Category: Petersfield

A Bus Gate on Mill Road Bridge

The County Council has decided to put a bus gate on Mill Road bridge, following a consultation after the previous restrictions were removed in July 2021.

Cameras will be installed in the next few weeks, and notices put up advising drivers that they will be fined if they drive across the bridge. However the bridge is not being closed to everyone – as well as pedestrians and cycles it will be open to buses, taxis and other authorised vehicles, while blue badge holders can get exemption from the restrictions for two cars.

I was asked to speak at Highways and Transport committee meeting that approved the bus gate, and this is what I said

“I bring the views of those residents who contacted me to support the proposed changes to traffic over the bridge, including the exemptions.

As a ward councillor I have heard real concerns about the congestion, pollution and negative impact to those walking along or over the road particularly parents of children going to local schools.

I’ve also heard from residents who ask that if the proposal are agreed that other opportunities to improve the local streets and communities be improved with real consultation with our residents.

Finally, I have also heard very legitimate concerns about the proposals from small and medium size businesses along the road. These concerns are not from right wing or climate deniers and we must also listen to these concerns.

These are similar concerns to those of local shops across the country

The world we live in now is very changed from 4-5 years ago. Retail and how we shop is changed and continues to change. I would like to ask that we all work to consider a new strategy to support local retail going forward. This is important to the whole community of Mill Road”.

Now that the decision has been made to limit traffic I’m going to talk to the many small businesses in Petersfield about how they can adapt to the new traffic patterns, and will work with my fellow councillors here and in Romsey to make sure that the area does well.

Full details of the bus gate on the CCC website
https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/news/mill-road-bridge-closure-approved

Blue Badge Holders can apply for an exemption here
https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/parking-services/mill-road-bus-gate-blue-badge-application-exemption

Trees on St Matthew’s Piece

The City Council has received an application to completely remove the three mature plane trees on St Matthew’s Piece opposite 191-193 Sturton Street, an application which I, along with other local councillors and residents groups, oppose. Although the application claims that the trees are causing subsidence and structural damage to the houses, there is no clear evidence that this has happened, and certainly not enough to justify the removal of these important trees, which are an integral part of the local area and much-loved by all of us who use St Matthew’s Piece.

Although they are on land owned by the St Matthew’s (former Howard Mallet) Centre they are covered by tree preservation orders and fall inside the Mill Road conservation area, so they cannot be cut down or pruned without an application to the Council. In fact, this is the second application about these trees. A request to cut 5m from each tree, 22/0271/TTPO, was refused on 1st August 2022 due to lack of evidence that they were causing damage.

Now that the application has been received the council has six weeks to make an assessment. As well as considering if the reason for the proposed works are valid, the council has to assess the trees’ contribution to the visual amenity of the area, and whether the proposed works would adversely affect the appearance of the trees and/or the visual amenity value of the locality.

The technical term ‘visual amenity’ considers how the height, shape, shadows and colours of the trees contrast and complement the streets and surrounding buildings, something especially relevant to mature trees like these in a built-up area. it also covers the ways the trees change through the seasons and how that enhances the area. And it can also include the contribution made by the birds, bats and insects within the trees.

It seems clear to me, and to many others, that the amenity provided by these trees is substantial, especially to the many children and families who enjoy using the space and its playground,. They form part of only three significant open space areas in Petersfield, which is mainly residential streets. They contribute to a green oasis within this urban setting, with significant cooling effects, and are home to a range of birds and bats.

We should also remember that they are part of the history of Cambridge. The land that forms St Matthew’s Piece was bought in 1891-2 because the “provision of open spaces was one of the best provisions they could make, not simply for the health of the town but for the morality of the town” and a resolution for the establishment of a “recreation ground” was passed, in the interests of the 2,000 children in the “immediate neighbourhood” was made. It was opened in 1898, and it needs to be protected so we can continue to benefit from this wonderful area.

Because these trees are so important, I wanted to speak out before the planning committee discusses the application. That means that I will not take part in the discussion and vote, even though I’m a member of the committee, as all members are required to consider applications during the meeting, and making my views known in advance would compromise that.

Restoring Our Chalk Streams

Chalk streams are one of the most important water features in this area. They are a globally rare habitat in Northwest Europe and an important habitat to the UK – our equivalent of rainforests. They are hugely important for supporting biodiversity, as they support a wide range of flora and fauna including freshwater sponges, brown trout, and mayflies.

So it was a real pleasure to work on a restoration project for Cherry Hinton Brook, along with Ruth Hawksley of the Wildlife Trust, Cambridge City Council, Friends of Cherry Hinton Brook and other environmental activists.

We met at the Daws Lane bridge to reshape the bank and improve the flow of water by restricting the brook in some areas, returning it to the state it was in before the area was developed.

Katie using a sledgehammer to hammer in a post
Katie using a sledgehammer to hammer in a post

In 2019 I convened a forum on the water crisis facing the region (you can read our full report here on my website), and we highlighted the importance of the chalk streams, so it was great to get my hands dirty – and my feet wet – helping improve them.

Dealing with the Water Crisis in the Cambridge Area

The work was covered by BBC Look East and you can see the report here

Visiting a Building Site in Petersfield

Since I became a ward councillor for Petersfield I’ve been getting to know the area again, as it has changed a lot since I last lived here over two decades ago. One of the most obvious changes has been the growth in office buildings, especially around the rail station, and so I’ve made a special effort to talk to developers and builders, and to visit sites where I can.

This morning I was at a new office development on Station Road, and got to see the building from basement to the roof – wearing all the appropriate safety equipment, and carefully following the site manager’s guidance of course.

