Agenda

There are none for this meeting.

There are none for this meeting.

This Council recognises the historic and enduring significance of the Guildhall as the ceremonial and democratic heart of Cambridge, having served as the home of local governance and Civic life for over 800 years.

The Council affirms that, notwithstanding the transition to a Unitary Council, the Guildhall shall continue to hold its rightful status as the principle venue for local democracy and civic ceremonies, reflecting its heritage and ongoing role in public life.

Background:

Morello Place is a social housing area in King’s Hedges (postcode CB4 2ZH), where residents are facing significant financial challenges. Despite being council housing, the residents of Morello Place are required to pay for parking. In contrast, neighbouring council housing areas, such as Hawkins Road, Atkins Close, Wilson Close, and Jackson Road, offer free parking for their residents, even though they share the same postcode. This discrepancy creates an unfair financial burden on Morello Place residents and leads to increased congestion in the surrounding areas.

Issues:

      1.    Financial Strain: Residents of Morello Place are struggling financially, and the requirement to pay for parking adds to their burden. Meanwhile, residents in nearby council housing areas receive free parking, which is fundamentally unfair.

      2.    Increased Congestion: Due to the cost of parking at Morello Place, residents often park in surrounding streets, leading to congestion, blocked driveways, and inconvenience for other road users. This negatively impacts residents’ quality of life and makes the area less pleasant and more congested during peak times.

Motion:

      1.   Review and Amendment of Fees: We propose that the parking fees for Morello Place be aligned with those of nearby council housing areas, ensuring fairness and relieving the financial burden on Morello Place residents.

      2.   Equity in Council Housing: We call for a consistent  parking policy across all council housing areas in Cambridge, ensuring that residents of Morello Place receive the same benefits as their neighbours.

      3.    Immediate Reversal: We request that the Council immediately reverses the current parking policy at Morello Place to eliminate this unfairness and reduce congestion in the surrounding areas.

Conclusion:

This motion aims to promote fairness and improve the quality of life for Morello Place residents and the wider community.

Action Requested:

We urge the Council to consider and vote on this motion at the meeting on 27th November 2025.

Our city centre, like others, continues to experience the impact of both increased online retailing and neighbourhood convenience shopping, yet council NOTES that:

·      Cambridge’s city centre is challenged to meet an unusually wide spectrum of needs, as the core of two universities and a magnet for tourism (both important contributors to our local economy), in addition to its local residents who often feel the last to be considered;

·      There continues to be a strong aspiration for a ‘social crossroads’ where all parts of the community can meet a variety of needs - still including physical shopping, but also access to services, employment, leisure and culture at a scale which is not possible in other locations where there is less easy public or active transport connection;

·      Although our city centre is not suffering from the economic decline experienced by many others elsewhere, it is widely seen by local residents as imbalanced towards the hospitality and tourism sectors, as not providing for some parts of the community and as dominated by chains at the expense of independent businesses;

·      The city council’s current plans for full utilisation of the Guildhall, modernisation of the Corn Exchange and refurbishment of the Market Square leverage the council’s own assets in expressing confidence in a centre that is for all.

Council BELIEVES that:

·      There is an opportunity for the council to use the soft power of its ‘convening’ role for a placemaking initiative beyond the current reach of planning powers, by working with the BID, commercial landlords, the universities, cultural organisations and other public service and transport providers to develop a vision to drive future developments and uses in consultation with the public;

·      Stakeholders have a shared interest in maximising value and pride in a city centre which is balanced, inclusive, vibrant, accessible, clean, safe and efficiently managed  - and this common interest needs to be activated;

·      The basic infrastructure of an inviting high street must be vigilantly protected - including ATMs, banks, Post Office and public toilets – and further developed, considering water fountains, wi-fi, charging points, sympathetic waste collection and reduced highway conflicts;  

·      A new unitary council, by bringing together all responsibilities for the public realm, offers the chance to develop an integrated city centre management team, and that it would be beneficial now to start early stage thinking about how this might be organised;

·      A thriving and inclusive city centre in Cambridge must be complementary to successful neighbourhood centres in existing and new communities in and around the city, which meet equally important needs.

Council therefore CALLS ON the Director of Economy and Place to scope out this wider placemaking project and report back to the appropriate part of the council by summer 2026 on the form it might take, and how it could be initiated in the short run and carried forward into a new unitary council.