Free Cycle Safety Training For Thousands Of Cambridgeshire Youngsters

Cllr Pellew at a Bikeability event
at the Grove Primary School in
King's Hedges

A bid for government funding and reductions in spending elsewhere will mean that thousands of Cambridgeshire youngsters will get free cycle safety training thanks to the County Council.

The spending savings which have resulted in an extra £10,000 boost from the County Council budget and the grant from DfT will see 4,000 training places during 2012/13, 4,500 the next year and 5,000 the following year - a total of 13,500 youngsters who will receive the training in primary schools at no cost - currently the training costs £15 a head.

The Bikeability training grant bid of £540,000 will be used by the County Council to provide the road safety education sessions which will be delivered in partnership with School Games Organiser Host Schools (formally known as School Sports Partnerships).

Cambridgeshire County Councillor for King's Hedges Andy Pellew said "It's fantastic news that the County Council has finally recognised the folly of charging youngsters for this sort of necessary training. It was always very frustrating that despite being in receipt of Government money the Conservative-Controlled County Council had decided to place a charge and it's good to see it going from the start of the next academic year."

"Given the importance of Cycling to the general health and well-being of youngsters not to mention the nett benefit to removing school-run cars from the roads I look forward to as many youngsters as possible benefiting from this change of heart as quickly as possible."

During the last 12 months for which figures are available, 355 pedal cycle casualties were reported on Cambridgeshire's roads.

Cambridgeshire County Council pioneered on-road practical cycle training for 10/11 year olds, during the late 1970s, which eventually became the benchmark for all such schemes nationally. Since then the County has trained thousands of children every year.

The County Council will receive a Bikeability payment retrospectively from DfT for every young person who undergoes the training and the free training sessions will be introduced from the beginning of the next academic year.

Tories In Pay Increase Row Told Help The Elderly Not Yourselves

Cambridgeshire Tories should invest £100,000 in cash-strapped care for the elderly rather than setting it aside to give themselves a pay rise, Lib Dems claim.

They have called on the Tories to allocate the money to Adult Social Care rather than use it to line their own pockets.

“At least that way if the Tories give themselves a pay rise the public will be able to see where they are taking the money from,” said Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrat Leader, Kilian Bourke.

“We should not be giving ourselves a pay rise when front-line services are being cut and people are losing their jobs.  Adult Social Care has been chronically underfunded for a number of years and desperately needs that money.”

The outcry follows a decision by the Tory administration on Cambridgeshire County Council to allocate £100,000 in its budget to fund an increase in councillors’ allowances. The decision comes despite the fact that the allowances panel which will discuss the matter has not even been appointed yet.

 "Given the outcry over the 25 per cent increase in councillor allowances some months ago, I find it incredible that this administration has chosen to set aside £100k in its budget for this purpose," said Cllr Bourke.

"It may only be a provision for a pay rise, but it is the equivalent of a 17.5 per cent increase in our basic allowances and that sends out a frankly incongruous message to members of the public who are facing hardship but paying their council tax."

Local Residents To Be Asked Their Views On New 20Mph Zones

Cambridge City Council is to launch a consultation and review to find out whether people in the city want more 20mph zones.

The council’s ruling Liberal Democrat group has allocated £60,000 in the council’s budget to pay for a review, research, consultation survey and design work over the next two years.

They have also reserved £400,000 to implement new schemes if the idea gets the approval of residents and businesses.

Cambridge City Executive Councillor for Planning and Sustainable Transport, Tim Ward said: “There have been some concerns that the current approach of creating a patchwork of small 20mph zones may not work very well. So we want to carry out a review to determine which work best and look at other areas which might benefit from a lower speed limit.

“We already have several 20mph zones which have been implemented following campaigns from local residents, and there are other small schemes in the pipeline. The proposed project includes extensive consultation to find out where people do and don't want 20mph zones. A possible outcome is that all residential and shopping streets will have 20mph limits whilst main roads will stay at 30mph.”

Cambridge City Council was granted the freedom to implement 20mph speed limits after the government announced it was cutting red tape so that local authorities no longer had to get Whitehall permission before they could act.

Cllr Ward added: “There are clearly safety benefits from introducing lower speed limits in areas where there are more pedestrians such as streets where there are shops and homes.

“And it has been well documented that, if a road accident were to happen a pedestrian has a far greater chance of escaping serious injury or being killed when a vehicle is travelling at 20mph.

“But we won’t be making any decisions until we have fully consulted on this issue and reviewed how present schemes are working; and we will only act if it’s what our residents want.”

The move has been welcomed as a victory for localism, allowing councils to act faster in response to the needs of their residents.

Local County Councillor Andy Pellew who has been campaigning for a 20mph speed limit on Northfield Avenue outside King's Hedges Primary School said; "This is a very welcome development. We must make sure that this opportunity is fully utilised by making sure that local residents are fully involved in the process of setting up these new zones."

Huppert Congratulates City And Quizzes Government On Empty Homes

MP Julian Huppert has quizzed the government on how Cambridge can access its £150 million empty homes fund to bring disused houses back into use.

He raised the question with Communities and Local Government Minister, Andrew Stunnell as work continues by Cambridge City Council to make empty homes available to families on its waiting list.

And he praised City Council Leader, Sian Reid and her Deputy Catherine Smart, who has responsibility for housing, in their work on empty homes.

Julian asked Mr Stunnell: “Will he join me in congratulating Sian Reid and Catherine Smart from Cambridge City Council for their work in reducing the number of empty homes in Cambridge since 2004?

He went on: “The government’s £150 million Empty Homes Fund is welcome but how can Cambridge City Council access this in order to bring even more empty homes back into use?”

Mr Stunnell told him: “For the £100 million announced for providing affordable homes, local authority bids will be invited shortly and I hope Cambridge will be right there.

“For the £50 million for empty homes to tackle the worst concentration of empty homes, we are currently drawing up the criteria. I know that a number of community and voluntary groups in the East of England have their eyes on Cambridge as well.”

Later Julian said: “Cambridge City Council has done some excellent work in bringing empty homes back into use for families who need a permanent place to live.

“I am delighted the government is making money available for this purpose; it shows its true commitment to this problem. I would urge anyone who knows of a property which has been empty for a while to get in touch with the city council so that action can be taken to make it a home again.”

Figures released by the Empty Homes Agency show that there were 1,172 empty homes in the Cambridge in 2010 and 364 of these were long term vacant. The figure has fallen, however, from 1,428 in 2004.
Cambridge City Council has over 7,000 people on its waiting list for homes and works with private landlords to try to make empty homes available.

