More Successful Prosecutions For Truancy

Three more parents have been prosecuted for failing to ensure their children attend Thomas Clarkson Community College in Wisbech.

All three pleaded guilty to the charges at Peterborough Magistrates' Court. One was given a 6-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs and a £15 victim surcharge, while the other two were each given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

The prosecutions were brought by Cambridgeshire County Council.

Education welfare officers, who are conducting regular truancy sweeps in the area, thanked local shops and supermarkets for their support.

Thomas Clarkson Community College Vice-Principal David Gray said: "Children need to go to school.  The courts play an important role in ensuring parents take their responsibilities regarding school attendance, seriously.  Schools work closely with parents to help them do their best but sadly in some cases court action like this is necessary in the best interests of our young people."

Two-Way Cycling On One-Way Streets

As part of the European Bike Friendly Cities project Cambridgeshire County Council is looking at increasing the number of one-way streets in Cambridge City that allow two-way cycling. This has recently been made a lot easier to do in that a new plate, "except cycles", can now be added to the standard no-entry signs.

Here is a list of the streets involved;

Panton Street
Brookside
Norwich Street
Coronation Street
Mercers Row
Swanns Road
New Square (south)
St Eligius Street
Mount Pleasant
Shelley Row
Albion Row
Perowne Street
Emery Road
Emery Street
Argyll Street (west)
Cockburn Street
Sedgewick Street
Catherine Street
Thoday Street
Ross Street
Hemingford Road
Belgrave Road
Vinery Road (north)
Harvest Way
Fitzwilliam Street
Park Terrace
Springfield Road
Albert Street
Adam and Eve Street at Burleigh St*
Hope St*

*- These two require additional work. The removal of signage as well as removal of island blocks.

King's Hedges isn't blessed with any specific one-way streets which we could ask for this change to be applied to but if you cycle into the City Centre and would like me to add any other roads to the project please let me know.

Utility Companies Could Face Daily Charges To Close Roads

Cllr Sarah Whitebread (LD, Market)

Utility companies could be charged a daily fee for road closures while they carry out work across Cambridgeshire.

The idea has been put forward by Liberal Democrat Councillor Sarah Whitebread and would apply to companies laying new gas or water mains or carrying out similar work in the county.

Cllr Whitebread, who represents Cambridge’s Market Ward on Cambridgeshire County Council, claims the move could prevent lengthy closures such as the one which brought the city’s East Road to a virtual halt for weeks while new gas mains were laid.

She made her suggestion during Question Time at the county council meeting today (Tuesday, May 15) and it was agreed to look into such a scheme.

A similar idea, approved by the Department of Transport, will allow Transport for London to charge companies in the capital up to £2,500 a day for closing major roads. Companies will face lower charges if they carry out work outside of peak times.

"The county system at the moment has no incentive for speedy work, or to encourage work outside peak times" said Cllr Whitebread. "Given the frequency with which utilities companies need to carry out road works in Cambridge, I think a charging scheme of this type needs serious consideration.

"I also pushed the council to look at ways to encourage utility companies, when carrying out works, to keep roads open for cyclists. Often there is road space around the works that could be made available, but instead cyclists told to wait with cars or dismount and walk.  In a city where so many people travel to school and work by bike, this clearly needs addressing."

The county council’s Cabinet Member for Community Infrastructure, Tony Orgee, agreed to look into such a scheme.

Music Under Threat For Hundreds Of Vulnerable Youngsters

Cllr Lucy Nethsingha (LD, Newnham)

Fears that hundreds of schoolchildren could lose their free music lessons following changes to the way they are funded have been expressed by Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats.

Cash-strapped schools across the county could be expected to pick up the bill for music lessons for children in local authority care and those on free school meals.

But the Lib Dems fear that their budgets won’t stretch to the extra expense and are calling on the Tory-run Cambridgeshire County Council to step in and provide the money.

The change comes after the government, which used to send money for music lessons direct to the county council, decided to send it to Art Council England; now organisations across the country must bid for a share.

The newly-formed Cambridgeshire Music Partnership had made a bid for funding to lead the music education service in the county.

But Cambridgeshire Music Service, which provided the money for lessons for the 500 youngsters, is aiming  to become self-funding leaving schools to fund these lessons instead.

Cambridgeshire Lib Dem Deputy Leader, Lucy Nethsingha is worried that the move could lead to youngsters missing out.

She is calling on the county council to provide funding to the Cambridgeshire Music Service during the transitional period while the new changes take effect.

