Tag: Cambridgeshire County Council

Peterborough Council resists online access to public meetings.

07:07 Thursday 24th July 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: So the big question this morning: how do we get you more interested in local politics? Or is it just boring and you feel you’ve got no say and you can never be interested? Well in the last few years we’ve had the fallout from the MPs expenses scandal, Russell Brand urging people to abandon modern-day politics, and an increase in people using local elections to just send a message to Westminster. In some areas of the county like Hampton in Peterborough, only a 24% turnout at the last election. One councillor in Peterborough thinks he’s got the answer to all this. He thinks council meetings should be streamed online. It’s something that Cambridgeshire County Council have just started doing. Well Cllr. Darren Fower put forward the idea at the Full Council meeting last night. Darren, good morning.
DARREN FOWER: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: And what was the response?
DARREN FOWER: I suppose the simple response, the term would be negative, narrow-minded, short-sighted. Yes, they didn’t really go with it.
PAUL STAINTON: Oh. Right. So they thought it was a bad idea. Why did they say they didn’t want people wanting council meetings?
DARREN FOWER: It’s not necessarily a new concept. The Liberal Democrats have been putting this forward for at least six or seven years. About five years ago my colleague Cllr. Sandford, he put forward a motion that was actually accepted, to look at a similar sort of set-up. And surprise, surprise, five years later nothing’s happened. We got told that they were thinking about the idea, but the bottom line is the people of Peterborough, they deserve to see how things actually work within the chamber. And my belief is if it was streamed live, you might find that there’s a different result when it comes to local elections.
PAUL STAINTON: You think it might open people’s eyes a little bit as to what goes on and how people behave.
DARREN FOWER: Absolutely. Absolutely. Again last night we had some very narrow-minded views and comments. We know that times are tough, but the bottom-line is they spend so much money on generating bits of paper, and the people of Peterborough should be entitled, or have at least have the opportunity to log on, watch and dare I say even vote on certain things that are being discussed. And then if they decide to leave they can. But yes, I’m afraid I personally think that we’ve still got a city council that doesn’t want people to see the truth, and they prefer to try and control the news that comes out of Town Hall.
PAUL STAINTON: Or is it just the fact that they’re not very photogenic.
DARREN FOWER: (LAUGHS) Well I for one have never been photogenic, so that’s not a factor that I take into account.
PAUL STAINTON: Well I’ll back you up there.
DARREN FOWER: I know you will. But it is one of those things whereby even from the news point of view, from journalists, from the work that you guys do, you’re coming into our county, you need to be able to access. In today’s modern world, it is 2014 after all, and you should be able to go somewhere now, and people who are waking up this morning, getting ready to go to work, should be able to either listen into something, or go somewhere and see actually what really happened. Because unfortunately we have a city council that does generate minutes, but surprise surprise some things are often omitted.
PAUL STAINTON: Would it be interesting though? Wouldn’t people be bored? Some of it’s dull as ditch water, isn’t it?
DARREN FOWER: Yes, and there is that political strategy that does occur whereby techniques are used to either dismiss people that are being discussed .. but the bottom line is the City Council has a very very important job. It’s there to represent the people of Peterborough. And quite simply if the people of Peterborough want to tune in and see what’s being said, as I say, even if it’s just for fifteen, twenty minutes, it doesn’t have to be the three hours, they should be entitled to.
PAUL STAINTON: Yes. Richard Taylor is with us as well. He’s an activist. He films and promotes local politics in Cambridge. You’ve tried to film meetings in the past. You’ve got yourself in a bit of hot water from time to time as well, haven’t you?
Continue reading “Peterborough Council resists online access to public meetings.”

The train stopping at Soham ..

17:11 Monday 21st July 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Work starts on Monday to build the new train station in the North of Cambridge. And in Soham they also hope to open a new station. James Palmer is the Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, who is heavily involved in the project. I talked to him a little earlier, to find out just what the timetable is, and why it’s so important that Soham gets a train station again.
(TAPE)
JAMES PALMER: It’s of primary importance in my opinion. Soham has grown very quickly. People want to live in Soham. It’s a fantastic place. Of course they would want to live here. But anybody can put houses up. Any council can do that. It’s infrastructure that must come first. So if we are to grow the town the way the town wants and to get the facilities that people who live here expect now, in my view a railway station is an absolute imperative to the growth of a town.
CHRIS MANN: How difficult is it to make that happen?
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South Cambs and Hunts – District Councils Sharing Services

17:19 Friday 11th July 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: A cost-saving strategic partnership between South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire District Councils has been approved. We talked about it on the programme a couple of weeks ago. It is hoped that by sharing building control, legal and IT services they can save half a million pounds. On Monday Cambridge City Council will consider a report on sharing their legal and IT services. It’s hoped this will save even more for the councils. Well joining me in the studio now is Simon Edwards, who is the Deputy Leader of South Cambs District Council. Hello Simon.
SIMON EDWARDS: Good evening Chris.
CHRIS MANN: So just tell us what was approved last night exactly.
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Nick Boles on Delivering Homes and the Right to Build

10:30 Thursday 3rd July 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[A]NDIE HARPER: People who want to build their own home will be able to turn to their council to make their dream a reality. This is the idea under measures announced by Nick Boles today. The Planning Minister said he would give aspiring self- and custom-builders a new right to build. In Europe it’s the thing to do, but will it work in Cambridgeshire, with the cost of land at such a premium? Is this something for the elite rather than the masses? Well I’m delighted to say that Nick Boles joins me now. Good morning to you.
NICK BOLES: Good morning.
ANDIE HARPER: So what is the thought behind this? I know that it’s much more common on the Continent. Is that what we’re trying to emulate?
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Cambridge Public Wi-Fi Launched

