Elections

Local elections, May 2007: Coleridge

Summary: Elections to Cambridge City Council (and South Cambs District Council) in May 2007.
Polling date: Thursday 3rd May 2007
Ward:
Candidates
(by surname):
  • Jeremy BENSTEAD  (Labour Party)
  • Neil Alan FORD  (Green Party)
  • Valerie Teresa HOPKINS  (Green Party)
  • Christopher John HOWELL  (Conservative Party)
  • Emma Louise LINDSAY  (Liberal Democrat)
  • Richard Edward NORMINGTON  (Conservative Party)
  • Tariq SADIQ  (Labour Party)
  • Albert Charles WATTS  (UK Independence Party)
  • Thomas YATES  (Liberal Democrat)

Questions for Coleridge ward candidates (6 questions)

Jump to question:  1   2   3   4   5   6 

# Question 1

Cycling offers a huge opportunity to reduce motor traffic and free up road space. Do you have any suggestions for additional cycling promotion activities that the Council could do?

Jeremy BENSTEAD
(Labour Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Neil Alan FORD
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Valerie Teresa HOPKINS
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Christopher John HOWELL
(Conservative Party)

The key area of opportunity for the City Council is in the planning system when looking at new developments.

I would seek to ensure the planning system makes cycle parking and new cycle routes happen, particularly on the large new developments proposed for the south and east of Cambridge and Northstowe. For example, I think it is a scandal that a settlement the size of Cambourne was permitted with such poor cycle links to nearby Cambridge, the Councils must not allow this to happen again. Ensuring there is sufficient transport infrastructure for all types of road users to accompany new developments is one of our key planning priorities, and should go above all the other punitive obligations the Council seeks to impose on developers before granting planning permission, as it is currently the first thing to be dropped from the obligations (e.g. a new footbridge to the station was in the original plan for the Cambridge Leisure site).

I would also like to see the cycling improvements proposed in the East Cambridge Transport strategy that can be achieved at relatively low cost (e.g. upgrading the Tins path) made regardless of whether the main development of the airport (which I don’t support) goes ahead, subject to identifying a suitable source of funding.

Outside the planning process, I am generally supportive of measures by the relevant Councils to improve the convenience of cycling, for example, given the opportunity I would have voted to oppose the City Centre bike ban at every opportunity, to make streets such as Kingston Street 2 way for cyclists and remove obstructions to cycle routes (cow-handles?).

As a Councillor in Cherry Hinton 2000-2004, I campaigned unsuccessfully for review and replacement of the traffic calming there – amongst other concerns, the cycle lanes are ridiculous in terms of using for cycling. I also campaigned for safety measures to be introduced when new restricted visibility bus shelters were installed on dual use paths, and would expect to follow up similar issues in Coleridge if elected there.

Emma Louise LINDSAY
(Liberal Democrat)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Richard Edward NORMINGTON
(Conservative Party)

Yes, planning issues are a Conservative priority. I believe that we should ensure that there is sufficient transport infrastructure for all types of road users to accompany new developments. We would work with the county council and undertake a complete audit of cycle lane routes: identifying gaps in provision, underused lanes and dangerous pathways.

The recent East Cambridge Transport strategy identifies a number of possible improvements at relatively low cost. This could be done regardless of the unwanted plans for developing the airport site.

Tariq SADIQ
(Labour Party)

Certain streets or areas in the city could become car free zones on certain days of the year and reserved for cyclists and pedestrians. This might encourage those who are apprehensive about cycling to try it out in a safe environment. Also encourage more local businesses and employers to promote the Department of Transport's Cycle to Work scheme which gives tax breaks on the purchase of new bikes and spreads out the payments.

Albert Charles WATTS
(UK Independence Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Thomas YATES
(Liberal Democrat)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.

# Question 2

Cambridge suffers from a huge shortage of on-street public cycle parking, and a staggeringly high rate of cycle theft - 10% of reported crime. We want to see a formal strategy to get on-street cycle parking provided around Cambridge, with a target of say, 100-200 spaces per year initially. Do you support this?

Jeremy BENSTEAD
(Labour Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Neil Alan FORD
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Valerie Teresa HOPKINS
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Christopher John HOWELL
(Conservative Party)

Yes, and the Councils should be proactive in doing something about this.

Emma Louise LINDSAY
(Liberal Democrat)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Richard Edward NORMINGTON
(Conservative Party)

Yes, Conservatives will review the whole question of parking, both for cars and cycles, and work with our colleagues at the county council to do this. One of our priorities is to ensure that the provision for secure storage of bicycles is included in proposed railway redevelopment programmes.

Tariq SADIQ
(Labour Party)

There is clearly a shortage of places to park bikes in Cambridge especially around the station and in the city centre on busy days. There should be more secure areas like the Park Street cycle park. I would also like to see local businesses sponsoring cycle stands.

Albert Charles WATTS
(UK Independence Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Thomas 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 police priority?

Jeremy BENSTEAD
(Labour Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Neil Alan FORD
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Valerie Teresa HOPKINS
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Christopher John HOWELL
(Conservative Party)

I think I understand where the campaign is coming from on this (the promotion of responsible cycling), but I am a bit loath to call it a priority, as it tends to become part of ‘initiative led’ policing that is then more about public impressions than solving problems.