Cllr Nethsingha, who will put a motion to full council tomorrow (Tuesday, May 15) said: “Music can provide a hugely important positive element in the lives of some vulnerable children. It is imperative that we find a way to make sure these children can still have their lessons.

“Educational outcomes for children in care and those on free school meals tend to be worse than average. Music can be one way to improve educational achievement, so it is particularly important that this group of children get access to the educational benefits music lessons can bring.”

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert, who played in the Cambridgeshire Youth Orchestra said: “Music has been a big part of my life and all children regardless of their background or circumstances should have this chance.

"Music gives young people the opportunity to socialise, meet new friends and it has been proved that children who take part in music do better at school. I hope the county council can find a way to fund these lessons.”

Telecom Giants Told To Repair City Grass Verges

Cllr Geoff Heathcock
(LD, Queen Ediths)

Telecom giants, BT and Virgin Media are to be asked to pay for repairs to grass verges in Cambridge’s Mowbray Road after residents complained that their companies’ vans damaged them.

Workers parked on the verges during the recent wet weather and drove off leaving them churned up say residents.

They complained to Cambridge City Councillor, George Pippas, who represents Queen Edith’s, saying that drivers are prohibited from parking on verges under a council by-law which these companies appear to have ignored.

Cllr Pippas took their complaints to city council enforcement officers who told him that both companies would be contacted to either pay for the damage or carry out the repairs and the area would be photographed as evidence.

“The grass verges have been devastated by these vehicles parking on them,” said Cllr Pippas, “and residents are understandably furious. The destruction spoils the area and residents are left living with it once companies have finished their work.  

“I am pleased that the city council is going to contact these companies asking them to repair the damage. We have a by-law which prevents drivers parking on the verges so that they are protected and this should apply to everyone.”

Geoff Heathcock, Cambridge City Councillor for Queen Edith’s added: “Anything we can do to ensure the utilities put right what they have damaged is absolutely right and sets a good example to others who constantly damage our verges"

Cambridge City Council Enforcement Officer for Streets and Open Spaces, Lisa Munro told Cllr Pippas in a letter that she was taking up the matter with Cambridgeshire County Council Highways Department.

And she added: “I will be contacting both BT and Virgin Media with the view to recovering costs or to repair the damage themselves. I will be photographing the area to use as evidence.

“BT have an obligation to inform County Council Highways Department as to when works will be carried out and subsequently when repairs will be made to any damage caused. I believe that County Council therefore have already been in contact with BT but this is the information that I am waiting for.

“We would of course support County Council with the verge parking byelaw and will enforce against anyone seen parking on the grass verges.”

More Pupils Offered School Places Of Their Choice

Cllr Andy Pellew

The vast majority of children in Cambridgeshire will be starting Reception in September in their first choice primary school, according to new figures.

A total of 91.57% of children applying for a place in Reception this September by the deadline have been allocated a place at their first choice school. This is an increase on last year's 90.6%.

A further 6.06% have been offered a place at their second or third choice primary school, while fewer than 2.5% could not be offered any of their preferences.

This increase has been achieved by Cambridgeshire County Council's Admissions Team, despite the continuing pressure on primary school places throughout the county.

These latest figures come after it was revealed that 94.7% of students had been offered a place at their first choice secondary school in September; a rise of 5.3% on the previous year. A further 3.45% were offered a place at their second or third choice, while just 1.85% could not be offered any of their preferences.

A total of 6704 children requested places at Cambridgeshire primary schools this year, with 5715 applying for secondary school. The number of applications made online also increased.

Local County Councillor Andy Pellew said: "It's a credit to the hard work the County Councils' Admissions Team have put in that this years numbers show such an improvement over the previous year especially given the emerging demographic pressures across the County and specifically here in Cambridge City".

Your Life Your Choice: Book Your Place As Advice Service Hits The Road To Libraries

An information service which helps people stay safe, well and independent, is taking to the road to spread the word across Cambridgeshire with a series of events in Libraries.

The Your Life, Your Choice service provides online information for people who need information or support to enable them to live an independent life. It also provides details of assistance for such things as social and health care and aids and home adaptations which make life easier for people in their own home.

The roadshows will visit the library in Cambourne and Cambridge Central Library from mid May, and will feature:

• Leaflets and information about staying independent, safe and well
• Information on aids and devices to help people remain independent
• Trading Standards advice on how to Buy With Confidence and avoid rogue traders
• Demonstrations of The Your Life, Your Choice online information service
• Opportunities to book a session with the libraries' Computer Buddies to help less experienced computer users access online information. 

