Cycle improvements

The Department for Transport (DfT) has given Cambridgeshire County Council nearly £1.2million to improve safety for cyclists at key junctions around Cambridge.

The Council has been working with local cycling and transport groups to find out where improvements were most needed. As a result, funding was agreed for three key junctions in the city.

Work on improving all the schemes will start later this year as part of the requirements of the funding.

A total of £500,000 has been allocated to install toucan crossings at the A14/B1049 Histon interchange and the A14/B1047 Horningsea interchange, as well as improving cycle lane approaches at the junctions of Gilbert Road and Histon Road, and Gilbert Road and Milton Road.

A further £450,000 is earmarked for the junction of Hills Road and Regent Street in Cambridge, adding new cycle lanes on Hills Road to enable cyclists to safely reach the front of the queue. The existing central reservation will be removed, traffic lights will be upgraded and the entire junction resurfaced.

In addition, £240,000 will be spent on improving the junction of Perne Road and Radegund Road. This will improve safety for children cycling and walking to St Bede’s School and Coleridge Community College. Traffic speeds on the roundabout will also be reduced.

I would like to thank Sustrans, Cambridge Cyclists’ Tourists Club (CTC) and Cambridge Cycling Campaign for working with us on the bid. I am delighted that Britain’s cycling capital, Cambridge, received funding, and safety improvements can be made to encourage even more people to cycle. We are working hard to improve facilities for cyclists. Cycling makes for a healthy, active, independent population and reduces traffic congestion.

Cambridgeshire County Council has organised a number of events this spring to encourage more people to get on their bikes. More information about these and cycling in Cambridgeshire is available on: http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/cycling

Fulbourn Division Parish Report – July 2011

Parish Council report from County Councillor Nick Clarke

COUNCIL CHAIRMAN LEADS ARMED FORCES DAY CEREMONY

The Chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council, accompanied by Captain Victor Lucas RN, Deputy Lieutenant for Cambridgeshire, and Nick Clarke, Leader of the County Council lead the County Council’s flag-raising ceremony in recognition of national Armed Forces Day. Capt Lucas inspect the standard bearers of the Royal British Legion and cadets from Kimbolton School. Children from nearby Mayfield Primary School attended to watch the ceremony and talk to the veterans. A special Armed Forces Day flag was raised on the County Council’s flagpole at Shire Hall. The flag-raising ceremony event was one of many being organised to take place simultaneously across the country.

Leader of the County Councillor Nick Clarke said: “I am delighted at the way the whole country comes together to recognise the armed forces and the work they do. The flag-raising at Shire Hall will combine ceremony, celebration and dignity, but more importantly will contribute to a wider understanding of the armed forces and the crucial role they play in our national life.”

COUNCILLORS LISTEN TO PUBLIC ON FUTURE OF GAMLINGAY VILLAGE COLLEGE

Following careful consideration of all the options and local views Councillors have said the failing Gamlingay Village College should become part of a federation – keeping the school open. Cambridgeshire County Council Cabinet, after an extended cabinet session to focus on this important matter, emphasised that their main priority is the future and educational standards of the children at the school which was put in special measures by OfSTED earlier this year.

Councillors considered all the options for the school as well as looking at the results of a public consultation and the impact on the community. After careful consideration and hearing all the arguments as well as the results of community impact assessments the Cabinet agreed a federation should be established with another school – keeping Gamlingay open. The vast majority of respondents to the consultation – 611 – were in favour of keeping Gamlingay Village College open and federating it with Stratton Upper School in Biggleswade.

Cambridgeshire County Council Leader Nick Clarke said: “Gamlingay Village College is a failing school and at the forefront of our thoughts is the welfare and educational achievements of the local youngsters. When we are talking about the future of children it is the strength of argument rather than the strength of voice that we listen hardest to.”

“Clearly doing nothing was not an option but we listened carefully to the arguments for and against closure. We took particular attention of what local people were saying, as any proposals we make will directly affect the lives of their children and the impact of any decision on the community. Equally we listened hard to the people whose job it would be to try and turn this school around and have confidence in their ability and enthusiasm to do their best for the children of Gamlingay. That is why we decided to opt for the federation option.