Julian is supporting a campaign launched through the website www.reportemptyhomes.com which encourages people to report empty houses across the country.

Vince Cable: Putting More Money Back In *Your* Pocket

As families face more of a squeeze, today Liberal Democrats are arguing for greater tax cuts for hard working people.

Between now and the Budget, Nick and Danny and I will be arguing for faster tax cuts, giving you a reward for hard work. And Nick will be setting out our case in a speech today.

Given the budget constraint we have to raise money for the tax cut elsewhere and have plans to raise an equivalent amount from the wealthiest taxpayers.

At the last election the Liberal Democrats promised to raise the personal allowance for ordinary taxpayers to £10,000. I am proud that the Coalition has committed to doing so over the course of this Parliament.

For millions of ordinary hard working people, that means paying £700 less in income tax each year. Low earners, mostly women will benefit from being lifted out of tax altogether.

But times are tough and quite simply, Liberal Democrats in Government want to help families who are currently being squeezed by moving more quickly.

Whether it’s targeting an extra £7bn from tax evaders and avoiders, taking an extra £2.5bn every year from the banks in a balance sheet tax, or the announcement I made on Monday to curb the excesses of executive pay, this Coalition is taking important steps to deliver a fairer economy.

And we have already made a big difference, click here to see how.

We are building a new economy, one that benefits the whole country, not just bankers in the City of London. Making the tax system fairer is crucial to that. This is a huge task that will make Britain a fairer and more liberal country for generations to come.

Yours,

Vince Cable MP

Member of Parliament for Twickenham and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills

Lighter Later: The One That Got Away

As you may have already heard, Sir George Young has decided not to give MPs a chance to vote on the Daylight Saving Bill.

Under pressure from MPs, Young insisted that even if the bill was given more time in the Commons, there'd be no chance of it getting through the House of Lords and back again before parliament goes into recess.

This isn't the end. After a record 4,500 of you wrote to Sir George to ask for more time, MPs are already demanding that the policy be taken up again in May, when the next round of private members' bills are submitted. If the wording stays the same, it stands a very good chance of going through.

But Young's decision does bring this chapter of the campaign to a close, and it feels like a good moment to take a step back and remember how far we've come...

Lighter Later so far: 4 things to be proud of
Together we've pushed this issue further forward than it's been for decades. Here's how...

1.Lighter evenings everywhere
Together we pushed lighter evenings right up the national agenda. Mountains of media coverage – everywhere from Nuts to Newsnight – played a big part, but it was also thanks to supporters like you spreading the word and debating the issues with family and friends.

2. Busting the myths
We worked hard to challenge the popular myths and show that clock change would be good for Scotland. As a result, the Scottish branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents joined the Lighter Later coalition, and the National Farmer's Union in Scotland came out in favour of the bill.

3. Breaking the rules
People told us that no-one would bother contacting their MPs without a pre-written letter, but you proved them wrong. As of midday today, Lighter Later supporters (many of whom had never done anything political before) have used our lobbying tool to send 26,349 individually-written messages to their MPs. And that's not counting all the phone calls, meetings and Tweets you racked up at the same time.

And it worked. Thanks to your lobbying, 144 MPs (including yours – Julian Huppert) turned up in the Commons on what should have been the quietest day of the week. If the debate had been allowed to go to a vote, the bill would have passed with a huge majority.

4. Fixing parliament?
But there's a silver lining to this cloud of injustice. The scandal of 'the vote that never was' has shown just how broken the current system is, and electrified the campaign for reform. We'll be keeping an eye on this as it develops, and getting behind it when the moment comes. Who knows, we may end up changing more than just the clocks!

Taking a breather ... or not!
So for the next little while, things will probably go a bit quiet on the lighter evenings front. Until things start moving again in parliament, we can take some time to catch our breath.

We first got interested in clock change because it shows how we can save energy and tackle climate change while making communities healthier, safer and stronger. If you like the sound of that, you should take a look at the other projects we run:

The 10% challenge
More than 100,000 people, families, schools, hospitals, churches, shops, offices factories and farms are working together to cut their carbon footprint by 10% in one year.

Click here to give it a try.

Solar Schools
A groundbreaking project to help schools get solar panels by raising money from the local community. We're currently trialling the programme with schools in Reading, Cambridge, Norwich and the Scilly Isles, and are hoping to launch it nationally later this year.

Click here to find out more.

It's been a real privilege to work with you on the Daylight Saving Bill, so if you're not one of the 10,000-or-so Lighter Later supporters that's already involved with other 10:10 projects, we'd love to have you on board.

Thank you for all your amazing work so far – I really can't say that enough!

Onwards and upwards,

Daniel Vockins
Campaign manager, 10:10 Lighter Later

P.S. Lots of you have been asking for more details about what happened in the Commons last week, so we've written up a summary of the day's twists and turns, including a full list of the MPs that supported and opposed the bill.

Lib Dems Launch Petition To Reverse Tory Bus Cuts

Stagecoach Bus on Guided Busway

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have launched a petition to reverse the Tories’ 100 per cent cuts to rural bus services.

The petition, called "Stopping the cuts to bus services in Cambridgeshire" reads:

"We the people of Cambridgeshire are opposed to the Conservative County Council's decision to scrap 100% of funding for subsidised buses, which led to an application for Judicial Review.

"Socially necessary bus services are vital to the whole of Cambridgeshire, especially for young people who need to access to centres of employment, those with mobility issues who wish to access the wider community and its resources, and for tackling the root problem of "rural isolation".

"We also believe that the "Cambridgeshire Future Transport" project, to which half of bus funding has been transferred, is fundamentally flawed and not capable of delivering an adequate replacement for the existing public transport network, never mind the improved system that has been promised.

"We call on the Conservative administration to reinstate 100% of the cuts to bus funding and to conduct a systematic view of Cambridgeshire residents' transport needs before making any changes to it."

The petition can be found here: http://epetition.cambridgeshire.public-i.tv/epetition_core/view/Buses

Speeding: No-One Thinks Big Of You

Cambridgeshire County Council Road Safety Officers have launched a new campaign targeting young male drivers who speed. 

The campaign, titled 'Speeding: no-one thinks big of you', is inspired by a similar campaign in Australia and aims to use peer pressure in a cheeky, subtle way to reduce young male driver and female passenger casualties. 

Given the target audience, the campaign centres around information, advice and discussion on the Road Safety Team Facebook page and Twitter feed. 

This will be accompanied by posters, featuring students from Huntingdonshire Regional College, which depict young females waving their little fingers, 'pinkies', at guys who are speeding or driving dangerously to show off. 

