at what times ?

- the brown sacks being offered as an alternative to those who cannot make use of green bins are inappropriate, because they are East Cambs sacks which say 'do not include food waste'. This will seriously mislead Cambridge residents who are entitled to recycle food waste in their compostible materials.

Labour councillors suspect the council's threats are being targeted at students who are rarely kept informed of waste management arrangements by their landlords. They are asking: 'Is this another example of Lib Dem consultation, all newsprint and very little reality'?

Cambridge needs 'action not just fine words' on climate change and cutting pollution, says Labour

21 September 2006

Cambridge Labour Councillors will tomorrow (Friday, Sept 22) give their total support to the City Council in signing the Nottingham Climate Change Declaration. The declaration commits the council to working with residents, businesses and institutions to tackle both the causes and the effects of climate change.

But the opposition is also demanding 'action not just fine words' from the city's Liberal Democrat majority. Labour is angry with what it calls continual delays by the council on taking firm local action to deal with climate change, which the government says is the greatest threat facing the planet.

The council's Labour leader, Coun Lewis Herbert, said: 'We totally support the Nottingham declaration, a national initiative started by a Labour council. If we were in charge, we would put climate change and pollution reduction at the heart of the council's priorities. But the Lib Dems have been in the slow lane for years on these issues, apart from recent policy moves on energy efficiency and energy generation in new homes.

'It's also great to see that city staff are running practical schemes to help cyclists at Friday's Mill Road launch, which coincides with national Car-free Day. Everyone in 'cycle city' should be biking or walking, not driving, wherever possible.

'But it's taken the Lib Dems five months since the council unanimously passed the motion to sign up to the declaration to get their pens out, and there's been well over a year of inaction since they agreed with Labour that city centre pollution is a massive challenge and priority. Congestion-busting measures must be a priority to cut fumes and global warming from semi-stationary cars, lorries and buses in central Cambridge. Labour wants an answer from the ruling party on how long will it take it to develop a proper climate change and pollution reduction plan for the city '

The declaration has already been signed by Cambridgeshire County Council, South Cambridgeshire, East Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. It also pledges councils to reduce climate change impacts from their own activities and to plan how it is affecting services.

Councillor Stuart Newbold, Labour's Environment Spokesman, added: 'Labour welcomes plans for local energy generation in new buildings and high energy efficiency in new housing, but this ignores major opportunities to make existing council and other buildings more efficient. There are 10 existing buildings where action is needed for every new planned one. Labour would also focus resources on insulating more pensioner homes to deliver a double whammy â€" tackle climate change and tackle both fuel poverty and high energy bills in a single hit.

'The Lib Dems keep rejecting such sensible Labour proposals, like our plan at the last council meeting fully to involve all local residents in a climate change campaign. This aimed to bring in the dozens of environmental experts working for the city's two universities and the many local companies like CERC (Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants), creating local jobs from pollution control.'

What Labour want wanted from the ruling group was action, not just 'their usual fine words and hot air'. Coun Newbold said there should be genuine dialogue with transport companies, the universities, Addenbrooke's and major local businesses.

Climate change action is a national Labour priority. The Secretary of State for the Environment, David Miliband, in a climate-change plan submitted to Tony Blair, has committed the government to tackling this issue. The plan called on councils like Cambridge to do much more. He said that Britons were using up three times the earth's available resources and that the country had to aim for what he called 'one planet living', so that it could slash dangerous carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050 to meet Labour's target.

EEDA Board member visits Cambridge proposed sites for guided bus extension and new orbital motorway

18 September 2006

Cambridge Labour Councillors have invited a key regional decision maker to see for herself the proposed sites for massive new East Cambridge housing and transport links, around Marshalls Cambridge airport site, this Wednesday 20th September.

Bryony Rudkin will see likely routes for a new East Cambridge orbital motorway, and a guided bus extension proposed in Norwich last week. Bryony is an East of England Development Agency (EEDA) Board Member, which makes major regional economic decisions, and an East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) member, which is responsible for the new regional plan.

Labour City Council Leader Councillor Lewis Herbert said 'It is a poorly kept secret that there are plans for both a Guided Bus extension from Chesterton across the river and meadows to Newmarket Road, and also for new roads cutting across East Cambridge including linking to the A14 at Fen Ditton, an area already in the firing line as the proposed location for Cambridge's sewage.

'None of the options we have heard of so far are in any way acceptable to local people. As the initial guided bus is already costing well over £100 million we also shudder to think what its eventual cost will be once extended. First, we want the current congestion nightmare in East Cambridge tackled and we don't want millions of tonnes of concrete and tarmac to be poured across the commons and meadows around East Cambridge.'

'Bryony Rudkin's visit will ensure that the voice of East Cambridge residents is heard regionally on this issue. Maybe then we will get some balance in development decisions, that gives local Cambridge people a voice and a say for the first time.'

Councillor John Durrant, Labour's City Planning and Transport Spokes, said 'I have said it before but its stands repeating. Developing plans for 12000 homes in East Cambridge without suitable transport links is like building a house without a front door. I have two simple questions of the County Council and others - 'When are you going to come clean on your transport plans and, more immediately, when are you going to sort out Newmarket Road?'

'In a week when Norwich Union have slashed 200 jobs in Cambridge, we also don't see the sense of Marshalls moving. Cambridge needs these jobs as well as more homes.'

Labour calls for urgent talks to prevent Arbury Camps becoming a monster

5 September 2006

Cambridge Labour councillors are calling for urgent talks with Gallagher Estates, developers of the new Arbury Park, and with Cambridgeshire Horizons and all three local authorities involved. Local councillors and nearby residents are angry because of the development's "failure to address resident concerns".

They fear the new 900 plus home development on the north edge of Cambridge will turn into a "monster" if three massive problems - no pedestrian access, crime-encouraging communal areas and community facilities are not tackled urgently.

King's Hedges Councillor Louise Downham, attacked the development over its total lack of pedestrian access to the new housing, and the fact that no new crossings are planned for the busy King's Hedges Road, already identified by local police as a priority road in tackling dangerous speeding.

Coun Downham, who is Labour's city housing management spokesperson, said that the developers have also ignored calls from King's Hedges Councillors to design out crime which they say will be attracted by features in the estate's communal areas. As reported in the Cambridge Evening News, crime and anti-social behaviour has increased in north Cambridge this summer.

Coun Downham said "There has been a total failure here to address resident concerns. My biggest worry is the risk that this massive development will increase accidents on King's Hedges Road - there have already been eight accidents recently on this stretch" she said. "Then we have added problems locally from all the new traffic from Arbury Park, which looks as if it's being designed to be only accessible by car."

She said the meeting needs to bring together Gallaghers, the government-funded Cambridgeshire Horizons, Cambridgeshire County Council, the City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council. Its agenda should include considering the need to complete community facilities before people moved in. "This is the exactly same mistake that was made at Cambourne, and everyone agrees that made life difficult for early residents."

She added: "King's Hedges people are proud of their area and are not willing to be ignored. I know from talking to residents that they are angry and upset by what is happening. I have repeatedly raised these issues, but Gallaghers only priority at the moment seems to be getting the housing up.

Coun Downham said "I am the first to recognise the urgent need for more housing, particularly the 158 new affordable homes planned next year. But unless action is taken on these three issues this year, rather than 2011 when the estate is due for completion, the development will become a monster. By then, the damage will be done and much will be irreversible."

Coun John Durrant, Labour's city transport and planning strategy spokesperson, commented: "Like other recent and planned developments in the area, it is being built back to front â€" houses first, then the developers may decide to pick up the community issues, but it's now a lottery whether pedestrian and cycle access will added here or not."

Arbury Camps, Coun Durrant said, is a massive site with huge local impacts. "What is happening is that the developer builds, then goes, leaving the local community to pick up the broken pieces. I am very worried for the first people moving in, and particularly worried about the lack of safe and effective pedestrian access to the site.

"All of these fringe developments involve both Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire and, from what I can see, the big issues are falling down the massive crack between the two," Coun Durrant added.

Coun Downham and fellow local Labour city and county councillor Elizabeth Hughes recently set up a website www.proudofkingshedges.org.uk, to respond to derogatory comments about the area by a Liberal Democrat Councillor. Plenty of local residents responded with emails or phone calls to say why they like King's Hedges and why they want to keep it that way.

She said: "We want Arbury Park to add good things to King's Hedges which, despite negative comments by the Liberal Democrats, is a strong, caring and successful community."

Labour councillors urge pensioners to make sure this winter is a warm winter.

3 September 2006

Summer is over, and most people probably haven't given a thought to the Winter Fuel Allowance, but the qualifying week is only a fortnight away.

The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual payment to help people aged 60 and over with the costs of keeping warm this winter.

Everyone aged 60 to 79 is entitled to receive a Winter Fuel Payment, and they will get either £100 or £200, depending on their circumstances in the qualifying week (18-24 September 2006).

