North Area Committee tomorrow

The next North Area Committee is tomorrow at Manor School on Arbury Road.

This is your chance to put any questions or problems to all the North Area's Councillors in the Open Forum.

As well as this there are several formal items on the agenda:

• Review of the Council's Gambling policy
• An update on the introduction of the Blue Bins for easier recycling
• Further updates on our Environmental Improvement schemes, including Campking Road Piazza

There are also planning applications considered.

The meeting starts at 6.30pm with the first set of planning applications (Roseford Road, Rees Thomas site, High Street Chesterton, Green End Rd)

At 7.30pm the main agenda will start with the Open Forum.

When that is finished we will finish the planning apps (probably Trafalgar Street, two in De Freville, and Pretoria).

Downham's lane surface and verge

The state that that the second stage of Downham's Lane has been left by developers has been raised by some residents. The road has been left in a mess, but I have been assured that the verges will be reinstated. The damage to the road surface is more controversial: the builders say that they had made repairs to the surface prior to the works and that they will leave it in a better state than they found it. This may not be the state we would in an ideal world like.

However officers from both the City and County are continuing to chase the developers and I have received an assurance that the worst potholes will be repaired by the builders as a good will gesture anyway.

We will keep working and hopefully have better news soon.

The situation is made more complex as the road is not Highways land but privately owned.

Planning application on Arden Rd

Just one application in the ward this week. A single storey front extension to 11 Arden Road. The reference number is 09/0752/FUL.

Again for more details see the City Council development control website.

Phone working again!

My phone has been fixed by the nice man from the telephone company, so once again I can be called on 01223 709544. Also messages can again be left.

Apologies for the inconvenience.

Planning applications: Crossfield Ct and Ramsden Sq

Two planning applications to inform people about.

An application for a side extension that is "part two and part single storey", and a car port has been made for 2 Crossfield Court, Roxburgh Road. The application number is 09/0681/FUL.

There is another application on Ramsden Square. This time for the "erection of a single storey front and rear extension including conversion of garage" at number 15. The reference is 09/0705/FUL.

More information on applications and how to comment can be found in the City Council development control web pages. In case of difficulty contact one of the team.

Free swimming for under 18s at the learner pool: more details

As promoted (twice oops) on twitter...

The City Council and SLM have agreed on free swimming for the under 18s at our own King's Hedges learner pool from Monday 17th August until Friday 28th August.

Some details from the flyer that we have been sent:

• The sessions are on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 1-4pm
• The pool has capacity for 30 swimmers at any one time so entrance is subject to availability
• Children may be accompanied by an adult as required who will also swim for free
• Under 8's must be accompanied by an adult

(For those who don't know the pool is on Jedburgh Court just off Buchan Street.)

On a related note the City Council is consulting on its parks and open spaces strategy, the deadline has been extended beyond the 21st August.

Phone problems

I have just returned from my holiday to find my phone out of order. I don't know how long this has been the case, but the nice people from the Telephone Company promise to look at it on Tuesday.

Until then you can email me in the usual way, or call Neil or Andy (look on the left), or email any of us or even write to us!

I'll update when the phone works again.

Pembrokeshire is very beautiful, but I am glad to be back to somewhere flatter!

Guided Busway Nearing Completion

BAM Nuttall (the contractors working on the project) have told the County Council they expect to complete all the work needed on the northern section of the guided busway by the end of October 2009 at which point they will hand the busway over to the County Council who will then complete additional works (related mainly to the cycle path). The current plan then opens the Busway to the public approximately a month later.

For King's Hedges residents the nearest guided bus stop will be at the Regional Collage (pictured - Aug 2009) and running alongside it will be the new cycle way.

Hopefully now that the main construction work (at least on the northern section) has completed and buses will soon start running we should begin to reap the benefits; both for people living outside the City who need a quick and convenient way to commute in and for people living within the city who will hopefully benefit from their being less traffic and therefore less pollution.

As with so many of these grand projects time will tell.

Cambridge Festival of Ideas 21st October

A festival celebrating the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is coming to sites across Cambridge from Wednesday the 21st October until Sunday 1st November. This festival is being brought to you by the same team behind the annual Science Festival.

From the literature;

"Historian David Starkey will headline this year's Cambridge Festival of Ideas which, in the University's 800th year, focuses on centuries of people and thought".

Looks like a really interesting event, especially if it's anything like the Science Festival. If you're interested in finding out more you can always visit the website (which includes a downloadable programme);

www.cambridgefestivalofideas.org

Campkin Road Shop Forecourts Consultation

As part of the Environmental Improvements programme, the city council is looking to improve the forecourt in front of the Campkin Road shops (Tesco etc).

The shop forecourt was resurfaced in 2001 and since that time the surface has lifted and moved due to tree root movement. This has caused trip hazards and interferes with the drainage of the area. We can deal with this problem with one of two ways.

Option 1: Retain the two existing trees, remove a significant amount of surfacing from beneath their canopies and create a path between the two trees. The surfacing outside the canopies will be raised slightly and resurfaced over the top of the existing tree roots. This would be a shorter term solution as the tree roots would eventually cause the new surfacing to move.

Option 2: Fell the existing trees and replace with two new semi-mature trees in specially constructed tree pits so that long term movement by the root system is minimised.

All options also include:

• relocating the existing two circular seats to Nun’s Way Recreation Ground and replacing them with alternatives,

• moving the recycling facility to the southern end of the Tesco building,

• creating a lay-bye on St. Kilda Avenue,

• installing modern lighting and moving the column positions,

• relocating the cycle parking,

• resurfacing the area with resin bonded gravel,

• ensuring the drainage is in working order.

Residents in the area should be receiving letters soon about these possible options, including maps etc. If you want more information, please get in touch!