Local Cambridgeshire County Councillor Andy Pellew said; "It's encouraging to see the County Council taking the issue of speed seriously but there is a great deal of work still to do to make our roads safer, especially for young people who are disproportionately victims of this kind of crime.

The target of this campaign is the young male driver, the aim is to give their passengers the confidence to tell their friends to slow down. Let's hope, with the high numbers of young people attending CRC and the Manor this new approach is successful."

Matt Staton, Road Safety Officer for Cambridgeshire County Council, added:  "The aim of this campaign is to encourage teenage girls to tell their boyfriends/friends when they don't like their driving and show they are not impressed.  We also want to make young male drivers aware that they don't impress people when they show off in their cars." 

Lib Dems Tackle Fen Road Problems Head On For Residents

Cambridge Liberal Democrats are tackling problems on the city’s Fen Road head on by working cross-party and with multiple agencies to find a solution for residents.

Cllr Ian Manning and resident Clare Blair took control of the issue this evening (Thursday, January 26) at a meeting of Cambridge City Council’s North Area Committee.

A working party has been set up which will co-ordinate the work between officers and councillors from the city council, Cambridgeshire County Council and South Cambs District Council.

At the North Area Committee meeting, which was very well attended, Cambridgeshire County Council Cabinet member, Ian Bates, heard directly from residents about the daily issues they experience such as anti-social driving, noise and speeding and traffic calming measures that don't work.

Mrs Blair said: “It was great to see so many people come to voice their opinions and experiences directly to those in power. A wide range of solutions was discussed and there was a clear preference for an alternative access route out of Fen Road to provide a real solution to problems in the area."

Particularly important is the cross area working that the initiative brings.  Cllr Hazel Smith of South Cambs District commented "A solution to the issues on Fen Road will only be found by joined up working between both districts and the County Council, and I'm pleased that this will be taken on by North Area."

Cllr Manning said that the Chesterton Station project presents a real opportunity to make large scale change.
"I'm glad we're looking at really radical solutions like a different route out of Fen Road, which will divert traffic away from East Chesterton, as well as highways improvements to the Water Street/Water Lane area and better traffic calming,” he said.

Tories Set Aside £100,000 For Their Pay Rise As They Cut Services And Jobs

Cllr Kilian Bourke
(LD, Romsey)

County Tories have put aside £100,000 in their budget to pave the way for giving themselves a pay rise.

The money provides for an increase Members’ Allowances despite the decision to cut £43 million from Cambridgeshire County Council’s spending and axe 154 full-time jobs.

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrat Leader, Kilian Bourke said: “This is utter hypocrisy.  On the one hand the Tories are cutting services and making staff redundant while on the other they are hoping to give themselves a pay rise.

"It is particularly tasteless that they have budgeted for a £100k addition to their pay packets while increasing council tax, a grossly unfair tax that hits the poorest hardest."

"It is also worrying that there seems to be a presumption in favour of a pay rise."

"This money would be better spent protecting frontline services like libraries and buses, not lining Tory pockets."

Putting this £100,000 into services could have:

• Kept two small libraries open for a year
• Put two new community mini buses on the road
• Paid for more respite care packages for families with disabled children or the elderly
• Reinstated the city shuttle bus

NOTE:
The increase has not happened yet, it is merely provided for in the budget.

Reference to it can be found by following the link and going to P159:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzONPy6P1--dNmM2NzRhZGQtM2RhZi00ZDQ2LWI5MGYtNTc5MTE3MzE3OTkz

North Area Committee Meeting Tonight!

Just a quick reminder that tonight the City Council’s North Area Committee will be meeting at the Shirley School, Nuffield Road, Cambridge CB4 1TF – note that this is a change from the usual venue of the Manor on Arbury Road.

The agenda for the planning part – which starts at 6.00 pm – is here.
The agenda for the main meeting – which should start at 7.30pm – is here. The main meeting will start when the planning items are completed, if that’s after 7.30.

The main items on the agenda (aside from the planning items and the Open Forum) are:

• The Fen Road Area – Issues and Solutions
• Policing and Safer Neighbourhoods
• Future Work Programme for the Area Committee

If you have any issues you would like your local Councillors to raise then please let us know.

Tories Heed Lib Dem Advice On Buses, Libraries And Roads And Back MP's Station Plan

Cllr Kilian Bourke (LD, Romsey)

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have welcomed the fact that county Tories have listened to their advice and scaled back cuts to buses and libraries and invested more in care for older people in their budget.

The Tories have also taken their lead from the Lib Dem Highways Review in proposing a massive up-front investment in roads, pavements and cycleways to halt the ongoing decline.

And they have supported a Lib Dem plan for a new railway station in Chesterton which is a personal triumph for Cambridge MP, Julian Huppert.

But the Lib Dems have expressed fears as to whether the Conservatives, who have a poor record at managing big projects, will be able make a success of this budget with its extra capital spending.

“This budget is half good and half bad. It shows the influence of an effective opposition as many ideas previously promoted by the Liberal Democrats have now been accepted by the Conservatives.

“The Conservatives have accepted that their cuts to many core services went way beyond what was necessary and scaled-back some of the worst. As a result the huge cuts to rural buses and plans to close libraries have been reduced; but substantial cuts will still go ahead and people who use these services will be far from reassured.

“The extra investment in Adult Care is a long overdue recognition from the Tories that this service has been chronically underfunded and mismanaged.

"The County Council's support for a new railway station in Chesterton is a great personal triumph for Cambridge’s MP, and the massive overhaul of our roads comes straight out of a Lib Dem Highways Review, and should stop the steady decline in their condition that the Tories have allowed."

“In terms of the overall financial picture we are deeply sceptical about the ability of the Conservatives to manage projects on this scale,” said Lib Dem Leader, Kilian Bourke. “With £90 million at stake in the Guided Bus court case, their track record on contract management is not reassuring.

But they added that their alternative budget will expose Tory inefficiency and waste, safeguard vital services and better provide for the long-term future of the people across the whole county.

MP Honours Those Who Died During The Holocaust

MP Julian Huppert Signing Book of Commitment

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert has honoured those who died during the Holocaust by signing a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons.

The signing was organized by the Holocaust Educational Trust to mark the 67th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the site of the largest mass murder in history.

Holocaust Memorial Day will take place on Friday (January 27) when thousands of commemorative events will be arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country to remember the victim of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.

Julian said: “It is crucial that we remember the victims of genocide and the extraordinary men and women who survived. By this simple act of remembrance, we are also encouraging people to speak out against any form of prejudice today.

