Community Transport Volunteer Drivers Needed

Cambridgeshire County Council's Social and Education Transport Team is looking for more willing drivers to help make a real difference to the lives of many people in the county - and they could receive up to £4,500 a year tax free.

The County Council provides a transport service to eligible people who need to attend one of the care centres, day service facilities or education establishments. Community Drivers play a vital role transporting a host of people who would otherwise miss out

Drivers are needed in all areas of Cambridgeshire. Volunteers receive 45p a mile for journeys they undertake as part of the scheme and can earn up to £4,500 annually before the payment becomes liable to tax. Being unemployed and signing on is not a barrier.

County Councillor and local resident Andy Pellew said: "Unfortunately given the public transport cuts in the last Conservative budget a lot of people will be unable to attend these excellent facilities. Hopefully the expansion of this initiative will plug some of the gaps left byy, amongst other things, the withdrawal of bus subsidies."

The County Council is looking to boost the team across the whole of Cambridgeshire, so interest from all areas of the county would be welcomed. Community drivers receive a payment of 45p a mile.

Community drivers must be over 21 with two years driving experience; have their own roadworthy car that has fully comprehensive insurance; and will undergo an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check paid for by the County Council.

For more information contact 0345 045 5208 or go to Cambridgeshire.gov.uk/communitydrivers

£100,000 For Councillor Pay Rise Should Be Spent On Free Public Transport For Young People Seeking Employment

Cllr van de Ven
(LD, Melbourn)

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have put a motion to council on March 23rd - the same meeting where councillors will vote again on their allowances - calling for a freeze in councillor allowances and for the £100,000 set aside by the Conservatives for a possible pay rise to be used to fund free public transport for young people seeking education, employment and training.

The £100,000 would be used to provide free public transport to help young people aged 16-19 make their first steps into education,employment or training, such as attending a job interview or visiting a college to learn more about its courses.

Lib Dem Transport spokesperson Susan Van de Ven said: "Lack of access to transport can provide a real obstacle to young people struggling to find employment or to get back into education or training.  In view of this, we think it would be fairer to to use the £100,000 set aside by the Conservatives for a councillor pay rise to provide free public transport to help young people aged 16-19 make their first steps into education,employment or training.  Something is seriously wrong if their future is not taking priority over a councillor pay rise."

Lib Dem group leader Kilian Bourke said: “It is a shame that the Conservatives made provision in this year’s budget for a £100,000 pay rise for councillors, so we are giving them the opportunity to reject that increase and reallocate it to core services. I cannot think of a more appropriate use for this money than providing free public transport for young people looking for a job or training."

Lib Dems Win National Accolades For Their Work In The City

Cllr Rosenstiel Accepts The Award From Nick Clegg MP

Cambridge Liberal Democrats have been recognised nationally with accolades for their contribution to the local economy and work in the city.

The group won the Local Government Association’s award for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Economy and was declared runner up in the Council Group of the Year award which it won last year.

Cambridge City Council Leader, Sian Reid said: “We are delighted to have won these awards. Our long-term attitude to our economy and growth is really paying off for us. This is not a reaction to the recession but a long standing and profound commitment to getting it right.”

The LGA awards come just weeks after Cambridge was revealed as the UK’s most successful city and well placed to drive the country’s economic recovery.

The Cities Outlook 2012 report by Centre for Cities showed how well Cambridge had fared during the economic downturn compared to other cities.

In making the awards, judges took this evidence into account and considered the city council’s work with the vulnerable.

Cambridge City Council Deputy Leader, Catherine Smart said: “Despite hard times, protecting and enhancing our services for the vulnerable has been our number one priority.

“Indeed in the midst of a large savings programme we are putting money into youth programmes, restorative justice, help for the homeless and street drinkers, investment in community centres and more. We have managed the council so we have the resources to put vulnerable people first.

“We are extremely proud of this and these awards are testament to the hard work that has gone into safeguarding these services and contributing to the city generally.”

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert Opposes The Health Bill

Julian Huppert MP

Julian Huppert, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, has today voted in favour of two bids to drop the Health Bill.

Julian voted in favour of an amendment tabled by some Liberal Democrats saying that the House “declines to support the Bill in its current form; and calls for an urgent summit of the Royal Colleges, professional bodies, patients' organisations and the Government to plan health reforms based on the Coalition Agreement”.

Julian said, "I voted against this Bill when it left the House of Commons last September. While it has been improved significantly, it is not improved enough.

“Crucially, this Bill is now opposed by the medical professionals who would have to implement it. I have therefore voted to drop the Bill.

