Cambridge City Council

A Green Party councillor in Cambridge is calling for a city-wide ban on the sale of fur products.

BBC

Oscar Gillespie will put a motion to a full city council meeting tonight, asking for the sale of any product "wholly or partially made with real animal fur" to be prohibited.

The motion says the ban would cover "such items as fur coats, vintage fur, fur shawls, garments with fur trim, fur pompom hats, and fur accessories and trinkets".

The farming of animals for their fur has been outlawed in the UK on ethical grounds since 2000, although fur products continue to be imported from nations with "virtually no animal welfare legislation", Mr Gillespie adds.

Mr Gillespie is also asking the city council to support the anti-fur charity, Respect for Animals.

Charges to use Cambridge ShopMobility services, including equipment hire, are due to be halved after the city council found 60% fewer people were using it since the charge was introduced in May.

Membership fees and hire charges were brought in at the Grand Arcade and Grafton East car parks after the county council removed almost £50,000 of funding it had been providing each year.

Geograph

The services already cost the Labour-led city council more than £115,000 annually, but introducing the annual membership fee of £40, plus hire charges to cover the shortfall, resulted in fewer people using ShopMobility equipment, so from 1 September membership will fall to £20 plus VAT and equipment hire charges will also be reduced by 50%.

Kevin Blencowe, from the council's policy and planning department, said the fees were "reluctantly" introduced earlier this year but a review of the impact showed "we originally set the charges too high", however, he maintained charging membership and hire fees was in "line with the vast majority of similar services in major towns and cities across the UK".

The National Federation for ShopMobility says that 90% of councils now charge for the service - 126 out of their 140 members in the UK - however, the opposition Liberal Democrat leader on the city council, Tim Bick, described the "u-turn" as "a cowardly way out of a stupid decision", and said his members were still pushing for the charges to be dropped altogether.

A Cambridge city councillor caught up in the floods that have devastated the southern Indian state of Kerala has taken to social media to show the extent of the problem and the efforts he and others are going to in order to assist those worst-hit.

Since June, the floods have killed more than 350 people, and although the monsoon rains have since begun to ease and rescue teams have been deployed, thousands of people remain marooned.

Baiju Thittala, Labour councillor for east Chesterton, was on holiday in the region where he grew up, and is helping with the relief effort, tweeting that he and others helped save a house from the oncoming flood waters.

Working in relief camps in Kerala, Mr Thittala said: "The sorrows of my people in Kerala [are] haunting me hard."

At his request, Daniel Zeichner, the Labour MP for Cambridge, has written to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Jeremy Hunt, stressing the importance of the Keralan community within the city and asking for details of what assistance the Foreign Office plans to offer to the region and the Indian government.

A former city councillor has hit out at the Labour Party after stepping down from the Cambridge City Council in protest against rules over transgender people's access to public toilets.

Ann Sinnott, who represented Petersfield, has left the political party saying she feels "betrayed" and citing her disappointment at a decision to allow transgender women to be part of all-women shortlists.

Ms Sinnott stressed she was "not anti-trans", but said the council was in breach of the Equalities Act 2010.

She said allowing self-identifying trans-women to use women's facilities where "biological women" would "expect privacy and dignity" could expose them to potential risk.

Labour declined to comment on Ms Sinnott's resignation or criticism of the party.

Cambridge City Council

There are calls for a new conservation area to be set up in Cambridge to protect the "distinct architectural character" of one of the city's "major gateways".

Cambridge currently has 12 conservation areas which the city council says are notable "because of their buildings, open spaces, trees, or a mixture of these and other features."

Development is more tightly controlled in these areas than in other parts of Cambridge.

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Wendy Blythe, chair of the Hills Road Area Residents Association (HRARA) said they will be pressing the council for a new conservation zone to protect buildings in the southern parts of Hills Road which she said were an important part of making the city an "interesting and nice" place to live.

A by-election has been announced in Cambridge after a councillor resigned in a row about transgender people using women's public toilets and changing facilities in the city.

Ann Sinnott, 68, stepped down as the Labour representative for the Petersfield ward earlier this week, saying she was concerned Cambridge City Council's policy allowed men, self-identifying as women, to access female facilities.

Cambridge City Council

She claimed there could be a "risk" to women if trans people accessed spaces where women "expect privacy", but said her concerns were "not anti-trans" but "pro-women".

The council is due to reconsider the wording of its policy in October.

Meanwhile it has called a by-election for the ward on Thursday, 13 September.

A petting zoo, paddling pool, more trees and cycle lanes are among the suggestions for improvements to Parker's Piece in Cambridge.

The common, which is famous for being the birthplace of modern rules of football, has been highlighted by members of the public who've so far taken part in a consultation on possible ways of improving the city centre.

Geograph/Peter S

One respondent said: "Would be nice to create an additional community space on this great park area, perhaps a orchard area like in Granchester. It could include eating benches and tables," while another said a "modern playground" was needed.

Other people said the land was at risk of damage from "overuse" by temporary events like the ice skating rink and fairs.

Lewis Herbert, leader of Cambridge City Council and chairman of the Greater Cambridge Partnership, has said all responses would be assessed once the consultation ends at 17:00 on Friday.

The Boundary Commission is looking for local help to draw up a new pattern of wards for Cambridge City Council.

The consultation is the first part of an electoral review which will redraw ward boundaries across the city, but maintain its 42 councillors.

The aim will be to ensure new council wards reflect the interests and identities of communities across Cambridge.

Cambridge City Council

Prof Colin Mellors, chairman of the commission, said: "If you have a view about which communities or neighbourhoods should be part of the same council ward, then we want to hear from you.

"If you think a road, river or railway makes for a strong boundary between communities in your part of Cambridge, then this consultation is for you."

You have until 6 August to submit your views. Draft recommendations will be published in October.