Newnham Liberal Democrats, Cambridge

Lucy Nethsingha has met with officers from the county council to discuss the shocking state of many roads in Newnham.  Many roads in Newnham are falling apart as a result of years of under investment by the County Council.  The officers agreed that the roads were in dire need of repair, but explained that the council are logging more repairs than they can mange to fix at present, so the waiting times for fixing the holes are growing.   Liberal Democrats on the county council included an extra £13 million for improvements to the road network in their budget amendment, but the change was rejected by the Conservative administration so the under-investment looks set to continue.

There is still 09/10 Community Development and Leisure funding available for Newnham ward. Local community/voluntary groups can apply for money to enable projects which provide services or activities to benefit people living in the West and Central Area. Priority will be given to projects that are aimed at those people whose opportunities are restricted by disability, low income or discrimination. Statutory agencies, such as Parish Councils and Schools, and commercial ventures are not eligible to apply. http://www.cambscf.org.uk/grants.html

Cambridge County Council is currently undertaking a consultation regarding improving certain cycle routes within the city.  One of the routes is on Madingley Road where proposals comprise a combination of on road and off-road cycle paths. From Queens Road to Storey’s Way the existing off-road shared use path will be widened. From Storey’s Way to the Park and Ride there will be a combination of on-road and off-road paths, as the width of the road varies considerably.Road.  The Consultation exercise will come to an end in the next week or so.  For more details on the proposals go to http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/projects/cambridge/City+Cycleway+Improvements.htm

We are pleased to announce that Julian Huppert has been selected as the Liberal Democrat Cambridge parliamentary candidate to fight the General Election. Julian grew up in Cambridge and was county councillor for East Chesterton between 2001 and 2009. He is a member of Liberty’s national council. Julian works as a scientist at the Cavendish Laboratory. More details on Julian can be found at http://www.julianhuppert.org.uk/. Julian is sending out an email bulletin to residents keeping them up to date with his campaign. If you do not wish to receive the bulletin please let us know.

Cambridge City Councillors have made changes to a multi-million pound scheme for the University’s Mill Lane development site after listening to the public and a specially set up Design Panel.

They have scaled back the number of shops and cafes after the public said they did not want the development to feel “over-commercial”.

Plans for the Cambridge University site include shops, flats, cafes and a hotel. But there will be no expansion of the present number of shops and cafes unless a special case can be made.

Cambridge City Executive Councillor for Change and Growth, Sian Reid said: “This site is in a very special location by the river and incorporates some of the city’s most important green space; it is vital we get it right.

“The plans ensure the historic fabric of the area is preserved and access through the site enhanced for pedestrians and cyclists.

“We have listened to what the public want to see on this site and changed the appraoch to this site. Now a masterplan will need to be created by the developer to give a real vision of what will be achieved to define its atmosphere and character.”

The Mill Lane Supplementary Planning Document will be adopted by Cambridge City Council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee when it meets tomorrow (Tuesday).

Contact Sian Reid for further information.

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have put together a six point plan to fix the county’s broken gritting system.
They propose:

• A contingency plan, similar to that which exists for flooding, should be established for freezing conditions and heavy snow.

• Precautionary gritting should take place on busy footways and cycleways in advance of freezing weather, not “if icy conditions persist for a few days” which is the procedure at the moment. The safety of pedestrians, cyclists and the disabled should be a priority, not an afterthought.

• Salt bins and bags should be purchased by the county council and distributed with immediate effect to local communities.

• Further shortages of grit should be prevented. The current method of calculating the grit supply based on a five year rolling average is hopelessly unresponsive. An emergency surplus supply should exist, and storage capacity should be increased.

• The county council should urgently consult with the public and councillors on what routes need to be added to the gritting network. At present it plans to conduct its Winter Review internally, without consulting the public or its elected representatives.

• Although the county council alone receives money to grit our roads - nearly £2m per year - and has the trained staff, equipment and grit to provide the service, in emergency situations it will obviously be necessary for local authorities to pull together in the public interest in the event of emergencies.

Cambridge City Council Deputy Leader, Catherine Smart said: The important thing is that the county council should plan properly and involve other councils in its planning. In an emergency we will all help, but there needs to be a plan in place to make the best use of all our resources.

“We should be pulling together for the good of all our residents, particularly the most vulnerable. A proper Snow Plan should sit on the shelf alongside the Flood Plan till needed.”

Public spirited Newnham residents have been asking me what their legal liability is if they treat the ice and snow on the pavements outside their houses, says Sian Reid.

I asked before Xmas for legal advice from the County Council, who are the highways authority, but no answer yet. I continue to chase.