Everyone aged 80 or over is entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment, but will get an extra £50 or £100, so they could get up to £300, depending on their circumstances in the qualifying week. You do not pay tax on Winter Fuel Payments.

Cllr Martin Ballard said, 'Like many other pensioners in this city, I have had good reason to be grateful to our Labour government for these annual payments. We become more vulnerable to the cold as we get older and bills are rising all the time.'

For further information the Winter Fuel Payment Helpline is on 08459 15 15 15. Lines are open from 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Labour Councillors win campaign for CCTV on Parker's Piece and Christ's Pieces

1 September 2006

Four new top of the range infra-red CCTV crime busting cameras are due to be installed next week (by 8 September) on two of the city's busiest central parks - Parker's Piece and Christ's Pieces.

Cambridge City Council is spending £36,000 following a long campaign for funding led by Labour Councillors, a campaign backed by the local people and the police after temporary cameras showed how vital these permanent cameras would be for both parks.

On Parker's Piece there will be two new CCTV cameras: one camera permanently mounted on Regents Terrace overlooking Parker's Piece and the other on Gonville Place opposite the Swimming Pool, again overlooking the Piece.

On Christ's Pieces there will also be two new cameras: one infra-red camera just behind the Bus Station along Milton Walk, and the other on the central pedestrian crossover near the bowling green. The four new cameras are in addition to existing cameras covering adjacent streets, and will also enable the police to track incidents elsewhere, when combined with images from the other 150 CCTV cameras across the city.

With the addition of Lion Yard CCTV next year, there will be close to 200 CCTV cameras covering Cambridge city, a major change since the then Labour-run council first started the CCTV programme back in 1997. CCTV cameras in city parks have been very busy this summer. Between April and July alone, the camera on Midsummmer Common logged 47 significant incidents and the Jesus Green camera recorded 22, which were all then followed up.

Lib Dems councillors originally turned down Labour's CCTV investment proposals at the February 2006 budget meeting, saying they had other priorities for the money.

Then they reversed their mistake but took months to arrange the funding in a raid on the council's fund for local £5,000 community-led 'Safer City' schemes tackling crime - a move Labour councillors at the time called 'daylight robbery' because of the expected damage to many small crime busting projects in residential parts of Cambridge.

Labour Leader Lewis Herbert said

'CCTV cameras are one form of 'Big Brother' that all the city's Labour Councillors support. So its great news that Labour's proposals from February 2006 for CCTV on Parker's Piece and Christ's Pieces are now finally being installed, albeit that they would have up months ago if Labour was running the council.

'These permanent cameras are a major personal safety boost for all residents and city visitors as the evenings get darker, particularly for the thousands of new 'fresher' students due to arrive in Cambridge later in September, who will be huge users of these two parks.

'We know these cameras are essential as trials with a single redeployable camera on Parker's Piece led to 5 arrests in just its first few hours. Similar results have been delivered on Midsummer Common and Jesus Green, and for other areas benefiting from mobile CCTV. Labour wants more mobile CCTV in problem residential area locations across town.

'However, CCTV is not the only answer, particularly in the city centre. Areas like Christ's Pieces and Jesus Green suffer from totally inadequate lighting and shadow areas that cannot be fully covered by CCTV. And there have been appalling delays by the Council which are stopping our parks being lit better. Labour councilors want to hear from local residents what their views are on radically improving lighting in our parks and along local footpaths, which is Labour's next crime busting priority.

'We will continue to work with local people and the police to persuade the LibDem-run council to make crime prevention a much bigger priority than their slow and inadequate recent action on CCTV and parks lighting.'

Community groups with local proposals to stop crime, costing up £5000, can also contact local Labour Councillors or council officers as the next deadline for detailed applications for the 'Safer City' scheme is 11th September, and Labour will be opposing further raids on this funding.

Labour welcomes free bus fare news

22 August 2006

Cambridge Labour Councillors have welcomed with relief the announcement of the belated agreement for a free concessionary countywide scheme for older and disabled people across Cambridgeshire.

Cllr Lewis Herbert, Labour City Leader said 'Its great news that older people, particularly in the city and South Cambridgeshire, will not now be left out in the cold this winter.

Other neighbouring counties like Essex achieved this deal nine months ago, and all this shows is that there has been a massive amount of phoney politicking and delay by Cambridgeshire council leaders. This was a cruel deception when the councils could have a done a deal earlier, and when councils like Fenland have had extra Government money in their accounts all along.

Cllr Ben Bradnack, Labour Deputy Leader said 'We are massively relieved for so many local people over 60 that the seven councils have finally sorted out a countywide free concessionary fares scheme. But why did they not do this deal 6 months ago and why have they been overcharging local pensioners through the summer ?

'We also greatly welcome the reduction in cars on Cambridge roads that will result from people switching back to filling empty seats on buses, further boosting the impressive and continuing rise in local bus use.

Residents lose fight to retain Coleridge Newsagents

22 August 2006

Forbuoys is to close its busy newsagents near Budgens on Adkins Corner (Coleridge ward) on Friday 25 August, despite a fierce fight by local residents and Councillors against the planning change, and a petition signed by hundreds of Forbuoys own customers.

Forbuoys is selling its lease to bookmakers Joe Jennings who were recently granted planning permission and then a bookmakers licence by local magistrates. It was a change opposed by dozens of local pensioners without cars who need a newsagents selling items not available in other local shops.

The Forbuoys shop manager had also offered to take it over as a viable independent newsagency but Forbuoys turned him down. Shoppers at Adkins Corner are now left with Budgens, and a chemist who bookmakers also unsuccessfully tried to buy out.

Joe Jennings will be the third bookmakers on Cherry Hinton Road at 1 Adkins Corner, adding to two Ladbrokes at 238 Cherry Hinton Road and 92 Cherry Hinton Road. Bookmakers outbid shops via higher lease payments and the applicant is believed to have offered Forbuoys a substantial premium for their lease.

Local Labour Coleridge Councillor Lewis Herbert said

'I have nothing against betting but Cherry Hinton Road already has two bookies. Along with other local residents I know we dont need three or even more.

'Areas like 'Budgens Corner' need their local quality shops, particularly as there are several sheltered housing schemes and retirement homes next door, including a healthy bunch in their 70s and 80s who don't have cars.

There is also a bigger message for us all, and for other local communities across Cambridge. Use your quality neighbourhood shops more often or you lose them. If people don't spend more of their money in local shops we could end up with a choice in Cambridge suburbs of either Tescos or bookmakers.'

Marshall's move 'would cause transport nightmare'

9 August 2006

The Labour group on Cambridge City Council today described a report that Marshall's Aerospace could move from Cambridge airport to make way for 12,000 homes as threatening the city with a "transport nightmare".

The council's Labour leader, Lewis Herbert, said: "It's crazy logic to build 12,000 homes first without the transport plans clearly worked out and made public. Is there to be a new four-lane south Cambridge ring road?

"How are they going to shift this huge volume of extra cars when motorists can't even move at 10 mph along Newmarket Road at peak periods?"

Labour transport spokesman and local ward councillor, John Durrant, said: "I've already pressed this week for a proper council plan to tackle existing Newmarket Road congestion.

"Building this new town without sorting out the transport is like building a house without giving it a front door."

The consultants' report said that Marshall's could move its business either to RAF Wyton or Mildenhall airfield.

Cllr Herbert said that some local people were already concerned about the environmental impact of current airport use. But this was comparatively small compared with the congestion that the new development would cause.

"It's a totally wrong to build a new town without proper proposals for public transport and access. We don't see the logic of putting the city's single biggest development in the area with the worst congestion problems."

Labour city councillors would also be opposing county council Liberal Democrats' support for a new guided bus route cutting across either Ditton Meadows or Stourbridge Common.

Cllr Herbert said: "Even before the new building, we are very concerned about this major loss of skilled jobs to the city. The relocation of Marshall's will additionally create its own extra volume of car traffic, as there are scant transport links with either site."

Statement from Cambridge Labour Party regarding explosive device

3 August 2006

Yesterday at around 11am Cambridge Labour election agent Alex Mayer opened the post at the Cambridge Labour Party headquarters Alex Wood Hall on Norfolk Street, Cambridge.

While opening the post she found a suspicious package and notified the police.

The police arrived quickly, assessed the situation and cordoned off the area of Norfolk Street. Norfolk Terrace, Blossom Street and St Mathews Street until 5pm.

Robert Evans, Chair of the Cambridge Labour Party said, "The Labour Party take our employees safety seriously and make sure they are vigilant when opening the post. Alex was right to be very careful and to call the police and to leave it in their capable hands."

"We would like to thank the police, fire and ambulance service and the RAF bomb disposal team for the professional and calm way they handled the incident."

"We would like to apologise to the local residents and shops who were seriously inconvenienced by the incident. We hope they will understand why these precautions were taken."

