There was yet another accident at the Slap Up junction a week or so ago. Here is the information from the police:

Two vehicles involved - both cars. Driver 2 had slight injuries - whiplash.

Vehicle 1 turned right across the A10 into path of vehicle 2. Unknown if vehicle 1 was leaving or entering main road.

We need action and I have contacted the County Council Cabinet member for Highways to try to arrange a meeting. So far I have had no reply.

I’ll keep you informed of progress.

On Saturday, May 9th, a group of Landbeach and Waterbeach residents attended a Speedwatch training session at Landbeach Village Hall.

Michael Williamson organised this training session because of the huge concern in both villages about speeding traffic. Five residents of Landbeach and three from Waterbeach, including Michael himself, attended the training given by a representative of the police from Histon. It involved demonstration of the equipment and then a practical exercise on Green End where in a very short time a significant number of drivers were found exceeding the 30 mph limit.

The team from Landbeach are extremely enthusiastic, and intend to set up checks in the near future. One of them commented to Michael that he was very pleased that something was been done at last about drivers who drive through Landbeach far too quickly.

For more information about Speedwatch, see the article below.

By now, parents and carers have been informed that Helen Williams, Headteacher of Waterbeach School, has decided to move on after eight years, and will be leaving at the end of the Summer term.

Helen has been an extremely successful Head. Under her guidance the school achieved ‘outstanding’ in its OfStEd inspection in 2007. One of the comments of the inspectors was that “The key factor in this ongoing improvement is the outstanding quality of the headteacher’s leadership”. Thus Helen will be a hard act to follow. However, she will leave behind a strong team and, as a Governor, I am confident that the school will move on from strength to strength and will be in safe hands while the search goes on for a new head to start, hopefully, in September 2010.

The latest submissions to the County Council’s Minerals and Waste consultation include a submission by Network Rail to close Chesterton Sidings and move the operations that include minerals handling and possible London waste transfer to a site north of Waterbeach

The proposals are simply from the developer at this stage, and have no formal status. However, if we are to stop this piece of open countryside being blighted by what is essentially induistrial development, then it is vital that as many people as possible make their views known.

I have talked to many of those most affected by this development and, not surprisingly, they are all against it. The development is in open, flat countryside, not far from Denny Abbey, and there is no doubt that this piece of landscape will be spoiled for ever by such a development.

You can see full details of the proposal at http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/environment/planning/mineralswasteplan/siteprofilesmap/railhead and this will take you to the page where you can add your comments. Alternatively, click here to see a map of the proposals.

Do make your views know - I can make comments on your behalf, but they have more impact if they come from individuals.

At today’s County Council meeting I raised the issue of the Slap-up junction. Using the County Council’s own statistics this has the worst accident rate of any junction in Cambridgeshire but the cost of an upgrade is so great (around £450,000) that the improvements never get approved.

A few months ago I made some suggestions to the County’s road safety team of some small changes that might help the situation. Amanda Mays of that team responded that my ideas had some merit, and that they were worth looking at.

Today I asked Councillor Matt Bradney, the portfolio holder to ask the road safety team to look further at my ideas and he agreed.

This junction urgently needs action and I very much hope that we might get some progress. If you are interested in my ideas, please contact me and I shall send them to you.

Do you cycle to work? Do you use any of the cycle ways or cycle bridges? Have you have problems with the ice recently?

The recent spell of cold weather has highlighted the County Council’s policy on gritting cycle routes as being totally unfit for purpose. There have been huge numbers of complaints both locally about the two cycle bridges in Milton, and about other cycle routes both into and within Cambridge, because the County Council’s policy is only to grit when the weather has been bad for five days!

By that time lots of people may have fallen off their bikes, and people could have been seriously injured.

The Liberal Democrat group on the County Council are calling for urgent consideration of revision to the policy and have asked one of the Council’s Scrutiny committees to look at the whole issue. If we want people to leave their cars at home and use green modes of thransport, then the routes they use must be kept safe.

In order to get maximum relevant input to the scrutiny process Cambridgeshire Lib Dems have launched a web-site http://cambridgeshiregrit.wordpress.com/ and have invited residents to post their experiences on-line.

A motorcyclist was badly injured in a collision with a lorry on the morning of Thursday, October 1st (see the Cambridge Evening News article).

I have been campaigning since I was elected in 2005 for improvements to this junction, but although County Highways see the need for improvements, the scheme never seems to make the short list, mainly because of the lack of budget.

Jane Coston, my predecessor as County Councillor, managed to get traffic lights installed at the Denny End junction and these have undoubtedly been a great success. We need the same thing at the Slap Up if we are not to see further accidents.

Hot on the heels of proposed Post Office closures, now BT want to close our telephone boxes Read the rest of this entry »