Tag: Cambridgeshire County Council

LibDems Call In Cambridge Park And Ride Charging Plan

08:22 Tuesday 11th September 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Conservative county councillors in Cambridgeshire have voted in favour of bringing in parking charges of a pound at Cambridgeshire’s five council run park and ride sites. The decision has been called in or challenged if you like by the County’s Liberal Democrats, who claim it’s been brought in without consultation and without adequate scrutiny of the risk. Last night Andy Campbell the boss of Stagecoach who runs the park and ride bus service said they’d previously offered to run the sites for free at no cost to the Council. Now David Jenkins is the LibDem’s spokesman on Planning and Environment and Enterprise and is with us now. Morning David.
DAVID JENKINS: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: So you’ve asked for this decision to be called in or challenged. Why? Continue reading “LibDems Call In Cambridge Park And Ride Charging Plan”

Cambridge Enters Negotiation On City Deal

17:20 Thursday 4th July 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Five local representatives have been meeting the Deputy Prime Minister this afternoon for the latest round of negotiations of the Greater Cambridge City Deal. If their bid is successful, it will unlock a billion pounds worth of investment in local infrastructure. Our reporter Henrietta McMickey is here to try to explain a bit more about it. A billion pounds That’s a big deal.
HENRIETTA MCMICKEY: It is a big deal. This is part of the idea from central government that gives local areas more say over planning and infrastructure. The Government acknowledges that while London is always crucial, it will be the heartbeat of the UK economy, certain powers need to be devolved to other cities in a bid to increase growth elsewhere.  Cambridge was chosen to be one of the twenty cities that would go forward to the next stage in the negotiations. This is what’s been happening today. The idea is that councils plus local enterprise partnerships (and) representatives of the business community all work together. And to be successful each area must demonstrate a strong local plan that’s going to increase jobs and push industry. Here in Cambridge the Greater Cambridge group is made up of three councils, Cambridge City, Cambridge(shire) county and South Cambridgeshire, the University, and the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise partnership.
CHRIS MANN: Well we’re going to be talking to two of those representatives in just a moment. But what happened today?
HENRIETTA MCMICKEY: Well earlier this afternoon five representatives from that group had to go and pitch to Nick Clegg at the Cabinet Office, together with a cross-departmental ministerial group, armed with their plan. What was this bid? Well, as I mentioned, it has to increase jobs and boost growth. So they said let’s have a new and enlarged rail station at Waterbeach, improvements to the A10 down to Cambridge, more buses and bus-lanes in and out of the city, better transport links along the A428 between Bourn and Cambourne, more dedicated cycle paths, and a new park and ride. And the goal, as you said, more than one billion pounds to unlock funding to local government from the centre. So there’s a lot riding on it. And one official described the whole process as kind of Dragons Den.
CHRIS MANN: A bit of a Dragons Den eh? Well let’s find out two of those that had to go into the Dragons Den today. We’re joined live from our Westminster studio by Martin Curtis, Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council. Hello Martin.
MARTIN CURTIS: Hi Chris.
CHRIS MANN: And Jeremy Sanders, who’s the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University Hello Jeremy.
JEREMY SANDERS: Hello Chris. Pro Vice Chancellor.
CHRIS MANN: Pro Vice Chancellor. I do apologise. So, how were the pitches gentlemen? Martin first of all. How do you feel it went? Continue reading “Cambridge Enters Negotiation On City Deal”

The Parlous Condition Of Cambridgeshire Roads

17:07 Tuesday 2nd July 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: What do you think of the state of the county’s roads? It’s officially being admitted they need £300 million worth of work done on them. Yes, £300 million worth. That’s to fill in the potholes, shore up the subsidence, cover over the cracks in the cycleways, and repair the broken pavements. How many stories have you heard of people tripping on pavements, bikes and cars being damaged by holes in the road, even accidents being caused? It’s a sorry state of affairs that apparently is worsening to a cost of £50 million every year. The Council is planning to spend £90 million over five years, but simple maths will tell you that things are only going to get worse. So what can be done? Joining me, the opposition Liberal Democrats on the County Council are calling for a county-wide plan and a special task force to be set up to tackle the problem. Their transport spokesperson is councillor Susan van de Ven.
SUSAN VAN DE VEN: Hello Chris.
CHRIS MANN: And also with us is the Cabinet Member for Growth and Planning, Conservative councillor Ian Bates. Hello Ian.
IAN BATES: Afternoon Chris.
CHRIS MANN: Would you deny there is a problem, and there has been for a while? Continue reading “The Parlous Condition Of Cambridgeshire Roads”