County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Councillor Martin Curtis, said: "The Your Life, Your Choice website was developed with the support of service users, carers and our partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors, to encourage people to think more widely than just traditional care services when planning the support they need.

"These roadshows, in addition to promoting Your Life, Your Choice, are focused on providing preventative and self-help information to people who may need it and telling them about the support and services available in their local community. Hopefully they will show people what is available and the difference it can make to them, their carers and families, whilst helping them to stay safe and independent for as long as possible," added Councillor Curtis.

Roadshow schedule:

• May 14-June 9 Cambourne Library
• June 11-July 7 Central Library (Cambridge)
• July 10-August 4 Ely Library
• August 6-September 1 Chatteris Library
• September 3-September 29 Wisbech Library
• October 1-October 27 March Library
• October 29-November 24 St Neots Library 

The roadshow will also be visiting Whittlesey Library in January 2013.

Access to the Your Life, Your Choice website together with help to find the information you are looking for is already available in your local library or you can access information and advice directly at: www.yourlifeyourchoice.org.uk

Lib Dems Urge Get Tough On Enterprise Zone To Protect Communities

Cllr Kevin Wilkins
(LD, West Chesterton)

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have called for tough guidance on letting space at Alconbury’s new Enterprise Zone to prevent companies “boundary hopping” for tax advantages.

They want to give priority to new and existing businesses that will bring new investment and jobs to the area.

And they want manufacturing and production businesses to be encouraged to complement the Cambridgeshire research companies.

Under the Tory Thatcher and Major governments, the creation of enterprise zones often led to “boundary hopping” – the relocation of businesses to take advantage of the benefit of reduced business rates – claim the Lib Dems.

This harmed the economy of existing towns and communities while at the same time bringing no real benefits, they say.

The Lib Dems acknowledge that property group, Urban and Civic will have the final say in letting the site to companies, but they want the Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership to guide the lettings process to protect the economies of Huntingdonshire and Peterborough.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet Member for Planning, Enterprise and Environment Kevin Wilkins will raise the issue in a motion to Cambridgeshire County Council on May 15.

Cllr Wilkins said: “It's important not to repeat the government's mistakes of the 1980s and 1990s.

"The enterprise zone at Alconbury Airfield needs to improve the local economy by getting local businesses to expand what they do – not simply steal business from elsewhere in the county.

"The zone mustn't be allowed to become a route for the Conservatives to give some business people a way to avoid paying their fair share of tax."

Huntingdonshire District Councillor, Mike Shellens said, “Local Lib Dems welcome the arrival of the local Enterprise Zone. The concerns identified here will go far towards ensuring that the benefits will not be restricted to the balance sheet of a boundary-hopper company, but will flow to the economy as a whole including wider Huntingdonshire.”

Trading Standards: Buy With Confidence Approved Trader Scheme (Guest Post)

At Cambridgeshire Trading Standards we have just introduced a new approved trader scheme, ‘Buy with Confidence’.  The scheme is designed to provide Cambridgeshire residents with a choice of traders, all of which have demonstrated a commitment to providing a high quality service and have been thoroughly checked by us.

To expand our list of current members we are currently undertaking a recruitment drive.  If you are, or know of, a reliable trader in Cambridgeshire we want to hear from you!

How does a business join the scheme?

You can access further information and application forms at www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk. Alternatively you can ring Cambridgeshire Direct on 0345 0455206 to be sent an information pack.

Nominating a trader to join the scheme

If you know a trader that you would recommend, you can nominate them by emailing bwc@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or by calling Cambridgeshire Direct on 0345 0455206. We will do the rest.

How to use the scheme

There are a number of ways you can find traders on the scheme:

• Visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk. 
• Telephone the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 08454 040506. 
• Visit your local library where staff can look up traders for you.

Our checking procedure ensures the quality of our members but does not provide a price guarantee. We recommend that you still get three quotes to ensure you are happy with the price.

To find out more about the scheme, visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk or contact Cambridgeshire Direct.

Trading Standards: Borrowing Money From Illegal Money Lenders (Guest Post)

If you are having financial difficulties or wish to borrow money quickly, it may be tempting to borrow money from illegal money lenders,  known as ‘loan sharks’, who lend cash without asking questions about your financial situation.  Trading Standards urge you to avoid such lenders and assure you that there are safe, reliable lenders that you can use.

