Wisbech 2020 Vision today

Today we had the formal launch of the Wisbech 2020 vision document. This process started 10 months ago and has involved local people, businesses, local authorities and Cambridge University.

It has created a lot of energy in the town and is helping to build civic pride. There are lots of practical initiatives that we can get on with today as well as support for widening of the A47 and a train station.

Interestingly, the only negative voice, seemed to be from Victoria Bucknor. I understand she might be standing as a County Councillor so I am guessing thesis electioneering.

Cabinet in Wisbech

Today I took our Cabinet to Wisbech. It went very well. The big item was our budget. It has taken a lot of hard work to put together a balanced budget against a backdrop of reducing funding and a huge increase in demand.

I introduced the paper and then asked each Cabinet member to speak to their own portfolio budget proposals. The budget has been put together by the politicians and the details underpinned by officers. My thanks to both Cabinet and officers for all the hard work.

We have a balanced budget for this year but it is getting increasingly difficult to achieve the significant savings required from future years.

Not much evidence of any significant ideas from the Lib Dems nor any sign of any alternative budget. I understand that the Lib Dems are keen to build a brand new shiney county hall and would like to re-instate a global warming team ( we disbanded in favour of spending that money on adult social care ).

Informally I understand that they actually agree with our budget and are struggling to present something different. Lets make sure that all proposals are costed and the money tree doesn’t appear.

Other items at Cabinet included our new Cambridge Science Park Station. This has full support from everyone that I speak to. Lib Dem local member, Ian Manning, is playing an active role in representing local residents and is taking a sensible approach to working with my Cabinet to get the very best outcomes from this fantastic project.

Interestingly, Clare Blair ( ex City Councillor ) ( ex Lib Dem now Labour ) seems to be trying to work around Ian rather than with him. The trouble is Clare seems to be getting much of this wrong. I wonder if an election is looming. Perhaps Clare has an eye on Ian’s seat.

Wisbech – big day tomorrow

Looking forward to tomorrow in Wisbech. It will be an early start as the Wisbech 20/20 vision event starts at 0830. This is the culmination of a lot of work by the community, councils and business. Contributions from Archant Newspapers. Some good stuff to come out of the day.

We will then be holding our Cabinet meeting which has a full agenda including our budget proposals. Unusually, when I close down Cabinet I will then be holding a question and answer session with members of the public. This is not part of Cabinet.

The afternoon will be spent with Cabinet members visiting organisations within their portfolios.

Likely to be a busy day as I am chairing the meetings.

Business opportunity for Wisbech – spread the word

As part of the Wisbech 2020 work we have teamed up with NIAB and the Cambridge & Counties Bank to put on a free business advice session in Wisbech for local SMEs.

The session is next Monday, at the Boathouse in Wisbech, and we would be really grateful if everyone could help us by giving a final push on promotion this week.

Here is a link to the flyer for the event;

http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/business/economicandcommunitydev/supportforbusinesses/events.htm

The reason for teaming up with NIAB is that Wisbech 2020 has identified that the emerging crop-science and agri-tech clusters are a real economic opportunity for Wisbech, which is ideally located between two global centres of research – Cambridge and Norwich.

The session next week with NIAB is the first element in a plan to develop links between Wisbech and key stakeholders / businesses.

Cambridgeshire County Council adds pressure to improve the A47

Transport Minister Stephen Hammond was urged yesterday to back the A47 Alliance campaign and improve the congested blighted road which provides a vital link for Fenland.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor Ian Bates, Cabinet Member for Community and Infrastructure, was part of a delegation with Norfolk counterparts which met the Minister to make the case for improvements.

The Under Secretary of State for Transport heard how an improved road would help reduce rural isolation and boost employment in Fenland and especially around the Wisbech area. He also heard about the work of the Wisbech 2020 Vision to improve the area, create jobs and support communities.

Improving the A47 which links Fenland to other major transport arteries has been the subject of a campaign which includes an alliance of Councils, MPs and other organisations.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor Ian Bates, Cabinet Member for Community and Infrastructure, said: “I urged the Minister to back the campaign to improve this highly used and congested road. Improving the A47 would help boost business and future trade and therefore create jobs and prosperity for the area. Our continued efforts to lobby Government for an improved A47 shows our commitment to Fenland and runs alongside groundbreaking work on the Wisbech 2020 Vision with our local partners. The County Council has been a member of the A47 Alliance for many years. We will continue to push for these improvements although we recognise the difficulties of finding funding for major schemes in a tough financial climate. I would also like to praise the delegation which went to London and the work of Norfolk County Council on leading the A47 Alliance.”

Chatteris people on course to have their say

Residents from the Chatteris area are asked to have their say at a special meeting on what learning and leisure courses they want to see in their area.

The Community Learning focus group was inspired by conversations on the community website – http://www.ShapeYourPlace.org – where local people raised their concerns about the courses available to them.

