Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Herbert, Councillor Thornburrow and Councillor Davey.

Item	Name	Reason
All	Councillor Baigent	Personal: Cam Cycle
All	Councillor A Smith	Personal: Cam Cycle

 

Councillor Bennett highlighted the following amendment to the text on page 4 of the agenda pack:

 

 Item ii:  to add and footpaths after highways.

 

The Committee noted the notes from the meeting held on 24 June 2021.

 

Councillor A Smith informed the Committee that in response to the community engagement question submitted at the last public meeting, she had spoken with representatives from the Cambridge Junction and welcomed Emma Boswood to give an update on the new community project.

 

The Committee were informed of the following:

 

      i.         Cambridge Junction was currently in consultation with six local wards (Coleridge, Cherry Hinton, Petersfield, Romsey, Trumpington and Queen Edith) to discuss with residents’ community engagement.

    ii.         Workshops know as ‘Bakeries’ would be taking place in November and December to examine what projects’ Cambridge Junction could undertake to serve the community.

 

Committee Manger note:

 

 The link to the Bakeries and to sign up is here: https://www.junction.co.uk/bakery-of-slow-ideas

 

The bakery dates are as follows:

·      Sunday 10th October - The Edge Cafe 9:30 - 3:30pm (for Romsey & Petersfield)

·      Thursday 14th October - St Andrew's Church Cherry Hinton 10 - 4pm (for Cherry Hinton)

·      Saturday 16th October - St Philip's Church 10 - 16:30 (for Coleridge)

·      Tuesday 2nd November - Cherry Hinton Baptist Church 10 - 4pm (for Cherry Hinton)

·      Friday 5th November - St Philip's Church 10 - 4pm (for Coleridge)

·      Sunday 7th November - The Edge Cafe 9:30 - 4pm (for Romsey & Petersfield)

 

The Community Engagement and Enforcement Manager introduced the report and advised the fly tipping and environmental health figures shown in the officer’s report were for the period of 2020/21 and not 2021/22.

 

The Community Engagement and Enforcement Manager made the following comments in response to the Committee’s questions:

      i.         Would speak to the Shared Waste Service Team regarding the allocation of sites to deposit small electrical items for recycling; small electrical items could be taken to the community clean-up days which had been planned.

    ii.         Further community clean-up days had been scheduled to take place in approximately in the East during October and November and residents would be notified of the date via delivery of a event flyer. 

   iii.         Noted the comment to thank officers who had worked with those individuals who were magnet fishing.

  iv.         Was not aware of the ‘freelance’ scrap man working in East area. If unlicensed and operating this would be breaking the law. Would make the relevant officers aware to investigate the matter further and take the appropriate action.

    v.         Could not state that having to book an appointment at the tip had created an increase in fly tipping. Due to the pandemic, community clean ups had not been able to take place which may have had an impact. There could been several reasons.

 

Councillor Moore informed those present the City Council was looking to extend the number of recycling points for small electrical items. Mixed recycling was not permitted at some of these sites as they could be deposited in the blue bin.

The Chair of the Committee thanked the Community Engagement and Enforcement Manager for their report and for the hard work of all the officers that had been undertaken since the last report.

 

 

To receive a presentation from representatives on the Greater Cambridge Partnership providing an update on this project and the planned next steps.

 

 

The Chair welcomed Jo Baker (Project Manager) and Isobel Larter (Communications and Engagement Officer) from the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP).

 

The Committee were presented with an update on the Cambridge Eastern Access project which was agreed by the GCP Executive Committee at a meeting on 1^st July; the reports agreed were the strategic outline business case and consultation report.

 

A copy of the Cambridge Eastern Access presentation can be viewed at the following link:

(Public Pack)Cambridge Eastern Access Project Presentation Agenda Supplement for East Area Committee, 16/09/2021 18:30

 

The Committee discussed several issues concerning Newmarket Road, including the problems caused by traffic to McDonald’s with congestion and parking, Elizabeth Way Roundabout, Coldham’s Lane Roundabout Barnwell Road and Cambridge North Station.

 

It was noted there was also a lack of signage for pedestrians and cyclists when reaching certain junctions in and around the city and more information was required.

 

The Project Manager noted the request for signage on the cycle path NC51 (running parallel to Newmarket Road) but lighting on green open spaces was not a commitment that could be made. This would create a light pollution issue on local ecology; but a safe cycle path lit along Newmark Road could be considered.

 

Acknowledged the suggestion there needed to be engagement with external agencies such as the Combined Authority, Cambridgeshire County Council and the rail companies when looking at certain projects.

 

The Committee next discussed the City Access project and while the two projects would align, City Access was to manage the demand for car traffic into the city centre; whilst the Cambridge Eastern Access Project was looking at the radials into Cambridge. The two projects would complement one and other. 

