Elections

Local elections (City/SouthCambs), May 2012: East Chesterton

Summary:	Elections to Cambridge City Council (and South Cambs District Council) in May 2012.
Polling date:	Thursday 3rd May 2012
Ward:
Candidates (by surname):	Margery ABBOTT (Labour Party) Peter BURKINSHAW (UK Independence Party) Kevin FRANCIS (Conservative Party) Tony MORRIS (Liberal Democrat) Peter Harry POPE (Green Party)

Questions for East Chesterton ward candidates (7 questions)

Jump to question: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

# 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):

http://www.camcycle.org.uk/campaigning/cycleroutes/chisholmtrail/

Responses to this question from all wards…

Margery ABBOTT (Labour Party)	I would support the idea of encouraging more people to leave their cars at home and travel to work by bike, which would alleviate the gridlock on our roads and reduce vehicle emissions.
Peter BURKINSHAW (UK Independence Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Kevin FRANCIS (Conservative Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Tony MORRIS (Liberal Democrat)	In East Chesterton the question is When and How not If. When is soon via an adjunct to the the new station project. How is with a little help from Sustrans and a lot of help from Network Rail. It is in their interest to provide a cycle friendly station with easy access for pedestrians and cyclists separate from appropriate access for motor vehicles.
Peter Harry POPE (Green Party)	I support the proposal.

# 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):

Newsletter 97: The case for full-time cycling officers

Responses to this question from all wards…

Margery ABBOTT (Labour Party)	The Labour Party would reinstate the full-time Cycling Officer position, or even expand this to two full-time posts, this is in our Alternative Budget. The currently redeployed Cycling Officer is available and also wants to return
Peter BURKINSHAW (UK Independence Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Kevin FRANCIS (Conservative Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Tony MORRIS (Liberal Democrat)	I am not sure there has yet been a full time City Council Cycling Officer. I was involved in making such an appointment at the County Council in 1993/4 and would support such a City Council appointment when work load requires and finance permits.
Peter Harry POPE (Green Party)	A full time cycling officer is essential for Cambridge. Two posts would be excessive under current financial conditions.

# 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…

Margery ABBOTT (Labour Party)	A Labour Council would appoint a new city centre enforcement officer to help crack down on dangerous and illegal cycling, including parking of vans on double yellow lines, as well as changing the culture of cyclists who ride without lights lights or ride unsafely on pavements.
Peter BURKINSHAW (UK Independence Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Kevin FRANCIS (Conservative Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Tony MORRIS (Liberal Democrat)	As a long time promoter of cycle training and cycle safety I am offended by the bad behaviour of some cyclists and road users. Cambridge City Council is devolving decision making powers to local area committees and residents need to attend their local meeting and engage with their Local Sector Inspector if they want to influence policing priorities but they should expect to be competing with others with different priorities.
Peter Harry POPE (Green Party)	The extent of the problem with cyclists having no lights is so great that policing seems a very blunt instrument to deal with it. I prefer a change in technical standards that would require all new bicycles to have robust lighting built into the frame. The technical and cycling expertise in Cambridge must have the answer to this one.

# 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):

http://www.camcycle.org.uk/campaigning/issues/taxilicensing/

Responses to this question from all wards…

Margery ABBOTT (Labour Party)	The candidate did not enter a response for this question.
Peter BURKINSHAW (UK Independence Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Kevin FRANCIS (Conservative Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Tony MORRIS (Liberal Democrat)	The City Council must maximise public safety by promoting proper professional standards for taxi drivers so that passengers in taxis and other road users are properly protected. They should carefully consider the results of the consultation and be aware that drivers with sound standards may have lapses and drivers with poor standards can be retrained and re-examined.
Peter Harry POPE (Green Party)	I support your views entirely.

# Question 5

Will you support the construction of a cut-through for pedestrians and cyclists from Nuffield Rd to Cowley Park either on about 15m of land adjacent to allotments or from Nuffield Close through to the offices of Red Gate Software?

Responses to this question from all wards…

Margery ABBOTT (Labour Party)	Yes, I would support this, provided there was consultation with the relevant parties
Peter BURKINSHAW (UK Independence Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Kevin FRANCIS (Conservative Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Tony MORRIS (Liberal Democrat)	This is a very complex issue. The orphaned railway line probably needs to carry an extension from the busway across Milton Road and into the new station for buses, pedestrians and cycle users. The part of Nuffield Road past the school up to the entrance to Discovery Way should be closed to heavy vehicles serving the industrial estate for the safety of the local children. Cycles and pedestrians should be included in any alternative route that could be provided for the heavy vehicles to get onto Cowley Road and the main road network. However this would require some appropriate crossing of the busway extension and would conflict with that traffic flow.
Peter Harry POPE (Green Party)	Yes, as part of a wider review of local routes around the new station. Safe routes to school for the community living on the Chesterton Fen would be a high priority and the Nuffield Road link is a vital element.

# Question 6

There is no usable infrastructure supporting less confident cyclists along Arbury Road, Union Lane and Church Street, but very many pinch points and parked cars. Recent proposals were opposed by Cambridge Cycling Campaign, as they risked harming cyclists interests without providing a continuous, safe route along Arbury Road and Union Lane. Do you support a cycle route from Orchard Park to Riverside Bridge and if so, what infrastructure measures do you propose to encourage cyclists of different levels of ability and confidence here?

Relevant links (each opens in a new window):

Responses to this question from all wards…

Margery ABBOTT (Labour Party)	As somebody who has cycled in Cambridge for over 40 years, but who is less confident, when I cycle in Union Lane and Arbury Road I find the traffic quite intimidating. A lot of the cars seem to travel at speed, so I think a 20mph speed limit would be a big improvement. Before any other improvements can be made there would need to be consultation with the residents.
Peter BURKINSHAW (UK Independence Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Kevin FRANCIS (Conservative Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Tony MORRIS (Liberal Democrat)	I consider Arbury Rd, Union Lane, Church/Chapel Street to Riverside bridge an on main road route and I would discourage people from using it in favour of the multitude of quiet roads that are available as an alternative. From Orchard Park if a main road route was needed then I would use Histon Road or Kings Hedges Road depending on my final destination.
Peter Harry POPE (Green Party)	Orchard Park to Riverside is a splendid objective for a cycle route. As your letter indicates there are no easy solutions for its implementation. The re-surfacing of Union Lane would help confident cyclists but the pinch points remain. This project should be the first priority of a full time cycling officer.

# Question 7

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…

Margery ABBOTT (Labour Party)	I don't own a car, I rely on public transport and cycling, I have been cycling for over 40 years and the Cambridge Cycling Campaign are doing a wonderful job in improving the lot of us cyclists.
Peter BURKINSHAW (UK Independence Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Kevin FRANCIS (Conservative Party)	The candidate has not responded to the survey.
Tony MORRIS (Liberal Democrat)	The cycle projects officer mention above was tasked with promoting long haul cycle routes through Cambridgeshire to the East Coast and the Channel Ports in 1993/4 and liaising with Sustrans. I believe that there are a number of benefits that have flowed from that initiative.
Peter Harry POPE (Green Party)	We must have more cycle parking at the station. Also desirable is a means to identify bikes that have not moved for, say, 3 weeks so they can be removed to make space for genuine users.

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.