"Yesterday was a difficult day for all those directly and indirectly affected."

"What could have been a dangerous situation was handled efficiently and safely by Cambridgeshire Police. Their service has been excellent and we are very appreciative."

We're Proud of Kings Hedges!

28 July 2006

In response to a top Lib Dem Councillor's slur on Kings Hedges (reported CEN 25 July) Labour Councillors Elizabeth Hughes and Louise Downham have set up a website www.proudofkingshedges.org.uk

On the website residents can email in why they are proud to live in Kings Hedges and a selection of the comments will be published on the website.

Cllr Elizabeth Hughes said, "Kings Hedges is a great place to live - I've been here for over 25 years. It's a really vibrant well established cluster of communities where people know their neighbours and watch out for each other. Our houses may not look like Hills Road but they are well built - many of them by the council. There are opportunities for leisure and young people to play with a good range of activities for older people, schools and shops."

"Local residents often complain that Kings Hedges gets a bad press. We think it's time for local people to stand up for their area - so please sign up today on our website!"

Labour Councillors call for Climate Change and Pollution Action Plan

20 July 2006

Early action from the Lib Dem City council, including a major Council 'Committee of Inquiry', is the target of a motion to this Thursday's Cambridge City Council meeting. Labour Councillors want the city to develop a detailed action plan to tackle both climate change impacts and reduce air pollution in the city.

Labour is campaigning for a 'Climate Change and Pollution Action Plan' to detail future action needed by the City Council, major Cambridge organisations and residents. Labour is also proposing a 'Committee of Inquiry, the council's traditional way of investigating major challenges facing the city. The Committee would:

- have a wide membership including local experts and key city companies and organisations including the county council and its wide powers over transport and pollution in the city.

- engage wider Cambridge organisations and the public.

- produce a detailed plan of action that the city council, local transport companies, the two Universities, Addenbrokes plus simple actions for local residents to adopt too.

Climate change action is also being led nationally by the new Labour DEFRA Environment Secretary of State David Miliband. In a climate change plan submitted to Tony Blair, he has committed Labour to tackling this issue and has called on councils to do more on climate change. In his plan, David Miliband has said that people across the planet are using up three times the available resources on the Earth and should all be aiming for 'one planet living', including so the UK will reduce carbon emissions by 60% by 2050.

Simple actions people can take to cut climate change and heatwave pollution include:

- using bicycles or walking or the bus instead of using the car.

- all vehicles switching engines off when stationary, particularly buses, taxis and HGVs.

- taking 'bad fume' vehicles for a service/making sure all vehicle engines are properly maintained.

- reducing hot water/boiler heating in the summer and save some money too.

Labour City Leader Councillor Lewis Herbert said 'Some may think global warming has already arrived in Britain this week, but we have not yet seen the worst that climate change and pollution could cause. There is still time for us all to take action to prevent the worst happening.

'As the Labour Government has recognised, much can be done by councils and local communities. So we want the city council to take a lead. But we also want to fully involve key local organisations and local residents in agreeing priorities for action from 2007 onwards. We are all part of the climate change and local pollution problem. Equally, with a proper lead from the City Council and others, we can all be part of the solutions.'

As heatwave hits Labour demands action by councils and bus operators to protect Cambridge people from excess city pollution.

20 July 2006

Cambridge Labour Councillors are demanding action by the city and county councils, and by local bus operators to eliminate Cambridge's city centre air pollution hotspots. Labour wants vehicle fumes and ground level ozone cut, to prevent health damage including to children suffering asthma and people over 60 with bronchial problems, made much worse in the current heatwave.

It is over a year since the city and county councils promised Cambridge a 'Low Emission Zone', and the county agreed to negotiate 'Quality Bus Partnerships' with each of the main bus operators, but nothing has actually yet been delivered says Labour.

Pollution monitoring commonly shows high levels of pollutants like nitrogen dioxide on Regent Street and worrying particulate/nitrogen dioxide levels also nearer the bus station and on other major inner city roads. It is clear that Cambridge centre fails to meet overall annual national target for Nitrogen Dioxide limits.

Labour Councillors have written to major local bus operators on the issue and have had a positive response from coach operator National Express but are still awaiting detailed feedback from other major local bus operators, including at a planned meeting with the biggest local bus operator Stagecoach. Labour's message is also that, with local temperatures hitting the nineties for several days, there are worse pollution risks on the way for the City Centre this summer.

Labour City Leader Councillor Lewis Herbert said 'Traffic fumes and ground level ozone become truly poisonous as temperatures soar.

'If the city and county councils are truly concerned about pollution and climate change they will tackle central Cambridge pollution urgently, not repeat the inaction of the last year. We want a commitment from the two councils, and from organisations like local bus and coach operators, that the major city centre pollution hotspots will be tackled, and that we will definitely improve air quality by next summer.'

Labour's City Environment Spokesperson, Cllr Stuart Newbold added, 'The public also have a crucial role here. We want everyone to ring or email bus companies and other polluters, or contact Labour Councillors, if they spot vehicles pumping out unnecessary pollution, particularly stationary vehicles in the city centre or at the railway station.

'There are no acceptable excuses for this, including stationary buses and taxis with their engines running in this weather, or poorly maintained buses or other vehicles chucking out fumes that cause added health problems to Cambridge people, particularly children and the over 60s.

Why were we waiting?

17 July 2006

Labour councillors have today welcomed the belated City Council decision to install CCTV on the commons but have questioned why it took the Lib Dem council so long to implement. Labour councillors first proposed installing these CCTV cameras at the council's budget meeting back in February.

Cllr Bradnack said, "Lib Dem councillors turned down Labour's February proposal, because they had other priorities. Then they realised their mistake, and at the last minute, in the course of the budget debate, they proposed to raid an existing Community Safety budget to meet the need for CCTV cameras on the commons."

Labour councillors believe this tactical reversal had a number of harmful consequences:

- Delay. Expenditure under the Community Safety programme is limited to projects costing under £5,000, so this proposal to put permanent cameras on the commons had to hang about while agreement was secured to change the £5,000 rule, in this case to £36,000. This only partly explains why it has taken till now to get the decision through. The delay is also explained by Lib Dem councillors' clumsy committee procedures. They carelessly missed an opportunity to report to members in April about their proposal to change the £5,000 expenditure 'cap', so the decision then had to be delayed till the next committee meeting in June.

- Failure to meet other community safety needs. The Community Safety budget only had the necessary £36,000 sloshing around in it, because Lib Dem councillors had not spent this money on its intended purposes in the previous year. The failure to spend on smaller schemes last year, and the decision to spend £36,000 on CCTV for the commons this summer, shows that poor and insufficient attention had been devoted to community safety in local communities over previous years.

- Failure to use mobile CCTV cameras most effectively. While the council was going though its cumbersome procedures since Febuary to get approval for the money to be spent on permanent CCTV on the commons, its mobile CCTV cameras were being deployed on Parker's Piece as an interim measure; so other requests from local people and councillors for deployment of mobile cameras in their own communities this year have also remained unmet.

What are the lessons from this sorry saga?

1. Lib Dem councillors do not give a sufficiently high priority to community safety.

2. They prioritise the city centre at the expense of localities.

3. Their cumbersome committee procedures mean that decisions are slower than necessary, but are no sounder or better judged as a result.

Stop waste of £890,000 Labour tells City Lib Dems

10 July 2006

Cambridge Labour City Councillors have uncovered major waste at the City Council, and want it redirected to real community priorities including:

- Offering a contribution to start countywide free bus fares for over-60s

- More CCTV and other capital investments to cut crime and increase public safety in the city

- More planning for affordable housing, tackling the growth agenda and preventing damage to the local community and traffic gridlock from the 1000s of new homes planned in Cambridge in the next 10 years.

Lib Dem city waste exposed by Labour Councillors includes:

- £890,000 that the Lib Dem Council did not spend last year (2005/6) which it proposes to give back to exactly the same departments that failed to spend the money first time round, added on to this year's money, see: www.cambridge.gov.uk/public/councillors/agenda/2006/0710str/07.pdf

- Plus an additional £450,000 which was a Government capital windfall for the city in February, that the Lib Dem Council have proposed to allocate to a new Geographic Information System (GIS) with NO proper assessment of alternate uses for this precious money see, www.cambridge.gov.uk/public/councillors/agenda/2006/0704csr/00.pdf

Labour City Leader and Coleridge Councillor Lewis Herbert said:

'We demand that there is proper assessment of the best deal for Cambridge before the city's spare £1,300,000 is wasted away. Its both crazy and lazy to give £890,000 straight back to underspending council departments when there are bigger community priorities like:

- CCTV and other measures to cut crime

- more planning for affordable housing, and the growth agenda including tackling congestion

- contributing to free fares for the over 60s.'

Dangerous two-way cycling

3 July

Residents of streets south of Mill Road today petitioned councillors in a packed meeting of the Area Joint Committee in the Guildhall to reverse their decision to impose two-way cycling on Covent Garden and Mawson Road.

