Tag: John Hipkin

Devolution for Cambridgeshire – Groups sets out their terms of engagement

“And fundamentally it’s up to the Government to decide whether it wants to press ahead and try and force this scheme on us, which I don’t think will be acceptable to the people, or whether or not to come back with a more viable compromise option.”

opposition_letter17:41 Wednesday 23rd March 2016
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: Tonight an open letter has been written by the Leaders of the Liberal Democrat, UKIP, Labour and Independent Groups on Cambridgeshire County Council about the devolution negotiations. It’s in opposition to the plan by the Government and the Conservatives to put some devolution into our area. Let’s bring in live now the Leader of the Labour Group, Ashley Walsh, who joins me on the line. Ashley, hello.
ASHLEY WALSH: Hello Chris.
CHRIS MANN: Now you’ve already expressed your opposition on the County Council yesterday at this Full Council meeting to the deal. Why have you felt it necessary to put it in a letter today?
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Tim Bick on the 2014 Draft Local Plan for Cambridge

10:09 Friday 14th February 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[S]UE DOUGAN: Last night Cambridge City councillors met to discuss the Local Plan, a fairly hefty document outlining the plans for the future development of the city. Despite hearing from objectors and receiving petitions, the Plan was passed, and will now be submitted to Government. So, what was decided, and what does it mean for the city? The Leader of the Cambridge City Council Tim Bick is with me now. Good morning Tim.
TIM BICK: Good morning.
SUE DOUGAN: The Local Plan was approved last night. So what’s the next stage?
TIM BICK: The next stage is that the approved Draft Plan goes to a planning inspector, a Government planing inspector, who will carry out hearings on the Plan, allowing again lots of people, developers, residents, traders, businesses, to put their point of view on the Plan over the summer. And we would hope to hear a response, a final response to our Plan by the end of the year.
SUE DOUGAN: Right. And now what key decisions were made in that Plan or about that Plan last night?
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Cambridgeshire County Council Plans To Build Homes

07:08 Tuesday 28th January 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: They’ve got the land. They need to make money to balance the books. So should Cambridgeshire County Council set up its own property development company? It’s an idea that will be discussed by councillors today, and the Council say it would generate income, at the same time as helping meet the urgent need for new homes. Well let’s hear now from Ashley Walsh, who’s the Labour Party’s spokesperson for Resources on Cambridgeshire County Council. Morning Ashley. Good idea or bad idea?
ASHLEY WALSH: I think it’s a good idea. I have families in my division in Cambridge who can’t afford to live and help their children live in the city they grew up in. There’s a massive housing crisis in Cambridge, and we need to build social housing. You said earlier that why did we ever stop building social housing. Well I’m glad to see the County Council and Tories on the County Council accepting the need to build more social housing.
PAUL STAINTON: Why did we stop building social housing? I grew up in a council house, pit houses in Yorkshire. That was de rigeur. Remind us why we stopped.
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