Councillor Richard Johnson March-April 2014 Update 1.

. Casework A varied month, as per usual, but the largest amount of correspondence in the last month were on the subjects of open and green spaces, street cleansing, repairs to fencing and city homes. Casework Email Correspondence by subject: Housing/Homelessness - 4 Street Lighting - 3 Repairs to Council Property -7 Cycling and Transport - 1 Street Cleansing - 6 Dogs and Dog Fouling -3 Streets and Open Spaces - 16 Trees and Green Spaces - 7 Community Services and Events - 9 Total emails: 78 2. Committees At the 3rd April Full Council meeting, I seconded Cllr Kevin Prices motion on the cutting of government funding for local assistance schemes, which will impact the most vulnerable people in our county. Currently the County Council receives 1m per year for this provision; after April 2015 this will drop to zero. It is unlikely the County Council will want to continue funding the provision out of its core budget. The motion called for the City Council to bring a report to the Community Services scrutiny committee about ways to mitigate the loss of this money. The Lib Dems put forward an amendment stating that the City Council would be better placed instead to lobby the County Council. This amendment was carried and the substantive was also carried, unanimously. At the East Area Committee of Thursday 10th April I responded to Abbey residents who raised questions in the 'Public Forum' section of the meeting. These consisted of potholes in Whitehill Estate, the suspected and alleged running of an illegal taxi repair business from Galfrid Road, and Riverside parking. I have been appointed to the Councils Cultural Trust Working Group (the Cultural Trust will be a body which will run the Folk Festival and the Corn Exchange on behalf of the Council from next year). The working group aims to put into place an appropriate framework for appointing the members of the Trust. Its first meeting will be 23rd April, and further meetings are expected in May and June. Business Support (Letters posted etc) - 0 Setting up Officer Meetings - 2 Council Committee Business - 5 Setting up Third Party Meetings - 8 Planning - 7 ASB/Crime - 0

3. Meetings Together with Councillor Whitehead, I attended a meeting of the East Barnwell Community Association on 26th March, where the governance and day-to-day management and the

planning brief of the proposed new Community Hub (ahead of the architectural plans being drawn up) were discussed. It was an interesting meeting, but Joan and I came away from it knowing that several concerns raised by the Committee will need to be discussed in greater detail ahead of the agreement of the brief to ensure agreement from not just the EBCA but from other stakeholders as well, such as the County and City Councils. I met with Trevor Woollams (Head of Community Development at the City Council) and Paula Bishop (in charge of the Childrens and Young Persons Participation Service CHYPPS) on 1st April to discuss the impact the recent organisational changes to CHYPPS will have to the Abbey area. The service saw a 44% cut in its budget recently, and had to lay off half its staff. It was noted that the recent restructure was difficult for all concerned, but they were confident that the activitiesCHYPPS are known for will continue in the Abbey area. The City Council recognise the level of deprivation within parts of Abbey ward compared to other parts of Cambridge, so are tightly focusing their activity in these areas. However, there is risk attached to this new model of operation as it is far more reliant on commercial activity (e.g. providing consultative advice and equipment) to other local authorities and the private sector than the case before. The idea is that this revenue will make up the shortfall in City Council funding. I was informed of the relationship CHYPPS has with Metropolitan, the Housing Association that looks after the Jack Warren Green estate. From late April they will run activities on the play field and invite families to the adventure trail at Cherry Hinton Hall and the Play Boat moored on the Cam. The summer play-scheme (Summer Daze) will not run for as long as previously but will still continue. Also on 1st April I visited Coleridge School and met Year 9 students, along with other Cllrs Smart, Herbert and Kavanagh from the East Area Committee, to answer questions on politics and democracy and the work we do as councillors. I found it very informative and useful, thought the pupils asked some interesting questions, and hope the students felt that way as well. In my speech I focused on the apparent disconnect between young people and politics. I believe it is part of the duty of councillors to promote democracy, particularly local democracy where there remains a lack of understanding about who does what and why local government matters. On Monday 31st March I accompanied Cllr Hart to the Whitehill Residents' Group meeting. There were around a dozen residents from the estate present, along with Katie Woods, Housing Officer from the City Council. Topics included: trees, parking, housing repairs.

4. Other Business I have been in further communication with John Richards and Gavin Card, City Council Project Managers about the proposal for a trial to improve pedestrian and cycle access along the stretch of Riverside that doesnt have the boulevard. In addition, I have liaised with David Ifould, City Council project officer, on the works to improve the Ditton Lane forecourt.