Local resident Annette Heilbron was able to distribute graphic pictures of just how narrow the roadway is in Cocent Garden, and the risks associated with allowing cyclists to cycle the 'wrong' way.

The secretary of the Glisson Road Area Residents' Association, Frank Gawthrop, was able to draw on his knowledge of the original decision more than 20 years ago to impose one-way streets south of Mill Road in alternate directions, which was taken to maximise safety. He pointed out that in the other streets which were able to support an element of 'contraflow' in the area - St Barnabas Rd and Glisson Road - the circumstances were radically different. Although there is no entry for cars at one end of both, both roads carry cars in both directions for all their lengths apart from the street entrance, because they are wide enough to do so; and both are therefore able to benefit also from a bollard entrance to the contraflow scheme which identifies a clear space for cyclists - an option which will not be available in either Mawson Rd or Covent Garden.

When questioned about support for the petition, both petitioners were able to say that they had been able to get support from at least half the households in the streets affected.

Despite the strength of support for the petition, the Lib Dem Chair of the Committee, Coun Huppert, said the committee will only reconsider its decision in relation to these streets in 12 months' time. Meanwhile further petitions in respect of contraflow proposals to the north of Mill Road. in the Guest Rd area and Kingston St, are expected in the autumn.

Labour calls for better access to council services. But Lib Dem proposals fail to offer a convincing solution.

26 June 2006

Cambridge City Councillors will today decide whether to retain the council's outreach housing offices in Arbury Rd and Cherry Hinton Rd, as part of a new Access Strategy. They will consider what contribution new technology can make to helping residents get a better deal from the council. And they will be asked to make these changes independently of what other councils in the area are seeking to achieve.

The City Council has acknowledged the need to improve access to its services by its customers. Currently less than 50% of enquiries are dealt with by the first point of contact that members of the public have with the Council. Many people complain about being handed on from one department to another. Public perception that the Council is accessible plummeted by 20% between 2002 and 2004 according to user research, and 46% of respondents do not believe the council gives a value for money service. The new Council Access Strategy is intended to address these problems, but rejects the option of working with other councils such as the County Council to run a joint facility.

Tenants and Labour councillors were alarmed by early drafts of the new Strategy, which proposed to close one or both of the Council's Arbury Rd and Cherry Hinton Road offices. Labour councillors argued that while closing offices might save money, it would be at the expense of services to those who were least mobile and least prosperous. They pointed out that Council's own research shows that there is little enthusiasm for reducing council tax if it means reducing standards of service. But they also point out how much confusion there is about which council is responsible for which services, and that a single point of access for both city and county services could cut this confusion at a stroke.

The latest version of the Strategy, due to be discussed by council committees today and again on 4th July, drops all proposals for closure of offices. It focuses instead on improving standards of service by increasing the skills of those dealing with enquiries either face to face or by telephone; and improving the council's use of information technology.

Labour councillors have welcomed the change of emphasis. But Cllr Louise Downham, Labour spokesperson on the Council's Housing Management Board, said: 'The council is putting a lot of things at risk here. I am pleased that offices are not to be closed at present; but there is no guarantee that they will continue to survive, for example when the Cherry Hinton Road Office lease is due for renewal in 2009. Even if there are no office closures, proposed redundancies within City Homes mean there will be downsides, as known officers leave, with massive disruption and loss of morale'.

Cllr Ben Bradnack, Labour Deputy Leader and spokesperson on Commercial Services and Resources Scrutiny said: 'Labour members have long ago identified poor access as an issue the council must address. But it is not clear to us that the City Council should be going it alone, rather than working with the County Council, or that this will bring improved contact for local people'.

He said: 'Improving access is one thing, saving money something else. Can better training and new technology really deliver both ? It is particularly alarming that the cost of this package is estimated to be over £8 million; and it has to produce a payback over 8 years. Savings targets like these mean the threat to area offices hasn't gone away.. Who will pay the price ? Staff in City Homes are threatened with job cuts; but Labour members and tenants are afraid the real victims of any changes will be the most vulnerable â€" the least mobile, the elderly, and those least able to benefit from whatever benefits new technology may be thought to bring'.

Labour Leader concern over Ashwell Station Development

12 June 2006

Labour City Council Leader Lewis Herbert today wrote to Paul Thwaites, boss of Ashwell the developer with plans for the Station Road area, calling for a meeting with Ashwell about the future of this area.

Ashwell have now been silent on their future plans for over two months, following the decision by the Council's planning committee to turn down their original CB1 proposals for the huge 21.5 acre site, on a detailed list of 26 grounds.

In his letter, Lewis Herbert states Labour's great concern that months will pass, and that it is important that the whole community knows Ashwell's position, particularly as the local community has a united position on what it wants achieved from the development.

Labour has also called for a new master plan for the area, developed by the council, but involving both Ashwell and giving the community a say on priorities for Station Road including:

- development related to the council's Station Area Development Framework

- getting transport and station access right, including a new bus/transport interchange

- a balanced community including new affordable housing including for local people in housing need

- creating a viable, vibrant successful development.

Here we go! A letter to Cambridge Evening News

20 June 2006

On behalf of the group of football fans responsible for putting on the second World Cup big screen event on Parker's Piece tonight, may I sincerely thank all the generous sponsors who have contributed towards the cost of staging it.

The first screening attracted a huge number of people. We expect tomorrow (Wednesday, 21 June)'s event to be similarly well-attended and hence the estimated costs are high.

A big thank you must go to WT's Snooker Club on Burleigh Street who have stumped up the full £6,000 cost of hiring the screen. The screen used this week will be bigger, so hopefully sound levels and viewing will be better.

Steve McNamara, director of WTs, says: "We are very pleased to support such a great sporting event. We hope for good weather, a great atmosphere and a far better England performance than in the first two games."

There will be a beer tent and soft drinks tent. There will be ID checks for people buying alcohol.

Many thanks to the News itself, Red Gate Software, Marshall Motor Group, the County Library Service, Explorermagazine and City Centre Management for their much-needed sponsorship.

We should also thank Alistair Wilson, Debbie Kaye and the city council staff who will work hard behind the scenes, as they did on the first Saturday.

People planning to bring their own drinks to the event are encouraged to bring cans rather than glass bottles. The area is used as a sports field by local schools, clubs and others and broken glass can be a problem.

Fans are also urged to use litter and recycling bins or take rubbish with them.

We know England, with such great players, are capable of winning the World Cup. so, starting with the match against Sweden, let's see them step up a gear.

Wave your flags, paint the kids' faces, paint your gran's face if she'd like it! Come along and enjoy yourselves and if all goes well, perhaps we'll be screening England in the final on Parker's Piece where the rules of modern football were first drawn up 150 years ago.

City Councillor Kevin Blencowe

Local Plans Problems

7 June 2006

Cambridge City Labour Councillors today attacked two massive flaws in the new Cambridge Local Plan and current Lib Dem city policies, that both are:

- too weak on affordable housing

- silent about major added congestion and transport impacts caused by major development, including the fear of a new motorway proposal to serve the 12000 homes proposed at Cambridge airport.

Labour Leader Lewis Herbert said,

'Its a massive disappointment that the affordable housing target from private developments has been reduced by the Planning Inspector to 40%, a loss of over 1000 homes, particularly as recent Lib Dem delivery has been less than 30%.

'Council performance is also even worse than figures suggest. First, there has been the huge Belvedere development with no on-site affordable housing. Then there is the total failure to build sufficient affordable housing for families, as its been almost all 1 or 2 bed flats recently. We don't want the children of Cambridge families being forced to move to live 50 miles north of the city.

'Labour wants the council to still aim overall for 50% affordable housing, by including using all its own council housing land like Clay Farm for 100% affordable homes, where yet another weak deal with a developer is proposed.'

Councillor John Durrant, Labour Shadow Cabinet member for Transport and Planning, added

'We recognise there are various improvements on the 1996 Local Plan but not on transport.

'We want transport planning BEFORE new development unlike what's been happening, and the new Local Plan is spineless on transport. Cambridge is becoming gridlocked by allowing new development without transport planning and that's a foretaste of potential disaster in the future.

'The 12000 homes proposed at Cambridge airport will mean thousands more cars as well as more bus and bike journeys on local streets, which has not been adequately planned for, unless there are secret proposals being developed, like a new South Cambridge Orbital motorway.

'We also want further sites added to the plan in West Cambridge with access to the M11 to ensure that impacts are minimised and shared fairly, so future problems, congestion and pollution are not all dumped on East Cambridge.'

Labour campaigning for a better development at Cambridge City and a proper ground for Cambridge City

6 June 2006

As fans look forward to the world cup, it is distressing to see the problems being faced by people trying to keep the game alive at local level. The shenanigans in many clubs as developers try to get their hands on prime development sites is well-chronicled across the country - the latest twist at Cambridge City just another example. In this case, however, local people do have an important lever in what often seems an uneven David and Goliath battle against greed - the planning system.

