This website is written by Chris Rand, a resident of Queen Edith’s ward in Cambridge, and covers local planning, developments and elections. I began it in May 2012 as a place to highlight and discuss a particular building project, the proposed development of the EF Language School on the corner of Cavendish Avenue and Hills Road, but moved on to cover wider issues.
I also edit Queen Edith’s magazine, the publication of the Queen Edith’s Community Forum, but please note that this blog is not associated with that.
This blog contains my opinions which I try to keep out of Queen Edith’s magazine!
If you have any feedback, please feel free to contact me at chris@chrisrand.com. If you’d like to make any comments on the individual pages, most will have the facility to do so, and you’re encouraged to go right ahead. I’ll tweet any additions to this site on my Twitter account @ChrisRandWrites, or you can join the many local residents on our email list.
To receive automatic emails when anything new is added to this site, fill in your details here. You’ll probably get no more than an email every few weeks, depending on how busy our councillors have been!
Where is Queen Edith’s?
Queen Edith’s is the largely residential area in the south of Cambridge, defined by the Queen Edith’s Community Forum neighbourhood association as the area shown below. Click for a much larger version.
Article Index
- The Pin-Up Boy of the Revolution - 30/10/2023
- Dodgy Politics - 16/10/2023
- Middle of the road politics - 25/9/2022
- Help make the case for a railway line to Haverhill - 17/6/2022
- Big changes to local roads proposed - 24/5/2022
- Thoughts on the 2022 Cambridge City Council elections - 1/5/2022
- My presentation to the Boundary Commission about revised parliamentary constituencies - 30/3/2022
- The future of the Luard Road point road closure - 1/9/2021
- New parliamentary boundary recommendations keep Queen Edith’s out of the city - 8/6/2021
- Fix Campus problems before any expansion - 2/6/2021
- What do the 2021 election results mean for us? - 15/5/2021
- Local Elections Preview – Part 3 (of 3) - 20/4/2021
- Local Elections Preview – Part 2 (of 3) - 19/4/2021
- Local Elections Preview – Part 1 (of 3) - 17/4/2021
- How do we get better local councillors? - 21/2/2021
- Some thoughts on 2021 in Queen Edith’s - 1/1/2021
- First update for Netherhall Farm housing estate plans - 18/12/2020
- Are experimental road closures at least worth a try? - 14/6/2020
- The new Wort’s Causeway housing estates: what now? - 30/4/2020
- Cambridge to be stripped of say in its own transport issues - 21/4/2020
- This blog succumbed to coronavirus too - 6/4/2020
- Cambridge City Council elections 2020 – a long range forecast - 16/2/2020
- The Prospects for South Cambridgeshire in the 2019 General Election - 14/11/2019
- Heidi Allen joins up with the Liberal Democrats - 8/10/2019
- Plans for ‘Newbury Farm’ development released - 3/10/2019
- Planning Application News: Queen Edith’s Way - 2/10/2019
- Campaign to save 291 Hills Road is defeated - 23/6/2019
- Why we all need to keep an eye on Worts Causeway developments - 13/6/2019
- Queen Edith’s City Council Election Results 2019 - 3/5/2019
- Queen Edith’s City Council Hustings Event, 25 April 2019 - 26/4/2019
- Queen Edith’s City Council Election Preview 2019 - 13/4/2019
- 200 Student Rooms at the Bell Language School - 16/1/2019
- Planning Application News: Queen Edith’s Way - 8/12/2018
- Yellow lines for Baldock Way to be discussed next week - 19/7/2018
- The community’s ‘Saving Raylands’ campaign continues - 30/5/2018
- Celebrate a local family house before it’s destroyed forever - 12/5/2018
- Stay of execution for 291 Hills Road …but now it’s 292 - 2/5/2018
- Queen Edith’s City Council Election Preview 2018 - 25/4/2018
- It’s 291 Hills Road – The Video - 17/4/2018
- 5 observations on the Cambridge South East Transport proposals - 16/3/2018
- Is A Busway To Queen Edith’s Coming Down The Road? - 3/3/2018
- Campaign to save 291 Hills Road: the latest news - 14/2/2018
- Surprise yellow lines on Baldock Way to join new ones on Cav Ave - 26/1/2018
- Planning Application News: Nightingale Avenue - 12/1/2018
