Residents Back Campaign For New Post Office

Cllr Neil McGovern
(LD, King's Hedges)

Cambridge residents have backed a campaign for a new post office in the King’s Hedges area of the city.

More than 75 per cent of people surveyed by ward councillor, Neil McGovern said they wanted a new post office to replace the one on Cameron Road which was demolished to make way for housing.

After the post office was closed - under a Labour government-run programme which saw more than 7,100 post offices lost including almost a third in Cambridge – residents have been using post offices in Arbury Court, King’s Hedges Road and even Milton.

Now the Liberal Democrats in government are changing the rules to make it easier to open new post offices.

Cllr McGovern said: “Post offices are a vital part of our community and it is clear from my survey, that residents need them, use them and value them. Labour failed to take this into account when they embarked on their massive closure programme which resulted in the loss of the Cameron Road post office.

“I want to see a new post office to replace the one that was lost. The Post Office is the social centre of many communities and it is important that it is easily accessible particularly for the elderly and disabled who cannot travel long distances.

“My survey has demonstrated how much residents have missed their post office and want it back.”

The government has committed £1.34 billion of funding over four years to the Post Office to help modernise and develop the network.

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.

Minor Highways issues within Kings Hedges

As you might have picked up from the minutes of the Cambridge Area Environment and Traffic Management Committee (no? It's a riveting read) Cambridgeshire Highways used to have a list of all the open highways issues in each division (split into unfunded and those with an identified means of funding) which would come to the AJC meeting, be discussed (usually added to) and then would be back in the hands of officers who would get done what they could, identifying new streams of funding if possible, and then report back to the next meeting of the AJC.

As you can see it's a fairly simple process but doesn't actually add a lot of value as a) most of the work is done by officers and (in my view more significantly) b) it encourages Councillors to get things added to the list that won't ever get done. Basically anything that doesn't have an obvious source of funding, isn't a legal requirement, or isn't part of some bigger project is just not going to happen.

The list, after a few years of b), is now pretty long and some of the the reasons why some of the items are sitting on the list have been lost in the mist of time.

Clearly it's time for a change and so the County Officers are now proposing that they spend some time in each Division with local members and prepare a list of highways issues relevant to that division.

In light of that I've been looking at the highways list we already have for Kings Hedges and the new items that people have already suggested (note that in some cases it is a problem that needs a solution rather than a solution!) and come up with the following list;

• 20mph speed limit on Northfield Avenue (outside KH Primary School), 
• Coach parking on Woodhead Drive, 
• Car parking on Lovell Road, 
• Arbury Road cycle path (specifically doing something around the Milton Road junction), 
• Verge parking on Milton Road, 
• Pavement parking across the division,
• Traffic improvements on Arbury Road outside the Manor,
• Verge parking on Hawkins Road, and 
• Cycle route on KH road (specifically around CRC junction)

That's just off the top of my head. What else do you think should be on this list?

Resurfacing King's Hedges Road

A very welcome email arrived yesterday: the atrocious state of King's Hedges Road has been acknowledged and money found to do the work to resurface it.

Unfortunately this is at very short notice: the work starts tomorrow (April 7th) and will cause some disruption for the week it is ongoing.

The email says...

We have been given some funding to resurface a section of the carriageway on Kings Hedges Road Cambridge . The section is from number 19 to a point just past Garry Drive, this is a plane out and inlay scheme and should take no longer than a week to complete, commencing this Thursday 7 April 2011 . We are sorry about the short notice, a letter drop has taken place today to inform all the local residents within the works area.

Obviously this is just one of the roads needing work, and we will continue to ask for more repairs to be made. Let us know of any potholes and we will do what we can to get them fixed.

Planning applications: Milton Road and King's Hedges Road

The weekly list of applications gives two applications this week, one each in Milton Road and King's Hedges Road.

At 146 King's Hedges Road is an application for a "First floor extension and ground floor", reference number 11/0187/FUL.

