 | Ros Hathorn, 76 Cambridge Road, Impington, Cambridge CB24 9NU Ros.Hathorn@cambridgeshire.gov.uk Tel: 07548 745197 https://hiopcouncillors.org | |
County Council Annual Performance Report
I’ve attached the County Council’s annual performance report. It makes for interesting reading and provides a good summary of the county council’s performance.
See Appendix, Item 8
I queried the statistic that 88% of category 1 and category 2 highways defects are fixed within the stated time frames, and observed that if I was taking that back to my division it simply wouldn’t be credible and would undermine the community’s faith in the council. This has been demonstrated to be an issue locally but has led to a committed programme of local monitoring and improvement.
Local Nature Recovery Plan
Is set to go to consultation for 6 weeks from mid July, it was noted that parish councils with slightly different governance requirements ie meetings in September should be given leeway to submit later. As previously mentioned this is an approach requested by government which could deliver more nature and access to funding.
Local Government Reorganisation
There is a survey, (not in my top ten of classic surveys)
https://can-campaigns.co.uk/local-councils-in-cambridgeshire-and-peterborough-are-changing/
It’s looking like there will be 3 options sent to government from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough across district and unitary council areas;
A: Cambridge City, South Cambs, East Cambs / Hunts, Fenland, Peterborough
B: Cambridge City, South Cambs / East Cambs, Hunts, Fenland, Peterborough
C: Cambridge City, South Cambs, Hunts / East Cambs, Fenland, Peterborough
The survey asks more general questions about local government, although arguably in an extremely confusing manner.
Mayor’s plans and Devolution
In my opinion the big, completely unaddressed issue in local government is the lack of accountability of regional mayors which is only going to get worse as ever more powers are re-directed towards mayors by government. Irrespective of political affiliation the new mayor demonstrates quite what a disastrous policy it is to allow English devolution to operate through a system of mayors. Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland get national parliaments, places which have sufficient scale to attract media attention and scrutiny and require a certain amount of consistency and continuity to function. England gets mayors who get elected, make a load of promises, cancel all the promises of the previous mayor and then get knocked out of office.
Our new mayor Mayor Bristow is lukewarm about bus franchising a programme now set in motion which would be very difficult to reverse, and has made a host of manifesto commitments about things outside his scope such as delivering a fenland reservoir
Alongside this are incoherent political campaigns. Mayor Bristow proposes light rail as a solution to Cambridge’s public transport issues but campaigns against the Cambourne busway corridor being built. How does he propose light rail would access the city from the west, as it would need a public transport corridor? Where would the mayor want an alternative transport corridor to be located if not the Cambourne busway? This is a question Mayor Bristow doesn’t have to answer as there is no money for light rail so he can continue to play politics. East West Rail is currently planned to have no stops between Cambourne and the city, so won’t deliver an effective public transport solution for those on the west of Cambridge.
Pretty much every mayor in our region is guilty of this approach such is the role.
Busway Safety
I voted to proceed with the proposals to install safety fencing along the length of the busway at Highways and Transport committee and to create pontoons to allow cyclists and pedestrians to use the maintenance track when it floods.
I was persuaded of the safety argument for the fencing and have had residents of Histon and Impington confirm their support. That said I had to take the vote blind without a map of the proposed fencing or a specification. It has been agreed that there will be a working group of local councillors involved with the delivery of the fencing but I have heard too many rumours from within the council to be confident that the County Council will listen to local views.
The desire to retain well used busway crossing points and for a design which reduces headlight glare but allows free movement of nature is a priority. Definitive Rights of Way applications have been submitted, there is a to be a question asked at full council and a petition I urge anyone who wants to retain informal crossing points, for example at the orchard, to sign.
https://www.change.org/p/save-access-across-the-busway-for-people-and-nature
Anti social Behaviour and Crime
As reported previously it feels as though we are in a cycle of escalating issues, whilst recognising that South Cambs remains relatively safe. From Histon High Street, with ongoing reports of criminal and anti social behaviour, to Mere Way, police incidents in Orchard Park and ongoing vandalism in Kings Meadow the whole area needs some police focus. I have been working with colleagues to get more attention brought to these issues. This has felt like a struggle as the police are not communicating with partners.
I have created a spreadsheet of the issues by place as there seem to a be a number of different and sometimes overlapping issues all of which need addressing possibly in slightly different ways and I wanted to be certain partners had the full picture. I have circulated this to Communities officers at the county council and to the MPs office. The MP’s office meet regularly with the police and the Police and Crime Commissioner and will raise it there.
A14 Report
A report on lessons learned from the A14 Upgrade came to Highways and Transport committee, amongst other lessons were the importance of councils working together and National Highways refusal to share information or facilitate monitoring of it’s own performance. By coincidence there was also a Guardian article on the nature crisis of the A14 published this weekend.
Climate Score Cards
Cambridgeshire County Council was the second highest scoring County Council nationally and the best performing council in Cambridgeshire with a score of 56% against a national average of 40%.
https://councilclimatescorecards.uk/
Food Waste Volunteers; Chair of RECAP
’Join our mission to educate the community about using their new kitchen caddies! We’re seeking enthusiastic volunteers for our local door-knocking campaign.’ Waste services are looking for volunteers to speak to people about the new weekly food waste collections being rolled out next year.
https://www.recap.co.uk/news/food-waste-volunteers-needed-introducing-simpler-recycling
I am the new chair of RECAP the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough waste partnership. Top of our agenda is making a decision about the future of waste in the context of Local Government Reorganisation. Do we want to continue as a partnership or take a bold step to become a single waste authority for the area of sufficient size to deliver economies of scale, support innovation and invest for the long term in waste management infrastructure. Will the authorities even consider the question? We shall see.
INFORMATION
Report a Highways fault If you see a problem; blocked gully/ drain, pot hole or other Highways issue please report it
Adult care assessment Call centre: 0345 045 5202 8am – 6pm Mon to Fri, 9am – 1pm Sat https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/adults/organising-care-and-support/care-needs-assessment Do get in touch with problems, questions or concerns.
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