MAKE FIXING THINGS ON NEW ESTATES EASIER, SAY CAMBRIDGE LIB DEMS

Liberal Democrat councillors are calling for planners and developers to make it easier for residents to get basic services fixed and functional on major new housing schemes, where unclear responsibilities mean everyday problems can take years to resolve.

Trumpington Councillor Olaf Hauk will move a motion at this week's meeting of Cambridge City Council proposing clearer standards of accountability, transparency and resident engagement by developers, while also exploring how these standards could be embedded in the planning process for future developments.

Cllr Olaf Hauk said:

"For over a decade, thousands of residents on some of Cambridge's largest new developments have faced the same problems time and again. They report broken street lights and street furniture, missing or confusing signage, uncertainty over parking rules, dying trees, neglected open spaces and playgrounds, and other local amenities that simply don't get fixed.

"Residents quite rightly come to their local councillors for help, and we do everything we can. We organise meetings, chase developers and management companies, work with residents' groups and keep pressing for issues to be resolved. But too often we have to explain that, because these estates remain under private ownership, the councils are not responsible for many of the day-to-day issues. Unlike council services, we don't have direct access to officers, service managers or formal procedures to investigate problems and get action taken. That leaves councillors spending huge amounts of time trying to navigate complex ownership arrangements on behalf of residents.”

"The first residents moved into Clay Farm around ten years ago. A long-promised playground only opened last year. The Active Recreation Area at Hobson's Park is still fenced off despite repeated promises that it would open soon. Some streets remain in darkness because street lights have not been repaired, while residents continue to face uncertainty over parking arrangements.

"The underlying problem is a lack of accountability. If thousands of people are going to live in these new communities, there must be clear responsibilities, clear communication and someone who can be held to account when things go wrong. That's what this motion is about."

Fellow Trumpington Councillor John Grimwood added:

"Residents on these developments pay the same council tax as everyone else in Cambridge, yet they often do not receive the same level of public services because estates remain unadopted. On top of that, many are also paying estate management charges. People understandably ask why they are paying the same taxes while receiving fewer services. That simply isn't fair."

Castle Councillor Cheney Payne, Cambridge Liberal Democrats' prospective parliamentary candidate, said:

"I've seen these issues first-hand from residents in Eddington and Darwin Green where four or five years on we are still waiting for the weeds to be cleared from the roads and street lights to be fixed. This is frustrating for existing residents, but undermines trust in future developments as well, which is the last thing we want when we desperately need to build more homes to tackle the housing crisis. People need confidence that someone is responsible for putting problems right. As planning powers will be grabbed by the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation, we must learn the lessons of the last decade so future communities don't face the same frustrations, with even less local accountability.”