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!

Two planning applications (Arbury Court and Campkin Rd)

Two to talk about this time:

There has been an application for the "installation of 2 fascia signs and 6 printed vinyl signs (non-illuminated)" at 46 Arbury Court. The reference number is 09/0640/ADV.

The other one is for a "Single storey front extension" to 12 Campkin Road. The application is 09/0628/FUL.

As usual to get more information you can see the plans by visiting City Homes at 171 Arbury Road, or Milton Road Library or the Guildhall. More details, including how to comment on the applications and opening times, is available from the Development Control web pages.

As usual get in touch if you have any problems.

Out and about with the Graffiti team

I was out with the graffiti removal team from the City Council yesterday.

We removed graffiti from various places mostly in King's Hedges, including the bus stop on Campkin Road. It was very interesting to see how the team works.

Whilst removing some graffiti we spotted some that haven't been reported yet and treated them as well.

However the City rely on getting information from residents. If you see any graffiti please let the team know by calling 457000, or by emailing Street Scene. Whichever way you do try to describe fully where the tag is as that makes the job a lot easier and reduces the risk of it being missed. The City will then clean it up and pass on the details to the police.

In case of difficulty contact the team!

Today I was out with the kerbside recycling collectors.

Free bus travel!

We received this from Stagecoach, are you interested?

Do you travel into Cambridge using a Stagecoach bus?

If so, then you could benefit from half price travel by volunteering to take part in Stagecoach’s smartcard trial. A smartcard eliminates the need for paper tickets - you simply add your Megarider onto your
smartcard and then scan your card against the reader every time you board a bus.

Stagecoach have recently installed smartcard readers across their fleet and are looking to begin a trial into the use of smartcards in Cambridge in the next few weeks.

The trial is open to customers who purchase Stagecoach weekly or 4-weekly tickets (including Park & Ride Weekly, Megarider or Megarider Plus).

What’s in it for you?
Stagecoach are offering all participants 1 free week of travel plus a minimum of 3 further weeks at half price.

What does Stagecoach want in return?
For you to complete a journey diary every week - if you participate in the trial you will be sent a ‘diary’ to complete. In this diary you will need to record all the journeys you make during the week, including
where you get on and off the bus. The purpose of Stagecoach running the trial is to enable them to ensure that the entire smartcard process is running smoothly before the cards are rolled out to a wider audience.
The feedback you provide through your diary gives them the data they need to complete this process. Please note, failure to complete and return the diary will result in your smartcard being cancelled.

How do I get involved?

1. Send an email to info@love-cambridge.co.uk saying you would like to participate in the trial along with your postal address and the bus service you use. Given the time of year, please also include the dates of any holidays you have booked in August and September so Stagecoach can be made aware of these as the trial can work around them.
   
   
2. Your details will then be forwarded to Stagecoach who will then contact you directly for the period of the trial.
   
   
3. You will receive a ‘Trial Pack’, direct from Stagecoach, which will include your diary, instructions, plus 1 smartcard with 1 week’s free travel loaded onto it.

The trial is open to a limited number of participants and offered on a strictly first come first served basis.

Recycling Getting Easier: Blue Bins

This is the first time we've mentioned it on the Blog, but you may have seen it in Cambridge Matters or at the stand at Arbury Carnival.

The City Council is changing how we collect kerbside recycling to try and increase the amount we collect and hopefully make it easier for residents to recycle more.

The change is to drop the boxes and introduce a third blue wheelie bin. You may have seen the argument about the colour in the Cambridge News! Other cities have introduced similar schemes: I know Derby has a three bin system.

At this stage the City Council are keen to hear from people where the third bin may not be possible. On their website we have a list of places we know may be a problem. If you think there may be an issue where you live check the list and if you aren't on it get in touch with the council by email or through the website.

Where there isn't space we have a range of options that need to be discussed with residents.

Of course if your are worried you can also get in touch with one of the team: in this case it might be best to contact me.

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!

Planning applications on Garry Drive

There are two planning applications on the weekly list in Garry Drive.

At number 9 there is an application for "Erection of a two storey rear extension and a loft conversion with a dormer to the side of the property", and at number 11 a "First floor rear extension".

The reference numbers are 09/0608/FUL for number 9 and 09/0607/FUL for number 11.

More information is available from the City Council development control page, or in case of difficulty contact one of the team.

Coaches On Woodhead Drive

Good News! Since being elected last month I've been working to solve an issue raised during my campaign with coaches using Woodhead Drive as a drop off/collection point. The Cambridge Cycle Campaign raised a safety issue regarding the volume of traffic and the suitability of the road (as can be easily seen here) and the Coaches were also causing inconvenience to local residents.

As I said during my campaign the first point of call was to identify and contact the company organising the coaches. Fortunately with some help from Neale Upstone and a local resident the company was quickly identified. I've been in touch with them and they have agreed to stop using Woodhead Drive from the end of August. Unfortunately they can't stop immediately as booklets specifying this site have already been printed and sent out to Europe.

If there is something concerning you locally you don't have to wait until an election is due; we're here working for you all year round just let us know.

Another Ramsden Square application

The weekly list of planning applications is out, and for the first time in a while it has a King's Hedges application.

There is an application for a "single storey rear extenstion" at 5 Ramsden Square. The application is number 09/0549/FUL.

More information is available from the City Council development control website including how to see and comment on the plans.

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.

Police non-emergency contact number

First off: if you need the police in an emergency dial 999.

However Cambridgeshire Police have changed their non-emergency number in order to try and save people on some phone packages money. They have moved from an 0845 number to an 0345 number, which is meant to count as a local call on most packages.

The new number is 0345 456 456 4.

This has been sent out to Neighbourhood Watch members and ecops subscribers.

The old number (which was the same but for the start) will continue to work until April 2011.

To give anonymous information to Crimestoppers you can call free on 0800 555 111.

(If you do not wish to use a non-geographic number then follow this link, which will tell you the main Police switchboard number is 01480 456111.)