The other is for a "Single storey conservatory to rear" of 287 Milton Road, reference 11/0213/FUL.

As always more details available from development control, and contact the team in case of difficulty.

Funeral procession on Friday

We have recieved via eCops a warning about a large funeral procession on Friday of this week (18 March):

The procession will be led by a hearse, followed by a horse-drawn carriage and anywhere from 500 - 800 mourners walking behind.

It is due to leave the Blackwell Site on Kings Hedges Drive at approximately 10am, going down Kings Hedges Road to St. Andrew's Church, Church Street, East Chesterton, with the service due to start at 12pm. At approximately 2pm the procession will walk up Milton Road, through Milton village to Milton Cemetery on Landbeach Road, Milton.

All timings and numbers could vary on the day, but we wanted to make you aware of it and ask for your patience if you are travelling in the area whilst it is happening.

If you haven't already you can sign up for eCops at the Cambridgeshire police website.

Planning apps in Crowland Way and King's Hedges Rd

After a quiet couple of weeks there are two planning applications to report this week.

The first is for a conservatory to the rear of 102 Crowland Way. Application number 11/0093/FUL.

The second is for "Part single storey, part two storey side and rear extension, single storey front" to 76 King's Hedges Road. The reference number is 11/0131/FUL.

More details can be found on the development control pages of the City Council website, particularly through online Public Access.

Planning applications: Milton Road and Buchan Street

There are two applications on the weekly list this time.

One is for the "Installation of Poster Board on land adjacent to roundabout on Buchan Street and car park", on the land bordering King's Hedges Road. It is application 10/1239/ADV.

The other is for the "Erection of 2-bed dwelling" to the rear of 229 Milton Road. This has reference number 10/1310/FUL.

As usual more details can be found at the City Council's development control team, in particular the public access section. In case of difficulty contact the team.

Planning application

A major planning application this week. At the triangle on King's Hedges Road is a proposed "Future Business Centre" (offices?) and "associated works including the provision of car and cycle parking facilities, access and circulated areas".

The triangle is the piece of land between the new EDF substation and CRC fairly near (and on the opposite side from) the Northfield Avenue junction.

The reference is 10/1009/FUL, and more details are available from the online planning tracker.

Planning app for a dropped kerb

It has been a while since we had a planning application in the ward but one is in the list this week.

It is for a dropped kerb outside 63 King's Hedges Road, and has application number 10/1036/FUL. As usual you can get details from the City Council development control web site or contact the team in case of difficulty.

Planning applications last week and this

Three applications on the weekly list, two last week and one this week.


Last week there was an application for a two storey side and rear extension to 41 Lovell Road (reference 10/0507/FUL), and an application to vary "condition 28" of a planning application for the erection of industrial units in Kings Court (off King's Hedges Road) (reference 10/0552/S73).


This week is another extension in Lovell Road, this time two storeys to the rear of 36 Lovell Road (reference 10/0581/FUL).

More details can be found on the City Council web site.

Planning application on King's Hedges Rd

There is one application this week.

The address is 6 King's Hedges Road and it appears to be for something connected to a mobile telephone network. The reference is 10/0513/TELDET and more details can be found from the online application tracker of the City Council, which has been much improved, or in person.

As ever any issues contact the team.

Planning application in King's Hedges Road

One planning application last week in King's Hedges for the "installation of a dropped kerb and tarmac from kerb to driveway" at 21 King's Hedges Road (reference 10/0363/FUL).

For more details go to the development control pages of the City Council website. In case of difficulty contact one of the team.

Planning application for shops on King's Hedges Rd

A planning application came in last week for "Link/Infill to the rear of shop premises and new entrance canopy" at 10-12 Kings Hedges Road (the piano and music shop).

The application reference is 10/0139/FUL and more details can be obtained in the usual way from development control. In case of difficulty get in touch with the team.

