City council installs rubbish bins powered by the sun

Cambridge City Council is leading the county and the UK in installing state-of-the art rubbish bins powered by the sun.

The Big Belly Bins use solar power to compact rubbish and therefore need to be collected up to five times less than normal bins. This has the potential to cut the fuel consumption and carbon emissions associated with rubbish collection up to 80 per cent. 

The first of the new bins has been put in East Chesterton on Green End Road Rec and a second will follow next month on the river frontage public open space in front of the Vie development in East Chesterton.

Cambridge City Executive Councillor for Environmental and Waste Services, Mike Pitt, said: “These bins harness the power of the sun to compact the rubbish so that they can take more litter without having to be emptied so often. They also encourage recycling with separate compartments."

East Chesterton ward councillor and Executive Councillor for Climate Change and Growth, Clare Blair, said: "These bins will mean that the city council can cut fuel costs and carbon emissions bringing benefits to taxpayers and the environment. It is excellent news that they are being installed in East Chesterton."

North Area Committee 15 July

This is a bit late to warn people but it is North Area Committee tomorrow.


As usual the meeting is at Manor Community School on Arbury Road. It is on Thursday 15th July, with planning at 6.30pm, and the main agenda starting after that or at 7.30pm.


Planning looks like it will include an application relating to Citygate on Woodhead Drive, as well as other applications from the other wards.

The main meeting agenda has the Open Forum, a chance to ask the local councillors questions on any topic, the public consultation on licensing policy (see the city council website for more information if you can't wait!).

The agenda is online at the City Council website.

North Area Committee next week

The next North Area committee is on Thursday 12 November at Manor School on Arbury Road.

The meeting starts at 6.30pm for planning decisions (none in King's Hedges, but a few in neighbouring wards).

The main meeting starts at 7.30pm.

The big items for King's Hedges are the regular policing report, which is your chance to feed into the priorities for the police in the North of the City, and the decision on the Campkin Piazza.

The consultation on balance favoured option 2, replacing the trees. The decision will be made at committee, and you can still let us know your views in advance of the meeting (by phone or email) or at it if you can make it. I'll post a bit more over the weekend, but more information is in the report.

Alongside these two there is also the open forum, your chance to ask the local councillors anything you like, and formal agenda items on...

1. S106 projects (planning moneys for local infrastructure)
2. Other environmental improvement projects
3. Recycling champions: can you help boost recycling in your street?
4. Community development grants

The full agenda can be found at the city council website (PDF).

The next meeting after this will be on January 7 2010.

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).

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!

North Area Committee next Thursday

The next North Area Committee will be on Thursday 2nd July.

Planning starts at 6.30pm, and one of the items is an application concerning the Rees Thomas site (and two others in other wards).

The main meeting starts at 7.30pm, and will include the open forum, which is a chance to ask questions or raise concerns with all the local Councillors in the north of the city. There is also some formal business to conduct:

• The police will be there with the latest safer neighbourhood report, which includes setting local priorities
• Their is a briefing on the new format for community development grants and discussion on these
• The environmental improvement projects programme will give us an update

I hope to see some of you at the meeting.

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.

North Area Committee: 19 June

The North Area Committee meets this Thursday (19 June) at Manor School on Arbury Road.

The meeting has planning applications at 6.30pm, then from 7.30pm we have an agenda including...

• Arbury Park update from a South Cambs planning officer
• The Open Forum where you can raise issues with all the local councillors for the North of the city
• Decisions on the Community Development and Leisure grants. Several groups in King's Hedges have made applications for money from this pot.
• A discussion and update on the Environmental Improvements programme, including works on the Campkin Rd piazza.

If you have any concerns come along and see us.

There will also be an exhibition about the impact of climate change in the hall.