ALCONBURY –  A NEW ENTERPRISE ZONE

Government is being urged to back a bid to make Alconbury a new enterprise zone – signalling to the world that the greater Cambridge and Peterborough area is open for business. The decision to put forward Alconbury to Government would be a win for the whole area and urges communities to get behind the bid. Cambridgeshire’s economic success is vital for the country. Not only would local jobs and business prosper from an enterprise zone but it is well recognised that Cambridgeshire is an area whose success could kick start and grow the UK’s economy.

The Government’s enterprise zone initiative would see an area set up where businesses are encouraged to grow with the reduction of previously constricting red tape. In return the local communities across the Greater Cambridge Greater  Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership area would benefit as the business rates are reinvested in the area rather than going to the treasury as they do now.

Developers working in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council are planning a dynamic and innovative employment-led development on the former Alconbury Airfield just to the north of Huntingdon. The Enterprise Zone would cover 150 hectares of what is a very large 575 hectare site in total. Alconbury is ideally placed between Cambridge and Peterborough, and should help to enhance the economic links between the complementary business communities in and around those two cities.

Councillor Clarke, who sits on the Local Enterprise Partnership Board, said: “Although Alconbury was chosen out of the five bids if it is granted enterprise zone status it will benefit the whole area making it a win for everyone. Now is the time for us as councillors, our communities and businesses as well as our MPs to get behind this bid and do what we can to persuade Government that it’s in the local and UK interest to grant us an enterprise zone.

This would see more jobs and prosperity created while money raised locally is kept locally to benefit the area rather than going into a large Government pot. We know that the area is a world beater in innovation and is a leader in driving forward the UK’s economy.

FUTURE JOBS FUND

During the last 15 months Cambridgeshire County Council Adult Careers Service (Next Step) has worked with 35 local employers to support over 200 unemployed young people to find work. This six month job, funded through the Future Jobs Fund, has resulted in many young people moving into full time employment or going into further/higher education.

ROADS DRESSED FOR SUCCESS IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE

County Council Contractors have been out and about across Cambridgeshire carrying out an extensive programme of work to improve the roads. Over the past few weeks, the work costing a total of £1.2 million, has seen many miles of road surface dressed to improve the highways for all road users. The team have used recycled granite railway ballast, which will cut costs and protect the environment by re-using materials.

County Councillor Leader Nick Clarke, said: “This extensive programme of work is part of the County Council’s commitment to repair and maintain the highway network in the best possible condition within the resources available to us – by re-using the old railway ballast we can keep costs down and surface dress more miles of road within the same amount of money.”

ALL ABOARD TO PLAN YOUR BUSWAY JOURNEYS

Timetables for The Busway have been released so people can begin to plan how they will use the new reliable, fast and frequent bus service. Stagecoach and Whippet Coaches, who will run the services on The Busway, have now registered the new services and timetables, including maps showing stops the different services will use.  Timetables are now available on The Council’s website by visiting:

www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/thebusway.

Printed timetable booklets will be made available on current bus services between Huntingdon, St Ives and Cambridge before The Busway opens on Sunday 7 August.

The timetables confirm Busway services will run seven days a week, and from Monday to Saturday 7am to 7pm there will be buses running between St Ives and Cambridge at least every 10 minutes. Services to Huntingdon will be every 20 minutes with an hourly evening service running until midnight.

It is anticipated around 3.5 million trips will be taken on The Busway each year and the guideway will provide far more reliable journey times for passengers than current services. The timetables include bus services from the new Busway Park & Ride sites in St Ives and Longstanton. The southern section of the Busway will also open on Sunday 7 August and the completely traffic-free route will allow passengers to travel from the Trumpington Park & Ride to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in just four minutes.

Leader of the  County Councillor Nick Clarke, said: “With 7th August opening of the The Busway fast approaching it is great news we have been able to publish the timetables so people can begin planning how they will use the route.  With WiFi, air conditioning and leather seats the buses will offer a high quality rapid transit for journeys in and out of Cambridge. Each week more and more jobs are ticked off the list as anticipation is building to the grand opening.”