“We also need to continue to educate our young people about the mistakes of the past so that we can build tolerant, cohesive societies for future generations.”

Corn Exchange To Get £200,000 Modern Sound System

A new modern sound system costing £200,000 is to be installed in Cambridge’s Corn Exchange to attract a wider range of performers and improve the venue’s profitability.

The Liberal Democrat-led Cambridge City Council has included the investment in its budget for the coming year.

The new system, which will improve the quality of the venue’s acoustics for audiences, will replace the present system which is over 20 years old.

Cllr Rod Cantrill Executive Councillor for Arts, Sports and Public Places said: “The Corn Exchange misses out on hosting a number of performers because our current sound system is out of date.

“This investment will not only improve the quality of the sound for audiences, but will enable the Corn Exchange to attract a broader range of performers, reduce the number of dark days at the venue and therefore contribute towards thecouncil’s goal of improving the financial performance of the Corn Exchange.”

The investment will be considered as part of the Budget proposals at the Community Services Scrutiny in January.

Lib Dems Back Move To Help More Street Drinkers

Outreach workers are hoping to extend a successful project and take more drinkers off the streets of Cambridge.

The £33,000 scheme, backed by Liberal Democrats on Cambridge City Council, would increase the number of successful detox programmes offered to alcoholics who cannot maintain normal out-patient treatment.

Street Outreach and Mental Health Team workers have asked for half the funding from Cambridge City Council and half from the GP consortium, Camhealth following successful working with street drinkers which has led to 30 a year treated under the detox programme. If both partners agree to funding this number could be increased to 50.

The money would pay for a Project Worker to support the Community Psychiatric Nurse.

City Councillors Catherine Smart and Tim Bick, responsible for housing and community safety respectively, are set to approve extra funding from the city council and are hoping Camhealth will follow their lead.

"Over the past two years, these community detox programmes have built an impressive track record," says Cllr Smart. "It now looks like we can capitalise further on the effectiveness of the Community Pyschiatric Nurse with a modest additional investment.

“With support from the city council we can increase treatments to at least 40 a year. If Camhealth come on board too and make this a full-time position, we could make it at least 50.

"Alongside education and training, interim accommodation and housing, these detox programmes fit into the Council's endeavours to rehabilitate those often seen on the streets, sometimes creating a nuisance by their behaviour," says Cllr Bick.

"I don't think there's a more sustainable alternative. One more individual getting their life back on track is one less potentially living on the streets: it's a win-win approach."

Rachel Everitt from the charity, Crime Reduction Initiatives, which manages the Street Outreach Team said: “"Our nurse does really positive work and secures some great outcomes. “But the time-consuming engagement and follow-up work with clients tends to hold back the capacity of his clinical role.

"With a Project Worker to support him, we think we can significantly increase the number of successful detoxes."

Subject to Council protocols, the city council will provide an immediate 12 months grant for half of the Project Worker's costs paid for from budget under-spending elsewhere.

It plans to assess the impact as part of a major review of policies to combat anti-social behaviour from the street life community in October.

Cllr Tim Bick, Street Outreach and Mental Health Team Manager, Rachel Everitt, Alcohol Community Psychiatric Nurse, Malcolm Stork and Cllr Catherine Smart

City Must Be Given The Power To Shape Its Own Future

Cllr Sian Reid

Cambridge City Council Leader, Sian Reid is to call on the government to give the city the power to play a larger part in its future.

Cllr Reid will speak out on Monday (January 23) at the launch of a new report by Centre for Cities, which names Cambridge as one of five cities well placed to drive the country’s economic recovery.

She will tell Minister for Cities, Greg Clark to take notice of the Cities Outlook 2012 report which calls on the government to give Cambridge the financial and political powers it needs to make the right decisions for growth.

The report, compiled by the Centre for Cities, shows how well Cambridge has fared in the downturn compared to other cities and spells out how well it is placed for economic growth.

Sian will tell Mr Clark that his City Deal programme, which gives cities the chance to play a much bigger part in determining their own futures, must be offered to all cities prepared to step up to the challenge not just the larger ones.

“This includes Cambridge,” said Cllr Reid. “We, with our neighbouring areas form an exciting and dynamic city region keen to take charge of our own future.  We need a new relationship with government so we can act and invest for our area.”

The Cities Outlook 2012 report compares the economic performance of 64 cities in the UK. On the measures used, Cambridge is shown to be the UK’s most successful city, coming top in six out of the fifteen measures of success, and second in three others.

The runner-up is London, coming top in three measures of success.

The six measures on which Cambridge comes top in the UK in the study are:

Patents per 100,000 of population (with Cambridge three times higher than the next best);

lowest percentage of residents with no qualifications;

lowest employment disparity between neighbourhoods in the city;

lowest Job Seekers Allowance claimant count;

lowest increase in Job Seekers Allowance claimant count since February 2008

lowest youth claimant count rate.

Cllr Reid added: “But there is absolutely no room for complacency over unemployment figures in the city, especially for young people. That’s why we are very pleased that our Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire Local Strategic Partnership has agreed that getting young people into work should be one its top priorities for spending its last round of grants money, about £100,000.”

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year to all our readers.

Today (I am told) marks the start of the Year of the Dragon.

The picture comes from Wikimedia

City Council Makes Youngsters A Top Priority For 2012

Cambridge City Council is making young people a top priority for 2012 with a range of projects to give them a head-start.

Plans just published include:

•  Expanding the impact of the Council's Children and Young People's Participation Service (ChYPPS) across the city's 9-13 year olds, through greater use of volunteers and closer working with schools, following a major all-party review.
• Budget proposals from the ruling Lib Dems  for a new Youth Officer post to strengthen the council's role in work with the older, teenage group
• A new scheme to engage young people at risk of exclusion in sport.

"We are committed to do things well that we have only one chance to get right, especially in this time of austerity,” said Tim Bick, Executive Councillor for Community Development.

“What more important, in this context than the experience of a whole generation of the city's young people who face so many risks and challenges?"

He welcomed the new strategy for ChYPPS adding: "This service in Cambridge is almost unique and something the whole council is proud of. Growing it further through the engagement and training of volunteers will enable it to amplify its impact. Transmitting and sharing the council's huge expertise in 'play' can build capacity in the wider community, which is a wholly healthy ambition".

Referring to the new Youth Officer post included in the Lib Dem budget proposals, he said: "Teenagers are typically not looking for the same structured activities which ChYPPS provides for the younger ones. Services for them have historically been provided more by the county council than the city council. The county council has drastically cut them back recently and it seems time for the city council to play more of a role.