I think the Conservative proposals for local democratically elected police commissioners is a great idea, so that the police become more responsive to local priorities generally. If this happened, my priorities like just about everyone you speak to on the doorstep would be more police walking the streets day and night, when stopping cyclists without lights/on the pavement etc would be a normal and expected part of this role.

Emma Louise LINDSAY
(Liberal Democrat)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Richard Edward NORMINGTON
(Conservative Party)

Yes, however enforcement of the law should be a matter of course and not just a ‘priority’.

Tariq SADIQ
(Labour Party)

I agree that this is important but I don't think it should be a policing priority given the many other pressures on police resources. A carrot and stick approach would be better - free or heavily discounted lights could be offered to cyclists as part of a campaign involving the Police, the Council and local bike shops followed by periods when the police implement a high profile clampdown.

Albert Charles WATTS
(UK Independence Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Thomas YATES
(Liberal Democrat)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.

# Question 4

Following the remarkable success of 20 mph zones in Hull, we wish to see many more 20 mph zones around Cambridge for both safety and environmental reasons. Do you support this objective?

Jeremy BENSTEAD
(Labour Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Neil Alan FORD
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Valerie Teresa HOPKINS
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Christopher John HOWELL
(Conservative Party)

Yes in general, I think 20mph is a more appropriate speed limit for many residential roads, but when I have suggested this to Council officers in the past they have been unwilling to act without huge over the top physical traffic calming schemes at vast expense, citing national guidelines. This approach in most cases results in loss of support and acceptance from local residents and myself. Local Councils should have the freedom to respond to the local situation and reduce limits with little or no physical measures wherever locally elected people believe is appropriate.

Emma Louise LINDSAY
(Liberal Democrat)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Richard Edward NORMINGTON
(Conservative Party)

Yes, we will ask for a review of all speed limits on roads; taking into account the provision of cycle lanes, use of the road by cyclists and the accident rate.

Tariq SADIQ
(Labour Party)

Yes, I do support this but there could be other solutions too. For example, it has been shown that removing signage and lines on roads and blurring the demarcation between motorists, pedestrians and cyclists encourages drivers to slow down and be more cautious resulting in a reduction in accidents. Perhaps this could be tried in Cambridge.

Albert Charles WATTS
(UK Independence Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Thomas YATES
(Liberal Democrat)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.

# Question 5

Cambridge Cycling Campaign is promoting a new route for pedestrians and cyclists called the 'Chisholm Trail', alongside the railway, joining up many journey destinations between Addenbrooke's to the south and the Science Park to the north. This would make many journeys much quicker. Do you support this in principle, and would you like more information?

Jeremy BENSTEAD
(Labour Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Neil Alan FORD
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Valerie Teresa HOPKINS
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Christopher John HOWELL
(Conservative Party)

I am generally very supportive of the idea of the Chisholm Trail – the only caveat is to ensure that the rail corridor can support both a cycleway and local public transport system, e.g. an extension of the Guided Bus, but in any case this corridor is currently significantly underused and should be used for sustainable transport schemes.

Emma Louise LINDSAY
(Liberal Democrat)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Richard Edward NORMINGTON
(Conservative Party)

Yes, in principle. I think it is important to encourage the continued development of off-road cycle routes and to create safe, traffic-free cycling routes.

Tariq SADIQ
(Labour Party)

This sounds like a good proposal in principle as long as safety and security issues can be adequately addressed and the scheme can be properly funded.

Albert Charles WATTS
(UK Independence Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Thomas YATES
(Liberal Democrat)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.

# Question 6

Do you have any other general cycling-related comments or points?

Jeremy BENSTEAD
(Labour Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Neil Alan FORD
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Valerie Teresa HOPKINS
(Green Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Christopher John HOWELL
(Conservative Party)

I have been a member of the Cambridge Cycling Campaign for a number of years, and commute daily to work in the Centre of Cambridge by bike.

Emma Louise LINDSAY
(Liberal Democrat)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Richard Edward NORMINGTON
(Conservative Party)

We will ask the government to remove Whitehall targets for the introduction of new cycle lanes and allow us the discretion to spend money on cycling as we determine – such as providing better information on existing cycle routes and the proper promotion of cycling training in schools.

Conservatives welcome the extra cycling opportunities presented by the Guided Bus. Pedestrians and cyclists can expect new facilities, with a new bridleway and cycle route running alongside the Busway route. We hope that the Cambridge Cycling campaign will join us in supporting the Guided Bus.

Tariq SADIQ
(Labour Party)

Cycle lanes and crossings shared with pedestrians need to be better designed. There should be more advance stops at traffic lights and junctions for cyclists and these need to be properly maintained. More cycling proficiency training especially for visiting students and tourists. If one doesn't already exist, then a cyclists' Highway Code should be published which clearly sets out their rights and responsibilities. We should look at how other countries promote cycling and not be afraid to try new things here too.

Albert Charles WATTS
(UK Independence Party)
The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Thomas 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.