Congestion quango must not cheat the public
October 19th, 2008 by Nichola HarrisonA recent study by EEDA (the regional development agency) suggests that by 2021 congestion could cost £700 per worker per year in lost economic productivity in the Cambridge area. Read the rest of this entry »
CB1 - safeguarding Petersfield’s interests
October 18th, 2008 by Nichola HarrisonNow that the CB1 Masterplan has got its first stage outline planning approval, Nichola will be working hard to see that the many terms and conditions of the planning consent are followed through with a fine tooth comb. Read the rest of this entry »
A marathon of local democracy
October 18th, 2008 by Nichola HarrisonYou’ll have heard the momentous news that Ashwell’s outline planning application for the station area redevelopment was approved earlier this week.
Nichola spoke to the planning committee at the start of the day to explain the range of concerns expressed by Petersfield residents, and to ask the committee to consider very carefully whether these concerns could be resolved at the next stage of the process. Read the rest of this entry »
CB1 funding must pay for traffic measures
October 3rd, 2008 by Nichola Harrison
With Ashwell’s planning application for the station area development due to go to the City’s planning committee on 15 October (9.30am at New Hall), Nichola is making a last push to secure funding from developers Ashwell for traffic management measures in the Tenison Road area.
In a letter to residents she has asked for their written support to be produced at the planning committee meeting. You can read the letter here.
Neighbourhood Speedwatch
September 22nd, 2008 by Nichola HarrisonIt’s good news that a “Neighbourhood Speedwatch” scheme will soon be underway in Cambridgeshire, giving trained local volunteers the opportunity to contribute to road safety in their neighbourhood. Nichola has submitted a formal request to the County Council for Petersfield to be one of the first areas to benefit from the scheme because of the frequency of accidents here. Read the rest of this entry »
£108,000 wasted on public opinion survey
September 17th, 2008 by Nichola HarrisonIt was announced last week that the County Council’s cabinet has formally suspended its ‘TIF’ plan for £500 million of central government transport investment plus a 7.30am-9.30am congestion charge in Cambridge. Instead, the cabinet will pass the poisoned chalice to an independent Transport Commission whch will now take evidence from people with an interest in the congestion issue. It will not report until after the County Council elections next year. Read the rest of this entry »
Road signs review
September 14th, 2008 by Nichola HarrisonIn July, we reported that Nichola had written to government minister Rosie Winterton to ask her to allow councils to use road signs saying ‘No Entry Except Cyclists’ at the entrance to contraflow cycle lanes. The reply was negative - apparently this sign would be confusing for drivers and cyclists! Cambridge would just have to struggle on with the famous low flying motorcycle sign (motorcycle over car within a white circle with red edge) - which in reality is misunderstood and ignored by many drivers.
The Cambridge Cycling Campaign has also been working on this issue with Cambridge MP David Howarth.
The great news is that the government has now announced a major review of road signs, giving Cambridge a good chance to argue for signs suitable for contraflow cycle lanes, which are themselves important safety measures for cyclists and are supported by government guidance.
Free buses scheme penalises Cambridge tax payers
September 11th, 2008 by Nichola HarrisonThe rules of the government’s Concessionary Bus Fares scheme, which provides free bus travel to elderly people, are forcing Cambridge residents to pay the bus fares of thousands of people who live outside the city.
The scheme is administered by local councils, supposedly with full government funding, but Cambridge is being left to foot 50% of the bill this year – that’s £1.3 million, or £1 in every £5 raised in council tax by the Council.
The scheme penalises places like Cambridge which attract many visitors. The Council has to pay the bus fares for all elderly people who get on a bus in the city, including return fares for people who live outside the city.
Cllr Ian Nimmo-Smith, Lib Dem Leader of the Council is tearing his hair out. “It’s great that elderly people are entitled to free bus travel, but it’s unfair that Cambridge’s Council Tax payers are having to foot the bill for non-residents. Unless the government changes its rules, we may have to make big cuts in other services to pay for this.”
Cambridge City Council has been rated as “Excellent” and as one of the top four financially-competent councils in England by the Audit Commission.
County must be ambitious for Tenison Road area
August 29th, 2008 by Nichola HarrisonNichola has challenged County Council transport officers to be more ambitious over the money collected from CB1 station area developer, Ashwell, to fund traffic calming measures in the Tenison Rd/Devonshire Rd/Glisson Rd area.
Nichola says: “The sum included in the draft S106 agreement is ridiculously low. I have told the Council that I will lodge an objection to the CB1 planning application unless the figure is much, much higher.”
The City Council has said that it hopes the CB1 planning application will be decided at the 15th October planning committee meeting. Before that, County Councillors will be given a briefing by Ashwell and County transport officials and Nichola plans to raise this issue at the meeting.