“I firmly believe that the NHS does need reform and improvement. Citizens of this country deserve a first-class health service which protects everyone, regardless of ability to pay. Labour's failed reforms have put that in jeopardy.

“Labour introduced private sector providers into the NHS, and paid them more than NHS providers for the same service - they even paid one £250 million for operations they didn't do! They spent £12 billion on a computer system that never worked, and left the NHS with a £60 billion bill from PFI contracts. And their manifesto called for even greater involvement of the private sector.

“When this mismanagement came to light, they spent millions on managers and consultants. Between 2008 and 2010 the number of management consultants in the NHS increased by 80 per cent.

“The result of all this is health outcomes which are below the EU15 average and near-bankrupt hospitals. There is a pressing need for reform.

“But I believe that the only way to maintain free, universal health care is through bottom-up reforms which are fully supported by clinicians on the ground. The Government's reforms do not have that backing so I cannot support them.

“I call on the Government to engage with the medical professions, withdraw the Bill and introduce new, bottom-up reforms in line with the Coalition Agreement.

“I am proud of Liberal Democrat amendments to improve this bill. Our changes have substantially changed the bill, ensuring that competition is not the focus, that there is a duty to reduce health inequality, and that there is greater priority for medical research. We would still have a universal health care system free at the point of care.

“And there are some good sections in the bill - never again will Governments be allowed to favour private sector contracts when there are existing NHS providers.

“The Government will also increase spending on the NHS, a huge achievement given the circumstances.

“However, you simply cannot reform the health service without the support of doctors, GPs, nurses, health professionals and industry experts.

“Our NHS is too precious - too vital for the welfare of every single person living in Cambridge - for it to be bankrupted by inefficient structures, or broken up by unpopular reforms.

“I hope that the Government will be able to improve the NHS over the coming years, but I believe that the current Bill will not make the changes needed."

Lib Dems Welcome Move To Freeze County Councillors’ Basic Pay

Cllr Andy Pellew

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have welcomed an independent panel’s recommendation that County Councillors’ pay should remain unchanged.

The move backs up the Liberal Democrats’ view that a freeze in Councillor allowances is the right decision at a time when jobs and services are being cut.

The Lib Dems are now calling for the £100,000 Conservatives set aside to give themselves a 25 per cent pay rise to be invested in free public transport for 16-19-year-olds seeking employment or education. They will put this in a motion and ask for council support on March 27.

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrat Leader, Kilian Bourke said: “The Liberal Democrats have consistently called for a freeze in Councillor allowances so we welcome the panel's recommendations.

"It was wrong of the Conservatives to give themselves a 25 per cent pay rise at a time of wage freezes, redundancies and cuts to front line services.  These proposals better reflect the times we are living in.”

Local Cambridgeshire County Councillor, Andy Pellew said: "The work we do as County Councillors is a lot more rewarding than just a pay cheque at the end of the month and it was a mistake by the Conservative administration to try and measure the work we do on a purely financial basis."

"It would also be a mistake just to read this report in terms of Councillors allowances. As someone with a full-time job and a young family it's important to me that the panel also recognised that the timing of meetings, always during the day, is an issue for people like me who work."

Planning applications: Arbury Road, King's Hedges Road and Arbury Court

Apologies for missing the last few weeks. Here is a round up of planning applications in the ward.

This week there is a significant application at 110 Arbury Road, for "Outline Planning Permission for the erection of five apartments and widening of existing access onto Arbury Road following the total demolition of the former caretaker's house." 110 is the Manor school caretaker's house. Follow the link for more details. The reference is 12/0147/OUT.

Of a smaller scale there is an application in Arbury Court for "Extraction canopy and ductwork to exiting fish and chip take away", reference 12/0213/FUL.

Also I should point out an application that came up a couple of weeks ago for the "Hive" or "Triangle Development Site", on King's Hedges Road near CRC and roughly opposite Northfield Avenue. The application is partly technical involving change of use but does include change of appearance in terms of height and window arrangements. The reference is 12/0199/FUL. For more details see this page on the online planning gateway.

As always in case of difficulty contact the team.

Cambridge Half-Marathon – Sunday 11th March (Today!)

Just a quick reminder that today is the Cambridge half-marathon and so a number of roads in the area will be closed or have restricted access until the afternoon.

You can also get more details from the organisers’ web site, the map below shows details of the route.

Cambridge Half-Marathon Map

Residents Consultation on the Roman Courts Development

On the 21st March at 3pm there is a public meeting at the Meadows Community Centre just off King's Hedges road regarding the proposed development to replace the existing Roman Courts site in King's Hedges. A letter has been sent to residents;

Residents Consultation Letter

I'd urge those interested in this new development to attend.

