Homelink: Local Lettings Policies

I recently spoke to a local resident about an apparent oddity in the results of allocations in Homelink in South Cambs. A priority B resident was given a home in Arbury Park ahead of a city resident in band A. I did some investigation and felt it worthwhile to share the results more widely.

This was a result of a Local Letting Policy used by the Social Landlord (RSL) who run the housing on the Arbury Park development. They are giving priority for the South Cambs allocation to people who have a family connection to Histon or Impington. They are also giving priority for the houses allocated to Cambridge residents to those with Arbury and King's Hedges connections. Some of the policies are also aimed to ensure that there is a 'good balance' of families in the development.

The priority to village residents policies might make sense when the developments are actually in the villages, rather than over the A14 and seen by most as part of the neighbouring City. I will ensure that they are looked at in the six month review, but the policies are set by RSLs who don't have to be part of the Homelink scheme.

Council tax bill: £1 in every £5 on bus-fare bill

£1 in every £5 paid by Cambridge's Council tax payers is being taken by Stagecoach and other bus operators to fund free bus travel for elderly people many of whom don't even live in the city.

The dramatic impact of the bus scheme has been highlighted in the five-year financial strategy just published by the City Council.

The bus scheme devised by Gordon Brown penalises places like Cambridge,which are forced to pay the bus fares for all elderly people who get on a bus in the city, including return fares for people who live outside Cambridge.

The result is that instead of costing the £1.2 million per year that is provided by Government, the scheme in 2008/9 is expected to cost Cambridge £2.5 million with the additional £1.3 million being met by Cambridge tax payers.

Whilst we support the scheme it is another example of Gordon Brown's Labour government coming up with a headline grabbing idea, failing to fund it properly, and then trying to make others take the blame for the problems.

Ian Nimmo-Smith, Liberal Democrat leader of the City Council, said

The way the government has botched bringing in free bus travel for the elderly is disastrous. We already knew the scheme was underfunded so we had put £680,000 into our budgets, but it is so popular that we now need to find a further £620,000 ontop of that.

Cambridge City Council could be forced to cut hundreds of thousands of pounds of services to meet this unfair bill we've been landed with by Mr Brown.

Cambridge City Council was rated as Excellent and as one of the top four financially competent councils by the Audit Commission.

The scheme is a good idea but the Labour government should play fair and pay fair.

North Area dates

Seeing as a I only just posted the date of the last NAC on the day it was held I thought I'd give a bit more notice of the next two.

The meetings will be held at Manor School (Arbury Road) on Thursday 9 October and 11 December.

I'll give more details of the agenda nearer the time, but the usual arrangement is planning at 6.30pm, with the main meeting starting at 7.30pm with the Open Forum, though sometimes an external speaker will be bumped up the order.

Grove school planning application

A few planning applications have been made in King's Hedges.

The Grove School have made an application to change the use of three classrooms into offices (application 08/1104/CCM).

More details can be found on the planning area of the City Council website.

North Area Committee TONIGHT

Sorry for not posting this earlier!

The North Area Committee meets at Manor School on Arbury Road tonight.

Planning is at 6.30pm (with 3 applications to consider, 2 in Arbury and 1 in West Chesterton).

At 7.30pm is the main meeting.

1. The police are at the meeting for the Safer Neighbourhoods item. This considers neighbourhood policing, and any issues with police and policing.
2. We have a representative of Tesco here to discuss matters. This is particularly with respect to East Chesterton's delivery issues.
3. Then we have the Open Forum for people to raise any issues they wish with the North Area councillors
4. Finally we have the Environmental Improvements Programme back to committee. Come and comment on issues like the Campkin Piazza plan.

Dates for works on Campkin Rd planter

I now have dates for the work to make the planter on Campkin Road safe (see right for a picture of me next to it in April this year).

The brickwork and plant growth make it awkward for cars pulling out to see oncoming traffic. The plan is to reduce the level to ground level. Later in the autumn the planter will be planted with low level plants and a narrow tree.

The work is scheduled for the week of the summer bank holiday, from Tuesday 26 August to Friday 29 August.

Give us our Bus Stop back!

The works on the Guided Busway junction for Milton Road have led to the closure of the bus stop with no alternative bus stop provided.

This is causing problems for elderly, ill, or families with young children who rely on this stop.

Cllr McGovern raised this issue at the Guided Busway Local Liaison Forum last night and was told that no suitable alternative site could be found. However the suggestion of a temporary stop on Greenend Rd for the Citi2 service seemed not to have been considered.

Your Focus team have written to Bob Menzies, in charge of the Busway project, and Andy Campbell, the MD of Stagecoach in Cambridge, to ask that the situation be re-examined.

Guided Bus works update

On Tuesday the gantry that lays the the guided busway reached Milton Road. It has now started back towards Longstanton during which time it will make the changes needed at the junctions.

So the good news is that the noisiest stages of construction (ground levelling and guideway laying) are finished as far as this section of the guideway are concerned.

The bad news is that this doesn't mean the work is finished.

Firstly the guideway needs some work. Bob Menzies, the County Council officer in charge of the project tells me that the work so far

"will just leave the stops, guideway infill, cycleway and landscaping
to do. None of which are particularly noisy."

Secondly the work on Milton Road itself continues. This has been delayed by delays in utility companies "diverting the services" (i.e. moving cables and pipes). This is now expected to take another 2 weeks or so according to the representative of Nuttall at last nights Guided Busway Local Liaison Forum. After that there is about 7 more weeks of work.

In the mean time we don't have a bus stop for residents of Lovell Rd. Cllr McGovern has written to Bob Menzies and Stagecoach about this issue. A suggestion that a temporary stop be positioned on Greenend Road was received positively at last night's meeting so watch this space for more news.

Save our Post Offices

The public meeting arranged by the City Council to discuss Post Office closures in the City is to be held on Monday 11 August from 7.30pm in the Guildhall.

There is also a campaign website for all the County's Post Offices, including an online petition.

The Liberal Democrat group on the County Council proposed a motion using unallocated resources to provide financial support to keep some of the Offices open. This was voted down by the Conservatives.

It appears that only the LibDems are committed to saving the County's Post Offices.

New play equipment opened by Mayor

I was very pleased to attend the opening of the new Ramsden Square Rec play areas yesterday!

The new equipment is a very welcome addition, and from the positive comments I got from chatting to a few residents it appears that the consultation process to get to this point was very successful.

Hopefully I'll be able to point the blog at a picture soon!

Well done to the City officers and contractors for a fabulous job. It also shows how successful residents interventions can be, a model your LibDem City Council tries to follow.

If you are worried about the bare earth there is a plan: the earth will be allowed to settle, roots/stones etc will be removed, and then in autumn it will be seeded (so that the grass has a chance to survive).

One concern was raised with me by residents about dog mess in the play area. From discussion with residents, officers and our wonderful City Ranger I understand that some signs will be put up to remind owners of their responsibilities. I'll also ask the Dog Wardens to target the area.
Additional litter bins have been ordered for the site too.