TOP NOTCH SURFACE FOR FINAL SECTION OF CYCLING SUPER HIGHWAY

Transport chiefs have announced a super smooth blacktop surface will be added to the final section of the 16-mile path next to the Guided Busway on the section between Swavesey and St Ives. would have an upgraded blacktop surface rather than crushed limestone as originally planned. Work has already begun to add a blacktop surface to the path for cyclists, walkers and horse riders and following the successful bid for £150,000 of Government links to schools funding, held by transport charity Sustrans, every section will now have the highest quality surface.

It has also been agreed to raise the level of the sections of the path next to the guideway between St Ives and Swavesey as approved by the Environment Agency. After the work is completed rain water will no longer collect, flood the path, and make it impassable for much of the year. The cost of raising the level of the defective path will be deducted from former contractor BAM Nuttall as they built the path at too a low level despite independent and official warnings.

The work is scheduled to take place in August and September and does not need to be completed before The Busway opens on 7 August.  As originally planned, the path will be built above the level of the surrounding land.

Leader of the County Councillor Nick Clarke, said: “The path next to The Busway is going to be a fantastic addition for Cambridgeshire and it is great news that we have secured the funding to make sure it as attractive to use as possible. Cyclists I speak to are really excited about the path, which will be part of the national cycle network, and the blacktop on every section is a massive bonus.

KEEPING UP TO DATE

For those of you with computers the best way to see what I am up to is to follow my blog. I keep it up to date (well I try to) and it gives a different perspective on things than the official County Council site.

Blog http://nickclarkeconservative.wordpress.com

Anyone who uses twitter can find me as cllrnickclarke

Or my mobile 07717422447 or email nick.clarke@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Parish Council Report – March 2011

FULBOURN DIVISION COMMUNITY NEWS March 2011

Parish Council report from County Councillor Nick Clarke

Jill Tuck standing down as leader in May

This all came as a shock to members of the ruling Conservative Group. Jill has been very effective in steering the council through some very tough financial times. She has been a strong leader who has always been fair, focused on the most vulnerable in our county and has always insisted on value for money for the tax payer – all this and with a sense of humour. She stands down for personal reasons and we all wish her well. Group elections will take place in the coming weeks.

Full Council – 15/02/2011

It is rare for a budget setting council meeting to attract such attention. Of course this was the budget that was set to make significant cuts for the first time in many years. Despite all the protests, arrests and the long day the budget was passed. This is a tough budget but one that takes into account the financial disaster the previous government left. A degree in economics is not necessary to understand that you cannot continue to spend without restraint. The opposition budget amendment suggested minor changes which would have been paid for by increasing taxation. This was not felt to be appropriate at this time when families are struggling.

Bus Subsidies

Bus subsidies are to be removed over a four year period. 80% of bus journeys are run commercially and not subject to subsidy. Lots of work is going on to see how effective community based transport can fill the gap. A transport forum took place in March to discuss possible solutions. Lots of different providers are engaging to see how they can help.

HCV Forum

An HCV forum is taking place at Swavesy Village College on the 2^nd March starting at 1845 to look into all aspects of large vehicles moving around the county and in particular going through our villages. I will be attending.

Cycleway Fen Ditton to Horningsea 14^th Feb 2011

It was with great pleasure that I officially opened the cycle way between Fen Ditton and Horningsea. The new off road shared use path is 2.5 metres wide and includes solar stud lighting, providing a safe and environmentally friendly link between the two villages. The new route which cost £480,000 to build, was jointly funded by Cambridgeshire County Council and Cycle Cambridge, a partnership of local councils working together to encourage more people to get pedalling in Cambridge and the surrounding area. Two new benches, made from wrought iron and recycled plastic, were installed as part of the project.

