Superfast broadband project gets go ahead for Cambridgeshire – updated
Almost every home and business in Cambridgeshire could have superfast broadband within four years after a £70 million project was given the green light. It is hoped delivering a high-speed connection of 25 megabits a second or more to at least 90 per cent of properties will attract new businesses and create extra jobs. The county council will contribute up to £20 million and members of its cabinet approved borrowing to fund the initial outlay today.
Leader Cllr Nick Clarke said: "Superfast broadband is taken as the norm in many countries now and if we wish to compete not with Durham, Cornwall and Wales, if we want to compete on the world stage, it’s essential. We wouldn’t expect communities and businesses to start up without electricity or roads or water.
As part of the project, every address in the county should have a connection of two megabits a second or faster.
He added, “If we can help to create an even more vibrant economy we can spread the brand of Cambridge across Cambridgeshire. Then people will be much more likely to be able to find jobs and look after themselves rather than relying on the state, and that has a benefit for everyone in Cambridgeshire."
The project will be a partnership with the private sector, which is expected to contribute £50 million. The council hopes to secure £8 million from the Government, leaving it with a £12 million bill, but members said they were prepared to make up the difference if the central funding does not materialise.
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: “The benefits of the project would be huge, including allowing families in remote villages to use internet shopping rather than travel to high streets, and enabling the ill and elderly to remain in their homes and have their wellbeing monitored in their homes by new "telehealth" technologies”.
He added, “Speedy connections would help students too – citing evidence that children who do not have broadband access at home will have lower earning power and will create increased social costs".
Bus pass renewal improvements help you sit back and ride
A new way to renew the free concessionary bus pass scheme is due to start from next month. To improve the system and reduce the delay in renewals, Cambridgeshire County Council will be writing to bus pass holders to ensure renewals are staggered for this and future years.
From September 2011 Cambridgeshire County Council will start contacting people whose passes expire in 2012, either by post or email, inviting them to re-apply. This will result in bus pass renewals being automatically staggered, making it far quicker and simpler for people to renew their passes. The renewal process has been made even easier for pass holders. Most of those eligible for bus passes will be able to renew on line, simply following a link sent in the e-mail or by signing and completing the confirmation slip at the bottom of the renewal letter.
Pass holders will be contacted anytime from September 2011 to one month before the pass expires. If people are having difficulties they will be able to call the Council to ask for advice. National changes to the scheme has meant County Councils, including Cambridgeshire, have taken over the running of the scheme, seeing for the first time the data of thousands of pass holders co-ordinated in one place. Passes, which provide free bus travel at certain times for people aged 60 or with specific disabilities, are generally renewed every five years.
In the past District Councils looked after the scheme and renewals would be handled by them at the same time, duplicating work and resources.
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: "For the first time concessionary bus passes are being co-ordinated by one Council instead of five. We want to make renewing them as easy as possible. By staggering renewal dates rather than them coming in at the same time, as they do now, we will make sure the whole process is handled efficiently and pass holders will get a better service. We want to reassure people there is no need to do anything until they are contacted and then they can either fill in the form online or just complete the slip on the letter we send. Cambridgeshire County Council is committed to making things easier for residents, especially those who are the most vulnerable and where we can streamline processes we will."
A new station could be built in Chesterton
Transport minister Theresa Villiers backed the project on a visit to Cambridge. She was told the county council was now prepared to borrow money to cover the cost of the £21 million scheme, providing repayment of this by train operators was written into the next franchise for the line between the city and King’s Cross.
Mrs Villiers said she would "certainly consider" this on presentation of a positive business case. It is hoped approval in principle could be forthcoming within months. This would clear the way for the station to be operational in time for the new contract in 2013/14, or shortly afterwards.
Following a Shire Hall summit, Mrs Villiers said she was "very impressed" by the plans. She said: "They’ve made a very good pitch for it and I can see that potentially there could be really significant benefits for the economy and jobs in an area which is already very important in terms of technology, innovation and economic growth.