- How to have your say on the latest Cambridge Local Plan changes - 7/1/2018
- Updates to current local development applications - 6/1/2018
- Planning Application News: Queen Edith’s Way (yet another one) - 1/11/2017
- Planning Application News: Mowbray Road - 29/9/2017
- Planning Application News: Queen Edith’s Way - 28/9/2017
- Planning Application News: Mowbray Road - 27/9/2017
- Flats at 291 Hills Road: Cambridge Deserves Better - 10/9/2017
- Huge new housing development planned for Cherry Hinton - 5/9/2017
- Yellow lines for Netherhall Way and Beaumont Road - 3/9/2017
- Planning Application News: Hills Road - 16/8/2017
- Taj Tandoori on Cherry Hinton Road reopens - 27/7/2017
- New IMAX Screen 9 at The Light Cinema in Cambridge - 26/7/2017
- Planning Application News: Baldock Way - 10/6/2017
- Presenting our Parliamentary Candidates - 3/6/2017
- The June 2017 General Election here in Queen Edith’s - 1/6/2017
- Planning Application News: Queen Ediths Way - 23/5/2017
- Planning Application News: Cavendish Avenue - 20/5/2017
- Thoughts on last week’s local election results - 7/5/2017
- City Council continues to wave through new houses - 30/4/2017
- My view of the local elections in Queen Edith’s 2017: Part 3 - 23/4/2017
- My view of the local elections in Queen Edith’s 2017: Part 2 - 18/4/2017
- My view of the local elections in Queen Edith’s 2017: Part 1 - 15/4/2017
- An unloading ban on Hills Road? Who knew? - 30/3/2017
- Multiple bids to address street issues get the Council go-ahead - 11/3/2017
- Residents Parking in Queen Edith’s: What’s Happening - 11/2/2017
- Residents turn out in force to see the next Hills Road Cycleway plans - 28/1/2017
- Pontificating about the Mayoral election on TV - 21/1/2017
- Cycle Lanes To Addenbrookes: Who’s In Charge Here? - 18/1/2017
- Planning Application News: Latest Updates - 11/1/2017
- Looking ahead to 2017 in Queen Edith’s - 1/1/2017
- Planning Application News: Queen Edith’s Way (again) - 14/12/2016
- Planning Application News: Hills Road - 8/12/2016
- An early guide to 2017’s Cambridgeshire Mayoral Election - 5/12/2016
- Planning Application News: Cavendish Avenue - 2/12/2016
- Planning Application News: even more on Queen Edith’s Way - 7/11/2016
- Parking in Queen Edith’s: the latest developments - 6/11/2016
- Planning Application News: more on Queen Edith’s Way - 4/11/2016
- Planning Application News: Queen Edith’s Way - 3/11/2016
- Planning Application News: Glebe Road/Mowbray Road - 26/10/2016
- City Deal Update: Deadlines, Delays and Devolution - 14/10/2016
- Congestion? What?s Congestion? - 13/10/2016
- The City Deal: uniting so many disparate groups of people - 12/10/2016
- Raise your own funds for highways improvements - 11/10/2016
- It’s Cambridge Transport Week here on the blog - 10/10/2016
- Boundary changes: will we get a new MP too? - 7/9/2016
- Half of Hills Road packed off to Trumpington in County Council reshuffle - 6/9/2016
- Planning Application News: Strangeways Road - 27/8/2016
- Cambridge Airport and its planning applications - 5/8/2016
- Planning Application News: Hills Avenue - 29/7/2016
- Planning Application News: Cherry Hinton Road - 25/7/2016
- Two essential events will reveal building plans - 29/6/2016
- Pavement and Cycle Lane Proposals for Queen Edith’s Way - 20/6/2016
- Traffic to be encouraged to speed up at Cherry Hinton Hall - 7/6/2016
- All eyes on the plaza at the Leisure Park - 11/5/2016
- Jennifer Page-Croft is our new councillor in Queen Edith’s - 6/5/2016
- A preview of BOTH the elections we’re voting in this week - 30/4/2016
- Hustings a great success ? but where now? - 23/4/2016
- Queen Edith’s City Council Election 2016 Guide - 20/4/2016
- Let’s sort out the parking, shall we? - 11/4/2016
- Recent thoughts on the city’s transport scene - 2/3/2016
- County council ward merger confirmed - 10/2/2016
- Residents’ Parking for the north-west of Queen Edith’s? - 9/2/2016
- Can we fix the Long Road/Hills Road junction for everyone? - 28/1/2016
- Local Plan modifications include more Green Belt loss - 13/1/2016
- City Council to ensure streetlights remain on overnight - 10/1/2016
- A look ahead to 2016 in Queen Edith’s - 3/1/2016
- County Council Boundary Changes ? a radical revision - 17/11/2015