Loan sharks may call at your door or you might hear about them from other people. At first they seem friendly and helpful and it might seem like a quick and easy way to borrow money. The trouble is that these people usually charge huge interest on their loan, meaning you have to pay back much more than you borrowed and far more than you can afford. With no paperwork to record what you are expected to repay, a loan of a few hundred pounds can soon lead to a demand to repay thousands of pounds - and the debt can quickly become too much to ever repay. If you struggle to keep up the repayments, loan sharks may use intimidation, threats and even violence to ensure you find the money somehow. It is believed that around 310,000 households in the UK currently owe money to loan sharks.

Luckily there are safe places you can borrow money from, even if you have financial difficulties. These lenders stick to the law, make it clear from the start the total amount you will need to repay and collect your repayments in a lawful way. Your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) can advise you which lenders are most suitable for you. You can find your nearest Bureau by visiting www.citizensadvice.org.uk or by calling 08444 111 444.

The England Illegal Money Lending Team was set up because of the misery and fear that loan sharks cause. Cambridgeshire County Council are working with this team and local District Councils, to tackle loan sharks in the county, raise awareness of them and to support their victims.

If you know of any loan sharks operating in the area, the England Illegal Money Lending Team wants to hear from you. Call 0300 555 2222, text 'loan shark + a message' to 60003 or email reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk. Lines are open 24/7 and your details will be kept confidential.

If you already owe money to a loan shark the Illegal Money Lending team can offer advice and support. So don’t suffer in silence, contact the team using the details above.

Visually Impaired Student Becomes Latest Victim Of Tory Bus Cuts

Warren Wilson joins Lib Dem Councillors,
Susan van de Ven and Tim Stone
at the bus stop where the Citi 7 will no
longer stop

Cambridge student, Warren Wilson, whose sight is failing due to a rare genetic condition, has become the latest victim of Tory county council spending cuts.

The Citi 7 bus that takes him to Anglia Ruskin University will no longer call at Duxford leaving 21-year-old Warren stranded at home in Kingsway.

A decision by the Conservative-run Cambridgeshire County Council to withdraw the Citi 7 subsidy has led to bus company, Stagecoach terminating the service at Sawston Health Centre.

And Warren, who is in the second year of a history degree, has been left trying to find alternative transport to continue his course.

“This makes me really angry and very frustrated,” said Warren. “I am about to enter the third year of my degree; it a big dissertation year and I’ve been left with no transport. I won’t be able to go to any activities.

“I’m trying to put a contingency plan in place but I shouldn’t have to be worrying about this. The council needs to realise that they are messing with people’s lives and money must come second to that.”

Warren suffers from Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy which has led to his eyesight failing.  His whole field of vision is affected leaving it blurred although he can make out high contrast objects, large objects or those which are close and his condition has stabilised at that level.

His eyesight began failing while he was studying A Levels at Cambridge’s Long Road Sixth Form College and he now uses a long white mobility cane.

Despite his condition, Warren retains his independence and with the help of support workers has learnt his return route to university.

Withdrawing the Citi 7 service means Warren will have to learn a new journey which would involve crossing the M11 slip road with the A505 and walking to the station or relying on a bus from his girlfriend’s home in Stapleford.

“The last thing I want is to be a burden on them or anyone else,” said Warren. “I will have to learn a whole new route and new pathways which is totally unnecessary.”

Duxford’s neighbouring village, Whittlesford is also losing its bus service under the latest round of cuts.

The two villages used to share a bus until the route was split in recent years. Warren believes reinstating a shared bus could save money and increase passengers.

“The road layout between the villages makes it perfect for a shared bus,” he said. “This seems a sensible option to me rather than leaving these villages totally cut off.”

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have taken up Warren’s fight in a bid to get funding to save the bus.

And Warren has given his support to a petition launched by Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport: Susan van de Ven which can be found at:  http://epetition.cambridgeshire.public-i.tv/epetition_core/view/Buses

He will also be supporting a meeting on bus cuts and transport at the United Reform Church in Whittlesford at 7pm on Thursday (April 26) which is chaired by Lib Dem Councillor, Tim Stone who represents Duxford on the county council.

Cllr van de Ven said: “It is easy for the Tories to make spending cuts on a balance sheet without thinking about how those cuts are impacting on ordinary people in our villages.

“Warren has battled against all the odds to retain his independence and now that is in danger of being taken away because the Tories need to balance their books.

“I am absolutely appalled by these cuts which are leaving rural communities isolated and causing real hardship to people like Warren.”