The owners of the City ground may not like it, but the situation is clear, any development depends upon the club finding a suitable alternative. However much pressure the developers might try to apply to both club and council, councillors should stand firm. In fact, discussion about what kind of development there should be is in many ways premature - first a solution to where next for Cambridge City, only then a discussion about how to develop the site.

Estelle Morris to challenge the role of market forces in our secondary school system

2 June 2006

On Monday 5th June 2006 at Newnham Croft Primary School. Chedworth Street, Cambridge, CB3 9JF, between 8.00 pm. â€" 9.45 pm, a distinguished panel will debate the Government's Education Reforms. The motion to be discussed is 'This meeting believes market forces should play no part in improving the secondary school system'.

Estelle Morris (former Secretary of State for Education) and Becky Allen (lecturer at the Institute of Education) will support the motion.

In advance of her visit to Cambridge next week Estelle said, 'The Government's education reforms have led to one of the most serious and profound debates in education and politics. It is absolutely right that this debate should take place in Cambridge as well as it is here on the ground that the impact of the reforms will be felt.'

Defending the motion are Gordon Jeyes, Deputy Chief Executive, Office of Children and Young People, Cambridgeshire County Council and Andrew Hutchison (Head of Parkside and Coleridge Community Colleges).

All welcome. No charge for admission. To request a ticket call 01223 500515 or email cambridgelabour@btconnect.com

Labour announces shadow cabinet for Cambridge

25 May 2006

Leader of the opposition Cllr Lewis Herbert has today announced details of his new shadow team.

Number two in command will be former leader Ben Bradnack who becomes deputy leader. Kevin Blencowe is Labour Shadow on Community Services and Planning issues.

Louise Downham takes on the shadow Housing Management portfolio, John Durrant is Labour Shadow on Transport and Planning Strategy and newly elected Stuart Newbold takes on the Shadow Recycling, Waste & Environmental Services brief.

The new Labour team will be campaigning on our top priorities:

- Tackle congestion. Calling for proper scrutiny of transport options including the potential impact of development of Marshalls airport. Fighting for a functioning transport interchange at Cambridge station and pushing for better city bus services to get cars off the road.

- Put affordable housing first. Cambridge's housing needs are increasing faster than the supply of affordable homes. Labour believes that 100% of houses built on council owned land should be affordable, and will push for 50% of private developments also to be affordable. The Lib Dems currently achieve less than 30%.

- Recycle more for our money. Costs of waste and recycling in the city have risen by 30% in the last year, yet services have been reduced to fortnightly. Labour wants to recycle more but also make your services more flexible and more efficient. And we will also expose other waste at the Guildhall.

New Cambridge Labour leader elected

7 May 2006

Cllr Lewis Herbert has been elected as new Labour Group leader after Cllr Ben Bradnack stepped down after two and a half years.
Cllr Herbert says, "As the newly elected City Group leader, I will be leading a small but talented group, making the most of our combined expertise and experience, and impact as a team.
Our challenge is to continue to take a lead in influencing key decisions affecting the city's future and local residents.
We know it may be a while until we win back control of the city council. But we also know that the Lib Dems are failing to provide leadership in tackling critical issues of affordable housing, and congestion caused by new development, and that they are also poorly targeting the considerable resources that Cambridge can draw on, including to those who need local services most.
We will work closely with the party, local unions and wider community groups in our campaigning, as we have on sheltered housing and other issues.
Ben will be a tough act to follow, and has worked tirelessly and highly effectively for the Group and for the party. It's great that he will continue as deputy leader and will continue to make a crucial contribution."
Lewis was elected to the City Council in 2004, when he replaced Ruth Bagnall as councillor for Coleridge Ward. He has led for Labour on Environmental Services including recycling. He also recently exposed the failure of the Liberal Democrat city council on the new Belvedere development, where there will be no on-site affordable housing. Instead, the developers paid the Council £2m towards housing elsewhere, little more than the cost of its penthouse flat.
Lewis has eight years previous experience as a Councillor. As Greater London Councillor for Lewisham, he was re-elected 3 times as part of Ken Livingstone's team running London, leading on the environment and community grants. He also has a wealth of wider experience in local government in Britain and New Zealand including as both Recycling Officer and Head of Waste and Recycling for Cambridgeshire County Council between 1990 and 2003. Lewis has been an active Labour campaigner for over 30 years, from the General Elections in 1974 onwards, and has lived in Cambridge since 1990.

Thank you for voting Labour

5 May 2006

Thursday 4 May was a good night for Labour in Cambridge. We are delighted that Cllr Lewis Herbert was re-elected in Coleridge, Miriam Lynn becomes the new councillor for Abbey, Stuart Newbold won a seat from the Tories in Cherry Hinton and Cllr Kevin Blencowe was reelected in Petersfield after a hard fought campaign by just 31 votes. We were disappointed not to hold Kings Hedges for Labour. This means the make up of the council is now Lib Dem 29 and Labour 13.
Cllr Ben Bradnack said, "We have come out even, and have perhaps done better than our colleagues in many other parts of the country."

Labour lauches election manifesto!

1 April 2006

Labour today launched its city council manifesto "A fairer Cambridge for you" for the city council elections to be held on Thursday 4 May.
Our priorities for Cambridge.

• Affordable houses. All new developments to have 50% affordable houses and build 100% affordable houses on council owned land
• Stop the bin madness. Develop a bin policy that takes into account different needs in different households and doesn't leave our streets cluttered.
• Safer parks and streets. Increase collaboration between police, public and council. New CCTV cameras for Parker's Piece and Christ's Pieces and money for improved lighting on estates.
• Put Transport First. Sort out the transport infrastructure before building new developments.

For more details please read our manifesto.

A Budget for Britain's Schools

22 March 2006

Investment in education and fairness for families shows why Labour is best for Cambridge.

Cllr Ben Bradnack and Cllr Martin Ballard Labour Leaders on Cambridge City and County Councils today welcomed the Budget unveiled by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, as "a budget for Britain's schools that shows Labour is best for Cambridge".

"Gordon Brown showed today why Labour is best for Cambridge - building on our platform of economic stability while still investing in the education of our children and in our public services:

"The extra £585 million for education will mean direct money for the typical primary school in Cambridge will rise from £31,000 this year to £40,000; and from £98,000 this year to £185,000 for the typical secondary school. Investment that will help give all our children the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

"The increase in the child element will give more support to the 3900 families - 6500 children - in Cambridge benefiting from Labour's tax credits.

"Gordon Brown recognised that some local authorities, despite having received government grant, are refusing to fund free cross-border bus journeys for elderly and disabled people. These will now be funded nationally from 2008 to give 13780 Cambridge pensioners more freedom.

"And the increase in the starting threshold for stamp duty will help first-time buyers and those on low incomes to get on the housing ladder.

"As today's Budget shows, Labour is making the right decisions for the future: building on economic stability, investing in public services, science and enterprise, and helping people into jobs and gain skills.

"With Labour, inflation and interest rates are low, there are two million more jobs than in 1997 with unemployment in Cambridge alone has fallen by 41.3% since 1997.

"How different from the past when Britain was tipped into recession with families and businesses in Cambridge left to pay the price. Under the Tories inflation was nearly 10 per cent, mortgage rates soared to 15 per cent, 1.5 million people suffered negative equity and unemployment hit three million.

"And today, neither the Tories or the Liberal Democrats can offer the policies for the future.

"The Tories would fail to equip Britain for the global economy. They are committed to scrapping the New Deal which would return Britain to unemployment, cutting the child tax credit that gives more support to families, and their billions of pounds of cuts would slash investment in science, infrastructure, and our public services.

"As for the Liberal Democrats, until they can explain where the money is coming from to pay for their endless list of tax and spending commitments no one can take any pledge they make seriously."

"Only Labour is making the right decisions to ensure Britain and Cambridge are equipped to face the challenges and take the opportunities of the future."

Bus Confusion. A letter to Cambridge Evening News.

Dear Sir,

The issue of free bus passes has encouraged some party politicians to 'get their retaliation in first' as a famous Lions rugy captain put it. Clouds of confusion and mis-information have ensued.

Tory Robert Boorman sees himself as a champion of older people, and older people expect to be able to trust information he puts out. Unfortunately Robert attacked the scheme with undue haste in your pages on 14 March, for only operating up till 4.00pm. I am pleased that he has now admitted that he got his facts wrong. But I fear the seed of doubt he planted so easily in haste may not be so easily weeded out by his subsequent retraction.

Lib Dem Executive Councillor Jenny Bailey then attacked the government on the grounds that it should 'fix the mess they have made in implementing the scheme'. Excuse me? The government has done its bit. Local authorities should now do theirs by implementing the scheme.

