Elections
Local elections (City/SouthCambs), May 2012: Coleridge
Summary: | Elections to Cambridge City Council (and South Cambs District Council) in May 2012. |
Polling date: | Thursday 3rd May 2012 |
Ward: |
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Candidates (by surname): |
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Questions for Coleridge ward candidates (6 questions)
# Question 1
Do you support our proposal for 'The Chisholm Trail', a cycling and walking route that would run roughly along the railway, joining up the Science Park to Addenbrookes? More details are in our Cycling Vision 2016 document. This high-profile scheme would cut journey times, give people a genuine, realistic alternative to car use and help the city cope with the population increase which will take place in the coming years.
Relevant links (each opens in a new window):
Responses to this question from all wards…
Sam BARKER (Conservative Party) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
Shaun Peter ESGATE (Green Party) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
George OWERS (Labour & Co-operative) |
In light of the positive assessment in the County Council’s feasibility study, I support the Chisholm Trail, which will become more viable with the new Chesterton Station being built. It would provide an excellent route joining the north and south of the city, which would cut congestion and make Cambridge more bike-friendly. If elected, I will support all efforts to identify funding for the scheme. |
Thomas Spencer YATES (Liberal Democrat) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
# Question 2
Would you reinstate the full-time Cycling Officer position, or even expand this to two full-time posts? This post has been crucial in the past for scrutinising new developments for cycling-related issues, as well as developing work to promote responsible cycling.
Relevant links (each opens in a new window):
Responses to this question from all wards…
Sam BARKER (Conservative Party) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
Shaun Peter ESGATE (Green Party) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
George OWERS (Labour & Co-operative) |
I fully support reinstating a full time cycling officer, as all Labour candidates do, in contrast to the ruling Lib Dems. As a sitting councillor, I voted for this as part of Labour’s 2012 city council budget amendment, but the Lib Dems voted it down. The current cycling officer does not have the time to fully support cyclists’ needs being taken into account in planning applications, and we need more staffing to help promote cycling projects in the city. We also need someone to bring forward greater efforts to provide more cycle parking in the city centre, funding for more cycle parking also being in the 2012 Labour budget amendment. |
Thomas Spencer YATES (Liberal Democrat) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
# Question 3
Do you support our view that traffic policing (including fining of cyclists without lights or using pedestrian-only pavements) should become a greater police priority?
Relevant links (each opens in a new window):
Responses to this question from all wards…
Sam BARKER (Conservative Party) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
Shaun Peter ESGATE (Green Party) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
George OWERS (Labour & Co-operative) |
Traffic policing and enforcement to target dangerous cycling, especially cyclists who illegally ride on pavements, cycle without lights or go through red lights is one of my top priorities. In Coleridge, many raise this as a concern, and I will consider supporting making it an East Area police priority in the future. This needs to be accompanied with greater efforts at education, which I would be happy to work with the Cycling Campaign to achieve. |
Thomas Spencer YATES (Liberal Democrat) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
# Question 4
The City is currently conducting a consultation on taxi licensing. This Campaign strongly supports the proposal that complaints should be taken into account in determining if a driver is a fit and proper person to hold a taxi license. We prefer Option 1 in the consultation as this allows evidence of both offences and complaints to be taken together. We also suggest that complaints and offences should be considered over three and five year periods, as well as over one year (which is the proposal in the consultation), as this makes it far easier to set trigger levels that are likely to catch the (few) rogue taxi drivers without jeopardising the others. What is your view?
Relevant links (each opens in a new window):
Responses to this question from all wards…
Sam BARKER (Conservative Party) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
Shaun Peter ESGATE (Green Party) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
George OWERS (Labour & Co-operative) |
I am uncomfortable with allowing unsubstantiated complaints against taxi drivers being used in the points system. I will only support a taxi licensing regime in which any complaints have to be substantiated to count against a taxi driver, and there is recourse to appeal. Otherwise, nuisance complainants or rival taxi firms could abuse the system. As such, I am uncomfortable with the aspect of Option 1 of the consultation which allows unsubstantiated complaints to be counted. |
Thomas Spencer YATES (Liberal Democrat) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
# Question 5
Will you give your active support to a proper cycle path linking Ashbury Close to Golding Road?
Relevant links (each opens in a new window):
Responses to this question from all wards…
Sam BARKER (Conservative Party) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
Shaun Peter ESGATE (Green Party) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
George OWERS (Labour & Co-operative) |
I will only support a cycle-path scheme linking Ashbury Close and Golding Road if it has the full support of local residents, who had numerous objections to the last proposed scheme, which has now been shelved. If an improved scheme which had the support of residents were brought forward, I would support it. |
Thomas Spencer YATES (Liberal Democrat) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
# Question 6
Do you have any other general cycling-related comments or points? And what support have you given for cycling and walking, or sustainable transport more generally, in the recent past?
Responses to this question from all wards…
Sam BARKER (Conservative Party) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
Shaun Peter ESGATE (Green Party) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
George OWERS (Labour & Co-operative) |
One of my top priorities in the ward is enforcement against nuisance cycling, which many residents, particularly elderly ones, find a real hazard. However, I also want to use South corridor area transport money to improve cycle and pedestrian safety, especially around the Budgens roundabout on Cherry Hinton Road, and to finish the cycle path on Cherry Hinton Road, which, in its unfinished state, is dangerous. I do, however, have reservations about the cycling safety scheme put forward covering the Perne Rd – Birdwood Rd – Radegund Rd roundabout, which residents are unsure about. I am yet to see any evidence for how it will improve cyclist safety, and it has the potential to create extra traffic congestion without benefits for cyclists. |
Thomas Spencer YATES (Liberal Democrat) |
The candidate has not responded to the survey. |
Camcycle is a non-partisan body. All candidates are given an equal opportunity to submit their views. Information published by Camcycle (Cambridge Cycling Campaign), The Bike Depot, 140 Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0DL.