“This post will support our investments in facilities for teenagers, such as last year's expansion of the cafe at The Junction and the project we are currently discussing with the YMCA on Gonville Place - and enabling activities that go with them."

Of the scheme to engage young people at risk of exclusion in sport, Rod Cantrill, Executive Councillor for Arts and Recreation, said: "Over the next 12 months the city will focus on participation in sport as part of the Olympic celebration. This project seeks to use sport as a means of involving those young people who feel on the edge of the community."

Huppert Furious After Daylight Saving Bill Scuppered On Third Reading

MP Julian Huppert today (Friday, January 20) attacked the disgraceful behaviour of a handful of MPs who killed off the Daylight Saving Bill during its Third Reading in the House of Commons.

The Bill called on the government to conduct a comprehensive review of the costs and benefits of putting clocks forward an hour throughout the UK, giving lighter evenings every day of the year.

But a dozen MPs who opposed the Bill proposed amendment after amendment during a five-hour long debate forcing it to run out of time, even though the vast majority of MPs there supported it, and tried to ensure it made progress.

Julian said: “The disgraceful behaviour of MPs who abused the process has killed off this very worthwhile proposal. The Bill ran out of time, because a few people talked it out.

“This was a simple low-cost policy which would bring a huge range of benefits to the UK. It could have saved lives on our roads, reduced the fear of crime in the evenings and brought much needed jobs in the tourism industry.

“It also made sense from an environmental point of view; we would be using less energy and generating less light pollution.

“I hope the campaign will continue so that we can eventually see this change implemented.”
 
The campaign for change is being co-ordinated by the Lighter Later group.

Campaign manager, Daniel Vockins said: "The Daylight Saving Bill was supported by over 90 national organisations from The AA to SAGA and The FA.

“On the year the Olympics come to Britain, it would have been a brilliant legacy for our young athletes.”

Lib Dems Victory As Tories U-Turn On Bus Cuts – But Fears For Future

Cllr Van de Ven

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats are celebrating victory after the Tories staged a dramatic U-turn over their decision to axe 100 per cent of bus subsidies across the county.

Lib Dems, who had fought a sustained campaign against the cuts for a year, have welcomed the move to invest £1.5 million – just over half the bus subsidies cash – into newly organized public transport.

The money will be handed over the next three years to provide new forms of transport through a one-year old project called Cambridgeshire Future Transport

But Lib Dems have expressed their concerns about Cambridgeshire Future Transport which has a poor track record so far.

Cambridgeshire Future Transport project has already suffered its first failure after an expenditure of £120,000 toward a pilot service in Duxford, launched before Christmas, was boycotted by residents in protest at the prospect of losing their subsidised buses.
                                               
Lib Dems have called for a commitment to continue the financial support to existing bus services, if it is needed, to ensure that vulnerable and isolated residents are not left stranded.

Lib Dem County Council Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport, Susan van de Ven said:  "This partial U-turn is a big victory for the Lib Dems and good news for local bus users.  The Tories have finally relented and accepted the principle that you cannot provide socially necessary rural transport for nothing.

“Abating 50 per cent of the cuts is a big improvement on the 100 per cent cut that was planned, which was the worst in the country.

"This will allow some of the bus services the Tories still intend to cut to be replaced with some form of alternative; it is just a shame they didn't listen to the public's concern and reinstate more of the funding.

 “We are extremely concerned that Cambridgeshire Future Transport is not the best way to deliver these services; in one year it has delivered almost nothing.

“Money spent on the failed pilot in Duxford could have paid for three new mini buses for Cambridge Dial-a-Ride or other established community transport providers.  Cambridgeshire cannot afford to play games with lifeline transport and scarce public money.”

A recent consultation by Cambridgeshire County Council on bus subsidies showed that 37 per cent of residents have no other means of transport and only three per cent of residents supported bus service cuts.

Huppert Backs Live Music Bill As Boost For City Pubs

A Lib Dem-led Live Music Bill, which could help the survival of threatened Cambridge pubs, passed its Third Reading in the House of Commons today (Friday, January 20) with the backing of the city’s MP. This is the final step before Royal Assent, expected shortly.

The Bill, which allows live music to be played in pubs and other small venues without red tape licensing restrictions, has been welcomed by Cambridge MP, Julian Huppert.

“This Bill will bring huge advantages to small venues that are being crippled by unnecessary licensing restrictions,” he said. “It means publicans and the organisers of small events held in school and village halls across the city will not have to apply for licenses to play music.

“This simple easing of the present restrictions could mean the difference between a pub surviving or struggling to attract customers in this difficult economic climate.

“A live gig, especially on a quiet night in the week, could mean the difference between people turning up to a pub or choosing to stay home. With so many pubs in Cambridge closing in recent years, this could be a way for some to generate enough income to weather the storm.”

The Bill, championed by Bath MP, Lib Dem Don Foster, will remove licensing restrictions for unamplified music and for amplified music performed to audiences fewer than 200 people.

North Area Committee – Meeting 26th Jan

The next meeting of the City Council’s North Area Committee will take place on Thursday 26th January.

It will be at Shirley School, Nuffield Road, Cambridge CB4 1TF – note that this is a change from the usual venue of the Manor on Arbury Road.

The agenda for the planning part – which starts at 6.00 pm – is here.
The agenda for the main meeting – which should start at 7.30pm – is here. The main meeting will start when the planning items are completed, if that’s after 7.30.

The main items on the agenda (aside from the planning items and the Open Forum) are:

• The Fen Road Area – Issues and Solutions
• Policing and Safer Neighbourhoods
• Future Work Programme for the Area Committee

If you have any issues you would like your local Councillors to raise then please let us know. 

Old Woodhead Drive play area

As reported in a blogpost from our neighbours in West Chesterton the old play area on Woodhead Drive, just across Downhams Lane from Gladeside and Alice Bell Close is due to be removed shortly. Councillor's have been sent an email by officers with an update about the park.

A project is about to be drawn-up to install a new play area at Woodhead Drive by the Summer of 2011 to replace the existing one which admittedly is not a fine example of the city’s play facilities at present. The council has taken the view that pouring money into a temporary solution would not be prudent when a completely new play area is imminent. Further, the opening of George Nuttall Close play area last year, a few 100 metres up the road has meant that any play area provision in the area has not been severely lessened. At present this play area has been fenced off with chestnut pale as the site is not deemed fit for purpose. Instead I would like to propose that we bring forward the decommissioning of the play area which would have a two-fold benefit of removing the unsightliness and the necessity for a more costly hired heras fence to stop unwanted intrusions.