Meetings / Committees / Panels Attended in Feb in addition to above

Chaired Safer and Stronger scrutiny committee

Informal cabinet x 2

Corporate scrutiny committee

Cabinet / SMT

Members seminar

Full Council

Chaired a staff appeals panel

LGSS joint committee with Northamptonshire

Appointments committee x2

Cabinet

Highways management board

Met with Chief Exec Mark Lloyd

Reviewed Project Management process

Reviewed transformation of Highways

Reviewed CRB policy

 

Budget Briefing for Parishes – How It Might Directly Affect Your Parish

Home to School Transport

Post 16 students, with no income, SEN or disability will lose subsidy. Students would pay approx. £900 as apposed to £570 (-£388k) -26.7%

Post 16 students on low income will pay £338.25 per year as apposed to free. Family ticket available – 1^st child half price, siblings free

Stop subsidised travel to denominational schools (-£283k) -100%

Libraries

Some libraries (6??) at risk of conversion to community hubs or LAPs. 13 libraries being considered based on a scoring

Remaining libraries – more self service, mix of volunteers and staff, back office functions shared

Highways

Currently underfunded (even without cuts) so road deteriorating

Top priority for public

Additional capital investment of £3.85M over two years

Cut in revenue for maintenance £1.4m. Impact in deterioration over 10 years at intervention point;

• A roads 3.4% to 10.4%
• B roads 6.2% to 18.9%
• C roads 6.7% to 20.6%
• U roads 20.2% to 43.4%

Gully emptying – stop rolling 12 month – replace with as required (-£190k) -32%

Reduce grass cutting to minimum for safety – visibility splays (-£200k) -12%

School crossing patrols wont be replaced when vacated and a controlled crossing exists (-£40k) -19%

Dropped kerbs service provision to be cost neutral. Admin fee gone from £50 to £150

Reduce vehicle activated signs maintenance. Currently have 350 only 10% for safety led council intervention. Current budget £120k of which £80k for inspections. (-£30k)

Subsidised bus services

Removal of £2.7m over plan. (Y 1  £594k, Y2 £450, Y3 £883, Y4 £813) -100%

Improved community transport (transport forum to be held in feb to see what is needed/ who can deliver etc etc) £1m to be invested.

Children and Young People’s Services

Cambridgeshire music funding removed (-£245K) -100%

Governor services reduced. All no cost training to stop. Move to fully traded model. (-£94k) -26.4%

School swimming service stopped (-£40k) -100%

Home to school unsafe routes review. Withdrawal on some routes. (-£272k) -2.4%

Demographic pressure on youth service to be met from service base. Spread thinner. (-£800k) -100%

Connexions and Youth. Universal youth work to stop. (-£1m) -30.1%

County Council Budget – overview

Integrated Planning Process – budget setting.

There will be no increase in the County Council’s element of Council Tax in the next financial year, and probably no increase for a further four years. The County Council aims to save £50.4 million in 2011/12 and £160.6 million over 5 years.

The Council faces increasing pressures of demand, an increasing and ageing population and inflation coupled with a 14 per cent reduction in the core funding received from Government.

A new set of Council priorities are being proposed:

Supporting and protecting vulnerable people when they need it most

Helping people to live independent and healthy lives in their communities

Developing the local economy for the benefit of all

Four principles will guide the way the Council work – being a genuinely local council, making sure the right services are provided in the right way, investing in prevention, and working together.

In Children’s Services a fundamental shift from universal to targeted services is proposed, which over the next four years would save £1 million from youth services, £761,000 from home to school transport and £600,000 from children’s centres. Direct support to some children and young people will end, saving £1 million from disability services, £527,000 from specialist teaching, £315,000 from budgets for educating looked after children and £301,000 from the Cambridgeshire Racial Equality and Diversity Service.

The Council aims to save £950,000 from children’s social care, £240,000 from the early year service, and £3 million from mainstream and special educational needs school transport.

In Libraries, Learning and Culture, the Council will save £282,000 through operational efficiencies, income generation and new ways of working, £108,000 from redesigning the mobile library service, and £100,000 from introducing more self service and using volunteers in libraries. Working in partnership with other councils to provide support services and creating a Trust to run libraries will save a further £294,000.

In social care, promoting prevention and localism will save £2.9 million, adopting reablement approach a further £4.75 million, and decreasing the cost of high cost and complex placements will save £1.3 million.

In Environment Services, a proposed restructuring Trading Standards will save £641,000 over four years, reducing spending on environment and climate change £492,000, a proposed restructuring waste services will save £159,000 and a proposed reduction in senior management will save £100,000. Further efficiencies from the highways services contract will save £2.4 million, and restructuring Highways and Access £1.1 million.

