Planning conditions for the new developments of Trumpington Meadows and Clay Farm required that they were fitted with modern solar panels when they were built. Many residents were told that they could save money on their energy bills, by creating renewable energy themselves. Apparently not! Our team members Ingrid Flaubert and Philippa Slatter have been investigating and have found that the solar panels in many new houses have not been registered to the grid or connected at all for several years. The builders who were responsible for the installation and BPHA, the housing association responsible for the affordable housing in the new developments, have so far not been able to clarify the situation. As local Lib Dem campaigner Olaf Hauk noted, not only are these solar panels not effective, they may even be a waste of money and - with bitter irony - of valuable energy. Not to speak of the lost trust of the residents in their developers and housing associations! The Trumpington Lib Dems are campaigning for a quick solution so that residents can benefit from the green energy they were promised.

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Most houses in Trumpington's new developments, such as this one on Allbutt Way, are fitted with solar panels. But are they actually connected to the residents' electricity supply or the national grid?

Photovoltaic panel controls - do they actually serve a purpose at the moment?

Today Cambridge City Council has approved the erection of a phone antenna on Bridge House to replace the one which has been located on the city council car park in Park Street.

The Liberal Democrat team in Market Ward for Cambridge's crucial 2021 local elections has been confirmed. Current representatives Cllr Tim Bick, Cllr Anthony Martinelli and Cllr Katie Porrer are standing for re-election to the City Council. They have been joined by new candidate Yemi Macaulay, who is standing for the Market County seat, and Mark Argent who is standing for the Petersfield County seat which covers the Newtown area.

The latest Trumpington Labour leaflet is a disgrace. In it, they claim an extraordinary variety of things were achieved by one labour councillor since 2018. This is not how local democracy should be!

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

The community, not Katie Thornburrow, planned the expansion of Trumpington.

The main claim is that the new developments around Trumpington, complete with their open spaces, play areas, skatepark etc. were the work of the Labour City Council. This is outrageous. It was a community effort, led by the Trumpington Residents’ Association (set up for this purpose) in partnership with councillors, planners, and many others.

If you want proof, here is a flyer for a public meeting held in February 2004.

The TRA then published its own ‘brochure’ to counterbalance the plans already being prepared by developers, leading up to the 2006 Cambridge Local Plan. It is an extraordinary document, showing a generous and far-sighted approach to the provision of homes that impressed all who read it.

The Trumpington Liberal Democrats have significantly shaped the development of Trumpington for several decades. Just as an example, there were many references to the issues raised by the new developments in our Focus magazine 2004 and for the following 15 years.

How dare Labour claim that they were even playing a useful part in it? Labour opposition councillors did their best to sabotage the plans to build on Marshalls airport; Cambridge East would have provided much needed public buildings (sports stadium, concert hall etc) as well as housing.

LABOUR CLAIMS THE CREDIT FOR COVID-19 COMMUNITY WORK
Throughout the pandemic, a vital role has been played by a brilliant partnership of council officers, councillors and local volunteers. Support networks were set up in record time, but most of those involved have scrupulously avoided ‘playing politics’ in the process. Not Trumpington Labour. They print a photo of volunteers at the Pavilion Food Hub, and although Katie certainly took an effective lead in setting it up (as the Lib Dem County Councillor candidate Philippa Slatter did with the Trumpington Volunteer Service) it would have been nothing without the faithful work of many volunteers of all parties and none.

SPEED LIMIT ON THE BUSWAY
We all know that it was the tragic death and inquest of the young father who was killed last year that prompted the introduction of a speed limit for the buses on the Trumpington section of the busway. No doubt Cllr Thornburrow supported the many voices of concern, but it is an insult to claim the credit for this improvement.

At the close of nominations for the council elections in Cambridge today Liberal Democrat candidates have been nominated for all 54 seats on both the city and county councils in Cambridge, as well as for the Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. 

Liberal Democrats are offering 'A Fresh Start for Cambridge' after the past year’s pandemic and the last 7 years of Labour control of the city. They launch their online manifesto for the 2021 City Council campaign today - you can access it by clicking here.

Nobody should be afraid to walk or cycle home at night. The Trumpington Lib Dem team is currently looking into ways to improve footpath lighting across Trumpington. Many people have raised concerns about a number of locations especially in the new developments and along the guided busway. The solutions will have to consider the concerns of local residents, environmental issues (e.g. protecting dark skies and wildlife habitats) and – last but not least – Council budgets. We have brought this issue to the attention of local councillors, and are looking into funding options such as through the Local Highway Improvement scheme as part of our road safety campaign.
Please feel free to contribute to the Facebook thread on this issue started by our team member Ingrid Flaubert.

Near Fawcett Primary School.

Philippa canvassing in the dark.

Along the Guided Busway.

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Over recent years the new footpath from the Trumpington Meadows Country Park to Grantchester Road has become increasingly popular with joggers, children riding their bicycles, parents with pushchairs, couples going for a walk, dog walkers etc. Amazingly, the path joins the road without a pavement so they have to cross over between two bends, at a place which is already dangerous because vehicles speed up on the short stretch between the 30 mph and 40 mph signs. When the pavement is crowded, pedestrians regularly have to step into the road to get out of each other’s way. 

This is a dangerous undertaking as the road bends with poor visibility and cars coming from both directions. The current signage to alert drivers of crossing pedestrians is clearly insufficient, as residents of Woodend report that many cars pass this area at high speed. This is a deadly accident waiting to happen. The speed limit leading up to the bend on Grantchester Road is 40mph, and the small sign for 30mph is partly occluded by bushes and clearly ineffective. The fact that a vehicle crashed in the warning sign itself demonstrates this!

Ideally, we would like to see the 20 mph speed limit through Grantchester village extended to Trumpington, as well as better road signage. For example, we are looking into options to install electric signals that alert drivers of pedestrians crossing the street and encourage them to reduce their speed.

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Dangerous bend on Grantchester Road that urgently needs traffic calming measures

Cllr Josh Matthews today responded to the City Council's Climate Change Strategy for 2021-2026.