The meeting runs until 7pm, so it will be a long meeting, and I will be there and report back what I hear.

Roman Courts: Residents Consultation Letter

Lib Dems Renew Call For Freeze In Councillor Allowances

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have renewed their call for a freeze in Councillor allowances as a vote on the issue is imminent.

They maintain that as Cambridgeshire County Council makes cutbacks Councillors should not be voting to increase their pay.   

Lib Dem group leader Kilian Bourke said: “We believe that at a time of redundancies, wage freezes and cuts to frontline services it would be wrong for Councillors to use the proceeds of an increase in council tax to give themselves a pay rise.

“A freeze would be the right outcome, and would go some way toward repairing the loss of public trust that took place last year when the Conservatives gave themselves a 25 per cent pay rise.

“It is a shame that they have made provision in this year’s budget for a £100,000 increase, but they still have the opportunity to reject that increase and reallocate it to core services.  We would support this and urge them to do so.”

As well as calling for a freeze in allowances, the Liberal Democrats have made three specific proposals regarding allowances in their alternative budget:

• To delete the £100,000 set aside in the Conservative budget for an increase in Councillor allowances, and use this to reduce council tax by a small amount;
• To encourage people from a wider range of backgrounds to stand for election as Councillors by holding meetings later in the day and evening.  Lib Dems believe this would have a greater effect in terms of attracting a wider range of people than even a substantial increase in Councillor pay.
• To reduce the size of the Cabinet, investing some of the money saved in council services, redistributing the rest between the remainder of the Cabinet.  This better than cost neutral proposal addresses concerns that the Cabinet role is more full time, making holding down a professional job difficult.
  

County Councillors are expected to vote on Councillor allowances on March 27 if the Independent Review Panel has lodged its report.

How The Liberal Democrats Are Delivering For Women

Liberal Democrat Policy Briefing

As we celebrate International Women's Day tomorrow, I'm proud to represent Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government. I know that our involvement has made a positive impact on the lives of thousands of women in a range of ways.

We’ve got lots to shout about, so please spread the word: blog and tweet about it and forward this email to your friends.

Here’s how we’re delivering for women -

• When it comes to shielding women in need from the brunt of the economic squeeze, our policy to free the lowest paid from income tax has played a key role in protecting women. Women make up the majority of those on low incomes who will benefit from this key Liberal Democrat policy. 60 per cent of those already taken out of paying tax altogether are women
• A new system of shared parental leave will make it easier for women to return to the workforce after having children or acting as a carer
• We are providing 260,000 free childcare places for 2-year olds. Having this free childcare enables mothers and fathers to work and help improve the economic prospects of the whole family
• Our Body Confidence campaign highlights the negative impact of unrealistic media representations of women and girls' bodies, and takes action to address thisWe have published the first cross-government Action Plan on Tackling Violence Against Women & Girls, which allocates £28 million for specialist services in this area
• We are also taking action internationally to reduce infant and maternal mortality, saving the lives of 50,000 mothers and 250,000 babies.

Read more about these policies, and many others that the Liberal Democrats are delivering in Government for women here.

So, on International Women's Day, there are many reasons for being proud of what we've achieved together. I hope you will join me in continuing to fight for equal opportunities for women and girls both in the UK and worldwide - there is still a lot to be done.

Best wishes

Lynne Featherstone MP
Minister for Equalities

Longstanding School Governor Vacancies Across Cambridgeshire

The link below is the document provided to County Councillors with the list of all vacancies for Local Authority Governors in Primary and Secondary Schools across Cambridgeshire.

February 2012 Governor Vacancies

Governor Vacancies are advertised quite widely and if you're interested in becoming a Governor of a School please visit Cambridgeshire Governors website;

http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/education/governors/becoming/

And complete the "Register an Interest" form and send it off.

There is also lots of other information related to being a School Governor on the website which is well worth a read if you have time!

E-Cops - Cambridge Murder Update

A murder investigation is underway following the death of a man in the city on Saturday (March 3).

Officers were called to reports of a disturbance in Hanover Court at 6.30am on Saturday.

On arrival they found 26-year-old Miciajah Brown who later died at the scene as a result of multiple stab wounds.

Two men, aged 20 and 29, were also seriously injured during the incident and they remain in Addenbrooke’s Hospital in a stable condition.

Officers believe the Hanover Court disturbance is linked to two others disturbances in the Market Square and Ditton Walk during the early hours of Saturday.