The meeting, which will start at 7pm, will be held on Monday, November 19, at Chatteris Library.

Currently the courses are subsidised by a small grant from the Skills Funding Agency which is managed by Cambridgeshire County Council and organised locally by The College of West Anglia.

Following comments made on ShapeYourPlace representatives from Cambridgeshire County Council and the College set up the special meeting. Residents are invited to come along and discuss what courses they would like to see and when and where they would like them held.

ShapeYourPlace gives us a real chance to see what people’s concerns are and answer them where we can. In this case people were commenting they wanted the chance to have a say on what courses were on offer in Chatteris. I am glad we can help put on this special meeting so local residents are at the centre of designing what courses may be offered and when.

Jaki Bradley, Adult Learning District Manager, who will be at the meeting, said: “We are really looking forward to talking to local people about the types of learning opportunities they would like to take part in. The timing couldn’t be better as the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has just released research that says: Learning a language or brushing up on your maths skills in your spare time can boost your life satisfaction in the same way as pay rise. So do come along and let us know what it is that you would like to learn.”

County council investing £2m improving roads and drainage in Wisbech’s North Ward

COUNTY COUNCIL INVESTING £2m TO IMPROVE WISBECH NORTH WARD

Cambridgeshire County Council is about to invest £2m improving roads and drainage in Wisbech’s North Ward.

Work will start on November 19 and is expected to take about six months to complete.

After heavy rain, parts of North Ward have experienced problems with surface water flooding and changes to traffic over the last 60 years, including an increase in heavy goods vehicles, has caused damage particularly to Mount Pleasant and Osborne Road.

Work includes improving the surface water drainage system including new soakaways and repair and reconstruction of areas of highway.

This project is another example of the county council’s commitment to improving the highway infrastructure in Wisbech and follows on from the work we have already carried out around the Boathouse on Nene Key.

The current scheme will enhance the drainage system and much improve the highway network and by using materials from the site which will be recycled we can cut the time taken for the work at keep costs to a minimum.

Local road closures will be put in place during phases of the work with signed diversions. Access to homes and businesses will be maintained at all times, but drivers are being warned to find alternative routes or allow extra time for their journey.”

A47 – LEP board paper

Improving the A47 and dualling it has been something the County Council has been lobbying for as part of the A47 Alliance since it joined in 2004. The Alliance has now invited the Local Enterprise Partnership to join the campaign.

As County Council Leader and LEP Board member I whole heartedly championing this move at today’s LEP Board Meeting so that we can add the weight of local councils and business behind getting these much needed improvements.

I will continue to fight for these improvements on this Highways Agency managed road but recognise there needs to be funding from Government, which, with the current national deficit, is unlikely to be delivered in the short term.

I will be delighted if funding can be found but we politicians need to be realistic and honest with our electorate. Over promising and giving false hope is the political policies of opposition members or wannabe councillors.

In the meantime local councils and community groups will continue to work together on the Wisbech 2020 Vision to deliver practical solutions that are facing residents in the area, including improving transport links and infrastructure.”

Truancy Sweeps improve attendance at Fenland schools

Children who attend school regularly are four times more likely to achieve five or more good GCSEs, including English and maths, than those who are persistently absent. Truancy, however it comes about, is not good for children and must be reduced.

A joint initiative has been launched by Cambridgeshire County Council and the police to improve school attendance in the Fenland area.

The truancy sweeps – which will focus on Chatteris, March and the surrounding villages – will also aim to promote child safety by emphasising the importance of making sure children are in school.

All children of compulsory school age will be stopped even if they are accompanied by parents, carers or relatives and live outside the targeted areas.

Parents or carers of truanting pupils will then be contacted by an Educational Welfare Officer and notified of the Education Welfare Service procedures. Their school will also be contacted and made aware of the absence and their attendance at school will be monitored.

The sweeps will take place in March, Chatteris and the surrounding school catchment areas, with the aim of reducing levels of unauthorised absence.

Although Cambridgeshire’s school attendance rates are in line with the national average and truancy is minimal, there is still room for improvement in Fenland.

As a joint initiative with schools and police we want to send a clear message that it is unacceptable for a child to miss school without good reason and also that truancy is not necessarily the only explanation or cause for poor school attendance.

Parents of persistent absentees or truants and are being warned they could end up in court facing fines and – in a worst case scenario – imprisonment. Children need to be in school learning, Parents have a legal duty to ensure their child or children are attending school regularly. By missing out on school children are limiting their potential and missing out on vital learning at a particularly important stage of their lives.

Wisbech Cabinet – introduction speech on youtube

Holding Cabinet in Wisbech was ground breaking and allowed me an opportunity to  speak out on behalf of Wisbech.

http://youtu.be/Z7s_l631Q9c