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News from before February 1997

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[index] Investment trust gains more control over local media - (26/1/97)

The Cambridge Town Crier newspaper together with its Ely edition has been sold by Johnston Press plc to the Yattendon Investment Trust. Yattendon aready owns Cambridge Newspapers Ltd, publishers of the Cambridge Evening News and the Cambridge and Ely Weekly News newspapers.

- based on information published in the Ely Town Crier of 11/1/97

[index] Massive cuts to libraries - (26/1/97)

The county council has reluctantly agreed to cut Ł260,000 from the libraries budget. Ł28,000 will be cut from the environmental services budget and Ł26,000 from the heritage budget.

- based on information published in the Cambridge Evening News of 11/1/97

[index] Exam board too lenient - (26/1/97)

Earlier this month the story broke of how the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority uncovered 'serious' irregularities in the marking of A and AS level English papers. In 1996 the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examinations Board awarded nearly 30 per cent of 5,341 pupils a grade 'A' and over 37 per cent a grade 'B'. Many of these candidates were from independent schools.

- based on information published in the Cambridge Evening News of 10/1/97.

[index] Villagers lose hedgerow - (26/1/97)

Villagers from Willingham descibed the removal of a hedgerow from their recreation ground as unnecessary and akin to vandalism destroying 400 metres of habitat for various wildlife.

The parish council justified the removal of the hedge by saying that it obstructed proper use of the ground. A spokesperson said that it provided cover for vandals and thieves. The removal of the hedgerow was voted for by 'an overwhelming majority' at a council meeting.

- based on information published in the Cambridge Evening News of 10/1/97

[index] Schools in the Ely area get Ł3.5m for extensions - (26/1/97)

Highfields school in Ely will now be able to move from the barely adequate site at Tower Road to the Ely Community College site in Downham Road where new buildings will be built. Other schools to benefit are Witchford Village College and Little Thetford School.

- based on information published in the Cambridge Evening News of 20/7/97

[index] Social services to be cut by Ł2.4 million - (20/1/97)

Cambridgeshire County Council came in for heavy criticism from an independent report after the murder of the Peterborough child Rikki Neave. The council has taken action by putting aside Ł808,000 to boost child care work. However, last Friday the council announced that the Social Services budget will be cut by Ł2.4 million with hundreds of thousands of pounds being slashed off care for the elderly and for the disabled.

- based on information published in the Cambridge Evening News of 10/1/97

[index] Government funding of university cut - (20/1/97)

Last week the Cambridge Evening News reported that 1995-96, Cambridge University's income was Ł267.2 million of which 46 per cent came from Government sources. In 1985-86 the income was Ł145.2 million of which 67 per cent was Government funding. Government funding has dropped by a further Ł4.6 million this year.

Of the Ł28.7 million raised by the University's own enterprises, more than Ł9.4 million came from its Local Examinations Syndicate, one of the largest worldwide examination boards.

[index] Council asks public where cuts should be made - (20/1/97)

The county council has had several meetings with the public to find out how the public thinks council tax should be spent.

A spokesman for the council told the Cambridge Evening News 'The Government cash allocation leaves the county council more than Ł10M short of maintaining current service levels.

- based on information published in the Cambridge Evening News of 9/1/97.

[index] Soham gets cable TV wires but no pictures yet - (13/1/97)

According to last last week's 'Soham Advertiser', the Soham town improvements due to start this week, will be taken as an opportunity by Cambridge Cable to lay wires in High Street. However there has been no announcement as to when cable television services will be made available to people in Soham.

[index] Scrooge more generous than judge - (6/1/97)

The cast of 'Scrooge' - performed by members of the Netherhall Upper School, Cambridge, recently donated money raised by a collection from their audience to 'Wintercomfort' the Cambridge charity for the homeless - an altogether more generous gesture than Justice Popplewell's recent effort.

[index] Health trusts deeper in debt - (6/1/97)

NHS trusts and hospitals around the country are falling deeper into debt according to official figures published on December 20th.