 

After discussing the possibility of number plate readers added to the cost of the modal filters to recognise those vehicles which were registered to disabled users, the Chair thanked both the Project Manager and Communications and Engagement Officer for their attendance.

Q1: Free parking at the Retail Park and Beehive Centre have been cited as major drivers for through traffic in Romsey, bringing pollution, noise, and congestion to our doorstep. Please can you explain the state of planning to reduce this free parking and install more bike racks in its place.

 

A: The land was private and therefore the City Council had no powers to reduce the free parking. If more bike racks were required, this issue could be addressed with officers to highlight with the landowners. When planning permission was granted for retail use and parking, the volume of traffic was very different to what it is today. Improved public transport was required and allocation of bike parking for a variety bikes such as cargo bikes (ACTION Cllr Baigent).

 

Q2: Residents have asked councillors to have Coldham’s Lane added to the Council’s suggested route for HGVs to avoid. This would make a significant difference to residents’ peace. Please can you take this action forward?

 

A: It was suggested that this was a discussion for the City Access Consultation which would be on the agenda for the next East Area Committee in December; this would also be part of the discussion of the East Area Action Plan.

 

Q3: Repair and remedial work near Coldham’s Common Play Area have built up over the lockdown and now need action. Please can you address works to:

a.    Replace the missing upright steel bar on top of the skateboarding slope; children could fall from a height

b.    Repair the bus stop opposite the Common, which has missing planes

c.     Address the illegal advertising with canvas banners on Coldham’s Lane Rail bridge? 

What actions are councillors taking to address these matters, and when do they envisage the works be completed?

 

A: Would speak with officers to investigate the missing steel bar and repair of the bus stop. With regards to the illegal advertising it was agreed that all advertising should be removed, they were oversized and untidy. Due to the limited capacity of the enforcement officers it was difficult to action, but the enforcement team would be contacted on this matter (ACTION Cllr Baigent)

Q4: Progress on the Chisholm Trail has been encouraging for all residents to see. Please can you comment on how the Chisholm Trail is intended to cross Coldham’s Lane, recently described by Cllr Herbert as ‘one of the worst congested roads in Cambridge’?

 

A: The Chisholm Trail crosses Coldham’s lane at the junction with Cromwell Road. Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) have just closed their consultation on an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) in this location.  Should the County Council seek to implement a ETRO in this location then the Trail will continue to use the existing infrastructure as the traffic will be significantly reduced as a result of this measure.  However, if CCC do not implement an ETRO then the Trail proposes to make alterations to the junction of Coldham’s Lane / Cromwell Road to improve safety and the operation of the junction.

 

Committee Manager note: The response above was supplied after the meeting by the Communications and Engagement Officer,

The Greater Cambridge Partnership.

 

Q5: Ainsworth Area Residents Association would like to apply for funding to support the aims of our group to promote community cohesion by actively improving our street scape, by organizing regular community events, having a grant to develop and maintain a website, plus noticeboards and a community book lending library, integrated with planters and electronic car chargers and planters and bug houses and biodiversity to enhance our area.  This weekend we are coming together for a street gathering and want to develop ideas for improving our neighbourhood, plus discuss with our residents who we may match the various requests from the community with the funding opportunities in the City and County that may be available.  Guidance is therefore urgently needed.

 

In first instance we wish to scope funding for AARA for a five year period to support our residents association as we grow to welcome new residents on Ainsworth Street, Court and Place, but also on Hooper St at IronWorks, with online and in person activities and events:

- costs of hosting and creating a website (costs of annual fees to squarespace and godaddy and coaching by site developer for residents to sustain and update website)

- publishing regular newsletters (costs of printing for those not on email, but also hosting chimpmal with GPDR)

- 3 noticeboards for the Ainsworth Area Residents Association with funding also for posters and laminates and a community laminator for window campaigns

 

Residents had spoken to Cllr Mike Davey in past about this type of funding, and two years ago were waiting to hear back about how to make this kind of application. But we have never received a form or format for how to go about making a specific application to the East Area Committee for community funding. If the Committee can answer our question by appointing relevant council officer/s to give AARA guidance for making funding application/s that will be appreciated...

 

We feel we have had a tough time during the construction of the IronWorks development with very high levels of dirt and noise and anti-social behaviour inflicted on us by the site, which although we've complained often about the bad behaviour also of the construction workers abusing our area with excessive littering and spitting and pissing in our neighbourhood and intimidating the elderly, this anti-social behaviour has never been successfully stopped. However, we remain a very friendly neighbourhood and want to retain our identify after we've come together in solidarity to help one another through covid times, and we are distinct from IronWorks and cannot be presumed to be gaining yet from that site as a neighbourhood, rather we want our streetscape and residents to be supported by our area community activities so we can be resilient and more able to welcome all the new residents at IronWorks.

