“Following a number of daytime dwelling burglaries in the Queen Edith’s area, we are urging residents to be vigilant and cautious of their home security. The majority of these recent burglaries have been where the suspect(s) is entering the properties through ground floor doors and windows in the daytime and using garden tools to force their way in.

We urge residents to check that all windows and doors are secure when you leave your property- even if you are going out for a short time. Please take simple precautions such as keeping garden tools secure in a locked garage or shed, setting a light timer in the evening, and avoid leaving valuable items such as laptops, cash and car keys in view of windows and doors.

Home security is the best way to reduce your chances of being burgled. Burglar alarms that are visible and good home lighting (both interior and exterior) in the right place can put burglars off from targeting your home.

Use timers for lights and radios if you need to be away from home overnight or when you are on holiday to create the impression that someone is home. Fences that surround the back of your house may make this area more secure- We also recommend planting shrubs with prickly thorns.

We recommend using ‘Immobilise’ to register you valuable property. Using ‘Immobilise’ enables the police to check found stolen items against the register, giving us a greater chance of returning stolen property to its rightful owner. You can register items at www.immobilise.com.
If you would like any further information on securing your home, you can contact our crime reduction department on 101
If you see anyone acting suspiciously or any other suspicious activity, or have any information you can make us aware by calling us on 101. Alternatively, you can report information anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. If you witness a burglary in progress, or in an emergency, call us on 999.
Kind regards,
Cambridge City South NPT”

http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/roads/reportingafault.htm

http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/content/leisure-and-entertainment/2012-olympics/events-and-activities.en

Transport

By law (Town & Country Planning Act 1990), councils may require financial contributions of developers to reduce the effects of their developments. As this is laid out in Section 106 of the Act, the contribution is dubbed ‘Section 106 money’ by councillors. I do not know what the developers call it.

Cambridgeshire County Council is asking us for our ideas on how this money should be spent in the south of Cambridge. Projects should ‘mitigate the effect of the additional transport-related movements from new development’. The officers have come up with some ideas already:

• steps and cycle channels from the Hills Road Bridge to the Guided Busway cycle route
• a clean-up of signage on the ring road

They are asking us for more ideas, and will be coming to the next South Area Committee on 5th March (Cherry Hinton Village Centre).

So please let me have your ideas – come to the meeting too, if you can. We will post an agenda on this site nearer the time, so you can see where the discussion on transport plans is. If you’d like to join in the discussion, why not post a comment here?

The petition, started by county councillor Susan van der Ven, “Stopping the cuts to bus services in Cambridgeshire” reads:

“We the people of Cambridgeshire are opposed to the Conservative County Council’s decision to scrap 100% of funding for subsidised buses, which led to an application for Judicial Review.

“Socially necessary bus services are vital to the whole of Cambridgeshire, especially for young people who need to access to centres of employment, those with mobility issues who wish to access the wider community and its resources, and for tackling the root problem of ‘rural isolation’.

“We also believe that the “Cambridgeshire Future Transport” project, to which half of bus funding has been transferred, is fundamentally flawed and not capable of delivering an adequate replacement for the existing public transport network, never mind the improved system that has been promised.

“We call on the Conservative administration to reinstate 100% of the cuts to bus funding and to conduct a systematic view of Cambridgeshire residents’ transport needs before making any changes to it.”

The petition can be found here: http://epetition.cambridgeshire.public-i.tv/epetition_core/view/Buses

“Most burglaries are committed by opportunist thieves. In one quarter of all burglaries committed they don’t even have to use force – they get in through an open door or window.

Look at your home through the burglar’s eyes – are there places where they could break in unseen? Have you fitted strong locks on your windows? Would they have to make a lot of noise by breaking glass?

Take simple precautions such as locking windows and doors when you go out even if just stepping next door or out in the garden. Also use a light timer and do not leave large amounts of cash around your home. Look at your house to identify places where you can deter the thief by improving the security.

Speak to your local crime reduction officer by calling 0345 456 456 4 or 101. Crime reduction officers will happily give you advice over the phone or may visit your home if they think it necessary.

To contact Police:-
In an emergency always call 999
For all non-emergencies 0345 456 456 4 or 101″

Under this scheme shops are encouraged to keep their doors closed to avoid heating the streets, and cut both energy costs and carbon emissions. You may have seen the sign on some doors. Please vote to support a local initiative.

http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/democracy/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=8464

The City Council has to make savings across all services and are looking at revising the routes taken by refuse trucks. This may lead to some changes in days for residents but will not be a change in the actual service received. The survey showed a high level of satisfaction in the service and a broad willingness to accept changes if those changes will increase efficiency.

 At present Jean is involved in an informal consultation with the crews about whether they feel a 4 or 5 day working week is best and there will then be a formal consultation on the chosen option. It will  take until the summer to bring in the changes.

http://www.cambridgefirst.co.uk/home/rubbish_s_new_lease_of_life_a_cambridge_bottle_s_recycling_journey_1_1169742

As mentioned in the article its now over two years since blue bins appeared on our streets and considerable progress has been made. There is still more to do and this article raises good points.

The video at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02K3t3RqzNA&feature=youtu.be   is the same story but shows the machines involved at work – its even better than the article!