Lib Dems say no to ‘Bendy Buses’ in Cambridge
August 5th, 2008 by Nichola Harrison
Congratulations to the Cambridge Cycling Campaign for spotting that Cambridgeshire County Council has argued in its published response to the CB1 station area planning application that the development should be designed to accommodate articulated bendy buses 18 metres long.
Campaign continues over 20mph limits
August 4th, 2008 by Nichola Harrison
The County Council’s Lib Dems continue to campaign over rules governing the introduction of 20mph limits. As previously reported, Nichola led a challenge against a Council decision not to allow 20mph speed limits to be introduced on roads where the existing average speed is above 20mph. The new rule means that a street with existing average speeds of just 21mph cannot qualify for a 20mph limit.
Quango to determine Cambridge’s transport future
July 5th, 2008 by Nichola HarrisonAll of Cambridge’s Liberal Democrat councillors have expressed fierce opposition to the decision of the Conservative-run County Council to hand a powerful role in deciding Cambridge’s long term transport future to business organisations and special interest groups. The bus company Stagecoach, Marshalls Aerospace, the Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, Addenbrookes hospital and Cambridge University (but apparently not Anglia Ruskin!) have been invited to form a Transport Commission to advise the Council what to do about the congestion charge/transport investment scheme currently under consideration for the city. Read the rest of this entry »
Mill Road safety scheme
July 5th, 2008 by Nichola HarrisonSuccess in securing funding from the County Council for an accident reduction scheme along Mill Rd means that Nichola is pressing County Council officials to make progress with the promised public consultation. She believes that any scheme will succeed only if local residents and businesses are fully involved in the design. Read the rest of this entry »
Mill Road area cycle contraflows
July 5th, 2008 by Nichola Harrison
Positive feedback suggests the new cycling contraflows in Kingston Street, Mawson Road, Covent Garden and Mackenzie Road are popular with local cyclists who want the improved safety and convenience that it brings. The right of two-way cycling in one-way streets has been permitted in many Cambridge streets over many years and has an excellent accident record.
But residents have reported that because the road signs have changed to allow the contra-flow, some vehicles are illegally entering
County Council in high speed crash
June 20th, 2008 by Nichola HarrisonNichola has led a Liberal Democrat challenge against the County Council Cabinet’s recent decision to make it much harder to introduce 20mph speed limits. The Council’s previous policy, in line with national standards, allowed for 20mph limits on streets with existing average vehicle speed of up to 24mph. Under the new policy, existing average speed must be 20mph or less. This means that a road with an average speed of just 21mph will not qualify for a 20mph limit. Other councils are using the 24mph threshold to put 20mph speed limits over wide areas – in
Tenison Road. “Many local communities want 20mph limits because they help save lives” says Nichola. “20% of pedestrians hit at 30mph will die, but the figure reduces to 5% at 20mph. We will continue to campaign against this unfortunate decision.”
Lib Dems warn against transport strategy U-turn
June 20th, 2008 by Nichola HarrisonThe Liberal Democrats at Cambridgeshire County Council have urged the Conservative administration to persevere with its Transport Innovation Fund proposal, at least until the Government have responded in autumn 2008.
We think that the County Council was absolutely right to submit a proposal to the Transport Innovation Fund, because we believe that a transport strategy which includes major investment in innovative public transport schemes together with some form of road pricing is essential for the continued success and prosperity of the Cambridge sub-region.
However we believe that the present scheme requires considerable modification including, but not limited to, an undertaking that all surplus revenue will be applied to improvements in public transport, and incentives for lower emission vehicles. We think that further consideration is needed of the charging structure, and of the ways in which the TIF funding (of up to £500m) could be used to provide radical improvements to the public transport system - for people living within and outside Cambridge.
We are confident that these matters can be satisfactorily addressed in a final scheme. We would be happy to co-operate with the Conservative administration to develop the proposal, with the aim of presenting to Government a well worked out and imaginative scheme which has cross-party support.
We understand that the Government is likely to give its response to the TIF submission in the autumn of 2008. We have strongly urged the Conservative administration of Cambridgeshire County Council to await that response before coming to any decision as to whether to proceed to the next stages of the TIF bid.
If the Conservative administration withdraws its Transport Innovation Fund submission before receiving the Government response, it will get a brief cheer from opponents of congestion charging.
But that will be quickly followed by public realisation that the Conservative administration has no alternative transport strategy, and that it has thrown away a once in a lifetime opportunity to invest £500m of Government money to provide Cambridge and its surroundings with a first class public transport system.
I would be very glad to hear your views on the County Council’s proposed Transport Innovation Fund proposal, including its proposal for a Cambridge congestion charge, or around £4 per day, to operate from 7.30am to 9.30am on weekdays.
