Tag: Cambridgeshire County Council

Mark Lloyd on Government by Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council

08:07 Tuesday 13th May 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Let’s get into the committee system that Cambridgeshire County Council are adopting today. They voted to abandon the local government cabinet model in May last year. Later this morning roles within the new system will be allocated. It’s proven to be a controversial decision, inciting Leader Martin Curtis to hand in his resignation. This is an edited excerpt from Martin Curtis’s blog, which has been voiced by one of our journalists.
VOICEOVER: “As I stand down as Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council I thought I would end my term of office with a series of articles which highlight where I think Cambridgeshire is on a service by service basis, and explain the concerns about why the change of direction forced on the Council is not good for you the Cambridgeshire resident. My view has always been that the decision to implement committees as the response to moving to no overall control was wrong. The decision to move to committees was made at the first full Council meeting after May’s election, with 39 out of 69 councillors newly elected. More than half of the Council had no experience of working in a county council. In those circumstances, nobody could convince a reasonable person that it was a well thought out decision, but it was one that practically ties us to a committee system for five years. So if it doesn’t work, the decision made in haste without any depth of thought leaves you the council tax payer stuck with a failing system for the next five years.”
PAUL STAINTON: That’s Martin Curtis’ words voiced up by one of our journalists. Not a big fan it’s safe to assume. He describes it as a decision made in haste without any depth of thought, and he claims it’s a system no longer supported by the majority of the Council. However we heard earlier from Catherine Staite the Director of University of Birmingham’s Institute of Local Government Studies. She says there are pros and cons to each system, and the success of the Council will depend on how councillors work with officers.
(TAPE)
CATHERINE STAITE: A lot of backbenchers have got frustrated in the cabinet and scrutiny system, feeling that they as local members don’t have the amount of say that they would like to have, and therefore they feel that by spreading the power across committees, that would give more people opportunities. I think that does work to a certain extent, but I think a local authority the size of Cambridgeshire is an enormous business. It requires strategic leadership, and there’s a risk that if you spread the power out too widely, it would take too long to make a decision.
(LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: That’s Catherine. Well joining me in the studio now is Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire County Council Mark Lloyd. Mark, morning.
MARK LLOYD: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: Nice to see you. Is this true democracy at work now, or are we going to be in some sort of state of paralysis as is the fear?
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Papworth Transfer Concerns Raised

10:24 Friday 2nd May 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[A]NDIE HARPER: The planned move of Papworth Hospital to the Addenbrookes site was given the final approval yesterday, after over a decade of planning and deliberation. The plans looked uncertain earlier this year when it was proposed that it be moved to Peterborough City Hospital site instead. Peterborough’s MP Stewart Jackson gave his views on the move to the Bigger Breakfast Show.
(TAPE)
STEWART JACKSON: I generally support the proposals, and I can understand why people like the local MP and others in the South of the county are very pleased with it. My problem comes back to under-utilisation of the facilities at Peterborough, particularly the fourth floor of Peterborough City Hospital. How are we going to continue to scrub our face financially and keep clinical services going at Peterborough City Hospital? That’s an ongoing issue which the Department of Health and the Treasury obviously need to keep addressing.
(LIVE)
ANDIE HARPER: But what does this move mean for people living near the Hospital now? Geoff Heathcock, the former Cambridgeshire county councillor lives in the area, and he’s on the line. Geoff, good morning to you.
GEOFF HEATHCOCK: Good morning to you Andie.
ANDIE HARPER: So, most people would agree that Papworth needed updating, if not completely rebuilding. There were a choice of sites, but Addenbrookes it is, as we all suspected when we first talked about it eleven years ago. What about the area? What impact is this going to have?
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Assetbank East Cambridgeshire Land For Sale

08:23 Wednesday 16th April 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[D]OTTY MCLEOD: It’s a big question facing all of our local councils today. And this is really what the big debate over councillors in Peterborough revolves around, isn’t it? It’s money. It’s what do we need to spend most money on. It’s how do we balance our books. Well each council in Cambridgeshire has its own ideas for solving the funding crisis. They’ve all had their Government funding reduced. How do you make up the shortfall? In Peterborough the City Council’s introduced a charge for garden waste collections, and they’re still hoping to create a green energy park. Cambridgeshire County Council has introduced a charge for their park and ride service. But the brains behind East Cambridgeshire District Council think they have a better idea. Cllr Bill Hunt is the Conservative councillor for Stretham. Bill, what is your plan?
BILL HUNT: Well it’s one of many. We’ve got a total package which includes what other councils want, which is cutting down perhaps on the number of members, cutting down on the amount of committees. But the particular thing we’re talking about today is Assetbank, which is looking at all our properties, and seeing what’s the best use, and can we make more money out of it, or serve the people better. It’s a matter of saying we want to cut down on bureaucracy, cut down on costs, and try and get some money in, or benefit to the public.
DOTTY MCLEOD: So you’re potentially selling off parcels of land. This is what people call selling off the family silver Bill, is it?
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Tim Bick on the City Deal

