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News - September & October 1995

[archive index] Anti-Burglary Task Force success - (25/10/95)

Last Friday it was announced that the 'Anti-Burglary Task Force' scheme running in North Cambridge had been so successful that the Home Office might promote it nationwide.
The scheme was designed and funded by the 'Safer Cambridge Steering Committee' which includes councillors, criminologists, city businesses and the police. It provides residents with information about crime prevention and analyses details of past break-ins as well as encouraging residents to take measures to protect their homes against burglaries.
It was reported that break-ins fell by 30% in Cambridge's Arbury and Castle wards during the past year while the scheme ran. The scheme ran on a budget of £5,000.

- based on a story in the Cambridge Evening News of 20/10/95.

[archive index] £600,000 awarded to breast cancer study - (18/10/95)

Research at Cambridge University's Institute of Public Health has been backed up by the the Cancer Research Council charity with a £600,000 donation. The research is geared to provide improved screening based on the recent discovery of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer genes. Apparently around 5% of new breast cancer cases in the U.K. each year are familial.

- based on a story in the Cambridge Evening News of 17/10/95.

[archive index] Usenet readers gathered to praise Prof. Haroon - (18/10/95)

A meeting to celebrate the ground breaking work in micro electronics of Prof. Haroon of the Cavendish Laboratory by Usenet readers apparently took place last Sunday after an announcement of the event was posted in soc.culture.pakistan.

[archive index] Fen radio station gets 28 day license - (18/10/95)

A group of radio enthusiasts from Littleport have gained a 28 day 'trial run' license to broadcast from 6 am. on November 27th.
The people involved with 'X-Cel FM' hope that their signal will be received in March, Chatteris, Ely, Stretham, Soham and Downham Market.

[archive index] Are prisons in Cambridgeshire a breeding ground for organised paedophile activity? - (8/10/95)

A senior officer with the Cambridgeshire Probation Service has been quoted as saying 'We are currently investigating a suspected paedophile ring in Cambridgeshire.' He went on to say that from contact with prisoners there was some evidence people who have been convicted of sexual offences are appearing to group.
Apparently there is no evidence of any illegal activity and so no question of a formal investigation being carried out. However, the situation is being monitored.

- based on a story from the Ely Weekly News of 28/9/95

[archive index] Peterhouse College housing development still unwanted in Little Thetford. - (2/10/95)

The parish council and residents' protest group (BLOT) of Little Thetford have failed to stop East Cambridgeshire District Council from giving Peterhouse College permission to build a 20 house estate in the village. Cllr John Seaman, leader of the district council said that at the time of the consultation, the village was falling into decline and that the school was in danger of being closed. He said that the parish council had been in favour of the scheme at that time. However, the parish council and many of the residents of Little Thetford are now very much against the development. Earlier this year they were unable to block a 92 house scheme proposed by Persimmon Homes.

[archive index] Withdraw council investment funds invested with French firms - says Cllr - (2/10/95)

Liberal Democrat environment spokesman for the county council, Cllr. Donald Adey, has requested that the following actions should be taken in protest over the French nuclear tests in the South Pacific:-
The chairman of East Cambridgeshire District Council, John Seaman did not think that the council would take up the ideas. He said, "It's a personal matter, and should not become council policy".

- based on a story in the Cambridge Evening News of 12/9/95.

Stop Nuclear Tests website.

[archive index] Probation service's scheme to reduce homelessness among offenders - (2/10/95)

Changes in Home Office rules mean that probation officers are encouraged to co-operate with community groups with the aim of tackling some of the problems faced by offenders.
Research done in Cambridgeshire showed that out of 850 people on probation, 1 in 5 were homeless. A senior probation officer said that the research showed that if people with convictions get into a permanent home, they are less likely to get back into trouble. The probation service plans to set up partnerships with groups that try to provide housing for people with special needs. They will then be able to share expertise and resources.

- based on a story from the Cambridge Evening News of 13/9/95.

[archive index] Wetlands' importance - (21/9/95)

Wicken Fen and Woodwalton Fen have been designated as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

[archive index] Cycle path underused - says Cllr - (21/9/95)

County Cllr. John Reynolds has said that not enough cyclists are using the new 1.5 mile £95,000 path between Oakington and Girton. He says he finds it 'quite amazing' that there are already weeds growing on it only two months after it was built.

[archive index] Netscape 40-bit key cracked in under 32 hours - (15/9/95)

A team of around 200 operators took less than 32 hours to crack Netscape's 40-bit key in an effort organised by Dr. Piete Brooks of Cambridge University's Computer Laboratory. The key is currently used to encode credit card and other sensitive information for transfer on the Internet via the Netscape Navigator. An existing 128-bit key for the Navigator is illegal for export according U.S. law. Dr. Brooks estimates the time required to crack the 128-bit key would be one billion billion billion years.

- based on a story from the Cambridge Evening News of 9/9/95.

[archive index] Tories' differing opinions on proposed ageism reforms - (15/9/95)

The 70 year old Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire, Sir Anthony Grant, has supported Labour's agenda to tackle ageism in recruitment advertising. However, employment minister and MP for South East Cambridgeshire, James Paice, condemned the proposed reform as an 'electoral gimmick'.

[archive index] Plan to relocate Cambridge bus station to Parkside - (12/9/95)

Moving the bus station from Drummer Street to the current fire and police station site would help cut air pollution and reduce traffic problems in the city says a labour city councillor.
The fire station site has been up for sale for years - with the intention that two smaller stations be created away from the city centre in areas of greater population.
Council health officials have declared the road leading to the current bus station, Parker Street, to be one of the most atmospherically polluted areas in the country. Cllr. Barnes said that the Parkside site was much more open than Drummer Street and would give easier access to buses and coaches.

- based on a story from the Cambridge Evening News of 7/9/95.

[archive index] Ely wildlife habitat threatened - (6/9/95)

Photo - (jpeg 84k)

The Potter Trust has been trying to get permission to drain a number of lagoons south of Queen Adelaide known as the Settling Ponds. The company owns the lagoons together with an adjacent patch of land on which it runs a distribution centre. Draining the lagoons would exempt them from having to be inspected under ruling of the 1975 Reservoirs Act. The Act requires inspections to be made of reservoirs capable of holding more than 5.5 million gallons above the surrounding ground level.
The Potter Trust's plans for drainage have been blocked by the East Cambridgeshire District Council on the grounds that the work would destroy the habitat of protected bird species and reduce the variety of plants and animals found there.
The Cambridgeshire Wildlife Trust has offered to buy the site from the Potter Group for £125,000, but have not yet received a reply.

- based on a stories in the Cambridge Evening News of 24/8/95 and in the Ely Town Crier of 12/8/95

[archive index] New radio stations - (3/9/95)

Two new broadcasting licences have been announced by the Radio Authority. One will be for a regional station broadcasting to an area covering Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The other will be for the city of Cambridge.
Cambridge Community Radio, a station run by volunteers which broadcasts for a limited period during the year, is expected to be making a bid for the Cambridge licence.
The existing Cambridge and Newmarket station, Q103-FM (which changed its name from CNFM a year ago) currently has its licence up for review and is facing competition from 'Trax FM' which is the brain child of a conglomerate comprising of 'Investors in Radio' and 'The East of England Broadcasting Company' - groups formed by Border Television and CLT UK Radio. The groups will also probably make bids for both of the new licences.
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