QE Newsletter August 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
Queen Edith's Councillors
Alex Beckett - County Councillor Queen Edith’s Division
Imogene Blackburn-Horgan – City Councillor
Daniel Lee - City Councillor
Karen Young - City Councillor
In this edition:
Councillor Surgeries
Consultations
- Cambridge 20mph
- Creating meeting spaces along Wulfstan Way
- County Council Active Travel Road Hierarchy
- Mill Road
Survey - Future structure of local government in Cambridge
Nightingale Pavilion Summer Event and Formal Opening – 20th August 10am – 2pm
Biomedical Campus
Never bin batteries – 7 fires in refuse lorries in 2024
Grants to support the community
Bio-diversity – Grow your community
Joy’s Garden
Gardening and Weeds in Nightingale Rec
Sunset Lounge
Speed watch
Wellcome Genome Campus Tour
Anti-social behaviour
Councillor Surgeries
These usually take place on the first Saturday of the month. However, as an exception the next Councillor surgery is on Saturday 31 August as we are all away on the normal day. It is at 10-12 St James, Wulfstan Way at the Food Hub café. A councillor will be there to chat about an issue or question you may have. There is no need for an appointment.
Consultations
We want to make you aware of several consultations that you might want to take part in:
- Cambridge 20mph
As part of the Transforming Cities programme, the Combined Authority and County Council prioritised delivery of county-wide speed reduction measures including the implementation of 20mph speed limits in several towns across Cambridgeshire. As part of this programme, they are seeking to extend the current 20mph speed limits in Cambridge.
The County Council will be launching a survey on Wednesday 14 August, closing on Wednesday 25 September, to seek views on the proposed roads to be included within the extended 20mph speed limit.
Extending the number of 20mph roads within Cambridge city centre will reduce speeds, improve levels of road safety, and encourage walking and cycling as day-to-day forms of travel. Walking and cycling can make a very positive contribution to improving health and tackling obesity, improving accessibility, tackling congestion, reducing carbon emissions and improving the local environment.
Due to the number of roads already 20mph within the city, the survey will focus on those roads proposed to be included within the extended area. This includes 6 roads (or sections of roads) and Orchard Park (all roads) in the north area, 10 roads (or sections of roads) plus Eland Way (all roads) and Fulbourn Old Drift (all roads) to the east, 10 roads (or sections of roads) and Trumpington Meadows to the south, and 7 roads (or sections of roads) to the West. A full list of roads is provided in the survey.
Route selection and Councillor involvement
The proposed extension of 20mph zones in Cambridge was included as part of the Countywide speed reduction programme under the Transforming Cities Fund – agreed by the County Council’s Highways and Transport Committee in December 2022.
Consideration was given to the suitability of roads for a 20mph limit including physical features of roads, smaller 20mph applications made to the County Council, and discussions with local County Council members.
When was decision taken to consult?
This is not a formal/statutory consultation. The survey seeks views on the proposed roads, and their potential inclusion within any future Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) application will be considered following the survey.
The approach aligns with the government’s updated guidance on Setting Local Speed Limits in March this year.
Enforcement of 20mph
Enforcement of the 20mph will continue as for the existing 20mph areas currently in operation in the city and we will liaise with Cambridgeshire police on this, who will also be consulted as part of the formal TRO process. Schemes are selected and designed to be self-enforcing.
Fit with GCP plans
At a headline level, the initiative we are consulting on aligns with the overarching ambitions of the Greater Cambridge Partnership, to support safe and sustainable travel in greater Cambridge.
20mph restrictions can make streets safer by reducing speeds and enabling a more equitable use of the road space for all users (vulnerable road users, sustainable transport, businesses, and car users), and encourage residents to walk or cycle by reducing speeds.
The online survey will be available at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/Cambridge20mph. Details of the survey will also be available in local libraries and community hubs across the city.
- Creating meeting spaces along Wulfstan Way.
The Council were seeking feedback on proposals to install two or three benches along Wulfstan Way and the results have now come in with a preference for sites 3, 5 and 6.
These installations are proposed with the intention of:
- improving the local environment
- improving access to local facilities
- creating resting and meeting places in the local community
- See weblink for more information and how to engage if you did not have a chance to complete the survey
https://engage.cambridge.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/creating-meeting-spaces-along-wulfstan-way
- County Council Active Travel Road Hierarchy
This will support the county council in prioritising maintenance standards for active travel routes.
https://consultcambs.uk.engagementhq.com/active-travel-hierarchy
3. Mill Road
The County Council has decided to restart the process for the Mill Road Closure and has announced a new consultation. Please have your say. The link is here: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/transport-projects/cycling-pedestrian-improvements/mill-road-bridge-tro
Survey - Future structure of local government in Cambridge
This is asking residents views of how local government should be structured to make it more cohesive e.g. perhaps a new unitary council.