For once, Lib Dem councillors in Cambridge have done what the government proposed - bless them! The government gave Cambridge City Council £444,160 to run its part of the scheme. The Council costed the scheme at £406,510, but has actually set aside the full government grant, leaving a balance of £37,650 to meet contingencies. Does Cllr Bailey's curmudgeonly response indicate regret? Some of her Lib Dem colleagues have certainly attacked the principle of universal entitlement.

What are the facts? Those who want to travel within Cambridge before 9.30 will pay full cost; though since they will pay nothing on any return journey after 9.30, the great majority even of these early risers will still get the same benefit as they get from the present half-fare scheme. But Cambridgeshire, unlike other counties, will not benefit from a county-wide free travel scheme because some district councils here refuse to play their full part. So anyone taking a bus out of Cambridge will unfortunately have to pay a flat rate £1.00 or return £1.80.

Cllr Bailey seems to think this is the government's fault, as do other contributors to your pages. But I hope fair-minded readers will not be misled by this political ' spin'. Some local councils in Cambridgeshire are refusing to honour their obligations. This is presumably because they have got into financial hot water over the years by keeping council tax artificially low, and now find themselves 'capped', and in financial difficulties. So they now blame the government for their refusal to support a full cross-county scheme. I suppose that's politics. But these councils have done no favours either to their own residents who want to take a bus into Cambridge, or to those of us in the city who may want to go in the opposite direction.

Gordon Brown has now announced that he will go further in future to make good the failures of local councils, by providing free bus travel nation-wide. It is a shame that Cambridgeshire has to rely on government to intervene on behalf of pensioners and the disabled, because we cannot rely on local councils to act for us.

Yours, Ben Bradnack, Leader, Labour Group, Cambridge City Council

Labour welcomes police request

Cambridgeshire police have submitted a recommendation to the City Council that it should agree to use Designated Public Places Orders (DPPOs) as part of an 'integrated suite' of measures police are proposing to deal with the ongoing problems associated with street drinking in Cambridge.

Labour councillors have welcomed the police proposals to 'provide a first class and long-term measure and, in many cases a preventative measure to improve community safety for people who live, work or visit our famous city."

Labour leader Ben Bradnack said:

"Labour councillors first proposed introduction of DPPOs by Cambridge City Council at a packed public meeting in the Mumford Theatre at Anglia University in October 2003, at which many local people complained about public drinking in Mill Road. Two public petitions and countless meetings later, we have made little progress, because of obstruction by the City Council's majority LibDem group. A stop-gap measure was agreed, under Labour pressure, in January 2004, to give the police Section 30 dispersal powers; but dispersing a problem is not the same as addressing it; ansd the problem remains."

"Perhaps now we have an explicit request from the police, Lib Dem councillors will feel able to admit they were wrong to ignore public opinion on this issue."

'CAMBRIDGE DEVELOPMENT FOR CAMBRIDGE PEOPLE' - CITY LABOUR COUNCILLORS CALL FOR MASSIVE PUBLIC DEBATE & RETHINK ON STATION AND NEARBY £1 BILLION DEVELOPMENTS

15 February 2006

Councillor Ben Bradnack, Labour Group Leader on Cambridge City Council, today called on residents and their local associations to pack out a planned Guildhall city council forum on Wednesday 22nd February - to make clear local and citywide opposition to the current controversial Ashwell/Station Road scheme, and massive wider residential and commercial development nearby. planned or underway, worth an overall £1 billion.

Councillor Bradnack, who is also ward Councillor for Petersfield and the Station development area, said, 'Current developer-led plans for land near Cambridge station and the railway propose an unacceptable intensity of development including a staggering total of more than 2000 new homes, with 1400 in the Station Road scheme alone, 400 more at Cambridge University Press, and hundreds in other nearby proposals, plus huge new office blocks. The Lib Dem council must be persuaded to switch its policies and reinstate a preference for 'Cambridge development for Cambridge people'.

Councillor Lewis Herbert, Labour Councillor for neighbouring Coleridge, has also calculated that recent and planned Coleridge development near the railway totals more than 1100 new homes, making well over 3000 new homes in the current flood of massive city centre schemes.

'Roughly £1 billion in residential and commercial development cannot be shoehorned into an already overcrowded square mile of south central Cambridge. We don't need more Belvederes, with its £1.5m flat, and 75% plus of flats being sold to investors and people moving up from London. Future development decisions need to start with proper master plans and public consultation for each and every current site if and when current applications are rejected.'

Labour Councillors also fear that the proposed developments will create 'irreversible damage', scarring the city's future in at least four ways

1 - the failure by the LibDem city councillors to enforce affordable housing targets, denying housing that's needed badly by many local people

2 - potential public open space eliminated in areas devoid of parks

3 - a failure to plan for vital extra schools and community facilities, with all primary schools near the station are already full to bursting

4 - probably worst of all, uncontrolled extra traffic and congestion.

Cllr Bradnack, Petersfield Labour Councillor, said 'Improved public transport and access are needed before sites are proposed, not after. This missing link is a city-wide feature with all recent major development. The Ashwells scheme involves a potentially useful transport interchange on Station Road but the County Council has failed to give effective guidance. The result is an Ashwells proposal that would lead not to a functioning transport interchange, but to transport gridlock. This would damage not just the station area but the whole city, and is yet further reason why I and other Labour Councillors oppose the scheme in its current form'.

Labour councillors bid to break deadlock on Howard Mallett Centre - Council receives almost half a million pound windfall from government

17 February 2006

Cambridge City Council has received an unexpected grant from the government of £480,524.29. Labour councillors have proposed that £400,000 of this be used to offer to buy the Howard Mallett Centre site in Sturton St. from Cambridgeshire County Council.

The Centre has had a troubled history since the County Council, who own it, decided eight years ago that it could no longer maintain it as a Youth Centre run by its Community Education department. It is difficult to heat, expensive to run, and very inhospitable to disabled users because of the number of steps and changes of level it contains. But it does contain one particularly valuable asset - an indoor sports hall.

Petersfield Area Community Trust (PACT) was set up by local people to try to retain community use of the building, but it was leased by the County Council to millionaire Peter Dawe. He set up media activities there as part of a successful bid by Parkside Community College to achieve Arts Foundation status, but for many this represented a loss to the local community. Parts of the building were sub-let variously to CafÃ(c) Afrika, who had difficulties with licensing regulations, and to Red Studio radio station; but use of the indoor sports hall was incompatible with the other uses permitted by Dawe Media. Few activities thrived, and Peter Dawe decided not to renew the lease.

The County Council found another tenant, City Life, who proposed to replace the existing building with a larger one to house an 'Enterprise Centre' built on a site slightly closer to York St, and considerably taller. PACT and some Labour councillors believe this change would be unacceptable in planning terms, since it would involve a change of use from 'recreational' to 'commercial', and reduction in recreational facilities in this area would be contrary to both policy and the wishes of local people. This issue has yet to be tested by a planning application, due to be submitted by City Life.

Meanwhile further complications have arisen. City and county councils are now in dispute about who owns a part of the site which City Life propose to develop. And PACT have secured planning consent to demolish the building and return it to open space. But any practical move to make that happen would have to be initiated by whoever owns the site.

Labour councillors are therefore seeking to break the deadlock by bringing the building and the site on which it sits under City Council ownership. Labour leader and Petersfield councillor Ben Bradnack approached Liberal Democrat Executive Councillor Joye Rosenstiel on the day after the council received its windfall from the government, with a suggestion that the council budget should include a last minute amendment to set £400,000 aside as a basis for a purchase of the site. So far there has been no positive response from Cllr Rosenstiel or any other Lib Dem councillor.

Petersfield Labour councillor Kevin Blencowe said: 'What we are proposing could secure the future of the site for recreational use, in an area which lacks such facilities. PACT have given up all hope of having a useful building on the site. I still hope we might be able to rescue some of the existing facilities, but if we can't, then open space must be an option. But first we need to get control of it. I think that would be £400,000 well spent'.

Labour offers help from Cambridge City Council for older people

17 February 2006

Labour councillors have proposed a number of amendments to the City Council's annual budget. which they will ask the City Council to accept when it meets to set the budget on Thursday 23rd February. Two of these are to protect the interests of older people.

Labour will propose that a one-year £17,000 grant be given to Age Concern, to enable them to keep activities for older people going at other city centre venues which used to be provided at Parson's Court,. This would enable Age Concern and older people's organizations to both 'keep the show on the road' as Labour leader Ben Bradnack put it, and to continue the search for alternative sites to Parson's Court

Labour will also bid to re-instate a much valued service to collect bulk waste for free from older people, the disabled, and those on low incomes.

In the 90s under Labour control, the city council used collected bulk waste - old furniture, fridges, cookers - from older people for free.

Since Liberal Democrats took control of the Council in 2000, anyone with bulk waste now has to either take it to Milton for disposal themselves; or to pay the council £19 per item to do it for them.

