Sam Barker selected for Coleridge

Congratulations to local resident Sam Barker on being selected by Conservatives in Coleridge ward as their candidate for the city council elections on Thursday 3 May 2012!

I have worked closely with Sam on various campaigns from post offices to parking. Sam is very skilled and experienced at getting to the bottom of obfuscated public policy issues. I can thoroughly recommend Sam as someone who would be a common sense representative able to cut through the layers of council and government bureaucracy.

Sam lives and works locally and is a regular worshipper at Holy Trinity Church.

And a big thank you from me to everyone who helped or supported my campaigns as a candidate in Coleridge in recent elections.

East Area Committee

The city council's East Area Committee (covering Coleridge ward) meets again tomorrow, Thursday 9 February at 7pm at the Cherry Trees Day Centre. All members of the public are invited to attend and ask questions.

I definitely recommend going and contributing for anyone who wants to see action on anything in particular, but watch out, it is likely to go on a bit as councillors do like the sound of their own voices and some get very confused, often...

There's even an opportunity to volunteer to help run the Cambridge Half Marathon. (But see the Big Society running event!)

The agenda is:

• 1. Cambridge Half Marathon
• 2. Tree Planting on Parks and Open Space
• 3. Apologies For Absence
• 4. Declarations Of Interest
• 5. To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2012.
• 6. Matters & Actions Arising From The Minutes
• 7. OPEN FORUM
• 8. Cambridgeshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team - New Drug Treatment Service Provider
• 9. Tree Planting on Parks and Open Space
• 10. Environmental Improvement Programme
• 11. Information Report - Results of Consultation for Proposed Loading Bay at 103 Mill Road
• 12. Alternative Future Arrangements for East Area Committee meetings
• 13. East Area Capital Grants Programme - Application and Project Appraisal for St. Philips Church, Mill Road
• 14. Planning Applications
• 14a. 11/1321/FUL: 129 - 131 Vinery Road, Cambridge
• 14b. 11/1432/FUL: 13-14 Mercers Row
• 14c. Land formerly known as the rear of 7 – 9 Mill Road, Cambridge, now 1a Willis Road, Cambridge

New Mosque: Public Exhibition

I have just received details of a public exhibition for the planned new mosque on Mill Road:

There will be a public exhibition of pre-planning application proposals for the new Mosque building. Please join us to view the detailed plans, learn more about the project and ask project leaders any questions you may have.

The exhibition will take place on Wednesday 7th September, 2011 from 2pm to 8pm at Ross Street Community Centre.

Click Here for more information and to download the exhibition leaflet.

East Area Committee today

It's the first meeting of the East Area Committee since the local elections tonight, 7pm at the Cherry Trees Day Centre. The Labour party will back with a majority on the committee after defeating Raj Shah in May in Romsey Ward. It'll be interesting to see if his replacement is any more effective.

The agenda is online. There are three planning applications affecting Coleridge: a proposal to convert some retail space at Adkins Corner into residential space, a proposal to change 171 Coleridge Road from a guest house into student accommodation and the reappearance of a garden-grabbing application for the rear of 163 and 165 Coleridge Road that was approved last year but due to incompetence in the planning department was inadequately consulted upon. All three are recommended for approval.

The other main issue tonight will be environmental improvements. There's good news regarding progress on agreed improvements such as Cherry Hinton Road shop forecourts and the completed Rustat Road footpath. New proposed schemes include verge parking prohibition for Perne Road and tree planting on Chalmers road, which I think will be good things.

More care will need to be taken over other proposals to tackle commuter parking in the ward - I welcome the efforts but as with the now defunct Ashbury/Golding cycle path proposal the true consent of residents must be sought. The more 'live and let live'-inclined residents who might not want anything changed but are also unlikely to make a fuss at consultation need to be sought out and involved. Aspects focusing on safety ought to be the least controversial.

Welcome David Campbell-Bannerman MEP

Welcome to David Campbell-Bannerman MEP who today has returned to the Conservative Party from the UK Independence Party of which he was formerly chairman.

Mr Campbell-Bannerman will join the East of England's excellent team of Conservative MEPs, Geoffrey Van Orden, Vicky Ford and Robert Sturdy and sit with the only practical and effective Conservative grouping in the European Parliament that opposes ever-greater political integration, the European Conservatives and Reformists.

It is well known that UKIP MEPs are often absent and fail to stand up for British interests in the European parliament.

UPDATE: David comments on his own move on the Blue Blog and Cambridge Conservative Deputy Chairman Timothy Haire welcomes David as a new member of Cambridge Conservatives.

Coleridge Labour's own Mr Busway?

On this post-election Saturday morning while waiting to see if there's any news coverage of today's Rally against Debt, here's a fun snippet from the past pointed out to me by ex-Lib Dem activist Phil Rodgers.

Coleridge Result

Well done to Labour's Cllr Jeremy Benstead for winning Coleridge yesterday in the city council election.

Thank you to all the enthusiastic supporters in Coleridge - sorry we didn't delivery a victory this time. And thank you to everyone who helped in any way, particularly Tim and Chris.

Jeremy Benstead, Labour, 1346, 47%
Andrew Bower, Conservative, 869, 30%
Valerie Hopkins, Green, 368, 13%
Tom Yates, Lib Dem, 285, 10%

Now off to the Guildhall to scrutinise the referendum count. Enjoy the sun!