Whilst we had hoped this play area would be refurbished last year (as accidentally stated in the email!) it is good news that the park is in fact on the agenda to be refurbished this summer. If you have any thoughts on this please do let the team know, and watch this space for further updates.

Planning application on Milton Road

This week there is one planning application on the weekly list an application for a single storey rear extension to 398 Milton Road. Reference number 12/0019/FUL, and you can get more details from the online monitoring system.

In the interests of openness the applicant is well known to several of the King's Hedges team.

As always if you have any difficulties getting more information please do get in touch with us.

Huppert Gives His Support To Big Energy Week

MP Julian Huppert dropped into a one-day event designed to give residents advice about energy consumption and encourage them to think about energy efficiency today (Monday, January 16).

He gave his support to Big Energy Week organised by the Citizens Advice Bureau and other leading charities at Cambridge’s Grand Arcade.

The event included advice about swapping energy suppliers and making sure people are on the right tariffs and how to conserve energy.

There was also information on national campaigns designed to help vulnerable people with energy consumption and costs.

Julian said: “These are difficult economic times and some people are struggling to pay increasing energy prices.

“This event offered some extremely valuable information and advice. It might be that by swapping suppliers or changing the energy tariff, significant savings could be made. But we lead busy lives and sometimes we simply don’t have the time to even think about this. And too often, people don’t think about ways to reduce the energy they use, despite the government schemes to support insulation programs.

“If this event has made people think about how they use energy, it could give them significant savings over the course of a year and cut their energy consumption. This is extremely good news.”

Police Link With Young Transformed East Chesterton – MP's Told

 MP Julian Huppert has impressed upon Parliament the importance of policing on the ground, citing work in Cambridge’s East Chesterton as an example of “brilliant innovation”.

 Julian, who was formerly an East Chesterton county councillor, told how the police worked with young people who were committing anti-social behaviour to transform that “relatively deprived part of Cambridge”.

 He said: “I would love to claim credit for all the brilliant innovations in that ward.” But he added, they were largely driven by former East Chesterton Community Beat Manager, then-PC Nik Percival who introduced a range of measures to make a difference.

 “What matters in policing concerns what happens on the ground and with individuals,” Julian told a debate on policing in Westminster Hall yesterday (Thursday, January 12). “He created a link with young people. That is important, especially when looking at the factors that led indirectly to the riots.

 “In his first year on the beat, he managed to halve the amount of anti social behaviour and crime that was reported, which was a huge achievement,” he said.

“If all our officers could manage such things – I realise that it is not that simple – this country would be a different place. He also managed to arrest fewer people than was usual for that area. Some saw that as a criticism, but I saw it as a great triumph. Successful policing involves reducing the level of crime, and a greater number of arrests is not the aim.”

 Julian told how PC Percival launched a scheme to deter youngsters from anti social behaviour such as causing trouble and smashing up bus shelters.

Those that behaved well were rewarded with vouchers and the youngsters with the most vouchers at the end of the school summer holiday received £15 to spend in the local shopping centre.

“That was a cheap measure, and it transformed the area,” said Julian. “Rather than having groups wandering around feeling bored, people would play and hope that a police officer would walk by. They desperately hoped that the cop would come over and find them, and they would say, ‘Hi PC Nik, good to see you.’ It would be fantastic to see that sort of relationship in more areas.”

East Chesterton resident, Clare Blair said: “This was on the face of it, a very simple idea but it had huge benefits for the people of East Chesterton.

“This initiative struck a chord with the youngsters and they responded out of respect for PC Percival, now a Detective Inspector. It would be good to see ideas such as this put into practice across the country to tackle anti social behaviour hotspots.”

Free Energy Saving Advice For Businesses

Small businesses in Cambridge are being offered free energy saving advice including how to tap into the government’s ‘green’ grants through an event promoted by the city’s Liberal Democrats.

The drop-in event will take place at the SmartLIFE Centre following a request from East Chesterton County Councillor, Ian Manning who is concerned about the problems facing small businesses across the city.

It will take place on January 16 between 8am and 11am and offers free advice to local businesses with fewer than 250 employees.

Topics covered will include:

• Skills and the government’s new Green Deal which aims to establish a framework to enable private firms to offer consumers energy efficiency improvements at no upfront cost, and recoup payments through a charge in instalments on the energy bill.
• Energy audit advice - take advantage of a free energy audit of your premises
• Water efficiency advice from Anglian Water and Cambridge Water
• Retrofitting housing
• Recycling Waste
• Green travel plan to work to save money.

Cllr Manning said: “I hope businesses will support this extremely worthwhile event which could help them to save money and cut their carbon footprints at the same time.”

MP Julian Huppert said "I'm pleased to support this event which backs up work we have been doing to support the character of Cambridge and small businesses in particular."

Cllr Sian Reid, leader of Cambridge City Council added: "Improving energy consumption can save small businesses money and ultimately give them more chance of surviving these tough economic times."

Drop-in session tomorrow

Just a quick reminder, our monthly drop in at Arbury Community Centre (on Campkin Road) is tomorrow, from 10am to noon.

MP Quizzes Government On Lack Of Safeguards For Cyclists

The lack of cycling infrastructure across the country and its safety implications have been raised with the government by Cambridge MP, Julian Huppert.

He questioned Transport Minister, Mike Penning on the steps being taken to improve the quality and amount of cycle infrastructure on the country’s roads

Julian told the Minister in the House of Commons yesterday (Thursday, January 12): “Cycle infrastructure is sadly lacking across the country and that causes a number of safety problems such as a recent tragedy at King’s Cross and many others around the country. What steps is the Minister taking to improve the quality and amount of cycle infrastructure on our roads?”

Mr Penning acknowledged the importance of cycling, saying: “Cycling is vital not only to community and enjoyment but to the health of the nation.”

And he assured Julian that his concerns had been heard in the chamber by Liberal Democrat Transport Minister, Norman Baker who is responsible for cycling.

Julian said later: “If we want people to see cycling as a safe alternative to other forms of transport we have to do everything we can to improve the safety of cyclists on our roads.

“In Cambridge we have invested a great deal of money on cycle lanes and improvements to junctions and signage and the result has been that we have the largest number of cyclists commuting to and from work and school and riding for pleasure than anywhere else in the UK.

“Sadly, this is not replicated across the country as a whole and as a result, particularly in London, cyclists do not enjoy the same level of safeguards. This leads to accidents involving cyclists and recently an accident between a lorry and a cyclist claimed the life of a young fashion student.