Labour will introduce a budget amendment which, if the council accepts it, will enable pensioners, and those on low incomes or in receipt of disability allowance to benefit from two free collections of bulk items per year.

Labour leader Ben Bradnack said: '£19 is a price that few on low incomes can afford easily. So bulky items often get dumped in corners of the city. The council will not remove them if the perpetrator cannot be identified and charged for removal. So dumped items remain until eventually a complaint leads to emergency action by City Rangers, for which the council has to foot the bill anyway. Our proposal will both help keep the streets clear of rubbish, and give help to those who most need it'.

Multi-million pound infrastructure package to help growing communities thrive

ODPM News Release 16 February 2006

Communities across London and the wider South East received a major boost today after being allocated a share of a cash pot worth almost £300m for more than 85 vital infrastructure schemes that will support new housing.

The £235m Growth Area Funding allocations and £60m investment from the Community Infrastructure Fund, is the largest amount allocated to growth areas at one time.

The investment follows the Government's response to the Barker Review of Housing Supply last year that outlined Government plans to help future generations of home buyers get a foot on the housing ladder and made clear that the pace of house building would depend on the investment for infrastructure coming forward.

The money allocated through the Community Infrastructure Fund, which is a joint initiative between ODPM and Department for Transport, demonstrates the cross-government pledge to meet the country's housing needs in a sustainable way.

Announcing the funding allocations today, Minister for Housing and Planning, Yvette Cooper said, "We have always said we need to build more homes in a sustainable way. Today we are delivering on our government-wide commitment to ensure that building new homes goes hand in hand with the right provision of infrastructure and acknowledging that transport projects in particular are a catalyst for sustainable development."

Stephen Ladyman, Minister for Transport said, "New homeowners will want to know that they can get to work, school or out for leisure easily and conveniently. This new funding will bring real improvements to transport across the South East and will tackle congestion in these communities.

"We were very impressed by the variety of projects, which combined present an excellent package of schemes for all growth areas. The schemes look set to support housing development and improve services for existing and future residents."

The money today gives the green light to 87 vital and varied projects that will deliver tangible benefits to communities across the growth areas. Some of these projects include:

* The first new pedestrian and cycle bridge in Cambridge City across the River Cam for 40 years (£1.5m)

Can Cambridge's Christmas Excess be Turned to Pulp?

4 January 2006

Imagine thirteen tonnes of Christmas cards dropping through your front door! Well this (653,643 cards) is the amount that the people of Cambridgeshire recycled last January and for 2006 the Woodland Trust, and Tesco are challenging local people to top that figure by hitting a whopping 700,000!

Cambridgeshire Euro MP Richard Howitt will use the Twelfth Night (the traditional day for taking down the decorations and putting the season to rest) to chuck in his lot with the scheme this Friday (January 6) as he brings his own pile of Christmas cards to the Tesco store on Newmarket Road to the special recycling bins.

The success of this campaign will not only help to divert these cards from landfill but will enable the Woodland Trust to create new woodlands locally and to protect what's left of our ancient woodland.

During the recent UK Presidency of the EU, new tougher recycling targets were brought into force to try and minimise landfill and incineration, the recycling of Christmas cards through this scheme nationally will divert over 60million paper cards away from landfill.

Labour's Richard Howitt MEP said, "Christmas cards are discarded every year by the wheelbarrow full, but this year please think twice before binning them and instead start bringing them down to Tesco to be recycled.

"I am calling on Cambridge residents to make it your new years resolution to try and help the environment by recycling as much as is possible, starting with your Christmas cards."

Transport Minister Alistair Darling takes Christmas Drink Drive Campaign to Mill Road Cambridge

14 December 2005

On Wednesday 14th December Alistair Darling, Transport Secretary, met representatives of the drinks trade and local councillors on Mill Road in Cambridge to reinforce the Christmas Drink Drive campaign THINK!

Alistair Darling joined the landlord of Locomotive Public House, Mill Road, Cambridge, Georgie Quinn, who like other publicans in the area is supporting the campaign

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said: "Sadly, the number of people who are being killed in drink drive related accidents has risen in recent years. Last year in Cambridgeshire there was an increase in the number of people caught drink driving, with 72 people arrested for failing a breath test.

"We need to remind people that drink driving can kill. Drink drivers need to remember that the police are out there and they will be caught.

"Britain has one of the best road safety records in the world and we are determined to improve that. We will continue to come down heavily on those who endanger us all by drink driving."

Cllr Ben Bradnack, Labour councillor for Petersfield said, "This campaign urges people not to take the risk - don't drink and drive - make other transport arrangements."

Cllr Kevin Blencowe said, "Accidents caused by drink driving can devastate the lives of victims and their families and also the drink drivers themselves. So enjoy yourself over the Christmas and New Year period but be sensible and responsible."

To reinforce and extend the THINK! Christmas drink drive message, the campaign will again be supported by a wide range of organisations involving over 20,000 pubs, bars, off licences and transport providers. They will help to deliver drink drive messages to an audience of potential drink drivers at crucial decision making moments.

The campaign will incorporate TV advertising, cinema and cinema ambient advertising, radio advertising, partnership marketing, PR and will also be supported by a police Christmas enforcement campaign to reinforce and extend the THINK! drink drive message.

Cherry Hinton councillor challenges LibDem attempts to mislead public over health cuts

7 December 2005

Councillor Rob Dryden has written to the press challenging the LibDems in Cherry Hinton over a seriously misleading story in their newsletter.

The Deputy Mayor says he was very disappointed to read in the latest Lib-Dem newsletter in Cherry Hinton, that the Lib Dems are stating that former MP for Cambridge Anne Campbell has been appointed as Chair of the Cambridge and Peterborough Mental Health Trust by her ex-boss the Secretary of State for Health. This is far from the truth.

Councillor Dryden points our that the Lib-Dems should be aware that this Labour government has made the appointment process entirely independent of Ministers and Patricia Hewitt would have been unable to influence the appointment of the Chair.

The newsletter also misleads by pretending that it is the government that is making the cuts. This is another fabrication. The Primary Care Trusts which are responsible for the funding of the Mental Health Trusts received an 8.4% increase in their budgets from the government this year. They have overspent and have chosen to pass some of their deficit onto the Mental Health Trust.

Councillor Dryden said, "It is difficult to know whether local Lib-Dems are just ignorant of the facts or they are deliberately not been honest with the public."

Labour councillor launches campaign to find new home for Post Office

24 October 2005

Councillor Richad Smith has launched a campaign calling on Post Office Counters to make sure that Abbey residents have a post office. The Co-op near the Barnwell Road junction is to close down and the post office is going with it.

The petition reads: "We the undersigned regret that the post office in the Co-op store on Newmarket Road is due to close when the Co-op stops trading there.

"The post office is an important asset for the local community and is well used by residents of Abbey Ward.

"If it were to close our nearest post office would be the other end of Newmarket Road in Vinery Road.

"We therefore call upon Post Office Ltd to do everything possible to find an alternative local store to accommodate a post office."

The petition is available to sign in the Co-op post office as well as Barnwell Road library, McDonalds in Newmarket Road, the Spar and the cafe in Barnwell Road, East Barnwell Community Centre and Rawlyn Court Sheltered Housing.

Labour asks where is Cambridge's MP

17 October 2005

Councillor Ben Bradnack has followed up the Tory challenge, in the Cambridge Evening News, to Cambridge's Lib Dem MP, with one of his own.

In a letter to the Cambridge Evening News Cllr Bradnack noted that James Strachen challenged David Howard as to what he had done since May except to draw his salary ?

Cllr Bradnack pointed out that the Labour headquarters in Cambridge received over the summer a stream of visitors who said they kne0w that Anne Campbell was no longer MP for Cambridge, but could she please take up their case because they cannot find the newly elected MP, nor have they found anyone at his office, only an impersonal answerphone message.

Cllr Bradnack said that one caller even asked, without apparent irony, 'Does David Howarth exist?'. If he does, perhaps he could ensure that someone is available and willing to respond to his constituents' concerns.

Four times city Mayor honoured for his commitment to public service

14 October 2005

On Saturday 15 October, former councillor and four-times Cambridge Mayor, Peter Cowell, received a Labour Party Regional Merit award from Richard Howitt MEP and Barbara Follett MP at the regional Labour party rally at the Guildhall, Cambridge.

The Regional Merit Award, one of only six awarded annually, was presented to Peter for his outstanding contribution to the community in Cambridge and to the Labour Party over the years. He is Cambridge's only city councillor with 30 years of service. He was mayor four times. He has been a magistrate and school governor for 26 years and served as Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the County.

Peter Cowell has tirelessly served the people of Cambridge since 1973. He retired from the council in 2003, but has remained active in his support for local charities and organisations.