"I think we had a really constructive discussion about how we can make progress on this." It is thought 2,800 passengers would use a station at Chesterton sidings daily, generating £10 million of ticket revenue annually – figures Mrs Villiers described as "very impressive".
County council leader Cllr Nick Clarke said he would be "pressing hard" for this to happen. He said: "Once we’ve got that indication we set off with prudential borrowing and start getting on and building the station. I would like to see it ready for the new franchise. We hope the green light could come within "months" and described the station as a "win win" for residents and businesses, who would be able to access fast rail travel to London without travelling into the middle of Cambridge.
Cambridgeshire’s NESTA egg could help hatch transport plans in UK – updated
A ground breaking initiative to create a community transport scheme in Cambridgeshire could help transform public services across the UK. The County Council led project – Cambridgeshire Future Transport – is one of only 17 successful initiatives out of 137 bids made by councils in England and Wales to the Creative Councils programme.
Cambridgeshire Future Transport will receive practical help from NESTA (National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts) and the Local Government Group to develop and implement its ideas which can then be applied across local government. The County Council is working with the NHS using combined funding of around £34 million to find better local transport solutions. This includes the creation of micro-franchise businesses to meet local transport needs and create employment.
Around £34 million is currently spent each year by local authorities and health services on transport in Cambridgeshire. Initially, the 17 shortlisted councils will receive practical support to develop their idea with experts in innovation in local government. These 17 councils will also have the opportunity to access financial and non-financial support over the next six months, as projects develop. In early 2012, the 17 will be reduced to just five councils which will receive significant financial and non-financial support to put their ideas into practice, including supporting their take up in other areas.
Councillor Ian Bates said: “We have a vision where local communities and social entrepreneurs play the lead role in designing local transport services, and joining up budgets across the county. Not only will it drive forward innovation and enterprise but more importantly create truly local solutions to transport problems.
All local authorities are facing the challenge of providing local transport with less money and it is only by transforming the way we think will public services be able to help our communities. It is pleasing that Cambridgeshire has been recognised nationally for facing that challenge head on.”
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: “This is fantastic news and is a strong endorsement for our transformational approach to local transport services. NESTA is the UK’s foremost expert on how innovation can solve social and economic challenges. We need to move toward a more sustainable model for delivering public transport moving away from high levels of subsidy. This approach will be of interest to many councils. The methods and innovative models of working that we are proposing will be highly replicable in other areas.”
Housing developments
The County Council’s Research and Monitoring team are pleased to announce the publication of housing development Statistics following the annual development survey at 31 March2011. Key findings from the latest survey are highlighted in the summary report that can be downloaded from the public section of the County website and include:
- The number of dwellings completed has shown a slight increase on previous years with 2,513 completions during 2010-2011.
- The number of new dwellings that started on site in 2010-2011 was 2,746, still comparatively low but an increase on previous two years.
- Of all the dwellings completed, 29.1% were affordable, a slight decrease on the previous year’s performance.
Pupils join MPs in fairer funding campaign
Pupils from Cambridgeshire schools will meet MPs in London in a bid to secure more funding for the county's schools. Cambridgeshire receives less Government cash per pupil than any other county in the eastern region. It receives just £4,644 per pupil, compared with £4,816 for Essex and £5,169 for Peterborough. Neighbouring counties such as Lincolnshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Suffolk all receive more money than Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is ranked 143rd out of 151 local authorities for funding - down from 132nd last year. Peterborough is the 55th best-funded authority in the country. Outcomes for students are falling in several areas, especially for those needing additional support. If Cambridgeshire was funded at the national average of £5,082 per pupil, this would mean nearly £35m more for Cambridgeshire's schools - or an extra £441 per pupil.
The pupils - from Chesterton Village College, Bottisham Village College, Milton Road Primary School and Swaffham Bulbeck Primary School - will join a delegation from the Cambridgeshire Schools Forum for the visit to London on Monday 12 September. The Cambridgeshire Schools Forum - chaired by Bottisham Village College Chair of Governors Philip Hodgson - is leading the campaign to secure a fairer funding deal for Cambridgeshire, supported by Cambridgeshire County Council and the region's MPs.