More information can also be found at the Cambs Unitaries Campaign here: https://www.cambsunitaries.org.uk/
Nightingale Pavilion Summer Event and Formal Opening
The Deputy Mayor was there to formally open the Pavilion together with QECF Pat Fletcher. Past Lib Dem Councillors were also there, including Amanda Taylor and George Pippas who were instrumental in starting the process and raising funding. It has been an extremely long time in the making and we are delighted that it is finally here.
There were lots of activities for all ages and the pavilion was open to showcase some of them.
As part of her Neighbourhood Watch work, Immy organised the Neighbourhood Police Team for a free bike marking session from 10-12.
Biomedical Campus
Karen and Dan attended a Councillors Forum for the Biomedical Campus where they learned about the plans for the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital which will bring together clinicians and scientists in cancer research. Planning permission has been granted and they are now in the Technical Design RIBA stage 4. Final plans and permission to proceed are expected in 2025. At the next meeting we have requested that the expansion plans be presented. If you have any questions or concerns please do get in touch.
Never bin batteries – 7 fires in refuse lorries in 2024
Please never bin batteries or electrical gadgets. These are becoming more common as we buy and throw away more electronic items containing batteries, including vapes, e-cigarettes, mobile phones and e-bike battery packs.
Hidden batteries inside electricals can spark dangerous fires when crushed in bin lorries and recycling centres. Lithium-ion battery fires are particularly challenging to tackle, endangering bin crews, firefighters and local residents. Smoke and fumes can affect neighbouring areas and communities for up to a week.
Grants to support the community
Three grant funds have been launched by the City Council and charity, community and voluntary groups are being encouraged to apply now. The deadline to apply is midday on 18 September 2024. The council is running a number of information sessions to support groups with their applications. We are also very willing to help, so get in touch if you have an organisation that would like to apply. Here is a link with more information: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/news/2024/08/01/charity-community-and-volunteer-groups-can-apply-now-for-funding-to-support-community-projects
Bio-diversity – Grow your community
These are small pilot community led projects to develop biodiversity led by locals in their streets. To date we have patches: on 3 Wulfstan way, 1 Gunhild Close, 1 Beaumont Road/Almoners Avenue and 1 Greenlands- to support Cambridge City Council Biodiversity Strategy. If you would like to do something similar on your road, please get in touch.
Joy’s Garden
Due to the quick actions of local residents, anti social behaviours including breaking down perimeter fencing at Joys Garden was stopped in its tracks. Immy worked with the Neighbourhood Police, Council, It Takes a City, contractors and residents to secure the site and provide locals with contact numbers for the team managing Joys Garden.
Nightingale Community Garden
The Nightingale Community Garden has become the central spot to escape the noise and bustle of our busy lives. To both manage the space and to respond to unfortunate actions of a small number of people, more volunteers are required both ad hoc and on a regular basis. If you are interested please get in touch with the Committee who are all locals volunteering their time for free with an aim to keep the community garden open. No skills or set commitment are needed just a little time and your enthusiasm
Immy, as a Council SOS volunteer contributed to a weed removal session outside the Community Pavilion earlier in the year and as you can see they are back bigger than before. Karen has reported these to the Council who are looking at longer term solutions.
Sunset Lounge
We recognise the concerns raised by residents following the recent police raid on Sunset Lounge. Councillors have been informed there is a multi agency response in place who will be responsible for addressing issues arising at this premises. If you have any concerns please do get in touch.
Speed watch
We have received 2 requests to review speeding on Cavendish and Gunhild which the Speed Watch group will be dealing with. This is a police approved scheme to monitor and feed back to the Neighbourhood Police team roads with confirmed evidence of speeding. It was started in QE Ward by a small group of volunteer residents. The local group would love to carry out more sessions, but more volunteers are needed. The commitment is only few hours once every 2-3 months. Please get in touch if you are interested.
Wellcome Genome Campus Tour
If you are a community group and would like to see something of what goes on there, they are offering tours in September. For more details see https://www.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/project/community-group-visits-to-the-wellcome-genome-campus/?dm_i=6Y2D,PL2I,SIRXY,3EI95,1
Anti-social behaviour
Many thanks to all of you who have been reporting anti-social behaviour in Queen Edith's. The Neighbourhood Police team say this Intel is vital and wish to thank you for taking the time to do this. Please continue reporting any incidents as nothing can happen if we don’t know about them. You can report them here www.cambridge.gov.uk/report-antisocial-behaviour
Any welfare concerns should be reported directly to Social Services: