Sarah Brown

At the launch of the new Draft Bill on energy, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State of Energy and Climate Change Ed Davey, writes:

Over the next decade, around a fifth of existing power plants are due to close, against a background of increased energy demand and increasing prices. We need new investment simply to keep the lights on.

But more than that, we need a clean energy revolution to meet our ambitious climate change goals and make this the greenest government ever.

That’s why I am bringing forward a new Energy Bill today.

You can read more about our clean energy revolution here.

We also need to transform our energy market to reduce the risk and cost of low carbon technologies.

That’s what our Bill does.

The UK is fast becoming a world leader in renewable energy, especially in off shore wind. I want us to lead the world in Carbon Capture and Storage too.

And we are also tackling rising energy bills. Without reforming the energy market bills will rise by around £200 in the coming years. Our reforms will mean bills are around 4% lower than they otherwise would have been.

Going green is good for the economy, good for Britain and good for you.

Yours,

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

(Image licensed under Creative Commons from DECC)

Just one planning application this week:

If you wish to find out more, comment on any of these applications or track their progress, please visit the City Council online planning monitoring service.

(Click picture to play video)

It is shameful that, despite all the promise on a four or five year old’s first day at school, or the passion of their teachers, you can all too often plot that child’s path just by asking how much their parents earn.

The £2.5billion Pupil Premium was one of the four pledges on the front page of our manifesto.  And now, with Liberal Democrats in government, schools are using the money for things like breakfast clubs; homework clubs; or to provide one-to-one-tuition. These are the sort of experiences many middle class children take for granted but a poorer child might rarely enjoy.

Yesterday I visited a fantastic primary school to see how they are spending their Pupil Premium, highlight our new Summer Schools to ease the transition from primary to secondary, and to set out our plans to reward teachers and hold schools to account.

The Pupil Premium shows that, in tough times, we are implementing Liberal Democrat values and prioritising help for those pupils who need it most.

Best wishes,

Nick Clegg MP

Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister

PS Click here to find out how much money your local school will receive from the Liberal Democrats’ Pupil Premium.

works on east road

Utility companies could be charged a daily fee for road closures while they carry out work across Cambridgeshire.

The idea has been put forward by Liberal Democrat Councillor Sarah Whitebread and would apply to companies laying new gas or water mains or carrying out similar work in the county.

Cllr Whitebread, who represents Cambridge’s Market Ward on Cambridgeshire County Council, claims the move could prevent lengthy closures such as the one which brought the city’s East Road to a virtual halt for weeks while new gas mains were laid.

She made her suggestion during Question Time at the county council meeting today (Tuesday, May 15) and it was agreed to look into such a scheme.

A similar idea, approved by the Department of Transport, will allow Transport for London to charge companies in the capital up to £2,500 a day for closing major roads. Companies will face lower charges if they carry out work outside of peak times.

“The county system at the moment has no incentive for speedy work, or to encourage work outside peak times” said Cllr Whitebread. “Given the frequency with which utilities companies need to carry out road works in Cambridge, I think a charging scheme of this type needs serious consideration.

“I also pushed the council to look at ways to encourage utility companies, when carrying out works, to keep roads open for cyclists. Often there is road space around the works that could be made available, but instead cyclists told to wait with cars or dismount and walk. In a city where so many people travel to school and work by bike, this clearly needs addressing.”

The county council’s Cabinet Member for Community Infrastructure, Tony Orgee, agreed to look into such a scheme.

Because of elections and bank holidays, I’ve rolled two weeks into one this time. Sorry for the delay, normal service will be returned next week – Sarah.

Planning and tree works applications received for the the two weeks between the 23rd of April and 6th of May for Petersfield ward are as follows:

If you wish to find out more, comment on any of these applications or track their progress, please visit the City Council online planning monitoring service.

This week, Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat minister at the Department of Health) has launched a national £4 million lung cancer awareness campaign. The campaign, the first of its kind, will use TV, radio and press adverts, and advertising on pharmacist bags and inside GP surgeries, to raise awareness of the disease.

One of its aims is to persuade anyone who has had a cough for more than three weeks to see their doctor.

You can find more information about coughing and lung cancer at the Department of Health website, here: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/05/coughing-could-be-a-sign-of-lung-cancer-2/

With 33,000 new cases diagnosed each year, lung cancer is a blight on the lives of far too many of our families and an early diagnosis can make all the difference. Please take the opportunity of the Be Clear on Cancer campaign to find out more about prevention and diagnosis, and to visit your local doctor if you’ve had a persistent cough – it is always better to be safe than sorry!

http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/tag/be-clear-on-cancer/

Strawberry Fair is to launch a poetry slam competition for young people age 13 – 25 from across Cambridgeshire. The competition will be free to enter and prizes include a prime performance slot at the Fair and opportunities to be mentored by critically acclaimed poets.

If you write poetry, love poetry and want to share your poetry, then they would love to hear from you. You can use beatbox, rap, mc-ing, polyvocal or acapella, as well as poetry and spoken word.

All you need to do to enter is:

1. Go to www.strawberry-slam.org.uk
2. Follow the instructions to post a clip of yourself reading or reciting your poem.
3. Wait to hear whether you have been selected as one of 12 finalists to go through to compete in the Strawberry Slam final on Saturday 2 June.

Deadline for entries: Saturday 26 May 2012

The entries will be judged by five professional poets from London’s Point Blank Poets Collective and the 12 finalists will be announced on Tuesday 29 May. The final will be held in the brand new Strawberry Slam stage at the Fair on Saturday 2 June, 7 – 10pm. The Slam will be hosted by the formidable Hollie McNish (a former UK Slam Poetry Champion) and emcee Inja, with guest performances from renowned spoken word artists Bridget Minamore, Sabrina Mahfouz, Dean Atta and Deanna Rodger.

To find out more visit www.strawberry-slam.org.uk or get in touch with amy@strawberry-fair.org.uk

All refuse and recycling collections for Cambridge City in the week beginning Monday 7th May will take place one day later than normal, with Friday’s collection taking place on Saturday 12th.

You can check collection days for your street at http://bins.cambridge.gov.uk or contact the council on bins@cambridge.gov.uk or 01223 458282.

If you are having a clear-out over the weekend or doing some DIY, remember many items can be reused or recycled by donating to charity shops or taking to a Recycling Centre. For details of what can be taken to Recycling Centres and where they are, visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk or call 0345 045 5207.

If you have a celebration or BBQ and have extra recycling that won’t fit in your blue bin, you can take all extra cans, bottles and cartons to your local recycling point – find your closest one at www.cambridge.gov.uk/recycling.

Planning and tree works applications received for the the week between the 16th and 22nd of April for Petersfield ward are as follows:

If you wish to find out more, comment on any of these applications or track their progress, please visit the City Council online planning monitoring service.

Developers have come forward with new proposals for Lion Yard which retain a redesigned walkway to Fisher Square.

The plans will be discussed in depth at a meeting of the Lion Yard Toilets Working Party in May. In the meantime, work will start on reconfiguring some of the shops in Lion Yard, while allowing walkway and the toilets to remain unaffected.

The new proposals have been welcomed by Cambridge City Council Leader, Sian Reid who said: “The city council’s working party and I have expressed real concern about closing the walkway and I am very encouraged that developers are responding to this.

“The working party will be discussing these new plans in depth and will discuss how best to consult again with residents.

“I am very pleased that the developers, who planned to close the walkway, have listened to residents’ views and the concerns of Cambridge City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council and proposed to retain it.

“I believe that it is vitally important to connect the central market area and Fisher Square with other parts of the city; and retaining the walkway makes it easier and quicker for people can get from the Lion Yard to the toilets

“The county council has given informal advice reflecting this too.”

Cambridge City Council refused permission in 2011 for the developers to move the toilets to the first floor; their future on the ground floor is assured.