“We have to make cycling infrastructure a priority across the country; only then can our government expect people to really take it seriously on this issue.”

The full wording of Julian’s question and response are as follows:

Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD): Cycle infrastructure is sadly lacking across the country and that causes a number of safety problems, such as a recent tragedy at King’s Cross and many others around the country. What steps is the Minister taking to improve the quality and amount of cycle infrastructure on our roads?

Mike Penning: Most of the roads I am responsible for are part of the national road infrastructure, and I hope there are no cyclists on that part of the infrastructure. However, the hon. Gentleman is absolutely right: cycling is vital not only to local commuting and enjoyment but to the health of the nation. I am sure that the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) was listening closely to what the hon. Gentleman said.

Rail Fares Too High On One Of World’s Most Expensive Networks

MP Julian Huppert has warned that rail fares across Britain are “far too high” and the nation has one of the most expensive railways in the world.

He said the Liberal Democrats believe fares should fall in real terms rather than rising year on year as they did under the Labour government.

“Thanks to pressure from the Liberal Democrats inside and outside of government and arguments won by the new Secretary of State, fares rose by one per cent above inflation this year rather than the planned three per cent,” he said.

“But Liberal Democrats believe that fares should actually fall in real terms rather than rising even further above inflation as Labour did year on year. Labour policy, confirmed today, is for fares to go up above inflation year on year and that is what people should be concerned about. “

Julian was speaking during a debate in the House of Commons on rail fare increases today (Wednesday, January 11).

He told Parliament that during 13 years of Labour government fares rose by a staggering 66 per cent in cash terms.

Julian called for efficiency savings identified in the McNulty review of the railways to be passed on to passengers in the form of lower fares as soon as possible.

He welcomed the government’s £1.4 billion investment in rail saying: “That’s £400 million more than was announced for the roads – a very good rebalancing towards sustainability.

“If we’ve managed to find these funds now in difficult times just think what could have been done in the boom years,” he added. “That opportunity was missed. It is deeply regrettable that the necessary investment was not made sooner – the funding would have been higher, the decisions easier and the fares would be lower. It is a great shame that that did not happen when money was available to do it.”

And he warned that unless there is investment in the railways now the country will never achieve a cheap, efficient and sustainable transport network.

He said that rail lines had been pushed to breaking point and, as a result fares are now far too high.

Since 1980 the number of passenger journeys has doubled but government after government has invested far too little in the network and infrastructure spending has not kept up with demand, he said.

“This has put pressure on our railways and forced them into a downward spiral,” he said. “An overcrowded, inefficient and unreliable service is far more expensive to run. UK railways are up to 40 per cent less efficient than its European counterparts, despite the price of tickets. This has put fares up and reduced the level of investment available.

“The public deserves a good, reliable and affordable rail system,” he said.

First planning applications of 2012: Milton Rd and Campkin Rd

After a few weeks without any planning applications this week there are two to report to you.

Firstly the Jenny Wren pub on Campkin Road has applied for a "new pitched entrance canopy to existing main entrance." The planning reference number is 11/1567/FUL, or click on the link to go to the online planning system of the City Council.

The second application is at 347 Milton Road and is a retrospective application (meaning work that has been made without permission and the applicants want to make it legal) for "front boundary wall, fences and gates". The reference number is 12/0008/FUL, or again follow the link.

Details of how to look in person, or how to comment on applications is available online. In case of difficulty contact the team.

Lib Dems Invest In Plans To Help New Communities Succeed

Cambridge City Council is preparing to bring residents' views centre stage to shape the future of their own communities.

In their budget proposals, they plan to invest in a new post of Community Engagement Officer to organise the processes.

Over the past year the council's Area Committee covering the nothern part of the city has experimented with methods of involving residents more in setting the agenda for its work. One of the successes was receiving the contributions of nearly 700 people to the setting of priorities for the city council and other agencies.

The LibDems are now making sure that other communities in Cambridge have the same opportunity to say what is best for their areas.

In addition to guiding the committees' regular work, this can help communities grasp opportunities such as the targeting of funds contributed by developers as a condition of their planning approval to schemes for neighbourhood open space and community facilities. From next year the council is planning to devolve much of this responsibility to its four areas.

Executive Cllr Tim Bick, who has responsibility for Community Development, said: "Lib Dems firmly believe that communities know what is right for them. We want to build on our track record in area working and community engagement to support neighbourhoods to shape how they are managed and how they develop.”

Council’s Multi Million Pound Investment To Protect Services

A multi-million pound investment in Cambridge to secure and improve services for years to come has been unveiled by the Liberal Democrats as part of the Cambridge City Council’s budget.

They have set aside £3.4 million to carry out crucial work at the city’s Park Street car park. A study in the new year will look at how the council can be smarter in the way it uses the car park while still retaining much needed spaces for shops and businesses.

Work refurbishing the city’s Lion Yard toilets is included in the budget at a cost of £300,000. The toilets will be retained on ground floor and money will be spent bringing them up to a high standard with the facilities that people want. A working party will oversee the work.

Cambridge’s crematorium and cemetery buildings will be refurbished at a cost of £240,000.

This will also include renovation of the chapels and waiting rooms at the Huntingdon Road Crematorium and the waiting room and reception area at the Newmarket Road Cemetery. The work will follow the major £2 million project to upgrade the technical side of the crematorium, enabling greater energy efficiency and the most recent environmental standards, which is currently nearing completion.

Neil McGovern, Cambridge City Executive Councillor for Customer Services and Resources said: "It is vital that in these difficult times the council continues to invest in its assets and does not let them deteriorate. This investment now will help keep services running for years to come."

Also the council plans to recruit a new Head of Property Services to manage its £100 million commercial property portfolio.

Cllr McGovern added: "Our commercial property brings in about £8 million a year in extra income. This is the same as council tax receipts, so it is vital that we use our assets to keep tax low and protect services"

Lib Dem Campaigner Given Assurances Over Blue Badge Fears

Leading Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrat campaigner, Clare Blair has received assurances that national changes to the Blue Badge system, designed to prevent fraud, will not affect existing users.

Clare contacted Cambridgeshire County Councillor, Ian Manning, who represents East Chesterton because she was worried that existing disabled users might have to immediately changeover to new style badges leaving them without their permits.

She said: "It can take a long time to get a new or replacement badge and I was worried that the changes could have meant users having their service interrupted while the new badge was sent.

“I've received assurances that existing users won't be affected and current badges will continue until they expire. For new badge applications the process will remain exactly the same as before although new style badges will be issued. This is good news for all disabled people who rely on their badges."