New Leader For Cambs County Council 2013

07:07 Wednesday 22 May 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: What a difference a day makes, doesn’t it? Yesterday morning Cambridgeshire County Council was leaderless and in no overall control. Now the Council has a Leader, and the system of governance has been turned upside down. The frontrunner for the Leader’s job, Tory Martin Curtis, was elected Leader with 32 votes, 16 more than rival candidate John Hipkin. But both the LibDems and Labour groups abstained from the vote. They did however vote on a new decision making framework. From May 2014 decisions will be made by all-party committees, rather than a Cabinet. Well Cllr Hipkin (Independent) said the public shouldn’t worry that the committee system will slow down decision making. (TAPE)
JOHN HIPKIN: If this is the way the County’s going to work over the next four years, then I think the people of Cambridgeshire can be reassured. We’ve made a number of sensible decisions. We’ve shown real cooperation between the groups. I think we’ve got on to friendly terms. There’s a good atmosphere in Shire Hall. I’m not sure how long it will last, but believe me it’s strong today.
SAMANTHA DALTON: And why did Labour and the LibDems abstain from voting for you as the Leader? Instead they chose to effectively allow the Tory Leader to come in and be voted for.
JOHN HIPKIN: Well I guess as you know in interviews of this sort one always says this, you’ll have to ask them why they did as they did. But my guess is neither of them was comfortable about forming an alliance. Particularly I think Labour members had a problem about making an administration with UKIP. And I think, if I may say so, I think some of them are more comfortable in opposition than they are for taking responsibility for government. Something which may interest your listeners, which is that UKIP voluntarily upon my request gave us two very important places on two very important committees, simply because they understood that we had a closer relationship with the communities in question that did they. Now say what you like about UKIP, but that’s what they have done. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well here to discuss it are Maurice Leeke, new Leader of the LibDems, and Phil Rodgers, a Cambridge based political blogger. Good morning gentlemen.
BOTH: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: First of all, Maurice, it all appears to be working wonderfully well so far. Everybody getting on, everybody sharing things, it’s like a beautiful vision in rainbow colours. Continue reading “New Leader For Cambs County Council 2013”

Upheaval At Cambs County Council

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

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

New Leader For LibDems On Cambs County Council

07:23 Monday 20th May 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: The LibDems in Cambridgeshire have changed their leader, just days before a big meeting that will decide who will lead the County Council. Former Leader Kilian Bourke has been ousted and replaced by the newly elected councillor for Waterbeach Maurice Leeke. Cllr Leake no stranger to Shire Hall, he’s led the Liberal Democrats before. I’m pleased to say Maurice is with us now. Morning.
MAURICE LEEKE: Morning.
PAUL STAINTON: So the new man, a new broom. What’s gone on? Have you all fallen out?
MAURICE LEEKE: No. No. Quite the reverse. Kilian has done an excellent job for us over the last couple of years, and particularly over the last couple of weeks, with the discussions that have been going on since the changes in the County Council elections.
KILIAN BOURKE: So why get rid of him now then, if he’s doing such an excellent job? Continue reading “New Leader For LibDems On Cambs County Council”

Martin Curtis Conservative Leader Cambs County Council

17:07 Friday 10th May 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: So the man most likely to be Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, we now know, is Cllr Martin Curtis of North Whittlesea. This afternoon he was elected to lead the Conservatives, the largest group on the Council, in place of Nick Clarke who lost his seat at last week’s elections. Martin Curtis joins me in the studio. Hello.
MARTIN CURTIS: Good afternoon Chris.
CHRIS MANN: Congratulations.
MARTIN CURTIS: Thank you very much.
CHRIS MANN: Of course you lost out to Nick Clarke before, so finally you’ve reached the top in the County.
MARTIN CURTIS: Absolutely. But I reached the top having learned a huge amount over the last two years from Nick as well.
CHRIS MANN: What’s going to change?
MARTIN CURTIS: Well I think a lot has got to change. We know that even though we’re by far and away the largest group on the County Council, we know we’re in a minority. We can only form a minority administration. And so we know that things have got to change. And it is a different style of leadership that we need, and a more collaborative one. We know that.
CHRIS MANN: Well we’ll talk some more about that in just a moment or two, but reaction to your election has come first from the most senior politician in the County, that’s the South Cambridgeshire MP and Leader of the House of Commons, Andrew Lansley. This is what he told me. Continue reading “Martin Curtis Conservative Leader Cambs County Council”

Graham Hughes Cambridgeshire’s Director Of Strategy On The A14 Proposal

06:55 Thursday 9th May 2015
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: We’re asking what is next for Cambridgeshire’s most troubled road. You get your problems on the A10, the A142, the A47 and the like, but it’s this road that’s the killer. Investment on it has not been forthcoming of course, and plans to upgrade it have been delayed and delayed and delayed and delayed. Well Graham Hughes is with me. He’s come down to Cambridge Services enjoying his coffee this morning. He’s Director of Strategy and Development at Cambridgeshire County Council, which means he’s responsible for the development of transport policy across the county, and also the county’s growth agenda. Graham .. how long have discussions been underway about improving what is a nightmare of a road?
GRAHAM HUGHES: Well far too long to be honest. It dates back as a scheme to 1981, and as you say it’s been in and out of the roads programme a number of times. But we think we’re on to something this time. We think it will be improved fairly shortly.
PAUL STAINTON: Now successive Governments have promised things. They’ve taken them away. You would think it’s an absolute no-brainer for the Government.
GRAHAM HUGHES: I think that is definitely the case. That’s certainly our view as a county council. The issue is it is such an expensive road to improve. But our view is that the benefits from that improvement are so great it just must be done.
PAUL STAINTON: What are the problems caused by this road, not just for surrounding villages, but for business in general? Continue reading “Graham Hughes Cambridgeshire’s Director Of Strategy On The A14 Proposal”