QE Lib Dem Blog April 2024
Welcome from your Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners in Queen Edith’s ward and division.
We are sending this newsletter out approximately monthly to help keep you informed of what we’ve been up to and events within Queen Edith’s. Please feel free to forward this message on to anyone who would be interested.
To sign up please visit
www.cambridgelibdems.org.uk/in-your-area/queen-ediths
Please do let us know what you think as we would welcome feedback. To contact us about anything in this newsletter, please email
alex.beckett@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, daniel.lee@cambridge.gov.uk, karenyoung.libdems@gmail.com or
Immy.BlackburnHorgan@cambridge.gov.uk
Best wishes
Alex Beckett - County Councillor Queen Edith’s Division
Imogene Blackburn-Horgan – City Councillor
Daniel Lee - City Councillor
Karen Young - City Councillor
Queen Edith's Councillors
In this edition:
Spotlight on Immy
- Potholes
- Worts Causeway “Online Forum” Evening likely 24/4 - to be confirmed
- Eddeva Park – street naming contact Cllr Immy Blackburn-Horgan
- Councillor Surgeries – return to Food Bank at St James café 4/5/24
- Preserve our verges and biodiversity
Forvie Redevelopment
Private Hire Vehicle – Police and Council Enforcement Action
Illegal parking/verge parking
Pavement parking ban pilot
How our Cambridge City Council is run, is being debated
Sunset Lounge – Cherry Hinton Road/ Rock Road
Nine Wells Update – Highways
Spotlight on Immy
Potholes
Highways is a County responsibility, not the responsibility of a Cambridge City Councillor, but as potholes were so bad in QE Cllr Immy B-H attended the Cambridgeshire Transport Committee to request Queen Edith’s repairs and potholes be prioritised - this has been agreed.
Wort's Causeway
“Online Forum” for residents and interested locals/orgs.
Following failures to communicate closures of roads, signage to impact on fields of scientific importance and other issues - Cllr Alex Beckett and Cllr Immy Blackburn-Horgan have asked UKPN, the Council and Contractors to provide an “Online Forum” where all the issues can be raised in one place with an aim to have one point of contact and for future works to be managed more effectively.
Provisional date evening of 24 th April, once confirmed this will be publicised. Website for information currently ukpowernetworks-cambridgeshire.co.uk
Eddeva Park –
Cllr Immy Blackburn-Horgan is leading the way for residents to have a say in naming roads after notable local people/places and to link with the history of Queen Edith’s Ward at this new development.
Can you help, how can this be achieved? To get involved and have your voice heard, email Immy B-H.
Eddeva Park is a new housing development of 230 homes including 40% affordable homes to meet local demands and needs, there is a provision to provide a community centre which is seen as vital for the success of this new community and the surrounding areas.
Councillor Surgeries – return to Food Bank at St James café 4/5/24
Immy Blackburn-Horgan trialed an outside Cllr Surgery at Wulfsten Way shops whilst the food bank was closed. But fantastic news the food bank aims to be up and running again on Saturday 4th May and the Queen Edith Lib Dem Cllr Surgeries will return to be run there once a month from May.
Preserve our Verges and Biodiversity
Cllr Immy Blackburn-Horgan is working with residents, the Council and volunteers with advice from On the Vege to review how to preserve our verges. This is a serious safety issue to keep pavements accessible, cycle routes clear for school run/workers and leisure. As well as to enable pedestrians including children, buggies, restricted sight, wheelchair users and those with mobility aids to have unobstructed walkways. With some areas looking at creating biodiverse areas to grow their community.
Forvie Site on Cambridge Biomedical Campus next to Addenbrooke’s and Rosie Hospitals
We are still awaiting full Planning Application for this large demolishment and rebuilding of this University of Cambridge site on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus
A full planning application to demolish and rebuild the West Forvie building was expected in March, with outline plans also expected for the wider phased redevelopment, this is still awaited.
Subject to planning approval, the two-storey West Forvie building would be demolished first and replaced with a four-storey building housing the new research centre. This on a site that overlooks on one side housing of 2 storeys.
Two other buildings for scientific research would also be constructed and a “landscape-led approach” taken for the site, keeping as many of the existing trees as possible, planners said.
The number of car parking spaces would be reduced.
Cllr Katie Thornburrow (Lab, Petersfield) urged the developers to make sure the drainage was “over designed”.
She noted there had been issues with the drainage at a nearby residential development, with heavy soils in the area. And she added that the design parameters for sustainable drainage systems were “not keeping up with what we are finding with heavy rains and storms”.
Cllr Katie Porrer (Lib Dem, Market) was concerned that a four-storey building would replace one around two storeys tall.
Cllr Simon Smith (Lab, Castle) asked how the planners proposed to manage the future transport impacts of people travelling to and from the site, suggesting that the Biomedical campus was “pretty much at capacity”.
The planners said they would ensure that was addressed when the planning application is submitted.
South Cambridgeshire Private Hire Vehicle Enforcement Action
South Cambridgeshire Council issue Private Hire Vehicle Licences with many of the vehicles operating in Cambridge. South Cambs DC-licensed vehicles have a yellow licence plate (with blue crest) on the rear as well as yellow semi-circular licence stickers on the rear of both sides of the vehicle. Drivers of those vehicles should be reported to taxis@scambs.gov.uk
Following a number of years of complaints of illegal parking, blocking pavements and drives, damaging verges by Private Hire Vehicles in Queen Edith’s, the Council is now in the process of finalising plans for a joint enforcement campaign with the Police in the coming weeks. Queen Edith’s Ward and specifically the areas surrounding the Cambridge University Hospitals and Cambridge Biomedical Campus will be included in their plans.
