From our District Councillor Allen Alderson
The Council's budget for 2005/06 has now been agreed. There will only be an
extra 2?% levied by East Cambs. As well as funding increases in cost resulting
from inflation and the growth in our population we have been able to find
almost £250,000 extra to increase the amount of domestic refuse we recycle each
year. This will fund an additional green waste collection round and provide
more plastics recycling banks over the next two years. We have also provided
funding to maintain higher standards of street sweeping in the urban areas. In
addition the council will provide an additional £100,000 of funding for grants
to help the elderly and disabled to remain living at home.
After a marathon 3 1/2 hour session the full council selected Angel Drove as the location for the new offices. Voting was 25 for and 13 against. Our decision was based on various considerations. The provision of modem, efficient office accommodation for ECDC is only one aspect of the driving forces behind the development at Angel Drove, Ely. Certainly the Council and its staff require offices that meet the latest health and safety requirements along with proper and convenient access for both disabled staff and visitors. Those of you who know the current building know what a rabbit warren it really is.
More importantly, we have to recognise what else can be achieved for the benefit of our community. Perhaps, the greatest problem for Ely as a local market town is its severe lack of parking for shoppers from the surrounding area, commuters and visitors. Parking times are very restricted and too many people park in long stay spaces for the entire day thus blocking access to those who wish to come and spend their money here. Population has grown dramatically in recent years and is set to grow by a further 30% in the next 12-15 years.
The move enables the Council to save considerable sums of money on bringing all services together on one site; these savings exceed the additional costs, including interest, and allow for the capital purchase of the land and buildings to be fully paid off within approximately 30 years. There should be no need to increase council tax as savings in existing budgets cover the costs. This equation included the land and access to it for a 3.5 acre site for eventually up to 600 spaces for a Park & Ride service. The net receipts from car parking charges will be used to pay for the layout of this site, subsidies for two buses and other improvements for access to the town. This is a totally affordable project.
The benefits do not stop there; our community also gains an industrial development site at Littleport, access to 21 acres of commercial development land at Angel Drove, and the release of a significant site in the centre of Ely to facilitate further improvements in shopping, commercial and residential services.
It is certainly true that a development area at Lancaster Way would have been significantly cheaper in capital terms but when viewed in conjunction with a Park & Ride service which would have cost more to run the revenue savings would have been less advantageous. Nevertheless, if it had not been for Angel drove being within walking distance of the station and therefore more available to support local residents who are commuters either option was financially affordable as the savings would pay off the capital within 30 years. There should be no impact on Council Tax, It can be financed within existing budgets.
Finally, the residents of Reach, Swaffham Prior and Swaffham Bulbeck all receive the Bury St Edmunds area BT phone book. Many people have told me that the Cambridge area book would be more appropriate as it would contain the listings that they are more likely to use. I have been in contact with BT on the issue. They will be reviewing the postcode allocations for our area next year but it may be two years before we receive the Cambridge edition. In the interim period they have agreed that all BT customers in the Swaffhams ward can have a Cambridge area BT phone book free of charge.
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