 

We now understand that after a hiatus of waiting for assistance that we need community officers at the Council to be assigned to helping us so that we can have specific direction as to what funding is available and what information is needed so that AARA has support with the logistics of making application/s, and hope that the Cllrs as a body at the East Area Committee can assign help to us so that we can make a successful application/s in order to receive funding to grow and flourish.

 

A:  Details of how to apply for a community grant had been passed to the Ainsworth Resident Association in the summer but to date there had been no application received.  A pilot project was being planned to increase biodiversity in Ainsworth Street, York Street and Gwydir Street to place window boxes on the front of the houses. Community contacts were currently being sought to assist in the implementation of the project. Locations were also being investigated to plant trees as part of the tree canopy project. Work was being planned to improve the biodiversity and greenery of the Petersfield ward.

 

Q6: Re the Cambridge Airport site scheduled for inclusion in the Gtr Cambridge emerging local plan 2030-41, please could I make the case for a new lifelong learning centre on the site with playing fields and opening out onto the open green space/urban country park area.

 

Some of you may have read my blogposts on this and will be aware of the Minister's response to Daniel Zeichner MP  following his query to the Dept for Education on my behalf (see https://cambridgetownowl.com/2021/08/19/ministers-must-approve-the-construction-of-and-funding-for-new-adult-education-colleges/).

 

Given that the Minister has confirmed she has both the legal powers and funding competency to establish such institutions, please could councillors explore with the Mayor Dr Nik Johnson about the possibility of making a funding bid to ministers for such an institution.

 

Given the indicators of multiple deprivation in Abbey Ward, plus the potential accessibility to villages east of Cambridge, I think such a facility could help lift Abbey ward and provide them with a facility that they and the rest of the city will be proud of.

 

This should be a separate institution to a much-needed secondary school in East Cambridge - esp considering the proposed house building figures.

 

A: The Head of Adult Learning (Cambridgeshire County Council) had been contacted to highlight this statement with the relevant officers.  As the City Council were leading on the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Region of Learning Project would encourage this idea to be submitted for the new Greater Cambridge Local Plan which was being developed.

 

Further education was usually supplied from secondary schools and in the evenings. As there was a secondary school proposed on the airport site it may be beneficial to lobby for this to be a dual-purpose site rather than a second further educational site.

It would be beneficial to contact the Combined Authority Mayor Dr Nick Johnson for his views and to investigate further with County Council Officers (ACTION Councillor Bulat)

 

Q7: Having been in touch with my local Cllr Hannah Copley, as I was quite shocked to see people from the council just spraying plants outside my fence last month (no warning, no notice), the same plants my little one was touching and playing with the same morning. Had I not seen the two council employees, I would have left my son playing with dandelions and mauve flowers in the afternoon!! (to say nothing about the sadness to see the wildflowers wither and die and the damages to the wildlife...) Abbey Resident.

 

A: Highways and footpaths were a County Council matter; whilst the City Council had redesigned their programme for dealing with herbicides this was currently being addressed by the County.

City Council officers had recommended a couple of trials take place in specific locations and recommend that Abbey Ward was one of the locations. The Committee also heard that officers had suggested that residents could take over this matter in the long-term future. (ACTION Cllr Shailer)

 

Q8: Burnside Resident Association would like a CCTV camera to be installed in Burnside following three cars being broken into and bicycles stolen over the August Bank holiday weekend.

 

A: It was recommended that this request would be passed on the Anti-Social behaviour Team and the local Police to highlight this problem. (ACTION Cllr Baigent).

 

To receive an update on phase 1 of the Chisholm Trial and a summary on phase 2 of the project.

 

The Chair welcomed Donal Trimble (Lead Project Manager, Greater Cambridge Partnership) who provided an update on phase 1 of the Chisolm Trail.

 

Work had started on Coldham’s Common progressing down Coldham’s Lane to Fen Road and beyond; work should begin on Fen Road in October. 

 

All footpaths down Newmarket Road were now opened and fully operational to the public as was the footpaths on Coldham’s Common with fencing removed this week. The Bridge installation would be completed early October.  Phase 1 was approaching completion with the planned completion at the end of the year (weather permitted), early 2022.

 

Planning work for phase 2, conversations were being held with landowners and stakeholders, access to land owned by Network Rail and other landowners was required for the trail to be completed. The design elements had started to be considered, including improvements to road sections including junctions and how they could be improved. 

 

In response to the Members’ question the Lead Project Manager advised that any future phase 2 development concerning the station was at the pre-construction phase and an update could be provided outside the meeting by the relevant Project Manager.

 

The Chair thanked the Lead Project Officer for their presentation.