Agenda item

In accordance with the Council Procedure Rules (Section 8.3) of the Council's Constitution, to receive oral questions from Members of the Council

In accordance with Council Procedure Rules (paragraph 8.3 of the Rules) the Chairman proceeded to conduct a period of oral questions addressed to Executive Councillors and Panel Chairmen as follows:-

Question from Councillor R J West to the Leader of the Council, Councillor I C Bates

In response to a question regarding the protocol for undertaking visits to the CCTV Room at Eastfield House, Councillor Bates replied that any Member wishing to visit the CCTV area should firstly ask for guidance from the Head of Operations about the process for making such a visit.

Question from Councillor R S Farrer to the Leader of the Council, Councillor I C Bates

In response to a question regarding car parking charges at St Neots Riverside Park, Councillor Bates replied that the Members’ Car Parking Working Group would be considering the imposition of charges at the Riverside Park during their current review and in doing so, would bear in mind its use by families and for leisure purposes.  In response to a supplementary question, Councillor Bates added that any decision not to charge for car parking in Ramsey would take into account the need to encourage people to shop in and visit the town and he urged the questioner to make his views known on  issues relating to car parking at a forthcoming Working Group meeting.

Question from Councillor Mrs B E Boddington to the Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy and Transport, Councillor D B Dew

In response to a question regarding the progress of proposed schemes for a footway across the railway line at St Neots Station and for the dualling of the A428, Councillor Dew replied that the proposed new St Neots Railway Station bridge, providing an important link to the Loves Farm development, had now progressed to the third stage of the Network Rail design and delivery process and that further meetings would take place in the New Year in order to continue to progress the scheme through the Network Rail procurement processes.  In terms of the A428, Councillor Dew urged all Councillors to lobby for its essential upgrading through the emerging Cambridgeshire Transport Plan and the Regional Transport agenda given the unacceptable constraint on development that the road represented in its current condition.

Question from Councillor D J Priestman to the Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy and Transport, Councillor D B Dew

In response to a question regarding the effect on the Huntingdon Riverside Park of the proposed contraflow on the Huntingdon Ring Road arising from the Chequers Court Urban Design Framework, Councillor Dew replied that whilst Cambridgeshire County Council’s adopted Local Transport Plan and Market Town Transport Strategy had envisaged changes to the road structure along Hartford Road, Huntingdon, it was unlikely that this option would be pursued given the proposed changes to the A14.  He expressed his hope that all Members and authorities could work together to deliver the A14 replacement that would alleviate traffic problems in Huntingdon.

Question from Councillor M F Shellens to the Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy and Transport, Councillor D B Dew

In response to a question regarding the adequacy of traffic modelling for highway changes Huntingdon, Councillor Dew replied that the traffic modelling scheme had taken into account both committed and known potential “trip generators” including the planning consent for employment use on the former airfield at Alconbury and the potential quantum of development envisaged by the emerging Huntingdon West Area Action Plan.  As planning consent had not being granted for residential development at Alconbury nor was any envisaged within the recently adopted Core Strategy it would be inappropriate for any such development to be considered in respect of current traffic models.

Question from Councillor P D Reeve to the Leader of the Council, Councillor I C Bates

In response to a question regarding the CCTV Service, Councillor Bates indicated that he was pleased to concur with the questioner in commending the excellent service offered by those working in the CCTV Room but he was unable to offer any reassurance to any of the Council’s services that there would be no reductions in budget in the coming years.