In public transport, phasing out subsidised bus services will save £2.7 million but there will be an extra £1 million invested in supporting community transport schemes over the next five years as well as a summit on how to make public transport more locally focussed and value for money. There will also be a £1.4 million saving in revenue funded highways maintenance but an extra £3.85 million investment in this area from capital funds.

In Corporate Directorates, over a four-year period, reducing properties and maximizing office space in retained buildings will save over £1 million, reducing the contact centre opening hours and standards and moving more services being accessed and delivered online £426,000, reducing IT functions and delivering services in different ways will save £989,000 and reducing communications and marketing activity will save up to £550,000.

Budget decisions have and are being made in conjunction with Community Impact Assessments, which consider the impact of our services on communities, with particular reference to ensuring equality and cohesion. These will continue as changes are made to services.

To deliver the proposed plan, The Council will have to work in a completely different way.

The County seeks to be a genuinely local council.  It will hand decisions about spending and service provision to people at the most local level wherever possible. We know that a lot of people are already actively involved in their local areas, and we want to free up communities to do even more and support themselves.

We will focus on prevention – helping people early on, increasing their independence and choice, and helping them to help themselves.

We will make sure that every penny in every pound counts.  We will protect the frontline and will be as efficient behind-the-scenes as possible.  We will only provide services directly when this makes most sense. And we will work even more closely with other public services, the private sector, voluntary organisations, and communities to make sure we’re joined up and providing the best value possible.

The reduction in our grant reflects the part public services have to play in repaying the nation debt. There is no escaping the fact that there will be cuts to services. Cambridgeshire was already a lean authority and that has made for difficult decisions.

We will focus more than ever on our priorities, so our proposals will protect the most vulnerable, help people to live independent and healthy lives, and promote economic growth.

 

Fen Ditton October parish report

Financial situation facing the County: This month the Coalition Government will be announcing details of its Comprehensive Spending Review for Local authorities. The Chancellor will be making a speech to Parliament on the 20^th October 2010. We expect that by mid November information will become available setting out in more detail how much funding Cambridgeshire will have for providing services in the next three years.

Public services are facing an unprecedented period of retraction as Government funding is cut back as a result of general economic conditions, the need to resolve the deficit and political decisions on the role and scale of the state. Based on Treasury estimates, the County Council is currently planning for a potential reduction in its funding from Government of up to 40 per cent in real terms over the coming five years.  Our ability to raise council tax rates and charges will also be severely limited.

This means that, in order to place the council on a sustainable footing for the future, the way services are currently delivered will have to be completely and radically transformed. In the future, the County Council will become both a commissioner as well as provider of services, working increasingly in collaboration with other public services, the community, and the private and voluntary sectors. Some services will end, and others become more targeted to those in the greatest need.

Clearly this means that it is unlikely that any decisions, on any requests for additional spending, will be made before we know what we have to spend. Whilst this may be frustrating it is the right approach.

Libraries: I chair the Safer and Stronger Communities scrutiny committee which recently looked into the library review process. I was particularly pleased that the county is looking at a range of options to meet the savings targets and that library closures would be seen as a last resort. These include getting more volunteer involvement, working more closely with other counties, management structure changes and possibly as a last resort the conversion of some libraries into library access points as we have in Fulbourn. No single measure will give the savings of over £2 million in the next three years so a joined up radical rethink of the service is required.

Schools: There are a number of things going on that might affect our primary schools, including a new school in the city, additional reception classes at city primary schools and of course managing the impact of the economic downturn. There currently exists a “Heads” forum and I am promoting the creation of a chair of governors equivalent. This might enable co-ordinated responses on matters that affect all the schools as well as a way of sharing best practice. Antony Sharpe (Chair of Governors Teversham primary school) has agreed to make contact with the other chairs of governors to see if this is feasible.

Cabinet Assistants: Four new posts of cabinet assistants have been created to help cabinet members. I have been asked to assist the cabinet members for corporate services. This does not cost the council anything and has no allowance attached. It will make me very busy.

Fen Ditton September parish report

Cycleway: It seems that the money has run out to finish the cycleway. Given the current economic climate I guess we should not be surprised. I include an email from the county officer below.

