From our Local County Councillor
I REPORTED LAST TIME ON THE 2.5 MILLION POUND GRANT from government for
improving public transport. One service that will benefit is the 111
Cambridge-Bottisham-Burwell- Newmarket route. From April this will run every 30
minutes (instead of hourly) and be renamed the number 11.
The Independent Commission for Social Care Inspection awarded the County Council only One Star in its assessment of Children's and Adult Social Care. This means that there are only three councils doing a worse job in the entire country. The Conservative Administration at Shire Hall has failed over a number of years to make any improvement in this crucial area of service delivery. The Corporate Performance Assessment for Cambridgeshire, undertaken by the Audit Commission, will fall from "excellent" to "good" this year partly as a result of inspections as damning these.
Public consultation is taking place at the moment on the proposed redevelopment of about 24 acres around Cambridge Railway Station. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide an effective Transport Interchange and a long term view must be taken on the provision of bus bays to help relieve the congestion and pollution at Drummer Street. Cycle provision must also be adequate and as close to the station as possible.
It is budget time again for the County Council. Facts and figures I have been given tell me that last year Cambridgeshire had the 3rd lowest Council Tax for the 34 Shire Counties but when the same Shire Counties were measured for earnings we were 5th highest. In theory this means we are under taxed in relation to our ability to pay. I am sure however that theory and practice are not necessarily the same. The good news is that the government settlement has given the county £2 million pounds more for 2006/7 than expected but the bad news is that in 2007/8 there is likely to be a drop of £3.5 million.
In the Fire Service more sophisticated rescue equipment is being issued to a number of strategic stations across the county. This speeds up rescue time as, in many cases, it negates the need to wait for a specialist vehicle from Cambridge, Huntingdon or Peterborough.