The Department for Transport has launched changes to the badges to reduce the potential for fraud and misuse and to streamline administration of the scheme, which is carried out by local authorities. The move will save up to £20 million per year.

Other changes include the potential to increase the price of a badge from £2 to £10, to cover the cost of the new technology. But a decision will not be made on whether to pass this onto users until Cambridgeshire County Council’s Cabinet meets in January.

Cllr Manning said: “I know how valuable these Blue Badges are for people with limited mobility and the thought that they might lose them while the new system is rolled out can be extremely worrying.

“The assurances Clare has been given will put a lot of minds at rest.”

Public Speaking Protocol for Overview and Scrutiny

Cllr Shona Johnstone has recently reported back to all County Councillors that the Overview and Scrutiny Management Group has recently concluded it's review of public participation in the Overview and Scrutiny process and published a document regarding Public Speaking at Overview and Scrutiny meetings.

There is a lot in this document that's good. It does tend (slightly) towards the overly bureaucratic - I have yet to attend an Overview and Scrutiny meeting where a member of the public raising their hand in the public gallery and being called by the Chair wouldn't have been a sufficient notification for public speaking but this document is at least a step in the right direction.

I would have preferred there was an opportunity for written statements as well; once again the County Council seems to be working to actively discourage people who have a job from engaging in the political process. I mean it's pretty rare that people care enough about these meetings to attend in person but to expect people to take a day off work as well is just a non-starter.

The published guidelines are available here (word document).

So the next step is over to you ... Do you care enough about what's being done in your name to turn up and speak at these meetings? If not what would we have to do to encourage you to participate?

Primary School Applications - One Week To Go!

Just a quick reminder; if you have a child born between 1st September 2007 and 31st August 2008 that they need to apply to the school they wish their child to attend from September 2012. The deadline for applications is the 15th January (next Sunday).


The process can be completed online at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/admissions or by returning a paper form, which can be obtained from any primary school and returned to the Admissions Team at Cambridgeshire County Council.

Alternatively you can pick up the form from either King's Hedges Primary or the Grove.

Residents Struggling To Pay Fuel Bills Urged To Seek Help

Home Heat Helpline - Website

Four thousand homes in Cambridge are entitled to help with their fuel bills and MP Julian Huppert is backing a campaign to make sure people apply for the grants available.

Julian is urging people on low incomes to call the Home Heat Helpline – 0800 33 66 99 – to find out about grants which are worth an average of £250 per household.

He said: “Families, couples and individuals living in around nine per cent of the homes in Cambridge can get help to stay warm this winter. No-one should be struggling to pay their fuel bills just because they are forced to manage on low incomes.

“I would also urge people to look out for neighbours, friends and relatives who may be finding this winter difficult and make sure they know they can get help.”

The Home Heat Helpline, which can also be accessed online at www.homeheathelpline.org.uk, is a free service which provides independent advice on how to get help with gas and electricity bills as well as grants for insulation or a new boiler.

People are also being urged think about what they can do around the home to reduce their energy consumption such as turning down radiators in rooms which are only used occasionally and switching off lights when not using them.

Julian added: “A few simple changes could make all the difference by saving energy and reducing costs.”

Massive Recycling Project To Be Rolled Out Across The City

A massive programme to promote recycling on the go is being launched by the Liberal Democrat-led Cambridge City Council at a cost of £800,000 over four years.

Dual purpose bins, designed to collect rubbish and recycling, will be located in streets and open spaces across the city.

It is expected Parker’s Piece will be the first big open space to get the bins following a daily litter problem in the area last summer.

Consultation is to take place on the style of bins to be provided, ensuring they are aesthetically pleasing and easy for the public to use, and on areas which have seen particular problems.

Cambridge City Council has allocated £200,000 a year for the next four years to fund the project.

Jean Swanson, Executive Councillor for Environment and Waste Services said: “This scheme would tackle some of the main problem areas in the city and allow large amounts of waste to be recycled at the same time.

“Bins will be designed to be dual purpose – collecting the litter and recycling - making the whole process much more efficient and less time consuming. We hope that these bins, which may be of several different styles, can be placed on streets and open spaces where we know there are on-going litter problems to encourage people to take responsibility for keeping these areas clean.”

The first drop-in session of 2012 will be on Saturday 14th January at the Arbury Community Centre. As usual we'll be there from 10am until noon.

You don't need an appointment, just turn up and we'll be happy to chat to you about whatever is on your mind. Whether it is a local problem like graffit, flytip; or a wider issue please do drop in.

If you have a problem but can't make the session then you can contact us by phone, email or post: see the details to the left of the page.

The next drop in after this will be Saturday 12th February.

City Council's Plan For Face-To-Face Justice To Beat Crime

Offenders are to be encouraged to face their victims as part of a new initiative proposed by the Liberal Democrat-led Cambridge City Council.

The idea, which has already led to big reductions in re-offending in other parts of the country, is designed to broaden street restorative justice launched by the city’s police.

It is hoped that by bringing together victim and offender along with the police or another organisation which had referred the crime, all parties could work together for a successful outcome.

Neighbourhood Resolution Panels would be created, similar to those introduced in Sheffield, Norfolk and Somerset where they have led to reductions in re-offending in low level crime or anti-social behaviour which is not serious enough to prosecute.

It is hoped £34,000 can be made available in the council’s budget to fund a project leader over two years to set up the Neighbourhood Resolution Panels.

The scheme is designed to complement street restorative justice pioneered by the police where on the spot reparation, such as an apology or a clean-up, takes the place of formal cautions or warnings for minor offences if both victim and offender agree.

Cambridge City Executive Councillor for Community Safety, Tim Bick said: "Experience elsewhere suggests that victims value the opportunity to ask questions about the offence, to talk about its effect on them and others, and to work with the offender to help stop them offending again.

"The experience of confronting the personal impact of their deeds has clearly had a positive effect on offenders, as resulting re-offending rates, particularly for young people, have been much lower than they are nationally.

"These panels have the potential to complement street restorative justice already started by the police. They provide slightly more structured events for situations where more reflection and discussion is appropriate. And they have the enormous benefit of being firmly grounded in the community itself.

"This approach to crime will not suit every case but the evidence is that it has an important role to play. It ought to fit well in a city where we are concerned to prevent people embarking on a life of crime before they get started."

The initiative on Restorative Justice features as a priority in Cllr Bick's plans for community development and community safety over the coming year.

"The city council will be working closely with our partners, particularly the police, in order to design the scheme in a way which commands the confidence of the community,” added Cllr Bick.