Cambridgeshire's six MPs have already written a joint letter to Education Secretary Michael Gove, calling for an end to the current funding system and a fairer method of distributing money to schools.
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: "It is clearly unfair that Cambridgeshire receives so much less than other authorities. It is the pupils themselves who lose out. Headteachers have said how much more could be provided for each pupil with funding levels at the national average - more teachers, improved resources, greater and earlier intervention for students in need, and additional provision for sport, music and drama, resulting in better outcomes for all our students. "This inequality in funding has gone on for too long. It needs to be addressed now. I am delighted that our MPs have joined forces in taking Cambridgeshire's campaign to the highest level, and I hope the Secretary of State will give our schools the funding they need and deserve.
County's MPs join fight for fairer school funding – Cambridge News report.
A14 progress report
Following the withdrawal of the A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton scheme, the Department for Transport (DfT) has now formally cancelled the scheme. The DfT is working with local partners in undertaking an A14 Route Study to identify cost effective and practical proposals which bring benefits and relieve congestion. It is expected that the work done to date on the cancelled scheme will be useful in informing this new study. The first Steering Group Meeting for the Route Study took place on 5 July and included representatives from councils in Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Suffolk.
The A14 Route Study is likely to have two work streams:
- Challenges and interventions directly associated with the A14 and its immediate surrounds in the core study area (Ellington to Fen Ditton). This will include roads and developments a few miles either side of the A14.
- Challenges and interventions associated with the potential to mode shift long distance freight which currently uses the A14 across the wider study area, and associated with routing rail freight from the Haven Ports to the Midlands or North via London.
Suspended sentance for selling countereit goods
A market trader caught selling fake designer handbags and other accessories has been given a suspended prison sentence. Harinder Singh, 45, of Hounslow in Middlesex, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Cambridge Magistrates Court to six specimen charges of selling counterfeit goods. Cambridgeshire County Councils Trading Standards Service brought the prosecution following the offences at a Bank Holiday market at Bourn in May 2010.
Mr Singh was sentenced to 11 months jail on each of the charges to run concurrently and suspended for two years when he appeared at Cambridge Crown Court. He was also made subject to a Prohibited Activities Order which prevents him from selling clothing or accessories for five years. A night time curfew was also imposed.
Mr Singh had previously been prosecuted by other Trading Standards Services for similar offences and was told by Judge Gareth Hawkesworth that this was his last chance and warned him that if he appeared before any Court for selling fakes in the future he would go to prison.
Local county Councllor John Reynolds, said: There are a substantial number of individuals and gangs involved in this type of activity, some of whom have links to organised crime, who undermine legitimate business. It is important that we strive to protect local businesses as well as reducing the number of counterfeit goods sold, many of which are substandard or even dangerous to consumers.
New tip raises the roof
A special ceremony was held recently to celebrate the building of Cambridgeshire's newest, state of the art recycling centre. The topping-out event was held at Witchford Recycling Centre to mark the installation of an innovative green roof on the new building which will replace the old open air site at nearby Grunty Fen.
The new recycling centre, which opens in November, will be indoor and split-level which means residents won't need to climb steps to recycle. The topping out - a symbolic ceremony to demonstrate that the building is watertight.
Local County Councilor John Reynolds, said: "The topping out ceremony marks a major milestone in this innovative construction project.”
“This project is a great example of what can be achieved when the council, the local community and private businesses work together to deliver a much needed facility."
The new recycling centre is being built by Cambridgeshire County Council as part of their ongoing efforts to provide excellent recycling facilities for local communities.
The building has already created employment for local people during its construction and is being built to help increase recycling and reduce waste going to landfill.