One man has been arrested and bailed in connection with the incident and we are working to trace a second man who we are keen to speak to in connection with the murder.

Incidents like these are extremely rare and this case is being treated as isolated. As a precaution there will be additional patrols in the areas where these offences took place.

Kind regards

PS Mark Kathro

Cambridge Half-Marathon – Sunday 11th March

The Cambridge half-marathon will be taking place on Sunday 11th March (one week today), and a number of roads in the area will be closed or have restricted access until the afternoon.

Residents who are directly affected should have already received a letter with details; but for people outside the immediate vicinity, we have posted a copy of the map that has been provided below.

You can also get more details from the organisers’ web site, the map below shows details of the route.

Cambridge Half-Marathon Map

Summer Schools Fund Promises Benefit For City's Poorest Pupils

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert

Cambridge head teachers are being urged by MP Julian Huppert to help their most disadvantaged pupils by taking advantage of the government’s £50 million Summer Schools Fund.

Applications for the fund, which was launched last September by Liberal Democrat leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, opened yesterday (Thursday, March 1).

It is designed to help disadvantaged pupils nationally, including more than 8,000 across Cambridgeshire, to make the transition from primary to secondary school.

Julian said: “I hope Cambridge head teachers will apply for this funding to run summer schools for disadvantaged youngsters across the city who will be moving on to secondary education this autumn.

“This money could help pupils by giving extra support in English and maths or provide wider activities such as music and sport or trips to theatres and museums.

“I am delighted that the coalition government has been able to target education funding in this way. It is clearly understood that youngsters from poorer backgrounds struggle at school. Some go on to secondary education with low literacy and numeracy skills.

“The Liberal Democrat-led Summer Schools Fund and the Pupil Premium will help to address some of these issues by giving disadvantaged young people the help they need and deserve to succeed.”  

Cambridge head teachers applying for the funding will be able to design and run their summer schools, targeting pupils who will benefit the most.

MP Urges Residents To Join The Big Switch To Cut Energy Bills

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert

A national campaign which gives Cambridge residents the chance to get cheaper energy bills is supported by MP Julian Huppert.

He is backing The Big Switch initiative which aims to use the combined switching power of thousands of consumers to negotiate a better deal from electricity and gas companies.

And he has signed a Commons’ Early Day Motion calling on Parliament to support the initiative led by consumer magazine, Which? and action group, 38 Degrees.

Consumers are encouraged to register their interest in The Big Switch and negotiatiors will work on their behalf to secure a low price energy deal.

When the deal has been struck, consumers will be notified by email giving them an option on whether or not to accept.

Julian said: “This campaign gives consumers the chance to take back some control over energy prices by making companies compete for their business which is as it should be.

“For too long, we have been at the mercy of suppliers because most people have never switched their energy company or are confused by the different tariffs that are available.

“By signing up to The Big Switch, people can allow expert negotiators to work on their behalf and then decide whether the new deal suits them. This could bring big savings at a time when energy prices are crippling many family budgets.

“I would urge everyone to take a close look at this campaign and sign up to see what it could do to help the household finances.”

To find out more about The Big Switch and sign up go to: https://www.whichbigswitch.co.uk/

Which? Big Switch Website

Demonstration To Help Asylum Seekers In Limbo Backed By Huppert

MP Julian Huppert is backing a student demonstration calling on the government to ease the plight of destitute asylum seekers.

Julian will be speaking at the event organised by Cambridge University Amnesty International and CUSTAR (Cambridge University Student Action for Refugees) in Cambridge’s Market Square on Saturday (March 3).

Demonstrators are asking the government to allow asylum seekers to work if they have been waiting more than six months for their cases to be concluded or if they have been refused asylum but temporarily cannot return home through no fault of their own.

Julian, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees has signed declarations by the Jewish Council of Racial Equality and Still Human Still Here calling on the government to change the employment rules affecting these people.

He said: “I am pleased that Cambridge University students are campaigning on this vitally important issue which has serious implications for the asylum seekers and the wider community as a whole.

“Our asylum system has been left in chaos by the Labour government and we have asylum seekers left in limbo by the immigration service. They cannot earn money to feed their families, their mental health suffers and the taxpayer picks up the bill. This makes no sense.

“Whole families are left struggling against a backdrop of poverty while our immigration services works to clear a massive backlog left by the previous government.”

The majority of asylum seekers who have found themselves trapped in a system, over which they have no control, are surviving on just over £5 a day because they are forced to rely on government or charity support.