Planning applications in Kirkwood and King's Hedges Rd

Two planning applications this week.

First one is in Unit 3 Kings Court, Kirkwood Road for "Installation of one fascia sign (non-illuminated), one hoarding sign (verge sign) and one captive balloon". An unusual application! The reference is 10/0072/ADV.

The second is for a single storey front extension to 173 King's Hedges Road. The reference is 10/0108/FUL.

As usual get in contact with the planning officers, instructions on how to comment are on the development control webpages of the City Council. As always any difficulties get in touch with us and we'll try to help.

Planning applications: Campkin Road, Arden Road and King's Hedges Road

After weeks with no applications this week we have three!

1. 12 Campkin Road has applied for a "single storey front extension" (application 09/1084/FUL)
2. 18 Arden Road has applied for a "two storey front extension and dormer" (application 09/1137/FUL), and finally
3. 36 King's Hedges Road has applied for a "single storey front extension" (application 09/1151/FUL)

The application on Arden Road is already down to come to a planning committee.

As always you can find out more information from Development Control at the City Council including details of how to inspect plans in person and online, and how to comment.

As always in case of difficulty let us know.

Yet more GB works on King's Hedges Road...

Andy Pellew has just warned me that the Guided Busway needs more works on King's Hedges Road between Histon Road and Chariot Way.

The works have to take place at night (between 7pm and 11.30pm) on Thursday and Friday this week. The work is being done at those times as they would cause excessive congestion otherwise. We have been assured that the cutting machines are as quiet as possible.

Local residents should have had a letter warning them of details.

Let us know if this causes any problems or if the work doesn't stop at the scheduled times.

The out of hours noise service is available on 01223 457457 if the machines are not as advertised (although the works have been approved by South Cambs and the City and so this shouldn't be the case!)

Using the Guided Bus from King's Hedges

In only a few months the Guided Bus will start running into the Centre of Cambridge and while the busses will not be going through the heart of King's Hedges they will be passing very close by - close enough so that if you live on the Northerly or the Easterly edges of the ward it will be quicker getting to the centre using the Guided Bus.

From Stagecoach the Day Rider ticket will be changed to cover both the Guided (as far as Oakington) and Citi busses.

Unfortunately the cross-provider tickets the Liberal Democrat group had been hoping for (i.e. tickets that allowed you to travel on either Whippet or Stagecoach) don't look like they have materialised - which in my view is a huge missed opportunity. In what I'm sure will lead to more than a bit of annoyance the ticketing system has been designed so that you need to purchase your ticket and choose your operator before the bus has arrived. So, to paraphrase Clint Eastwood; Are you feeling lucky??

The four new stops in the area are; Orchard Park (East and West), Cambridge Regional College, and the Science Park (see below);

The full map, listing all the stops in Cambridge, is available from the County Council website (click here). Ticketing and Pricing information is available either from the County Council website (here) or direct from Stagecoach or Whippet.

Speed Survey: Northfield Avenue

At the last North Area Committee it was agreed that Northfield Avenue along with King's Hedges Road would be subject to a "speed survey" sometime in the near future. Once the survey has been completed we will have one whole weeks worth of traffic data for these two main roads which will enable us to put a much stronger case to the Conservative-controlled County Council for some form of speed reduction/ traffic calming in this area (as requested by numerous local residents).

Watch this space ...

PS. You can still sign the petition to have a 20mph speed limit on Northfield Avenue outside the school. The link is here. The more signatures the more weight we have with the County Council!

More guided busway construction congestion?

The good news is that it looks like the work on the junction at the Milton Road end of the busway is complete. Just a little bit of tidying up to do...

However as one bit of work is finished another will start.

The junction of King's Hedges Road and Histon Road will be subject to reduced traffic flow starting some time next week.

At the Guided Busway local liaison forum last the exact details were not made clear, but I was assured that there would be at least one lane in each direction at the junction.