Ambitious plans to improve education, create jobs and fund more policing for the people of Wisbech have been revealed by Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats.

 

They have outlined their ideas for the Fenland town in their alternative budget for Cambridgeshire County Council.

 

“The people of Wisbech have been ignored for too long by the Tories running the county council,” said Lib Dem Leader, Kilian Bourke. 

 

“Transport links to the town are poor, people are struggling to find work and bored teenagers are causing trouble. It is time more action was taken to solve these problems and our alternative budget aims to do just that.”

 

"We would open the Wisbech line, ensure that the town had the fastest broadband outside Cambridge, and invest in extra teachers in classrooms and PCSO's on the streets, to improve education and community safety. These targeted extra investments, taken together, would make a real difference."

 

Lib Dems propose to improve education in the town by:

And they have plans to create jobs by:

The Lib Dems’ alternative budget also includes funding for two extra Police Community Support Officers to tackle burglary and repeat offending and increases funding for public transport.

 

“There is much that can be done to improve the life of people living in Wisbech, but for too long they have been treated as the poor relations to others elsewhere in Cambridgeshire,” said Cllr Kevin Wilkins, Shadow Cabinet Member for Planning, Enterprise and Environment.  

 

“The Lib Dems would both deal with the problems faced by Wisbech and make sure residents and employers are better able to create jobs and get jobs than they can now."

 

"And Wisbech's schools would get more money from the Lib Dems and would find it easier to keep good teachers."

MP Julian Huppert has received a commitment from the government that it plans new legislation to tackle metal theft across Cambridgeshire and nationally.

 

A new criminal offence will be created to stop dealers buying scrap metal with cash and fines for all scrap metal offences will be significantly increased.

 

Julian was also told that the government planned to fund a new dedicated metal theft taskforce to address the issue.

 

Home Office Minister, James Brokenshire told yesterday (February 2) that the government considers legislation as “the only sustainable, long-term solution”.

 

His comments came after Julian raised a written question with Home Secretary, Theresa May asking when she plans to introduce a comprehensive set of measures to tackle metal theft and whether she has any plans to bring forward legislation.

 

He also wanted to know whether she had discussed a timetable for introducing the measures.

 

Mr Brokenshire said: “Metal theft is a serious and growing national problem with wide ranging social and financial impacts. 

 

“The government considers that legislation is the only sustainable, long-term solution and will lay in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill an amendment to create a new criminal offence to prohibit cash payments to purchase scrap metal; and significantly increase the fines for all offences under the existing Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 that regulates the scrap metal recycling industry.

 

“These amendments are part of our wider attempts to tackle all stages in the illegal trading of stolen scrap metal, and we shall bring forward further measures in due course,” he said.

 

Across Cambridgeshire, church and school roofs have been stripped and metal stolen totaling millions of pounds in the last few years.

 

Cambridgeshire Police launched Operation Gandalf to tackle the problem and have visited scrap metal sites across the county.

 

Later Julian said: “Scrap metal theft is a growing problem and I am pleased that the government is taking this action.

 

“These thefts are hitting schools, churches and businesses heavily and it is only by making it difficult for scrap metal to be sold on that we will be able to effectively tackle this problem.

 

“I am hoping that by combining this with a significant increase in the fines for all offences related to this crime, we can make it increasingly difficult for thieves to operate and we will be able to stamp out scrap metal theft.”

Work has begun to improve the safety of residents living in Cambridge’s Fen Road after residents, councillors and council officers got together just weeks ago to discuss long-running issues.

 

Old wooden bollards at the Water Street and Water Lane junction have been replaced with metal ones in a bid to stop vandals sawing through them to get vehicle access to Fen Road.

 

The work was carried out by Cambridge City Council after resident Clare Blair requested the new bollards at the beginning of the year.

 

She said: “I am really pleased that only weeks after our well attended meeting about Fen Road we are already seeing action to improve safety for residents.”

 

Clare teamed up with Cambridgeshire County Councillor, Ian Manning, who represents East Chesterton to give residents a chance to have their say on how anti-social behaviour, speeding drivers and other problems, which had plagued residents for years, could be solved.