BUSWAY NEWS
Work begins on final section of Busway cycle link
Cyclists, horse-riders and pedestrians are being advised that work to raise sections of the path next to The Busway between Swavesey and St Ives begain in August. Signs have been put in place at entrances to the route to give advance warning of the closure and a diversion route will be via local villages on the national cycle network.
Raising the level of sections of the path will stop rain water collecting and flooding it. The cost of the work has been deducted from former contractors as they built sections of the path at too low a level. Once the path has been raised a top-notch blacktop surface will be added to complete the 16 mile cycling superhighway.
No access is permitted to the closed section of the path until the works are complete and Council bosses are warning residents that it is ill advised to walk or cycle on the guideway as buses are now running at least every ten minutes.
Ian Bates, Cambridgeshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Growth and Planning, said: A lot of work has been carried out with the Environment Agency to get our plans to this stage and it is great news that the work to raise the level of the cycleway can now get underway. The Busway is a great asset for Cambridgeshire and it is fantastic news that cyclists, walkers and horse-riders will have such a high quality path to enjoy. Once complete the route will have a top-notch surface, but please use your common sense while the work is being carried out as it is very unwise to walk or cycle on the guideway. The closure will begin after the bank holiday weekend to make sure people can make the most of the three day weekend."
Busway as operators confirm extra services
Bus operator bosses have confirmed they have increased the number of buses running on The Busway as demand for the new link is so high.
Extra buses have been on standby since the route opening on Sunday 7 August to cope with demand and duplicate buses have been deployed on the 16-mile track during busy periods. However, bus operators have now made extra services a fixture on the timetables.
The number of Sunday services has steadily increased and from Sunday, 4 September they were upped again with Stagecoach running buses every 20 minutes between St Ives and Cambridge, with one bus an hour by Whippet. This doubles the number of buses originally planned. An hourly Stagecoach Busway service will continue to run to Huntingdon on Sundays.
More improvements also came into effect from Monday 5 September as Stagecoach added more peak time buses to help cope with extra demand from colleges such as Cambridge Regional College.
During the first seven days of the route connecting Huntingdon, St Ives and Cambridge opening to passengers, bus operators saw a total of 55,895 trips being made. Council and bus operator bosses have said it will take a number of months before the real benefits of The Busway can be assessed as hundreds of extra commuters will begin using the route after their summer breaks.
As expected, bus operators have seen large numbers of people using the route into Cambridge, but businesses in the market towns of St Ives and Huntingdon have also been boosted by the number of people travelling out from Cambridge.
Local County Councillor John Reynolds, said: "The Busway is being well used, more seats are needed to cope with demand, and operators are taking immediate action. This is great news. As the holiday season ends and we move towards Christmas I expect to see even more people using The Busway as it offers a fantastic service. The improvements now will help make the system more reliable which we believe is key to getting people out of their cars and onto buses."
"The summer holiday period is generally a little quieter on local bus services, but due to the demand in the holiday season we have taken swift action to add services at busy times. We will continue to assess how the service is running as we strive to make sure the route provides a premium service.
"We are very pleased with the number of passengers using the route and are glad to be able to increase the number of buses we are running. There is no doubt that The Busway will become a more and more attractive option for people as the summer holidays end and queues begin to build again on the A14."
Busway services run seven days a week – from Monday to Saturday, 7am to 7pm there are buses running between St Ives and Cambridge at least every 10 minutes with extra services at peak times. Services to Huntingdon run every 20 minutes with an hourly evening service running until midnight.
The Busway includes two new Park & Ride sites at St Ives and Longstanton with spaces for hundreds of cars and covered cycle parking. The shorter southern section connects Cambridge Railway Station, Addenbrooke's Hospital and Trumpington Park & Ride with a completely traffic-free link.
For more information on routes and timetables please visit www.thebusway.info.
Contact John Reynolds
County Councillor John Reynolds
4 Holly Trees
Bar Hill
Cambridge
CB23 8SF
T 01954 200 571
F 01954 200 571
M 07720 379699
E john.reynolds@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
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