The Anglian Ambulance Trust based in Norwich has seen its deficit of Ł68,000 grow to Ł998,000 and the Mid Anglia Community Health Authorities deficit has grown from Ł44,000 to Ł119,000 in the last year. Both have annual budgets of around Ł26M.

- Based on information published in the 'Cambridge Evening News' of 20/12/96.

[index] Soham town centre renovation due to start - (6/1/97)

Work to improve the look of Soham town centre will start in January. The Ł370,000 scheme - which involved a public consultation in the planning stage will bring new footpaths, block paving, better lighting and street furniture.

[index] County police get helicopter - (6/1/97)

The county police force has just aquired its first helicopter. The Ł900,000 Aero-Spatiale twin engined Squirrel will be put in service in April. A spokesperson said that he believed the secondhand aircraft imported from Puerto Rico will be especially useful in apprehending night-time burglars.

- based on information published in the 'Cambridge Evening News' of 3/1/97.

[archive index] Homeless scrooged - (20/12/96)

The closed Mill Rd. library in Cambridge will not now become a much-needed Winter shelter for the homeless. A temporary injunction was granted against the plan when the director of a neighbouring language school complained on the grounds of a perceived threat to young female students.

Cambridge has one of the highest levels of homelessness in the country.

[archive index] Gravedigger's new duties - (20/12/96)

Since the winder of the Littleport Church clock moved away from the village, the parish council have considered alternative proposals for the maintenance of the time piece. The installation of an electric winding mechanism was rejected on the grounds of being too expensive at Ł5,000. Instead, winding the clock twice weekly has become a duty of the assistant gravedigger.

- based on information published in the Soham Advertiser of 12/12/96.

[archive index] Call for Government to sign local government self rule charter - (20/12/96)

The county council has passed a motion supporting the European Charter of Local Self-Government and urged the Government to endorse it. Britain is one of very few countries in Europe which refuse to sign this charter.

- based on information published in the Cambridge Evening News of 12/12/96.

[archive index] Labour MP's attitude to 1p off tax - (20/12/96)

Liberal Democrats in the Cambridge City Council have demanded to know why the city's MP, Anne Campbell, failed to condemn the Government's 1p cut in income tax at the last budget. The Lib Dems are concerned about the slashing of the city council's grant by Ł300,000 and the county council grant by Ł2 million. They claim the cuts will impair public services, especially education, and will lead to increasd council tax bills.

- based on information published in the 'Ely Town Crier' of 14/12/96.

[archive index] Immaculate conception - (9/12/96)

Saturday's 'Cambridge Evening News' told of how a London insurance company claims to have insured a group of women from the Soham area against immaculate conception. Apparently the women are concerned that if they should be mother to the Messiah, they should have the means to give Her a decent upbringing.

[archive index] New injuries centre planned for closure - (1/12/96)

The Ely minor injuries unit at the Princess of Wales hospital is included in proposals for cutbacks of Ł4 million within the Cambridge and Huntingdon Health Authority, despite it having treated 305 people in its first four weeks

[archive index] Ł4m health cuts - (1/12/96)

Health chiefs met in Huntingdon on Wednesday to discuss moving Ł4 million from non essential services to more essential services. The proposals currently include closing the new minor injuries unit at Ely and cutting out-patient clinics from towns including Ely.

- based on information published in the Cambridge Evening News of 27/11/96

[archive index] Prism wins WAGN franchise - (1/12/96)

Prism has won the West Anglian Great Northern rail franchise. A Canadian firm, GB Railways, has emerged as a favourite to take over Anglia Railways - the company which runs trains between Cambridge and Ipswich. Both announcements were made in the 'Cambridge Evening News' last week.

[archive index] 100 more teaching jobs could be axed - (1/12/96)

After the Government's refusal to to supply Cambridgeshire with the Ł10m cost of living allowance, a spokesperson for the Cambridgeshire Heads Education Forum (Chef) has said that the only way to reduce spending is to cut back on teaching jobs.

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