 

“There is much more to be done,” added Clare, “but I am delighted to see that we have already been able to make a good start.”

Schools converting to academies in Cambridgeshire have been cashing in at the expense of pupils who need extra help because of their special needs.

 

The Children and Young People's Scrutiny panel has been told that services will be reduced for disabled children, for young people in care and for those with special needs.

 

An officer report said that “services will be spread more thinly” and “lower levels of need will not  receive support”. There will also be a reduction in specialist teachers who support primary age children with special needs and a cut in family support packages.

 

These cuts are necessary because the government is making a general reduction in funding to local authorities but also because the county's budget has been top-sliced by £3.1 million pounds to give extra funding to the new academies.

 

“This is desperately unfair,” said Lib Dem Education spokesman, Peter Downes. “Surely it is wrong to be moving funding away from those who need it most in order to give extra funding to those who need it least. The way the extra money has been allocated to academies has given them far more than they need to replace the services they are no longer getting from the council.”

 

At the Scrutiny Panel, Cllr Downes challenged Cllr Harty, Cabinet Member for Education, to approach the academies to give back some of their extra cash to reduce the service cuts.

 

“'If we are 'all in this together', now is the time for some altruism from the academies,” said Cllr Downes.

 

Notes for editor:

 

There are currently 32 academies in Cambridgeshire. Since they became academies, they will have received by March 2013, on top of their normal funding, an extra £13.8 million pounds to enable them to buy in the services they no longer get from Cambridgeshire County Council. Most estimates are that this about three times more than they need.

MP Julian Huppert is giving talented Cambridge musicians the chance to Rock the House by nominating themselves for a national competition.

 

Julian is taking part in the second annual Parliamentary live music competition which is open to under-18s, solo artists, bands and live music venues.

 

With rock legends Alice Cooper and Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan as its patrons, Rock the House was founded in support of the UK live music sector to raise the profile of intellectual property rights issues.

 

Musicians and live music venues in Cambridge can find all forms and information on the competition at www.rockthehouse2012.com and can send in their nominations by email to Julian at julianhuppertmp@googlemail.com or in writing to Rock the House Competition, Julian Huppert MP, 16 Signet Court, Swann Road, Cambridge, CB5 8LA. The closing date for entries is March 16.

 

Successful nominees will go forward to the national competition which will be judged by a panel of international music industry experts and musicians and the finalists will be announced on Friday, May 18.

 

The finalists will take part in a battle of the bands to determine the winner on Wednesday May 30 and the winner in each category will perform live at a final competition reception on the terrace at the House of Commons in the evening.

 

Competition prizes include music equipment, a chance to play at high profile festivals and meet representatives of the music industry.

 

Julian said: “This is a great opportunity to celebrate the wealth of music talent in Cambridge. I hope that musicians and live music venues will take part in this competition which offers the chance to showcase their talents to a national audience.

 

“Rock the House offers entrants the priceless opportunity to gain recognition and make contacts across the music industry.”

Cambridgeshire County Councillor, Nigel Bell is questioning why it took years for a vital link road in Ely to open.

 

He has accused the Tory-run Cambridgeshire County Council and East Cambridgeshire District Council of dragging their feet over the link between Lynn Road and Prickwillow Road.

 

The simple removal of a few concrete blocks allowed the road from Thistle Corner to King’s Avenue to be opened enabling drivers to access the A10 without driving through the city.

 

But Cllr Bell, who represents Ely North and East and has been campaigning for years to get the road open, said it could have been done much earlier easing congestion in the city.

 

Cambridgeshire County Council Leader, Nick Clarke was quoted as saying:  “It was a small problem with an easy solution.” But Cllr Bell questioned if that were the case, why both councils dragged their feet for so long.

 

"If it was such a 'small problem', with such a 'simple solution', why has it taken years for the Tory administrations at East Cambs and the county council to sort it out?” he said. “I and other councillors have been asking for this for years. Why has it taken so long to open this vital route?"

MP Julian Huppert is visiting a Cambridge charity which helps train unemployed young people and provides a safe working environment for volunteers with learning difficulties tomorrow (Wednesday, February 15).

