Update 19th March 2025
Dear All,
Update 19th March 2025
FeCRA AGM tonight 6.30pm St Johns Hills Rd
Meeting papers are available on the FeCRA website
They include recordings from the last AGM and the discussion of Cambridge’s water concerns following the screening of Tony Eva’s film “Pure Clean Water”. The Committee look forward to welcoming you.
AGM Agenda
- Minutes of the previous AGM
- Accounts
- Election of Officers
- Chair’s Report
- Jean Bevan – The South Newnham Neighbourhood Plan
- Update on talk by Peter Freeman, chair of the Cambridge Growth Company, Thursday 15 May
Peter Freeman Talk: Making Cambridge a Happy City?
15th May, venue Great St Mary’s. Doors open 6.30 for the 7pm – 9pm talk
The Eventbrite listing for this is now live:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/making-cambridge-a-happy-city-a-talk-by-peter-freeman-tickets-1287407724159?aff=oddtdtcreator
Please share the link with your networks and friends. Post on social media.Send us your questions. This is likely to be a popular event so please be sure to sign up. It is really important that Cambridge residents’ voices are heard.
Stephen Kelly, the Director of Greater Cambridge Planning Service, speaking in 2023 about what was then called the Cambridge Delivery Group (now the Cambridge Growth Company), was quoted in a Friends of the Cam talk to the Ickleton Society as saying: “Our communities need to understand more transparently who it is, what’s its role, who are the decision makers in that space? How do decisions get made and how does the local voice get represented in that?” link below.
See The River Cam, Chalk Streams and the Environment – Risks from Development https://www.fecra.org.uk/docs/Ickleton%20talk%20FoC%20-%20FeCRA.pdf ( the slides are not included)
It is worrying that a motion at the recent Cambridge City Full Council meeting which had cross-party support from Lib Dems, Greens and Conservatives, calling for more local involvement in planning was not allowed to be heard. Remember your voice matters! Link below: https://www.fecra.org.uk/update-24th-february-2025/
For some reason Cavendish Consulting deleted their tweet about the meeting at Corpus Christi with people across the development industry and the Leader of Cambridge City Council but there is a record of the meeting here:
https://x.com/greenarteries/status/1894470081473548792
Cambridge Delivery Company: Update Report by Stephen Kelly Director of Greater Cambridge Planning Feb 2025. Link below
https://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s138431/Cambridge%20Delivery%20Company%20Update%20Report.pdf
Planning and Infrastructure Bill – second reading 24 March
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/planning-bill-reform-builders-882mkdqqz
The Times reported “Natural England given powers to seize green areas in planning bill’
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/planning-bill-reform-builders-882mkdqqz
The chair of Natural England Tony Juniper lives in Cambridge, as does the Chair of the Wildlife Trust Trust, Craig Bennett. Both are members of this network of Cambridge professionals:
https://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/about/governance/sustainability/sustainability-professionals-network/
Natural England Board register of interests
The board includes representatives of three of Cambridge’s biggest developers, Marshalls, Urban and Civic and Wellcome Trust (who own U&C) and Cambridge University and Aldersgate. Anglian Water’s former policy director, now MD of Water Resources East and a new member of the Cambridge Conservation Forum is a trustee of Aldersgate. His board cv omits his recent role at Anglian Water.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-england-register-of-board-members-interests/natural-england-register-of-board-members-interests-2024
Extracts from Times report
Natural England “given powers to seize farmland and allotments and other green spaces for nature restoration … elsewhere in the country to rewild or turn into nature reserves… funded by fees paid by developers”.
“Compensation for disruption of home or farm compulsorily purchased cut from max of £75,000 to £25,000”. Changes “designed to spur development of new towns.. bill extends powers of development corporations which will oversee them, including by allowing them to be used for “urban extension” and standalone settlements”
Infrastructure – changes “designed to speed up projects ranging from power plants, wind farms, reservoirs, railways and roads. Legal challenges against such projects will be curtailed by changes which refuse claims deemed “totally without merit” by the High Court permission to appeal”.
“The bill will for the first time allow renewable energy projects such as onshore wind farms to be built on land owned by the Forestry Commission”. People living within 500m of new pylons get up to £2,500 off electricity bills over 10 years in incentives designed to reduce objections
The Community Planning Alliance are asking people to email their MP in advance of the second reading of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on 24 March. They advise that “Nature is at enormous risk from the ‘cash to trash’ scheme and has no voice”. They have suggested some text which you can adapt for a letter to Daniel Zeichner UK Farming Minister and/or Pippa Heylings, South Cambs MP. Link below.
https://t.co/VK0BZC0T3l
Honey Hill campaigners are recording a last protest song on 26th March before a decision about Anglian Water’s Sewage Works Relocation
Honey Hill say: “Our last protest song! Come along to Horningsea Church on 25 March 6.30 pm. New Song Steve. Only weeks to go before the decision. Could it be our best song yet?” Judging by previous events this will be a joyful event.
https://x.com/SaveHoneyHill1/status/1900101596370911306
Best wishes,
Wendy
Wendy Blythe
Chair, FeCRA
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