10:07 Thursday 3rd April 2014
BBC Radio Cambridge

[A]NDIE HARPER: Two weeks ago, during the Budget, it was announced that Cambridge would receive £500 million in a grant from the Government. The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the City Deal would create more jobs for local people and improve transport links. He’s back in Cambridge today to meet workers and residents. But how will the money from the Deal actually achieve these targets? And is it good news for local people? Tim Bick is the Leader of Cambridge City Council and he joins me in the studio now. Tim, good morning to you.
TIM BICK: Good morning Andie.
ANDIE HARPER: So I suppose before we go any further, let’s just outline the money, what it is, how we’re going to get it, where it’s going to come from, because there has been already some discussion about the conditions and one thing and another. So in simple terms, what are we going to get and how?
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Turmoil As Leader Quits at Cambs County Council

08:25 Monday 24th March 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: We’ve been discussing the news that Martin Curtis will step down as Leader of the County Council in May. He said on Friday that it was because he didn’t want to work as Leader within a committee system. Well earlier in the show the Liberal Democrat Leader Maurice Leake said if Martin couldn’t stand the heat then it was best he left the kitchen. Paul Bullen from UKIP suggested that his decision was prompted by a split within the Tory party. Some have accused him of running scared. Well councillor Martin Curtis has never been afraid to come on this show, and he’s here now. Martin, morning.
MARTIN CURTIS: Good morning Paul. A number of things that I want to clarify. First of all, I have said on a number of occasions over this last weekend, I think I even said it on Chris Mann’s show on Friday, that I believe a committee system could work,. I don’t believe it’s the best system of governance. I believe it could work.
PAUL STAINTON: Why walk away then?
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Heritage Lighting Uprooted from Cambridge Conservation Area

08:22 Tuesday 18th March 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: There’s anger in Cambridge as work to replace street lights sees some so-called heritage columns being removed in the city centre. The County Council are replacing all 55,000 street lights in the county to make them more energy efficient. Well I’m joined in the studio by Cllr Ed Cearns. Ed, morning.
ED CEARNS: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Now you’re the LibDem County councillor for Market ward. You’re not particularly happy with all of this, are you?
ED CEARNS: No, I’m not at all, because we spent the last eight months in discussions with the County Council and with Balfour Beatty the contractors to look at what can be done to save some of the heritage street lighting. And then yesterday, unbeknown to us, they just decided to take some of it away, despite assurances that none would be taken away until discussions had been concluded about funding arrangements, to try and keep and restore some of the street lights.
PAUL STAINTON: Now these are very old street lamps, aren’t they? What’s so special about them? Why should they not be replaced?
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Martin Curtis Wisbech Rail Summit Progress Update

17:38 Tuesday 11th March 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Parliament has been hosting a summit today about the future of the Wisbech rail line. The MP for North East Cambridgeshire Steve Barclay organised the summit. It involved transport bigwigs, council leaders, train operators and most importantly of all perhaps, the Transport Minister Steven Hammond. Let’s find out what’s happened. The County Council Leader Martin Curtis was there, and he joins me on the line now. Hello Martin.
MARTIN CURTIS: Good evening Chris.
CHRIS MANN: Still down at Westminster. How did it go? What’s the news?
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New Lanes an Option for Cambridge Cyclists

08:47 Tuesday 4th March 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: A brand new type of cycle lane never seen in Cambridge before could be built on two main routes into the city. The County Council wants views on plans to make Huntingdon Road and Hills Road, the busiest cycle routes in the UK, safer for drivers and cyclists. A consultation on the proposals is being launched this morning, and Johnny D has been to find out more.
JOHN DEVINE: Paul, I’m in a very busy part of Cambridge this morning, Huntingdon Road. It’s right near Girton, about two miles from the city centre of Cambridge. But in front of me I’ve got four lanes of traffic that goes down to three. There’s traffic lights in front of me. There is a cycle lane which is about four foot across, not very wide at all. I’ve got with me Mike Davies, Team Leader for Cycling Projects at Cambridgeshire County Council. So what’s happening today then Mike?
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