Informal views I have had include the following opinions - but they are not legal or researched opinions - so don’t rely on them - but I thought you would like me to pass them on for your interest.

“1. There should be no liability if someone has not acted negligently. The risk is that clearing the snow could create a greater danger, e.g. by substituting crisp snow for less visible and more hazardous ice, or by creating a danger in the place to which the snow has been moved.

2. I’m not aware of cases in which public-spirited householders have been sued by injured passers-by in these circumstances. I suspect that the courts would struggle to avoid imposing liability on people who have acted in a public-spirited manner. But it is impossible to rule out altogether. And even an unsuccessful claim is likely to be very distressing and possibly costly for the defendant.”

“As with some many things the test might be what is considered reasonable action.  For example, some people clear snow by pouring hot water on it which can then lead to the water refreezing as a skating rink which is probably more dangerous than the original snow.  Other people sweep snow away and leave the pavement in what most people would consider a safer state.”

The following links might be of interest:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3453039.stm

http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article3205122.ece

So I can’t give you any clear guidance at all, but will keep you posted

Sian

These proposals were approved at Area Committee in December. Many thanks to those who responded to the consultation.  Residents were very positive about the scheme and their comments also led to a small design alteration to help cyclists pass the entrance to the Rugby ground.

Contact Sian Reid for more information.

Cambridge City Council is questioning how many more people need to die on the notorious A14 when a comprehensive package of safety and transport improvements could save lives and improve journey times now.

Sian Reid, Executive Councillor for Climate Change and Growth is shocked that the cost of the road widening has escalated from less than £200 million to £1.3 billion, yet transport bosses are still not considering better value approaches.

She echoes MP David Howarth’s view that “Labour’s plan puts the interest of the road haulage industry first and puts safety, climate change and Cambridge last.”

“Widening the A14 will pour cars into Cambridge,” said Cllr Reid. “Traffic is already forecast to increase dramatically on Cambridge’s northern radial routes – especially on Ditton Lane, Histon Road, Milton Road and Huntingdon Road. The A14 widening will make matters worse, bringing almost 6,000 more cars in to the city every day along these routes.

“For people living near the A14 the noise and pollution will be intolerable. The city’s economy will suffer as increased congestion brings yet more delay for bus and car commuters, and turns away business.

“Carbon emissions will go up by at least three per cent, without even counting the carbon used in building the road.

“This approach, from a government which wants us to believe that it is committed to the Cambridge economy and to cutting carbon emissions can’t be right.

“The answer to saving lives and dealing with the congestion on the A14, lies with getting on with putting improvements in place now. “

A package of safety improvements, costing only a fraction of the cost of the road widening, could include

• bringing the A14 junctions, lay-bys and service stations up to motorway standard;

• introducing mandatory variable speed limits, which are reducing accidents and congestion on the M25;

• a free rescue service so broken vehicles are towed away in 20 minutes.

“Most of all, the railway network needs serious investment to draw lorries off the road onto rail,” added Cllr Reid. “A Swiss-style lorry charging system would move freight onto rail and away from the rush hour.

“Money needs to be spent on better public transport into and across the city and local rail improvements.”

Cllr Reid said that it is time the Highways Agency woke up to the fact that, with mounting national debt, taxpayers cannot afford this road. Drivers need action now to improve safety and congestion and the Cambridge sub region needs serious investment in sustainable transport for accessing the city.

“The time has come to stop speculating about when and if this road will be built and take action now to address the real issues,” she said.

Contact Sian Reid – 07770 382190 or 01223 356100

Developers building new homes in Cambridge are to be encouraged to recycle rainwater and create ponds and wetlands as part of an innovative new drainage strategy being launched today by the Lib Dem City Council.

The new system will introduce cost-effective ways of collecting rainwater as it runs off homes, storing it and cleaning it to cut down on pollution and protect the environment. Wildlife will be given the opportunity to thrive as ponds and wetlands are encouraged in city housing developments, bringing the opportunity for leisure, play and educational facilities. This new system will offer better protection to homes from flash flooding.

Sian Reid, Cambridge City Executive Councillor for Climate Change and Growth said: “We are facing an unprecedented threat from climate change and we need to look at new solutions to water management.

“Sustainable drainage systems allow rainwater to be collected and cleaned as it runs off properties which means less harmful pollutants are released into the environment. This, in turn, offers an excellent opportunity to introduce water into the landscape and encourage wildlife to thrive. The city council’s sustainable drainage guide provides developers with all the information they need to protect the environment in this way.”

The techniques can be used in small developments, major residential projects or commercial and business schemes.