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This evening I took part in a public meeting in St Barnabas Hall organised by the Friends of St Matthew’s Piece to help residents who want to contribute the the new Local Plan for Cambrige and South Cambridgeshire.

I outlined the plan process and talked about some of the key policies being proposed before we had a wide-ranging discussion about the principles, the practice, and the way the Local Plan fits with the work of the Cambridge Growth Company.

Here is the presentation I used, with details of particular policies that I had been asked to focus on.

I hope all those present will take the time to comment, either as individuals or as a group, and I urge you to do the same. Even if you only want to comment on a specific area, please take the time to get involved and let the councils know what you think. If there are policies you think are really important, like around tree canopy or open spaces, let us know that they matter to you – that way they are more likely to make it into the final plan.

You can find all the details of the draft Local Plan on the planning website at https://www.greatercambridgeplanning.org/local-plan and take part in the consultation by going to https://consultations.greatercambridgeplanning.org/draft-greater-cambridge-local-plan-consultation. The consultation is open until  5pm on Friday 30 January 2026.  

I’ve just been talking to Emma Bullimore on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire about the Beehive Centre scheme which has been granted permission for an “outline application (with all matters reserved) for the demolition of existing buildings and structures and redevelopment of the site for a new local centre”(reference 23/03204/OUT if you want to check it on our planning portal).

I explained that earlier this year I had been on the planning committee waiting to consider the application and the case officer’s recommendation to refuse the application, when we heard that the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government would make the decision. We decided to consider the application anyway and make an “in principle decision” so that we could listen to the case officer, objectors and supporters, and to debate the application. The committee unanimously agreed that to support the officers recommendation.

I’m a great believer in developing an integrated transport strategy that makes the best possible use of railways, and I’ve been the chair of the East West Main Line Partnership for some months now. The Partnership brings together the various local authorities and other bodies with an interest in EWR. The Partnership is not responsible for the design and route of the Oxford-Cambridge scheme – that is the responsibility of the East West Railway Company – but we are key to establishing the vision for this vital route.

Today I was briefed about current progress, and will have a further meeting with two planning officers who are now dedicated to the work of EWR and the implications for South Cambs and Cambridge. This follows the announcement from the Department for Transport about the development of the service and includes hybrid battery-electric trains to deliver faster, greener services along the partially electrified route while keeping costs down, a new eastern entrance at Cambridge station and – finally – formal plans for a new Cambridge East station. This is something I’ve been advocating for years and it’s great to see it come to pass. And it’s good to see that the announcements are in line with the submission to the consultation made by the Shared Planning Service on behalf of South Cambs and the Cambridge City Council.

I had an interesting day on Saturday, beginning by trying to avoid being run over by cars or cyclists as I draped a tape measure across Ainsworth Street in the company of my fellow councillor, Richard Robertson, followed by a deep discussion about the future of the whole of Greater Cambridge at an event organised by local historian and advocate for democracy, Anthony Carpen. From the gutter to the far horizons.

First the gutters. The County Council is consider a resident parking scheme for Ainsworth Street, and parts of Hooper Street, Sturton Street Sleaford Steet, Abbey Walk, and Fairsford Place in Petersfield ward. It has been under consideration for several years and while most people agree that a scheme is required some people have serious concerns about the details and the proposed final locations of parking spaces.

One issue is whether streets are wide enough to allow safe parking on both sides or if it must be restricted. At the moment Ainsworth Street has parking on both sides along most of its length, and the scheme proposes a change to parking only on one side.

I’m currently sitting in The Alex, one of Cambridge’s finest pubs, enjoying a pint after running the Cambridge 10K in 1hr 03 min, a much better time than I thought I’d manage when we headed off to Midsummer Common this morning.

The organisation was excellent, the atmosphere was friendly and welcoming, and there were people cheering us on. And the weather was kind.

I was raising funds for Muscular Dystrophy UK and I’m pleased to have made a small contribution to research into this genetic condition in the hope that we can improve treatments and find a cure.

I have just spoken at the Cabinet meeting of Cambridge City Council in the Guidhall, where I presented a report on CSET or the Cambridge South East Transport Scheme, a proposal for a busway and active travel route between Cambridge Biomedical Campus and a new Travel Hub on the A11 at the junction with Babraham Road (A1307), with bus stops at Great Shelford, Stapleford and Sawston.

It was agreed that the City Council would move to prepare its own submission on the scheme, so that we can contribute to the planned public enquiry.

The report is on the City Council website: Transport Order and Draft Response. and this is what I said:

This item concerns the Cambridge South East Transport scheme, or CSET, which is a proposal for a busway and active travel route between Cambridge Biomedical Campus and a new Travel Hub on the A11 at the junction with Babraham Road (A1307), with bus stops at Great Shelford, Stapleford and Sawston.

Continue reading “The Cambridge South East Transport Scheme”

At the Cambridge Joint Area Committee at the Guildhall on Wednesday 11 June the main agenda item was the “Traffic Regulation Order objections associated with the introduction of the York Street area Residents Parking Scheme”.

The whole agenda and papers can be seen on the council website.

The discussion was around a recommendation that “the Executive Director of Place and Sustainability, in consultation with the Local Member, approves the implementation of the York Street area RPS, as published.” You can see the details here.


It was a constructive debate, with public questions from residents of York Street, Fairsford Place, Sleaford Street and Ainsworth Street, which officers answered and members sought clarification on.

In the end we decided to defer the item to the next September 2025 committee meeting. I seconded this proposal and asked that members and officers work quickly and efficiently to deal with the concerns raised and provide further information.

The particular concerns raised were:

• The proposed time period of the scheme.
• The meaningful six months review, how this would be carried out and how comments would be collected.
• Data that Ainsworth Street residents have asked for but not yet received.
• A need to engage with residents of Fairford Place and nearby residents in Abbey Walk to consider the cul de sac nature of Fairsford Place, the lack of pavement or on-plot parking, and the severe pavement parking problems in that area.
• Consideration of possible road calming measures.

So for the moment nothing has changed, and parking provision is the same. If we get the information and changes we are looking for then the scheme may be approved in the autumn and would come into effect a few months later.

The committee that discussed this, CJAC, is a joint committee of Cambridgeshire County Council and Cambridge City Council. You can find out about it here.

It’s needed because of the overlapping areas of responsibility between County and City but this will change when we move to a unitary authority in the next few years. When that happens it will be important that City councillors like me are still able to bring their deep local knowledge to bear on these important discussions.

Earlier this week Council leaders announced they have identified three preferred options for the reorganisation, and it’s worth looking at them closely.