(Picture credit: Cambridge News)

Liberal Democrat councillors are calling for Labour-controlled Cambridge City Council to pull back from changes which could jeopardise the grazing of cattle on its riverside urban green spaces – including Midsummer Common. 

The future of Cambridge city centre needs leadership, according to Cllr Tim Bick former council leader and Liberal Democrat councillor representing the city centre. In an initiative he is taking to this week’s council meeting, Cllr Bick is calling for a re-imagining of the city centre, prompted by recent high street failures and changes in shopping patterns.

What is going on around the ward?

Castle Mound - Right of way likely to be accepted

It now looks likely the right of way leading up Castle Mound will be accepted thanks to representations given during the meeting where the decision was deferred leading to a re-examination of the evidence and further legal advice. The final decision will be made at a meeting of Suffolk’s Development and Regulation committee on the 21st October.

Histon Road Recreation Ground Improvements

Cycle parking and picnic benches will be added to Histon Road Recreation Ground thanks to an EIP bid from Cllr Chadwick that was awarded funding in March. Such facilities will offer more opportunities for residents to socialise outdoors whilst maintaining social distance.

Histon Road Aldi extension to delivery hours sent back for review

The Aldi on Histon Road recently applied for an extension of their delivery hours to 10pm, as well as an unlimited number of deliveries.  Cllr Payne challenged this through the planning process, and as a result the planning committee deferred this decision to seek further details about how many deliveries they are anticipating to increase to, and to consider stricter enforcement to ensure deliveries do not happen before 7am and engines are not left running.    

TRUMPINGTON LIB DEMS CHALLENGE CITY COUNCIL TO FILL HOBSON SQUARE SHOPS

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Liberal Democrat campaigners in Trumpington are calling on Cambridge City Council to take urgent action to fill empty shop premises on Hobson Square – and hopefully help local entrepreneurs in the process.

While the pharmacy, library, community centre, medical practice and general store are now open, Trumpington still lacks the local shops that were envisaged in the design of Hobson Square as of the new community facilities.

Local Lib Dem campaigner Olaf Hauk commented: “Two large shop premises have remained totally empty and unused ever since they were finished in 2018."

“Many of us will be working from home for some time to come. While town and city centres may be experiencing a retail crisis, we know that many people in our community are increasingly looking to local shopping facilities. For the benefit of our community and our carbon footprint, we want to make sure that the residents of Trumpington have access to a variety of shops, markets and services close to their homes.”

Fellow Lib Dem Ingrid Flaubert says: ”We are calling on the City Council to act so that new local shops and traders can bring a greater sense of community to this area.”

Local resident Alan Cox added: “This would be a perfect opportunity to support local business people!"

“We know that Trumpington residents are enterprising people - starting from fortnightly food vans at the Community Garden in the summer, we now have a regular menu of food from all over the world on sale in the new public squares every day of the week."

“I’d like to see the Council look into every possible option, including ‘pop-up shops’ or temporary leases, to get these properties in use and hopefully support small local businesses.”

Please sign the petition

Meet your Lib Dem Team Trumpington

Unused shop premises on Hobson Square
	Local resident Alan Cox inspects the empty shop premises on Hobson Square.

'Act like a council, not a commercial property company' is the demand from Liberal Democrat city centre councillors as the petition against the 30metre phone mast proposed for Jesus Green quickly reaches 1,300 signatures. 

Residents, open spaces champions and local Lib Dem councillors are all up in arms about a proposal to erect a 30 metre high mobile phone mast on the grass tennis courts at Jesus Green.

This is the sixth of our online ward updates from Cllrs Bick, Harrison, Martinelli and Porrer.

Liberal Democrats are calling for Cambridge City Council to start mapping out Cambridge’s future after the pandemic. In their budget proposals published today, the council’s Opposition tables a series of changes to the Labour administration’s draft budget, pointing to their priorities in the local elections later this year.

Thanks to the work of Liberal Democrat councillors, Queen Edith’s has today set an important precedent in how we build sustainable communities by prioritising a proportion of affordable housing for qualifying people with a local work or family connection.

Liberal Democrat councillors are set to find out if their campaign for local keyworker housing is successful when outline planning permission for the GB1 housing development in Queen Edith’s is considered by the planning committee on Wednesday 3rd February.