The QE Cllr team would like to see the small business person supported and the introduction of dedicated taxi and PHV ranks provided on the hospital sites as they have a taxi phone for patients and use 2 firms for patient transport.
South Cambridgeshire Council say their licensed Private Hire Vehicles can be issued penalty points against the drivers if they have the evidence to prove there is an offence. Where 12 points are received over a 2-year rolling period, the driver will be referred to the Council’s Licensing Panel.
South Cambridgeshire Council request residents provide photographic evidence of any breaches that shows a vehicle on the yellow line(s), to include the vehicle registration and licence plate, and they give the location, date and time and forward to their Licensing Department at licensing@scambs.gov.uk
Cambridge City Council Private Hire Vehicle Enforcement
Private hire vehicles licensed by the city council have green licence plates on the front and back with a four-digit licence number.
The Council will report the issues to the Taxi Trade Forum as well as the forthcoming edition of the Taxi Newsletter to request drivers only park where it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Residents asked for taxi ranks be provided on the hospital site to address the dangers on Queen Edith's streets – This matter was raised by the Council with a member of the senior management team at CUH in 2021 following complaints raised. The response received was that although the proposal would be considered, it was unlikely that there could be provision granted for a rank/area for the exclusive use of taxis/private hire vehicles on the campus.
The Council will approach the CUH again, to raise the issue with them.
If the Council receives complaints regarding city council licensed drivers parked in contravention of traffic regulations, then they can be referred to our disciplinary procedures. Where the vehicle is licensed by Cambridge City Council then residents can report the vehicle with photographs of the vehicle, taxi license number and showing it parked illegally to: taxi@cambridge.gov.uk
South Cambs & Cambridge City Council for immediate response and enforcement action contact Parking Control
Tel: 01223 727915 or Email parkingcontrol@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
ILLEGAL PARKING/VERGE PARKING
Cambridge University Hospital supports Queen Edith’s Residents by Bulletins to staff. Below is an extract.
Kind – please respect our neighbours and the local area
1/ Staff are reminded to please respect our neighbours and the local area by not parking inappropriately along roads adjoining the hospital; this is a particular issue along Worts Causeway where parked cars are hampering the ongoing works.
In addition, the local residential streets have double yellow lines and should not be used by vehicles (including taxis) for parking or for dropping off at the hospital, or waiting for people to leave the hospital site.
2/ Parking enforcement measures
CUH has implemented enhanced parking enforcement measures, with immediate effect. Illegally parked cars around the site will now be ticketed. Please ensure compliance to avoid receiving a ticket.
3/ Staff are reminded to please respect our neighbours by not loitering, smoking or littering in residential areas adjoining the hospital. This remains a particular issue in the vicinity of Red Cross Lane, Greenlands and Stansgate Avenue. In addition, these residential streets should not be used by vehicles (including taxis) for parking, dropping off at the hospital or waiting for people to leave the hospital site.
Those wishing to take breaks outside should use the on-site facilities and we ask that staff who wish to smoke please use the designated smoking shelter, rather than standing or sitting on pavements in residential streets.
Thank you. #Kind
PAVEMENT PARKING BAN PILOT
A ban on pavement parking could be trialled in parts of Cambridge after councillors agreed to develop a pilot scheme.
Any restrictions would be subject to traffic regulation orders (TROs), with the trial starting in Cambridge before a decision is made about whether it could be rolled out elsewhere. Areas where concerns have been raised to the county council about pavement and verge parking include the roads around the Cledara Abbey Stadium and those in Queen Edith’s near Netherhall School and in Gunhild Way, near Queen Emma School.
But it will be up to the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) to develop and fund the pilot after councillors agreed to task them with the work.
Cambridgeshire/Cambridge Parking Enforcement ask you email photos/requests or call them to deal with illegal parking. This is the number/email to contact for immediate response and enforcement action:
Tel: 01223 727915 Email parkingcontrol@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
HOW OUR CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL IS RUN IS BEING DEBATED
A plan to end decision-making in multi-party committees and replace them with a one-party ‘cabinet' is being explored by the majority Labour group on Cambridge City Council.
Opposing this change and calling for a more cross-party alternative is one of three main priority areas in the Liberal Democrats’ election platform: https://www.cambridgelibdems.org.uk/election-platform-2024
Lib Dem group leader Cllr Tim Bick, has discussed in the Cambridge Independent how this may mean an end to cross-party debate and discussion before decisions, which has been the positive pattern at the city council. The plans takes away an equality of voice between individual councillors, which is important even when there is one side with a majority. Scrapping all this is a fundamental change which needs to be discussed with the public. This election is an opportunity to have your say on this issue.
“We think decisions are stronger for being challenged and tested in debate. Without it, people won’t see their point of view in the mix at the table. That might be considered a serious loss of representative, which needs resolution. Discussions between people who all agree with each other does not create debate, people with different points of view are a good idea in a thriving democracy."
SUNSET LOUNGE – CHERRY HINTON ROAD/ROCK ROAD
EN/00388/23.
A Planning Enforcement Notice was served on 17/01/2024. The notice requires the use as a Shisha Lounge to cease and the unauthorised rear extensions to be removed. The notice is subject to an appeal. Pending the outcome of the appeal no further planning enforcement action is possible. Enforcement appeals are currently taking 12 to 18 months to decide.
NINEWELLS UPDATE - HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORT
Knightly Avenue, Cambridge has not been adopted by Cambridgeshire County Council and is not owned or maintained by Cambridgeshire Highways. When a developer creates a new housing development, it is their choice if and when they put in an application for the highway to be adopted.
You can see further information regarding adoptions of highways using this link -