“Unfortunately, mainly due to the effects of the cuts and anticipated cuts in public spending, it has not been possible to secure further funds for the completion of the route to Fen Ditton School, to provide the controlled crossing of the on slip to the A14 and link to and upgrade the controlled crossing of the off slip together with the provision of a pelican crossing at the school.

Indeed existing funding has been lost to fund the existing works and monies have had to be resourced to the detriment of other projected schemes.

When the current works are completed there will be an off road cycleway from Horningsea to the existing footpath / cycleway south of the A14. It is also planned to trim the sides of the existing footpath / cycleway. I am sure that you will agree that this off road route will be far safer than the previous on road facility.

Notwithstanding the above efforts will continue to try to secure the additional funding necessary to complete the scheme although, currently, no timescale can be promised.”

Library Access Points:  Following a great deal of hard work the County has managed to save all Library Access Points.  There will be changes revolving around stock etc and each LAP will have to sign a new agreement with the Council.  These will be agreed individually. It will mean that some LAPS will have to become more efficient to meet their targets.

Mobile Libraries: A plan to save £200,000 from the mobile service has been drawn up. There will be a reduction in the number of visits, most to one a month. Where there is currently a service it will be retained at a reduced level of service.

Libraries: The County has announced the review publicly and will be going out to consultation very shortly. They are planning to hold one consultation meeting in each district.  It is important to remember that no closures are planned. The whole operation will be reviewed to see what savings can be made. The County is looking at £2.1 million in efficiency savings over the next three years. If the target our target then a further review of library provision may have to be made.

Integrated Planning Funding Update: As you know there has been a significant tightening of  the belt this year as a result of reduced funding. It is set to get worse. The governments emergency budget, whilst not yet fully understood, is likely to reduce funding by up to £9m a year on top of the savings already made. A lot of very tough decisions are going to have to be made and it will get tougher.

School expansions approved: Plans have been approved to increase the size of six primary schools in Cambridgeshire to cater for an expected rise in pupil numbers. Cabinet has agreed the proposed expansions of the six schools, providing an additional 170 places across the county.

* Abbey Meadows Primary School, Cambridge – an extra 30 Reception places from September 2010
* Colville Primary School, Cambridge – an extra 30 Reception places from September 2010
* Spring Meadow Primary School, Ely – an extra 30 reception places from September 2010
* The Weatheralls Primary School, Soham – an extra 30 Reception places from September 2010
* St John’s C of E Primary School, Huntingdon – an extra 30 reception places from September 2010
* Pendragon Primary School, Papworth Everard – an extra 20 reception places from September 2011

There is also a proposal for a new primary school in the south of the city. I am concerned that this additional capacity inside the city will have a negative impact on the schools close to the city. I have spoken with the cabinet member David Harty and made the case for some flexibility on how the number of classes are calculated.

Fen Ditton April parish report

Guided Busway

The County continue to hold the contractor BNL to its obligations under the design  and build contract for the guided busway. Unfortunately, this will result in a delay in bringing it into service.  The northern section is substantially complete bu t has six significant defects that the county require the contractor to put right before we accept it into service. If we accept it before the defects are sorted out the long term liability is likely to move to the county, which no one wants. A summary of the situation is as follows:

• Key defects need to be rectified
• CCC will not takeover until they are
• BNL are refusing that these items are defects effectively paralysing the process
• CCC can’t terminate the contract on this basis
• Need to continue seeking rectification of these issues

This is very frustrating and likely to end up in expensive legal action against the contractor but is necessary.

Potholes

I have been asked, by one parish, how priorities are set for repairing  potholes.

There are two main areas which are considered as part of an assessment of a pothole:

*         Firstly, its general location and size and whether it is in an urban or rural setting

*         Secondly, where it is on the carriage, i.e. on the edge or in a wheel track

These are placed through the prioritization system and then categorised as an emergency or 7 days etc. according to the counties policy.

Transport Innovation Fund

This fund has been scrapped. This means we lose the £500m promised but are now free of the threat of congestion charging which  has also been scrapped. A new fund which we may qualify for has been set up.

Cycle way now under construction

Test holes a have been dug last week and the first sod cut today.  Horningsea to A14 12 weeks.