08:06 Monday 23rd June 2014
BBC Radio Cambridge

[P]AUL STAINTON: Free wi-fi launching across central Cambridge today, ahead of the Tour de France arrival on July 7th. It’s been in place in Peterborough city centre for just under a year. Business and locals alike have said a lot of good things about it. Earlier we spoke to Neil Darwin, who’s the Director of Enterprise and Skills at the local enterprise partnership.
(TAPE)
NEIL DARWIN: It’s about having a complete package for a city, which obviously is the line Cambridge is taking. We’re in such a connected world these days, and quite simply it’s something we need to have to be able to compete.
(LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Let’s find out more now about the year-long pilot in Cambridge, and plans to extend it, should it prove a success. I’m joined in the studio by John Holgate, Head of Network at the University of Cambridge, and Noelle Godfrey, who’s Connecting Cambridgeshire Programme Director. Morning.
BOTH: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: A lot of titles to contend with this morning, it has to be said. That’s a mouthful. Connecting Cambridgeshire Programme Director. It’s a big title. It’s a big title. John first of all, explain to those who are unclear about what exactly wi-fi is, and how are they going to benefit from this. Continue reading “Cambridge Public Wi-Fi Launched”

Wisbech Transport Consultation

17:18 Tuesday 17th June 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[S]UE DOUGAN: A consultation is taking place today and again on Friday at Wisbech on future transport plans for the town. It’s a chance for local people to share opinions on everything from road congestion to the return of a passenger railway. We’ll speak to Simon King who’s Chairman of the Bramley Line Group in a moment. They have long campaigned for the return of the March to Wisbech rail line. But first let’s talk to Jeremy Smith. He’s Transport and Infrastructure Strategy Manager at Cambridgeshire County Council. Jeremy, hello, good evening. There’s a lot for local people to look at and consider. Which proposals and ideas in particular would you like to hear opinions on?
JEREMY SMITH: Well obviously the railway line is one of the big things that are on our agenda at the moment. And work the County Council has done indicates that there may well be a good commercial case for the opening of the line. And one of the key things that will enable us to push that forward with Government and the rail industry is a good response, a good level of support from local people. So we really need to know whether people want this to happen.
SUE DOUGAN: Have they said that to you today then? Have they ventured an opinion one way or the other?
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Virginia Bucknor on 2020 Vision for Wisbech

10:09 Thursday 5th June 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDIE HARPER: At the start of 2013 a Vision was announced and outlined for Wisbech, a town fed up with its own image. Cambridgeshire County Council, Fenland District Council and Steve Barclay the MP for the area got together and devised Wisbech 2020, a plan of positive changes to implement in the town by 2020. The then Leader of Fenland District Council, Alan Melton, explained the plans to Paul Stainton on the Bigger Breakfast Show back in January 2013.
(TAPE)
PAUL STAINTON: So what is this Vision? What is this future for Wisbech? The future’s bright, the future’s Wisbech. What is it?
ALAN MELTON: Well the future will be bright, and the future is Wisbech. It came about because a lot of bad publicity around Wisbech. Everybody says, in a sentence that includes the word Wisbech, deprivation, dilapidation, dilapidated buildings, poor infrastructure. This is something that we wish to address, and over the coming years as part of the 2020 Vision we’re going to be very proactive in addressing these problems.
PAUL STAINTON: What is the Vision then?
ALAN MELTON: The Vision is better education, better skills, better infrastructure, better buildings, better quality of life.
PAUL STAINTON: So it’s a wish-list basically.
ALAN MELTON: In the present economic circumstances you could say it’s a wish-list. It’s something that we can work to. We have some short-term aims, and we have some long-term aims.
PAUL STAINTON: It’s 2020 Alan. OK?
ALAN MELTON: Yes.
PAUL STAINTON: Close your eyes.
ALAN MELTON: Yes.
PAUL STAINTON: Everybody in Wisbech close your eyes. It’s 2020.
ALAN MELTON: (LAUGHS)
PAUL STAIN TON: What does Wisbech look like?
ALAN MELTON: Wisbech looks better because the buildings and quality are better. By then the old dilapidated buildings would have been removed. The infrastructure would be improved. The only thing that I don’t think we should get by 2020, and I’m a realist, is the A47 dualling.
PAUL STAINTON: Alan it’s a dream for Wisbech. Let’s hope one day that dream comes true.
ALAN MELTON: You’ve got to follow your dreams Paul. You’ve got to follow your dreams.
(LIVE)
ANDIE HARPER: FDC Council Leader at the time Alan Melton talking to Paul Stainton. Well just under eighteen months on we’ve been contacted by a councillor who wants to know the progress of at least the short-term targets that Alan mentioned. Independent councillor Virginia Bucknor says a meeting had been planned to deliver key updates, but now it’s been postponed, seemingly indefinitely. When I spoke to her she was very cross.
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No Confidence in Marco Cereste

17:19 Wednesday 28th May 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[S]UE DOUGAN: The political future of Peterborough City Council hangs in the balance after the Conservative group lost its overall majority last week. Last night Marco Cereste was re-elected as Leader of the Tory Group. He claims to have the support of three Independent councillors, and vowed to continue as Leader. But others on the Council say it’s time for him to reconsider his position. Conservative councillor for Eye and Thorney David Sanders told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire that the public had made their feelings clear.
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