August 2013

Communities secretary Eric Pickles criticizes Cambridge as too anti-car

It is rare that I agree with sentiments expressed by a government minister, and this is one of them, especially in the ongoing context of the transport plans for Bourn Airfield Development as contained in the draft county council transport strategy document.   Cabinet minister and Communities secretary Eric Pickles lashed out at Cambridge city’s […]

Continue Reading

Fly to Australia, Kruger, Abu Dhabi and Phuket from Cambridge Airport

I saw this article in the Cambridge News and thought it was interesting … and definitely not surprising having once gone on a tour of the airport arranged specifically for councillors.   The news is that the revolution in Cambridge air travel is continuing at a dizzying pace. Local travellers will now be able to […]

Continue Reading

Council extends local plan consultation by two weeks

  The current South Cambridgeshire Local Plan consultation is being extended by two weeks. This final consultation was originally due to close on Monday 30 September but this is being extended to 5pm on Monday 14 October 2013.   The news release from the council earlier this afternoon says that “Council bosses took the decision […]

Continue Reading

New Transport Strategy for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire

The County Council is preparing a new Transport Strategy for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire in parallel with the South Cambridgeshire and the Cambridge Local Plans. The draft strategy is looking at ways to improve transport in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire up to 2031, and affects the viability of the proposed Bourn Airfield Development.   The […]

Continue Reading

Council consults on its draft Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedule

South Cambridgeshire District Council is currently working towards the introduction of a charging schedule under the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulation 2010 (amended).   Community Infrastructure Levy is expected to be a more simplified way of securing planning obligations compared to the Section 106 agreements, and is based on simple formulae on a per square […]

Continue Reading

Caldecote and Bourn villages sold out by Council for sake of expediency

On a number of occasions at planning committee meetings, I have told the South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) administration that Caldecote residents felt “dumped on” by the decisions of the council. Little did I know that it was going to get worse … This time, its not just a dumping on, but a betrayal, a […]

Continue Reading

LibDems helping young people get on in life

Tackling youth unemployment is one of the top priorities for the Liberal Democrats. On Tuesday Nick Clegg was in Salford to announce an extra £50m in funding the for youth contract, a scheme which provides a simple cash incentive for businesses to take on young people.   This is making a real difference, with 4,000 […]

Continue Reading

Free business workshops back again in South Cambridgeshire

Following the success of the South Cambridgeshire Business Support Service, a series of free workshops is re-launching to help business-owners in South Cambridgeshire become more successful.   The 15 half-day ‘how-to’ workshops are delivered by experts and have been designed to address specific issues of businesses in the local area, including business planning, improving profit, […]

Continue Reading

Bourn and Caxton get Local Plan Exhibitions due to Stop Bourn Airfield Development campaign

The details of two extra consultation events near a proposed new village at Bourn Airfield were confirmed on Wednesday 31 July,  to give even more opportunities for nearby residents to have their say.   This follows the debate at Full Council meeting on Thursday 25th July 2013 on the e-petition that was submitted by the […]

Continue Reading