A14 to existing footpath another 4 weeks. A crossing will be going in at the school and traffic lights on the off ramp on the A14.

 

Fen Ditton December 2009 parish report

Cycleway to Fen Ditton

At a recent members A14 improvement seminar I was able to raise the issue of crossing the A14 and our new cycleway. I am pleased to say that my suggestion that the highways agency might want to engineer the problem away, when the A14 widening takes place, has now made it into the cabinet paper that will become the counties formal response to the A14 widening scheme. No promises that it will be carried out but at least it is now “officially” on the projects list of things to consider. I was pleased to see the road surveyors out and about last week preparing for the cycle way.

Gritting changes proposed to help cyclists
A range of trial improvements to the gritting service are to be piloted in Cambridgeshire over the coming months following the very hard winter last year. The initial proposals, which include trialling the gritting of major cycle bridges in Cambridge and treating of so called secondary routes earlier will inform the major in-depth review, the results of which will be implemented next year. Cambridgeshire already treats more than 40 per cent of its roads using a fleet of high-tech gritters. Government does not give extra money for gritting roads, paths or cycleways. Last year saw the fleet of 38 gritters go out around 85 times, using some 15,000 tonnes of rocksalt, costing about £1.8 million.

This initial review followed requests for better gritting of cycling facilities and last year’s record cold that this winter, 11 bridges will be gritted at the same time as the main roads are gritted. A special, less corrosive rocksalt, will be used to grit the bridges to reduce harm to the bridge structures.

Talks will also begin with District and City Council partners to see if they have any staff, such as road sweepers, who cannot carry out their normal work when snow and ice forms who could be used to put rocksalt from the County Council stocks on paths.

Cambridgeshire County Council already uses more affective and environmentally friendly forms of gritting, as used in Scandinavian countries. Gritting is a vital part of road safety strategy but we do not get extra funds from Government to do it. Government must do its bit, especially in the light of the national salt shortage, to make sure highway authorities have the resources and funding they need.

Winter Maintenance precautionary salting priorities are:

• Roads that carry the heaviest early morning traffic
• Roads linking centres of population
• B roads and busy roads adjacent to fen roads
• Roads that link salted route with those of other adjoining counties
• Making sure all road users live within a reasonable distance of a salted route

We also try to salt all bus routes where possible.

The County will now treat the secondary network when 5 days of freezing conditions are forecast, rather than after 5 days of freezing conditions have occurred. I am sure this will mean far more treatments to the secondary routes than previously.

Tough times ahead for public finances – Council warns.

Dire warnings from the main UK political parties on reductions in the money given to councils and public bodies means the way services are delivered is due for a complete re-think. Forecasts suggest Cambridgeshire County Council, which has strong rating for use of resources, could be around £113 million worse off in five year’s time than it is now. Under a new scheme – Making Cambridgeshire Count – communities will be put in the driving seat of what services they want and how they are delivered.  At the same time Cambridgeshire public bodies and the County’s most influential organisations will look at ways of reducing duplication of resources and redesigning services to be more effective and focused. Council chiefs say that it is right that authorities tighten their belts at this time but ‘salami-slicing’ from services public bodies deliver will neither provide the savings needed nor the services Cambridgeshire wants and deserves. Although over the next five years funding will stay relatively the same, the Council will have to find an extra £47 million to cover inflation and a predicted £55 million is needed for the increased demand for services.

Adequate and good outcomes in Children’s Services
An inspection of safeguarding and looked after children services at the council has assessed the services as adequate overall with some good features. A team from OfSTED - the Office for Standards in Education - rated 26 of the inspected areas in the’ adequate category and 8 as ‘good’. The inspection was one of the first carried out using the new OfSTED inspection methodology. Inspectors said the overall effectiveness of the safeguarding services was adequate, with statutory requirements being met, adding that improvements in services were taking place and that there is an accelerating pace of change. They emphasised that the commitment of partner agencies to the joint safeguarding and child protection agenda was strong. Inspectors praised the ‘considerable efforts’ made towards establishing a clear vision, structures and detailed operational arrangements for its services. The inspectors remarked on the high morale of the children’s social care workforce.