The annual East of England Labour Party Regional Rally was attended by Labour party members and supporters from across the six counties in the East of England, plus elected members of local government, Labour MPs, MEP and a guest speaker from government, Barbara Follett MP. Additionally, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON addressed the rally.

The theme of this year's event was "Make Poverty History" which was intended to raise awareness of the campaign amongst Labour activists in the East of England region. In addition to the keynote speakers, Stephen Doughty of World Vision addressed the rally. There were also exhibition stalls from those involved in the campaign plus others stalls from businesses, Trade Unions and other charities.

Labour warns county and city councils of a gridlocked Cambridge future, and accuses county council of secrecy on congestion plans

8 October 2005

Cambridge City Council last week approved a Labour motion calling on the Tory-run County Council to publish full details on congestion and traffic estimates for each major housing development underway or planned near Cambridge including the airport sites, Northstowe and southern fringe housing

Labour City Councillors accused Shire Hall of a policy of total secrecy on transport blueprints already on its files.

The City's Environment Scrutiny Committee has written to the county council Chief Executive, Ian Stewart, pressing the county to release all this vital information, particularly as many of the city development areas already suffer massive congestion, daily traffic disruption and excess pollution.

Labour's Planning and Transport spokesman, Cllr John Durrant, said: "The county council is drawing secret lines on maps of Cambridge for extra new roads in south and east Cambridge. Other secret lines are just as worrying, including a rumoured guided new bus route across both Ditton Meadows and Coldhams Common, and improved road links to Cambridge station."

Cllr John Durrant warned that unless Shire Hall ends its policy of secrecy, Labour would seek to make the files public using powers under the Freedom of Information Act. He said that local residents in affected areas must receive their legal rights, and should be told what is being kept hidden.

The city's Liberal Democrat rulers also have an appalling record on creating congestion on major roads like Newmarket Road and Coldhams Lane. If this is the position now, the LibDems will only be offering total gridlock with their support for 12,000 new homes at the airport. We demand that the alliance between city and county councils come clean on what is being hatched in secret. We want a public debate, not secret plans and discussions that forget the needs of local city residents.

Labour Councillor challenges Lib Dem assertions on how Cambridge makes decisions

8 September 2005

Leader of the City's Labour Group, Councillor Ben Bradnack has challenged Clllr Colin Rosenstiel's view of the City Council's scrunity arrangements. In a letter to the Cambridge Evening News, Cllr Rosenstiel noted that the city's recent constitutional review yielded nothing but examples of how not to do things. He asserted that as a result the city council decided to go for pre-scrutiny of all decisions.

Cllr Bradnack has challenged this as incorrect. He notes that the decision to adopt a unique - and in Labour's view uniquely undemocratic - set of arrangements for scrutinising council decisions was not 'as a result of' any such review. It was a decision taken in 2002, long before the review was even thought of. It was taken for reasons of partisan opposition to the requirement of the Local Government Act for better scrutiny of council decisions.

A key element of this Labour legislation was that the scrutiny process should not be controlled by party whips. But the Lib Dems on the city council have used 'pre-scrutiny' to evade that responsibility and assert party dominance, forcing their members to toe the party line. The result is a one-party state, in which Lib Dem councillors both make all the decisions, and manage the process by which those decisions are supposed to be tested and scrutinised.

Cllr Bradnack's letter points out that the review to which Cllr Rosenstiel referred so selectively, and from which he appears to have learned nothing, did reveal two significant facts. Firstly that Cambridge is alone amongst the 21 councils reviewed in this practice of only allowing whipped 'pre-scrutiny'. Secondly that in 17 out of the 21, chairing of scrutiny committees is cross-party - unlike in Cambridge.

Cambridge is an exceptional place in many ways, but none more so than in its undemocratic local government arrangements.

Latest figures challenge City Council's 'excellent' reputation

4 September 2005

Last year Cambridge City Council was rated an 'excellent' local authority by inspectors. But latest figures showing the public's perceptions of the council tell a different story. According to these, THE council has improved against only just over half of the criteria set by council to measure its performance (47 out of 86), and has actually deteriorated against almost a third (26).

Responsibilities which the council is thought to be exercising less satisfactorily are in housing and facilities like sports and community centres, and particularly in the uptake of these facilities by less prosperous families.

The figures will be discussed at the meeting of the City Council's Strategy Scrutiny meeting on Monday 5th September.

Labour leader Ben Bradnack commented: "Not only have Lib Dem councillors boasted of the council's 'Excellent' rating. They have made 'Better Services' its top policy aspiration. Under their control, the council is failing to live up to either the rating or the aspiration.

"The details show that the interests of less prosperous sections of the community - for example, council house tenants and users of community centres - are now being inadequately protected.

"Meanwhile the Lib Dem administration continues to pursue expensive hobby-horses such as plastic re-cycling, when the figures show that the re-cycling service already secures high satisfaction rates (84%). Is this new service really worth an additional investment of another half a million pounds, when other services are clearly under-perfroming?

"The report also shows that house prices become annually less and less affordable. The percentage of those who can afford to buy the average first time buyer's property in the area has fallen from 13% a year ago to 9% now. So more and more travel into the city to work, while for those who can find accommodation in the city. Meanwhile council tax rises every year under the Lib Dems at rates between 4% and 8% per year."

Cllr Bradnack concluded: "Unfortunately leading Lib Dems are so averse to independent scrutiny of their policie's even by their own members, that only loss of their majority though the ballot box is going to bring change."

Tributes paid to Mo Mowlam and Robin Cook by Anne Campbell

24 August 2005

The loss of two major politicians within such a short space of time is a tragedy for their friends and colleagues, but also for the whole of the Labour movement. They both believed that politics needed to be made more relevant to ordinary people and felt, as I do, that changing the voting system would be an important step in the right direction.

I first met Mo in about 1991. She came to help the campaign after I had been selected as the prospective candidate for the 1992 election. At that time she was a Shadow junior Treasury spokesperson and we had not heard of her before she came. We certainly remembered her afterwards. I recall her saying that things rarely went smoothly in politics and advised me that when things went wrong 'just say 'shit' under your breath and keep on smiling. I followed that advice on many occasions.

She came again in about 2000, when she was Cabinet Secretary to help me launch a Cambridge Online terminal at Addenbrooke's Hospital. She was very appreciative of all the work we had done in the city to help people take advantage of the Internet and particularly liked Opportunity Links. This is the organisation I had set up to help lone parents back into work. She described it as 'New Labour - before Tony thought of it'. Although this would not be considered the ultimate accolade today, I took it as a compliment then!

After her illness she did try in a fairly half-hearted way to lose some of the weight she had gained with the treatment she had. Starved of some her favourite foods she was prone to absent-mindedly pinching other people's chips. This was a little disconcerting if you were not used to Mo.

However, she will be chiefly remembered for her pioneering work in Northern Ireland. For the first time she included the women's movement for peace in official negotiations. Her PPS at the time was Helen Jackson, who spent much of her time with Mo in NI talking to the Women's Groups, and ensuring that Mo kept in touch with their views.

Robin had a different style. Many of us will remember that he was the guest at one of our early fund-raising dinners last year. He was one of the Party's great thinkers. He was brilliant at absorbing and synthesising huge quantities of information and managing to reach conclusions, which he expressed in simple yet coherent language. He and I had very similar views on electoral and constitutional reform as well as foreign policy and it was through this shared interest that we became friends.

I recall as early as 1994, following the death of John Smith, trying to persuade Robin to stand as leader of the Labour Party. He decided against mainly I think as he really wanted to be Foreign Secretary and thought his best chance of achieving this would be to support the Blair campaign.

In the run up to March 18th 2003, and the vote on the war in Iraq, I recall discussing with him whether to vote against the Government or merely abstain. His reply was short and to the point 'Anne, no-one will thank you for abstaining or will even remember you abstained. If you want to make a point make it clear from the way you vote'. This was wise advice and countless other colleagues wished later that they had voted against rather than merely abstained.

On the backbenches Robin became the unofficial leader of the left of the Party, always keen to modernise, a great democrat - looking to bring Parliament closer to the people. He wrote, together with politicians from other Parties, an important paper on House of Lords Reform. He founded Compass - an amalgamation of left wing think tanks - and brought many of us together to ensure that it happened. And of course he wrote many newspaper articles, often quite critical of the government, but completely without rancour or bitterness.

He was shocked when I lost my seat and rang me to tell me so. It was typical of Robin that he wanted to ease the pain and it was his idea to resurrect a group called the New Agenda Forum, which I had organised whilst I was an MP. This was a group of some '92 and '97 MPs. We met regularly over dinner at the Gay Hussar - a Soho restaurant to discuss some of the major political ideas. Robin had attended one or two of these as an invited guest. He organised and attended a farewell dinner at the end of June. There were some 19 people there, a mixture of sitting and former MPs.

It is very important that the legacies of these two important iconic figures in the Labour movement do not die with them. We need to build on their achievements and provide that critical and constructive view point that they both did so well.