I became the Leader of Cambridge City Council at our meeting on June 1, a little over 100 days ago, and it’s been rather busy but intensely rewarding since then and I have I’ve found it stimulating and, in almost every respect, enjoyable. I’m grateful to the Council officers and staff, and my fellow councillors from all parties, who have given me great support. We all work hard to deliver for everyone in Cambridge.
A major focus has been making sure we can work together effectively with Labour as a minority adminstration – we have fewer than half of the seats on the council and can only make decisions with support from other councillors.
I said in June that all the parties, have a vital and active role to play in the future success of Cambridge and I think we have managed to bring everyone together, with cross-party consultation, transparency, and a focus on delivering key community priorities that reflect the city’s evolving political landscape. That doesn’t mean we always agree, but we are working to find compromises and ways to be effective.
For example we now have regular meetings between the leaders of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green groups, and a cross-party finance working group to support budget-setting, and we are working to make council and scrutiny meetings as productive as possible.
My own schedule has been intense. In the last three months I’ve accompanied King Charles to the Mill Road mosque to commemorate Cambridge’s 75th anniversary as a City, to the chapel of Trinity College for a celebration of Chinese Music organised by our Chinese Community, and I’ve spoken at the Bengali celebration day at Cambourne.
This week I met a delegation from Shaoxing in China to talk about our shared concerns on culture and tourism in historic cities as well as spending time in Cherry Hinton with local councillors. This weekend I will be taking part in the Moon Festival organised by the Chinese Community and next month I’ll be taking part in a city centre cleanup – check the City Council website for details. I also plan to spend time with the city services team looking at council housing and I’m also going to on an early shift with the street cleaning team – if you’re around in the city centre at 5am say hello.
On the council we’ve put forward new regulations for short-term rentals and shared homes, usually called Houses in Multiple Occupation or HMOs, and kicked off the process of having a citywide Public Spaces Protection Order to address anti-social driving in some areas. In line with our agreement with the Liberal Democrats we’ve opened toilets, boosted local enforcement teams and reviewed citywide street cleaning.
And I’m really pleased that we launched the final consultation for the Greater Cambridge Local Plan, shaping our approach to sustainable housing, green space, and carbon reduction through 2045. I’ve worked on the plan for several years and believe it offers real opportunities for Cambridge and the surrounding area.
Though I stepped down from the Planning Committee I’m still the cabinet member for planning and transport and work with South Cambs to develop the Shared Planning service. There is a debate about the planning powers the Government will give the new Greater Cambridge Development Corporation and I’ve been in contact with everyone up to and including Minister to make the case for Shared Planning. I sit on the board of the DevCo as Leader of the City Council so my voice is definitely being heard. I also meet the team from the Cambridge Growth Company and the CPCA Mayor regularly.
The plans for local government and the new unitary may have been delayed but we believe they will go ahead in some form so we’ve been preparing for that, and now of course we’re planning for the 2027 Local Elections which will run on the current boundaries and rules.
We got some national attention for the new eco-friendly Silver Street public toilets, featuring integrated biodiversity elements (swift, bat, and bee boxes) and Cambridge’s first public squat toilets designed for international visitors. Some people seemed to think all the loos were squat type, which is of course not the case.
It was wonderful to be among the first passengers to alight at South Cambridge station after supporting it from the very beginning. I also represent the council on the East West Rail Partnership Board. Transport strategy has always been important to me.
There have been many visits and productive meetings, including senior representatives of Cambridge University Hospitals Trust, Anglia Ruskin University and Cambridge University. In October I will be talking to Astra Zeneca and other major local employers.
One major issue has been the redevelopment of the Market Square as part of the wider project to revitalise our civic quarter, including the Guildhall and Corn Exchange. We are still discussing the plans for the market with traders, and planning upgrades to drainage, power, surfaces, and stall structures to ensure a viable, accessible civic heart for both local traders and visitors.
As leader I get invited to comment on local issues and I’ve made multiple appearances across regional television and radio broadcasts around a number of issues including Lewis Herbert’s excellent show on Cambridge 105FM.
I’ve written regularly for the Cambridge Independent and for the Cambridge City website, as well as my own blog and Facebook, and I’m now getting into the short video habit as you can see below.
On this blog I’ve covered issues like integrating public health, social inclusion, and water efficiency into future housing developments. One popular post looked at the critical connections between climate change, drought, and food security, arguing for resilient local food infrastructure alongside strict water efficiency requirements to ensure sustainable growth for Cambridge heading into the future.
The first three and a bit months have been busy, productive and really rewarding. I’ll continue to work full-time for everyone in Cambridge, and to make sure that your City Council delivers for you all, and keep you informed about what we’re doing on your behalf.