Reboot based in Waterbeach, takes waste computer equipment from industry, businesses and individuals and recycles and refurbishes it.

In partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council, the charity set up a training programme and 24 young people have been taught to strip down a computer, recognise working components and build a computer from recycled parts.

Fifteen of these students were offered employment with the charity and Reboot received an award from JobCentre Plus.

Reboot has also assisted over 600 charities in the east of England with ICT support.

 Julian said: “Reboot has shown how one enterprise can make a real difference to the lives of so many people and help so many different organisations.

“By taking unwanted computer equipment and recycling it, Reboot has managed to offer training for young people, a safe workplace for its volunteers and help other charities at the same time.

“I am delighted its work has been recognised with an award and I am looking forward to finding out more Reboot and meeting some of the people.”

The newly appointed independent panel set up to review allowances given to Cambridgeshire County Councillors wants to hear your views.

Councils have a legal duty to review their allowances. This will be carried out by the independent panel, taking into account the views of communities as well as councillors.

The panel, which was appointed after a rigorous interview process, includes people from different part of the county who have experience of both the public and private sector. They include:

They are now looking for people's views on allowance which are given to Councillors who have to manage the authority's £852 million budget (including schools). Councillors are responsible for services and duties such as highways, child protection, education, adult social care, Trading Standards, libraries, planning major developments and waste management.

People can have their say in three ways.

Quentin Baker, Director of Legal Services for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: "The Council has a legal duty to regularly review the allowances system. The review will be carried out by an independent panel and they want to hear the views of our communities and residents. Once the panel's report has been published, it will be reviewed by Full Council. There are a number of ways for people to have their say from filling our online survey, to writing to us or attending a public meeting on February 27 at the Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge."

The public consultation runs from 14th to 27th February.

In their alternative Cambridgeshire County Council budget, the Lib Dems have set aside £10 million over the next five years to maintain and improve the buildings of the 200 schools for which the council is still responsible.

 

“The council has a school maintenance backlog of over £20 million”, said Lib Dem Education Spokesman, Peter Downes. “We would increase the investment in making schools fit for purpose and we would give priority to maintenance work that would improve energy efficiency.

 

“This is a win-win situation. The school would reduce its expenditure on energy, thus releasing more funds for teaching, and the county would have to pay less in carbon tax.'

 

Central government has cut back drastically on the funding it makes available directly to school for capital improvements in order to fund its other schemes, such as the creation of 'free schools'.

 

“The government has got its priorities wrong and we must do what we can at a local level to redress the balance,” said Kilian Bourke, Lib Dem Group Leader.

Cambridgeshire has one of the lowest records in the country for helping pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds achieve their full potential.

 

The county comes 12th from the bottom in league tables for achieving five A* to C grades in GCSEs including English and Maths; only 25 per cent of the pupils on free school meals achieve these targets.

 

In a bid to close the national performance gap, Liberal Democrat Children's Minister has allocated an extra £600 per Free School Meals child, the Pupil Premium.

 

With this money schools will be able to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing extra one-to-one tuition, more teaching assistants or after-school activities.

 

This year, the amount available nationally for the Pupil Premium will be doubled to £1.25bn and this will increase to £2.5bn by 2014-15.

 

Peter Downes, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson and former secondary school headteacher, said: “The gap between those who do really well and those who don’t is too great. Unfortunately, how wealthy your parents are has been a deciding factor in a child’s chances for too long.”

 

Cllr Downes, who represents Brampton and Kimbolton on Cambridgeshire County Council added: “As a Liberal Democrat, I believe we cannot let this continue and that is why we must help children reach their full potential. In the Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats’ budget amendment we propose to enhance the Pupil Premium by £250 per pupil in the eight most deprived schools in the county.”

 

Liberal Democrat Children’s Minister, Sarah Teather said: “These figures reveal that children from deprived backgrounds have been let down by previous governments. All too often, children from disadvantaged backgrounds do not get the same opportunities as their more well-off peers, leaving their talents wasted.

 

“As a Liberal Democrat, I believe we have a duty to ensure we turn this shocking legacy of the last Labour Government around. That is why the Coalition Government is doing the right thing by giving schools extra money to focus on supporting these pupils.”