Katie and a Crane

I wanted to know more about traffic management plans and how the developers/builders used them, to see if there are ways we can improve things.. I also asked about how residents contacted the contractors with issues regarding noise, dust, and deliveries and how they could work to minimise disruption.

This is important because works to demolish buildings and to excavate for basements can be very disruptive for residents. How things are planned and how residents are kept informed can make a big difference.

Some contractors are very good at this – joining residents groups with regular updates, leafleting homes nearby before disruption is expected, responding quickly if residents and businesses asks for quiet periods or extra protection, and we can encourage this best practice

While there I also learned about the recent concrete availability problems, and saw even more evidence of workers moving to EU countries where there is significant demand for their skills. We can’t do much about this at council level but it’s important we understand the wider framework within which development takes place in Petersfield and across Cambridge.

I hope the people I talked to on site appreciate the interest that we take in what they are doing, and that it helps them understand more about the city and about the needs of residents who have to live with the building activity and the buildings themselves.

Thank you to all who voted Labour

At the Local Election on May 6 Petersfield ward elected three Labour councillors – me, Mike Davey, and Richard Roberston – and Cambridge City Council remains under Labour control with 27 of the 42 seats.

Thank you to everyone who voted Labour. We will be working hard to deliver on the promises we made to all of the people of Cambridge

Details of Petersfield results

Details of Cambridge results

The last few days of campaigning

The local elections are on May 6, and the Labour teams are still out around Cambridge talking to residents, delivering our leaflets, and working for your vote. I was delivering in Glenalmond this weekend, and I’ll be out in other parts of Petersfield today.

To find out more about how we’re delivering for communities here Cambridge  take a look at our manifesto online at https://cambridgelabour.org.uk/manifesto-2021/

My candidate statement

If you go to the Petersfield Labour website you can read more about me and why I’m standing.

I thought it would be useful to put it here too..

I’m Katie Thornburrow and I’m currently the city councillor for Trumpington Ward, but following the reallocation of large areas of the ward as a result of the boundary review I am standing for re-election this May in Petersfield.

I moved to Cambridge in 1986 to work as an architect. Since then, I’ve built my own architectural practice in the city, with an office on King’s Parade. My job has given me a lot of insight into the need for us to create good spaces for people to live and work in, as well as a passionate concern for issues of sustainability and ensuring a low carbon future. I’ve always been concerned about our food supply and how we make sure that we have good food that is sourced in a local, socially just, and sustainable way, so I did a Master’s Degree on Food Policy.

I was elected in May 2018, when I won Trumpington ward by four votes and became the first Labour councillor there for 73 years, since Edward Andrews in 1945-46.  I’m now the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Open Spaces, which means I’m responsible for the planning service and for all the parks and other council-owned public spaces in Cambridge.

For me, the most satisfying thing about being a councillor is making a difference to people’s lives, whether that’s something simple like sorting out a bus stop or an overgrown hedge, or something much bigger like delivering Labour’s promises on council homes, congestion, and enhancing biodiversity.  I love the day to day contact with local residents and the sense that I can help in their lives in the short and long term.

When I became a councillor, and then an executive councillor, I decided to reduce my other work so that I could give it the majority of my time. Doing that is a privilege, and I know that many other councillors have to fit their commitments in with their jobs.  This has meant that I can take part in a wide range of activities, and joined a range of council committees including Civic Affairs, Employment (Senior Officers), Employment Appeals, Joint Development Control Committee – Cambridge Fringes, and Development Control Forum, Planning, and the Joint Planning Advisory Group. I am vice-chair of the South Area Committee which includes councillors from Queen Edith’s, Trumpington and Cherry Hinton.  I sit on on the Clay Farm Advisory Board, and  I am a trustee of the Storey’s Field Community Trust, as well as being the City Council member representative on  Natural Cambridgeshire, Water Resources East, and the Future Parks Accelerator Project.

I’m very involved in drawing up the next local plan, which will help decide how Cambridge changes to 2041, helping  to ensure the priorities of Climate Crisis, Biodiversity and Green Spaces, Wellbeing and Equality and Great Places are properly reflected. In Petersfield we have to look after and nurture our open spaces. We also need to deal with traffic congestion and the air quality problems it causes, and I will work hard to support active transport and make the station cyclepoint fit for purpose.

At a ward level, I’m really proud of work to deliver promised allotments on new developments, and managing to reroute a proposed cycle path that would have run directly through the new community garden.  Last March I was able to support the Trumpington Food Hub as it got established, and I continue to volunteer there. I helped to set up and manage the trumpington.info community website.

In planning, I have been guiding the planning team through the process of integration into a shared planning service, and representing Cambridge residents as we prepare the next local plan to set out how development will take place in and around Cambridge to 2041. In my Open Spaces role I am working to  protect and enhance these spaces so that they continue as an important places for our residents, and  increase the understanding and amount of biodiversity in the city and beyond – for example with the very well-received hedgehog campaign.

As a council we have achieved an enormous amount, especially around delivering our promises on building council homes and protecting the natural environment. Under my direction the open spaces team stopped using herbicides on our land, and we have planted over two thousand trees, and created new open spaces and wildflower meadows throughout Cambridge.

I am standing for re-election because I want to make sure that decisions made by local government reflect the interests of everyone, not just a privileged few.  I want to continue to deliver Labour’s promises, and carry on standing up for the environment.  We need find ways to live that balance people’s needs for a good quality of life with the planet’s need for us to live sustainably, and the city council has a key role to play in this

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Please note that my brief has now changed and as of June 2021 I am Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Transport, having covered Streets and Open Spaces 2018-2019 and Planning Policy and Open Spaces 2019-2021