Bus Subsidies Roller Coaster

Cllr Susan van de Ven
(LD, Melbourn)

Stagecoach’s announcement of changes to its bus services comes in the wake of the county council’s timetable for comprehensive withdrawal of bus subsidies.

Cllr Susan van de Ven, Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson, said:  “While there is good news for some people there is very bad news for many others.

“The additional services announced by Stagecoach are welcome, but reflect just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the transport deficit that plagues rural Cambridgeshire. For those people who are losing services with absolutely no warning, the county council needs to step up its game and consider how it will help them.

“The earlier than expected withdrawal of some subsidised services means that the council’s flagship Cambridgeshire Future Transport project has even less time than expected to get in place its alternatives – which it has promised will be ‘as good or better.’”

Whittlesford County Cllr Tim Stone, said, "There are many very worried people in our villages. The county council needs to act rapidly to explain how it is going to re-arrange services in the face of the Citi 7 moves.”

“Whittlesford, Heathfield and Hinxton residents, as well as people who work there, will want to know how they are going to get to work, go shopping and visit doctors and medical centres."

Cllr van de Ven said, “The council has been caught-out because it has dictated to commercial operators a subsidy withdrawal schedule to suit itself.     If the council wants more leverage with commercial operators it should consider a Quality Bus Contracts scheme.”

Huppert Welcomes Extra £12.5M For County’s Schools

Cllr Peter Downes

An extra £12.5 million of government funding for Cambridgeshire schools has been welcomed by Cambridge MP Julian Huppert.

The money is designed to relieve the pressure on school places and comes after Julian joined MPs from across the county to campaign for extra funding, raising the issue in the House of Commons.

He received a promise from Education Minister, Michael Gove to review the county’s grant funding and the latest investment is part of an additional £600 million for schools across England this year. It comes on top of the £800 million already announced for 2012-13 to address the shortage in pupil places.

Julian said “This extra money is good news and will so some way to addressing the massive shortfall in funding for schools across Cambridge and the county as a whole.

“I am pleased that we are putting money into schools; they have been neglected by previous governments for far too long. Educating our children must be one of our top priorities but we cannot give them the schooling they need and deserve without investment.

“Our schools have been near the bottom of the pile compared to other local authorities across the country and while this payment helps with school buildings, we are still millions of pounds short of the national average for what we can spend on our pupils. There is no room for complacency here.”

Liberal Democrat Peter Downes, Cambridgeshire County Council's Shadow Cabinet Member for Education said: "I am pleased that Cambridgeshire's plight is finally being recognised by the government.

“There is a growing demand for school places across the country and this county in particular, but until now there has never been the money to address this problem. Finally we have a government which is taking this issue seriously and I hope the coalition will continue to build on this and give Cambridgeshire schools the money they need.”

Travel Plan Plus Get Cycling Event on Cambridge Science Park ** TODAY **

Just a quick reminder that today there is an event at the Napp Building (196) on the Cambridge Science Park promoting cycling and allowing you to try out various different kinds of bikes 11am-3pm.

See you there!

Children Across The City Get Cycling Boost

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert

4,000 children across Cambridgeshire are to get free cycle training over the next academic year as part of Transport Minister Norman Baker MPs boost to cycling. The Government will hand £160,000 to Cambridgeshire County Council to fund training in 2012/13 as part of an national strategy that will deliver £11 million as part of a national fund.

In addition, Norman Baker has increased the funding for the following two academic years by £2 million. This means that the Government will spend over £35 million on teaching children to cycle safely, competently and confidently on the road over the next 3 years.

Julian Huppert, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, said “this is a fantastic boost for cycling. It is absolutely vital that children are shown the benefits of cycling at an early age, and are taught to travel safely”.

“Cycling is the most efficient form of transport we have. It’s cheap, reliable, healthy and, with the proper training, completely safe. I am delighted that Liberal Democrats in Government are delivering the right kind of transport investment for children across Cambridgeshire.”

NOTES:

Details of the announcement can be found here
A breakdown of funding can be found here http://content.bikeability.org.uk/publications/

Huge Boost for King's Hedges Schools!

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert

The government has today announced an extra £12.5 million to fund extra school places across Cambridgeshire. This is part of a £600 million fund to ensure that all children have access to a school place.

Julian Huppert, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, said "this new money represents a massive win for schools across Cambridgeshire. For too long central government has ignored the need for new places in growing regions such as ours.

Today's announcement, along with the Liberal Democrat pupil premium, will give schools the funding they so desperately need to make sure that every child in Cambridgeshire, no matter what their circumstances, will be given a fair start in life."