Many European and Scandinavian countries already allow asylum seekers to work six months or less after making their asylum application and all of these countries receive less applications than the UK.

Nicci Shall, Chair of Cambridge University Amnesty International said: “It is a great support to our campaigning to have MP Julian Huppert's backing in this vital work to improve the rights of asylum seekers.”

Friends of Arbury Library AGM (Tonight!)

The Friends of Arbury Library group is holding its AGM tonight at 7pm in the Arbury Community Centre - please come along if you'd like to contribute!

If you can't make it you can visit the Friends of Arbury Library website here;

http://friendsofarburylibrary.blogspot.com/

City Council Celebrates Success Of Apprenticeship Scheme

Cambridge City Council is celebrating the success of its apprenticeship scheme after eight young people achieved their qualifications.

The young people, aged between 17 and 23, have been awarded their NVQ Level 2 award in Cleansing and Support Services.

They were recruited in two phases under an apprenticeship scheme run by the city council in partnership with cutting edge training company, Nordic Pioneer.

Working with the council’s Street and Open Spaces service delivery team, the apprentice tackled jobs around the city such as removing graffiti, flytipping and flyposting and cleaning up commons and cemeteries.  

Cllr Jean Swanson (LD,
Queen Edith's Ward)

The scheme was partly funded with £10,000 raised from Fixed Penalty Notices issued for environmental crime such as dropping littler, graffiti and fly-tipping.

The scheme ties in with the national drive to expand apprenticeships after the coalition government gave an extra £50,000 over four years to create 250,000 more apprenticeships.

Cambridge City Executive Councillor for Waste and Environmental Services, Jean Swanson said: We are very pleased with the success of the Cleansing Apprenticeship Scheme.

“We worked with Nordic Pioneer to shape the programme to include some basic grounds maintenance activities to bring some extra variety to the programme and introduce other useful skills.

“Two apprentices have continued to work with us, when required through an agency and they are keen to apply for positions should vacancies arise.”

The scheme is being evaluated it is anticipated there will be enough in the council’s budget to recruit another group of apprentices.

Councillors Allowances: Your Chance To Stop The Raise!

The public meeting on Councillors Allowances is scheduled for tonight at 18:30 at Anglia Ruskin University in the Centre of Cambridge.

The link with details (and a map to the venue, which is copied below) is;

Councillors Allowances Review

Alternatively if you want to have your say electronically you can always use the on-line form;

Councillors Allowances Survey

I cannot stress enough; this is your only chance to stop Councillors getting a ridiculous pay rise. As the Conservatives have previously demonstrated whatever the "Independent" panel suggests; they will vote for. This is your chance to help steer the panels recommendation in the way most people want.

Anglia Ruskin University, Lord Ashcroft Building, Lab 003 - Venue Map

City’s £30,000 Training Scheme To Help Young Unemployed

A £30,000 training scheme to help unemployed young people find work has been launched by Cambridge City Council and backed by MP Julian Huppert.

Five young people, aged between 16 and 21 will be offered paid six month traineeships with voluntary and community organisations which are in partnership with the city council.

The Young Project Workers Scheme will offer responsibility, some training and a positive short-term work placement to include on their CVs.

Support group, Young Lives will organise and run the scheme and trainees will be paid £6 an hour, just above the National Minimum Wage, for 22.5 hours a week.

Cllr Tim Bick
(LD, Market Ward)

Tim Bick, Cambridge City Executive Councillor for Community Development said: “Young people are having a particularly hard time trying to break into the job market and we hope this project will offer a chance to gain worthwhile skills to help make that task easier. Getting that first positive experience onto a CV can often be the most difficult obstacle to get past.

“It is designed to benefit the young people by offering them short-term employment on specific projects, gaining skills which will hopefully help them to find jobs

“At the same time, voluntary and community organisations will benefit from the extra staffing to develop or enhance a short-term project.”

Cambridge City Council is hoping the scheme can be combined with the government’s Youth Contract programme which offers 12 months subsidised placements, but only if the minimum wage level is maintained.

Julian Huppert, who won government backing this week for Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats’ scheme to provide free transport for young people searching for education, training or work, has applauded the Lib Dem controlled City Council for taking the initiative with this training project.

He said: “This is an excellent scheme. It has the potential not only to support young people who are finding it difficult to get onto the job ladder, but also community and voluntary organisations who have been struggling in these harsh economic times.

“Anything we can do to give young people the support and help they need to break into the job market is extremely worthwhile. I am delighted that Liberal Democrats on Cambridge City Council  have recognised the struggle facing our young people and taken positive action to tackle it head on.”