Manifesto Launch

It’s been a busy day.

This morning I was at the community hall on Lichfield Road for the launch of the Labour Party manifesto for the Cambridgeshire County Council elections. It was great to be with so many of my fellow campaigners and activists – and friends  – and to hear from Councillor Ashley Walsh and our MP Daniel Zeichner.

You can read the manifesto on the Labour website, and it’s great to see that food policy, sustainable development and an active engagement with the effects of climate change all appear prominently as these issues matter a lot to me.

After the launch we were off to canvass in Queen Edith’s, and this afternoon we were in my ward, Trumpington – so I’ve walked a lot and talked to a lot of people.  Tomorrow we’ll be out again, and I may be knocking at your door!

 

Posters arrived

My campaign posters have arrived and are ready to be distributed. It will be strange to see my name in people’s windows – but I am looking forward to it and to the rest of the campaign.

If you haven’t yet registered to vote on May 4 you have until April 13  – the website is very easy to use.

Let’s get our pavements sorted!

In the last few weeks I’ve been talking to residents on Foster Road, Paget Road, Byron Square, Anstey Way and Monkswell about the shocking state of the pavements locally.

They badly need fixing, yet this area has been consistently ignored by the County Council. When repairs are occasionally made, they are usually shoddy patch up jobs. I’ve raised the need for repairs with the County Council repeatedly, and have got the highways officer to come out to inspect them. This has resulted in some minor repairs being done, as you can see in this photograph, but it’s still not good enough.

Ultimately the reason for this is the enormous cuts made to the roads budget by the County Council, caused in turn by huge government cuts to council funding. The Lib Dems voted through these cuts both in the coalition government and at the County Council.

If elected, I will continue to argue for repairs and do everything I can to prioritise fixing the pavements. I will also vote against all budgets that cut funds for repairs, and support Labour’s plan for a new £11m pavements repair fund.

Can we reduce traffic congestion in Trumpington?

When I’m out canvassing with other members of the Trumpington Labour team I often hear complaints about traffic congestion in Trumpington, and we are determined to do something to reduce tailbacks and improve circulation – getting cars moving is good for air quality, good for residents and good for Cambridge.

One source of the queues on Trumpington High Street is cars trying to turn right into Waitrose, and the lack of a pedestrian crossing also makes it dangerous for those on foot.

We are considering proposals for action here, including better enforcement, turning restrictions and clearer road markings – but we’d like to hear from you.

No solution is easy, but together can come up with a plan. Please get in touch with your views, whether you’re trying to walk to school or work, need to drive in or out of Cambridge, or just want to ensure that the Trumpington air is breathable!

Campaigning for Trumpington

Today we were out and about in Trumpington talking to local people about the issues that really matter to them – local, national and even international.Not even the rain and the hailstorms could dampen our enthusiasm.. though our papers did get pretty damp! It was also good to see charging points outside some of the new houses.

 

Local issues

The Long and Straight Road
The Long and Straight Road

We have been out campaigning again this morning, talking to local people about the issues that concern them, from Brexit to aircraft noise, along with worries about traffic congestion, road safety and the development of Cambridge.

If you weren’t in when we called, do get in touch – the details are on the leaflet – or just click here to send me an email.

Noisy roadworks a matter of concern

Resurfacing notice
Resurfacing notice

Over the last two weeks the road surface on Long Road, near where I live, has been resurfaced. The work needed to be done, and it’s made the road a lot nicer to cycle and drive on.

However in our regular canvassing sessions this weekend we talked to a number of local residents who had several disturbed nights because of the noise of machinery, including angle grinders.

It’s always difficult to balance the interests of different groups, and it’s clear that doing the bulk of the roadworks overnight when there’s little traffic makes sense. However as an architect I know how to design a schedule to minimise disruption to everyone involved – and I wonder if a more thoughtful plan for the noisy works might have been put in place.

If elected, one of the things I will bring to my role as a County Councillor is an awareness of such issues, based on thirty years as a practising architect.

Canvassing Sunday

As it was a sunny Sunday afternoon our canvassing today was lots of fun – and very good exercise, according to my Fitbit.

Poor drainage by the bus stop
Poor drainage by the bus stop

One of the issues raised was the poor drainage on the roads beside bus stops on Trumpington Road – something I could see when I went to have a look later. As an architect I design drainage, and I’m going to look into this one.

Roadworks on Long Road
Roadworks on Long Road

I live off Long Road, and my family and I cycle everywhere, so I’m pleased to see that the road will be improved for cyclists. I believe that this is also good for car users, as it makes things safer for everyone.

Our great canvassing team!
Our great canvassing team!

It’s been wonderful to have support from local Labour Party members on these canvassing sessions – if you’d like to join me, drop me an email and I’ll let you know where and when to meet.

 

Celebrating Diverse Cambridge..

On Saturday 21st January, the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the USA, Cambridge Stand Up to Racism held a well-attended rally celebrating diverse, multicultural Cambridge, and standing up against racism, supported by a wide range of organisations. Daniel Zeichner, MP, was one of the speakers.

I couldn’t be there, because I was on the Women’s March in London, but my husband went to show our support for this important cause. Now, more than ever, we need to stand up and show that Cambridge is a city of refuge, a welcoming city, and a place where people can be safe.

(at the end it looked like we had support from the cast of The Archers, but that was just the way the banner was folded!)

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