Travel Plan Plus Get Cycling Event on Cambridge Science Park 18 April 2012

Got nothing  much  to do at lunch time?  Come along to the Travel Plan Plus (TP+) Get Cycling Event on Wednesday 18 April 2012, from 11am-3pm at 196 Cambridge Science Park (NAPP).

 Free to attend , this year's event is bigger than ever and is guaranteed to be interesting, informative and fun!  

Our main attractions include:

• A wide range of conventional commuter bikes (mountain ,folding, hybrid, road bikes etc) to try out 
• Fun and novelty bikes including 'car' and 'rickshaw' bikes, plus tandems, recumbents and much more!
• Electric bikes from the Electric Transport  Shop , including the TP+ pool bikes 
• Blendavenda make-your-own smoothie bike
• Calorie Gallery bike
• Dr Bike - free bike service, provided by Outspoken 
• Ben Hayward Cycles stall
• Sign up to the Big Bike Ride

Join us on the day to enter our prize draw to win a cycling commuter bag.

For more information, visit www.travelplanplus.org.uk  or click here to download the poster (http://www.travelplanplus.org.uk/files/get-cycling-flyer_final.pdf)

Kind regards,
Tammy

 Tammy Liu
Travel Plan Plus Project
A Travel for Work Partnership Project for Cambridgeshire County Council
 
Suite 13, Unit 23
Cambridge Science Park Innovation Centre
Cambridge Science Park
Milton Road
Cambridge
CB4 0EY
01223 437052
tammy.liu@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Visit our new website www.travelplanplus.org.uk to find better and healthier ways to commute and travel

Cambridge North Newsletter Spring 2012

The newsletter is available here (via Google Docs).

Cambridge North Newsletter - Spring 2012

Lib Dems Welcome £1.7M Cash Injection For Bus Services

Cambridge Liberal Democrats have welcomed a £1.724 million government  cash injection to improve bus services in Cambridgeshire.

Transport Spokesperson, Susan van de Ven said the money should improve accessibility and bus journey times.

“Cambridgeshire Lib Dems have repeatedly called for more investment in bus interchanges, real time and smart ticketing locally so it is encouraging that the Lib Dems in government have responded in kind,” she said.

"Cambridgeshire also urgently needs rural bus routes to be developed. The Tory-run Cambridgeshire County Council has made a mistake in deciding to withdraw rather than enhance its support of so many bus routes, and I hope today's announcement from government will serve as a strong reminder that bus service in all its forms needs support."

Lib Dem Transport Minister Norman Baker announced the grant for Cambridgeshire today (Friday March 23) as part of the Better Bus Areas Fund which is being increased nationally from £50 million to £70 million.

Specific allocations of funding are for:

• better traffic management on four key corridors into the city
• improved interchanges
• real time passenger information
• bus priority measures
• the upgrade of buses
• smart ticketing top-up on street

Lib Dems Welcome Decison To Freeze County Councillors' Pay

Cambridgeshire County Council

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have welcomed the decision to freeze county councillors’ allowances for the coming year.

They claim the move was justified when taking into account Cambridgeshire County Council’s budget and electorate size with similar councils across the country, something the first panel paid to do.

“When you take budget and electorate size into account, we are not badly remunerated at all,” said Councillor Peter Downes who presented this numeric evidence to the second Independent Review Panel set up to discuss members’ allowances.

The evidence showed that if the Conservative-run county council had agreed a 25 per cent pay rise, as suggested by a first IRP and backed by the Tories, councillors would have been the second highest paid among 14 comparable councils but with the 12th lowest workload.

The IRP said in its report: "The use of different 'norm groups' within benchmarking allows very different conclusions to be drawn.  This became apparent, for example, when the panel looked at the level of allowances paid by other county authorities and then factored in budget and electorate size to the raw data."

“This proves that the evidence base of the first review was flawed,” said Cllr Downes. “By using different ‘norm’ groups it had drawn a very different conclusion - a flawed conclusion."

Lib Dem Leader, Kilian Bourke said: “We have consistently called for a freeze in councillor councillors’ allowances and finally common sense has prevailed. We could not justify taking a pay rise when front line services are being cut and people are losing their jobs.

“The evidence Councillor Downes presented to the panel comprehensively undermined the evidence base used by the first panel and proved that a freeze was the right outcome, as we are already paid in line with other similar councils across the country.

“In backing a 25 per cent increase in allowances, the Conservatives made a bad error of judgement.”