North Area Committee 17th May @ The Manor

The next North Area Committee will be at the Manor on Thursday 17th May.

The planning part of the meeting will start at 6.30; there are two applications on the agenda but the one that will probably be of the most interest is the application to convert the Grove Pub (opposite the Manor) into a Sikh temple.

The main meeting starts at 7.30 and the agenda is available on the City Councils website (see here). The main agenda items are:

• Community Development and Leisure grants*
• Engagement with Young People
• Primary School places in North Cambridge
• Northern Corridor Area Transport plan
• Policing and Safer Neighbourhoods

And, of course, the usual open forum where you can ask questions.

* (see here for report) There are two grants specific to King's Hedges in the list; Cambridge Music Festival (requesting 2,000), and Cambridge Carbon Footprint (requesting the very precise 2,323). The Cambridge Carbon Footprint event is targeted at both King's Hedges and Arbury.

North Area Committee results...

Last night at North Area Committee a few issues that affect the ward were discussed.

Firstly we had many Friends of Arbury Court Library along, and I'd like to promote the meeting they are holding at 7pm on February 2nd. This meeting is to formalise the group and come up with ideas to support it, and the other libraries threatened by the Conservative County Council. They are also staging a "read-in" at the library on Saturday February 5.

The report back from County Councillors suggests that Milton Road library is under bigger threat, but the local Liberal Democrats are campaigning to save all of Cambridge's libraries.

We also had some community grants to groups in King's Hedges. I managed to get the committee to agree to go against officers and give a grant to the Meadows Children and Family Wing, who do a lot of work with families in Arbury and King's Hedges. This is subject to checks that it isn't a "double" claim, but seperate project work. There were also grants to King's Hedges Brownies and the King's Hedges Family Support Group.

There is still some money in the pots, so if you know of a community group that could do with some help get in touch.

We also had the police priorities and I discussed issues of ASB with Sgt Wragg. He has agreed to meet me to see what can be done about some specific local problems.

North Area Committee: Grants to community groups

One of the items at North Area Committee last night was to award City Council grants to community groups.

Every year the City Council gives just under £60,000 to the four area committees to allocate, and the North gets a share of just over £21,000. These grants are used by differnt groups in different ways to support community projects.

Last night we agreed to fund two groups active in the Arbury and King's Hedges areas: Groverbury Ladies Club and the Abury Manor branch of the Royal British Legion. The total to them was just over £1000.

These grants are for special events, but we also give grants to cover start up and other one off costs.

There is still about £9000 in the kitty for this year, so if your group could use a grant to help community activities then check the application guidelines, and the general information page.

If you have an idea and need help to get going then contact a member of the team.

Community development and leisure grants

We have been contacted by the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation concerning Community Development and Leisure grants.

The CCF administer grants on behalf of the City Council to organisations who provide services and activities to people who live in the North Area of Cambridge. In particular they aim to support organisations who work with "people whose opportunities arerestricted by disability, low income or discrimination".



Previous grants have supported youth organisations through set up costs, the Arbury Carnival, Chesterton Carnival and Ambaby's.

If you think you know of an organisation or project who might benefit get in touch with the Foundation or with a member of the team.

The next North Area committee is on 4 March at Manor Community College on Arbury Road.