From our Local County Councillor
COUNTY COUNCIL NOTES MID MARCH 2004
COUNTY ELECTORAL BOUNDARY CHANGES LIKELY
The Boundary Committee for England is suggesting ten extra Cambridgeshire
Councillors. The need for more members has become urgent as the population of
Cambridgeshire leaps ahead holding the record as the fastest growing county in
the UK. In East Cambs. there are twenty thousand more people since 1981 - an
increase of over a third. As a consequence an additional electoral Division is
likely to be made within East Cambs. To make space boundaries will have to be
changed.
What is now recommended by the Commission is that the Burwell/Bottisham Division will be split so that Burwell, the Swaffhams and Reach will stand on their own as one, while Bottisham and Lode will join with all the other villages south of Newmarket within East Cambs. as another. Whereas Burwell/Swaffhams makes sense, the rest of the villages from Bottisham to Ashley and all in between seems to be a very bulky and cumbersome territory. The shape reminds one of a soup ladle with Lode, Bottisham, Brinkley, Burrough Green and Westley as the handle and all the other villages south of Newmarket form the scoop! North of Newmarket all the villages and towns of East Cambs. will be divided into the seven remaining County Divisions.
Should these suggestions be confirmed, probably in September, then the next County Election of 2005 will be fought on the new boundaries.
LIBRARY SERVICES
You will remember that during the campaign to save Bottisham Library (and 9 others) last year, the cabinet member promised extra money would be invested in the remaining library services. The original plan was to spend 2 million pounds over the next 3 years to employ more staff and increase opening hours. The cabinet has now found it necessary to cut the intended investment by £50.000 for the year 2004/5 because of the financial stringency we shall experience this coming year. The latest promise is to put back this money when more funds become available (2005 onwards?).
I always dislike broken promises and wish the County administration hadn't been so "bullish" in the first place. Raising people's expectations is only justified if you know you can carry out the commitment.
Meanwhile, Bottisham Library is flourishing under the new arrangements, and so far as I am aware, there is no threat to Burwell Library or cuts to the other villages' mobile service.