Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats

A move which will give back the power on transport decisions to the people in the towns and cities affected instead of allowing them to be made centrally at Shire Hall has been welcomed by Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats.

They said the decision was good news for the travelling public after the county's Joint Area Traffic Management Committees were reinstated yesterday (Tuesday, May 21) by Cambridgeshire County Council.

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have named their front-line team for the coming year including several new faces.

Maurice Leeke takes over from Kilian Bourke as leader with Lucy Nethsingha continuing as deputy leader.

Newcomer Ed Cearns, who takes his seat on Cambridgeshire County Council for Cambridge's Market ward following the recent elections, will be spokesperson for Localism, Climate Change and Social Justice.

Plans to add an additional lane to the A14 between the Histon and Girton junctions have been welcomed by the Liberal Democrats.

They hope the move will help to improve safety on a stretch of the road which has seen numerous accidents and contributed to delays and congestion.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor, David Jenkins, (pictured) who represents Cottenham, Histon and Impington said: "This is a positive development; a small improvement that is very welcome.

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have launched their manifesto for the forthcoming County Council elections, which sets out how they would make the county a better place for people to live in its cities, towns and villages.

They would do so by providing better basic services, making it easier for people to get around, and looking after our environment, in stark contrast to the Conservative administration.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor Belinda Brooks-Gordon is lobbying government over a national safety campaign to protect sex workers from violence and crime.

Cllr Brooks-Gordon, who represents Cambridge's Castle ward on the county council, has called on the government to give full funding to the National Ugly Mug Scheme - the only national scheme of its kind worldwide.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has closed the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Brighton by calling on members to spread the message of the Party's commitment in Government to deliver a stronger economy and a fairer society.

In his keynote Leader's speech, Nick paid tribute to the work of the Party in winning the Eastleigh by-election, beating the Conservatives into third place and squeezing Labour while campaigning on the Lib Dem record of delivering in Government.

Liberal Democrat County Councillor, Nigel Bell has accused the Tories of planning a sham consultation on Ely bypass by pushing their favoured scheme and not giving residents full details of the alternatives.

The consultation is being launched next month and a leaflet will be sent out to homes; but there is no mention of the alternative scheme to deepen the current underpass at the level crossing.

A Conservative-run transport project billed as "innovative", which was launched after all bus subsidies across the county were cut to save money, has failed to get off the ground.

The Cambridgeshire County Council-run scheme has cost taxpayers £470,000 so far but, two years on, no new transport services have been established. Only one new service is out to tender and the whole project is behind schedule, just 18 months before it is set for completion.