Cambridge City Archives – keeping it in the family!

The County Council’s Archives Service is about to start work on a mammoth project to catalogue and preserve thousands of records which record the history of Cambridge City. The Cambridgeshire Family History Society (CFHS) has provided a £45,000 grant which will fund an archivist for two years to catalogue the records of the Municipal Borough of Cambridge after 1835 and some earlier records deposited at Cambridgeshire Archives by the City Council. The City of Cambridge archives occupy more than 150 metres of shelving with records covering a period from the 13th to 21st century. They include records of meetings, title deeds, rate books and valuations, engineer’s reports, court books, treasurer’s accounts, architects’ plans and drawings. Whilst a multitude of lists exist, there is no modern archive catalogue, so information about the contents of the archive is anecdotal and access difficult. The archivist will also work with the CFHS volunteer group and other volunteers to produce a detailed transcription and indexes of records of special interest and at the same time conservation staff will systematically clean and package documents to ensure the entire archive can be used without risk of damage and to ensure long-term preservation for future generations.

World’s oldest university printer presents collection to Cambridgeshire’s newest Library.

The world’s oldest University printer and publisher - Cambridge University Press, has boosted the stock of Cambridgeshire’s newest Library. A team from Cambridge University Press presented the books, which cover a wide range of subjects from evolution to climate change, to Cambridge Central Library. The books boosted the Central Library collection which includes more than 100,000 items for loan to the public. The Library re-opened to the public on September 29, after an extensive rebuild and refurbishment programme and welcomed more than 17,000 visitors during its first week of operation.

Drumming up excitement for real time at Cambridge bus station.

The County Council has nearly completed work on installing a new Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) display at Cambridge’s Drummer Street bus station. The displays will give passengers an exact waiting time, much like the overhead signs at train stations or on the Underground. Currently 12 of the 31 services that use Drummer Street are equipped to deliver real time information for passengers, while a proposal for a further five services to be kitted out is underway. Two summary boards will display the information in the centre of the station, so that passengers can see exactly how long they have to wait for the next bus.

A £42 million recycling plant, which will put Cambridgeshire at the forefront of waste management in the UK, opened.
The Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) Plant is the first of its kind in the country and will sort and recycle much of the waste that normally ends up in landfill from people’s ” black bag” rubbish.
Rubbish collected from households across the County will be sorted at the plant which is off the A10 near Waterbeach, and run by local family firm Donarbon Waste Management Limited in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council. The massive, hi-tech treatment plant, built by BAM Nuttall which is the length of three football pitches, houses giant shredding machines called Terminators, and the latest mechanical sorting equipment, provided by Kelagh and Komptech, which removes material for recycling before turning the rest of the waste into compost like material for use on non-food crops or a fuel.

An education centre will also be developed at the site so people can learn more about the facility and why it is so important to recycle. Waste which is normally not recycled will be sorted at the facility. At the moment just over half of the County’s domestic waste is recycled or composted. But this new facility, combined with improved recycling centres, will mean Cambridgeshire will massively reduce the tonnes of rubbish that ends up in landfill. Landfilling rubbish is not only bad for the environment but Government taxes every tonne of waste that ends up in the ground. This tax is currently £40 a tonne and will increase by £8 a tonne year on year.

Cambridgeshire is not only at the forefront of recycling and composting, but, thanks to this new plant, we now lead the way in treating waste that would otherwise be landfilled. The County Council is investing millions of pounds in providing better facilities to reduce, re-use and recycle our rubbish as part of our commitment to reducing our impact on climate change and getting value for money for our taxpayers. This new plant, together with the new recycling centres we are building, will reduce the amount of money spent on throwing rubbish into landfill and reduce the impact of waste on the environment. Cambridgeshire leads the country in using this technology and with the County’s population expected to grow by 100,000 by 2021, we need to stay ahead in dealing with our waste. We are confident that the investment in new waste treatment facilities, which includes over £10 million in two new waste transfer stations at Alconbury and March and a new in-vessel composting plant at Waterbeach on top of this fantastic new MBT plant, will ensure that all councils in Cambridgeshire meet, and exceed their targets. We are also proud to say we will be employing local labour to operate the new sites.