Local campaigner to fight election campaign

Cllr Mike Dixon to stand down in May

Retiring councillor Mike Dixon (right) with Lib Dem candidate for the City Council, Andrea Reiner

Andrea Reiner will be the Liberal Democrat candidate to succeed Mike Dixon who retires from the City Council next month.

Andrea hopes to join the team of Lib Dem councillors for the city centre area, Colin Rosenstiel, Tim Bick and Sarah Whitebread. She has been working alongside the team over the past year.

“I will fight hard for the residents of the city centre.” said Andrea.

“I want to thank Mike Dixon for his impressive record of service to the city – including recently as mayor – and to wish him well in retirement.” A mother of 3-year old twins, Andrea is a part-time lecturer in law and has been a volunteer supporter of the human rights organisation Liberty. She is a member of the Park Street Residents Association committee.

“Andrea would make an excellent councillor for the city centre and is already proving her commitment and energy,” said  Mike Dixon.

Andrea recently ran a residents survey in the city centre, from which nearly 200 responses have been received. We will be reporting back on that in the future.

City Centre bus to be axed despite Liberal Democrat campaign

Andrea Reiner on the Shuttle Bus

Over 1000 people signed the Liberal Democrat petition to save bus subsidies, which would have protected the free city centre shuttle bus.

Unfortunately, the County Council have ignored the strength of local feeling and voted not to allow a one-year stay of execution while alternative funding sources are investigated.

Local campaigner Andrea Reiner said, “by cutting this bus, the Conservatives on the County Council are cutting off access to the city centre for those who aren’t as mobile.”

“Sort out Post office” say local Liberal Democrats

Andrea Reiner and Cllr Tim Bick at the new PO

Tim Bick and Andrea Reiner outside the new Post Office.

Following complaints from customers of the city centre Post Office, councillors Tim Bick and Colin Rosenstiel called a summit with the local area manager.

Cllrs Bick and Rosenstiel drew up a list of action points for the Post Office and urged officials to tackle them within three months.

As a regular customer of the branch, Andrea Reiner shares concerns about the provision there.

She said, “customers like me have complained that the branch is too small and too crowded for a city the size of Cambridge.”

“Colin and Tim had a constructive meeting and I look forward to seeing progress over the next 3 months.”

Alcohol licence application refused in King Street


Cllr Bick with Manor Place resident looking out the window at the proposed pub site

Cllr Bick with Manor Place resident looking out her sitting room window at the proposed pub site

Local residents and local Liberal Democrat councillors worked together to fight plans to open a pub at the empty premises at 60 King Street. An application for an alcohol licence was submitted to the city council’s licensing department.

Three local residents spoke against the application and presented a 67-signature petition. Cllrs Rosenstiel and Bick also spoke.

Under the Council’s licensing policy the applicant had to show that an extra pub in King Street would avoid exacerbating the nuisance from the night economy. “With 4 other pubs, 3 restaurants and a takeaway along the street already causing plenty of disturbance, this was a difficult task – and they failed it,” said Colin.

Residents told the panel of the audible disturbances they have from the commercial premises and of how this impacts their sleep. They described the incidents of antisocial behaviour and the detritus it leaves in its wake.

“The flats on the front of Manor Place abut directly onto the street, with their bedroom and living room windows facing number 60. The residents include many frail and vulnerable people. “They face quite enough disturbance from buses flying past their windows in the daytime, not to have their nights made even worse,” said Cllr Tim Bick. Residents and councillors were pleased with victory in their campaign.

Before the hearing Cllr Bick spoke on Radio Cambridgeshire.  You can hear the interview here (approx 2 hours 12 minutes into the programme):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00frrk9#synopsis