- Let the council know what you think about the proposed streetlight switch-off - 11/11/2015
- Get involved in planning Cambridge’s future - 6/11/2015
- The Cambridge Streetlight Switch-Off: what we know so far - 6/10/2015
- Hills Road Cycleway: some of our questions answered - 6/10/2015
- Queen Edith’s Community Action Morning a big success - 30/8/2015
- Developers targeting Worts’ Causeway. Have your say. - 18/6/2015
- The Local Plan and the Green Belt: an Inspector calls - 24/5/2015
- Your thoughts required on major new cycleways in Queen Edith’s - 20/5/2015
- Proposal to radically re-shape Queen Edith’s put forward - 12/5/2015
- George Pippas re-elected as Queen Edith’s city councillor - 8/5/2015
- Queen Edith’s – meet your new Member of Parliament - 8/5/2015
- 2015 Parliamentary and City Council Elections: the Prospects - 5/5/2015
- Our local council candidates – (5) Matt Worth - 1/5/2015
- Our local council candidates – (4) Andy Bower - 30/4/2015
- Our local council candidates – (3) Joel Chalfen - 29/4/2015
- Our local council candidates – (2) Candido Channell - 28/4/2015
- Our local council candidates – (1) George Pippas - 27/4/2015
- Queen Edith’s City Council Election 2015 Guide - 26/4/2015
- Queen Edith’s has a pub again! - 24/4/2015
- General Election 2015 (Pt.3): Meet your candidates - 21/4/2015
- Queen Edith’s Community News future guaranteed for another year - 12/4/2015
- General Election 2015 (Pt.2): How does South Cambridgeshire vote? - 9/4/2015
- The streetlights are going off at night in Cambridge (I think) - 3/4/2015
- Addenbrooke’s roundabout upgrade finalised - 2/4/2015
- General Election 2015 (Pt.1): What Constituency is Queen Edith’s in? - 31/3/2015
- Addenbrooke’s roundabout ? an update of sorts - 19/3/2015
- Full slate of candidates from major parties for South Cambridgeshire - 8/3/2015
- Big news …about “Queen Edith’s Community News” - 5/3/2015
- The Marque: it’d be a “good project” elsewhere, apparently - 26/2/2015
- Hills Road Remodelling: an Update - 24/2/2015
- Anger at Wandlebury redundancies - 22/2/2015
- South Area Committee reaches a genuine low point - 6/2/2015
- Council Area Committee meeting comes to Hills Road - 1/2/2015
- More new street lighting changes announced - 25/1/2015
- A hidden accident blackspot on a residential rat-run - 16/1/2015
- Save the Green Belt campaigners to present to planning inspector on 10 February - 11/1/2015
- Getting perilously close to becoming a community newsletter! - 23/12/2014
- EF Language School goes to war on the Hills Road greenery - 14/12/2014
- How to find out what’s on in Queen Edith’s - 4/12/2014
- Hills Road cycleway plans on display - 19/11/2014
- Cambridge City Council Byelection Result - 14/11/2014
- Byelection News Roundup No.3 ? the Hustings - 13/11/2014
- Byelection News Roundup No.2 - 9/11/2014
- Queen Edith’s Byelection: Candidates and Voting Details - 26/10/2014
- Voting to fight Green Belt development - 24/10/2014
- Byelection News Roundup No.1 - 18/10/2014
- Conservative candidate selected for general election - 11/10/2014
- Queen Edith’s Byelection, November 2014 – Dates and Voting Details - 7/10/2014
- City Council byelection called after Sue Birtles resigns - 30/9/2014
- Shortlist for Queen Edith’s potential next MP announced - 17/9/2014
- The Marque nominated for “unforgivably bad” buildings prize - 31/7/2014
- Queen Edith’s to get new MP at next year’s election - 15/7/2014
- EF Language School development running two months late - 4/7/2014
- Parking Spot - 30/6/2014
- What are the Area Committee Meetings for? - 23/6/2014
- Unmissable local walk by Allan Brigham this Sunday - 6/6/2014
- A Look Ahead to the 2014 City Council Election in Queen Edith’s - 15/5/2014
- An independent guide to the Cambridge City Council Election 2014 in Queen Ediths - 5/5/2014
- Could Queen Edith’s provide a shock election result again? - 28/4/2014
- Four council candidates standing in Queen Edith’s - 24/4/2014
- Surprise as Council approves redevelopment of 241 Hills Road - 23/4/2014
- Thoughts about the proposed Hills Road cycle lanes - 6/3/2014
- Hills Road cycle lanes: exhibition this Thursday - 3/3/2014
- Residents speak out, but City Council votes through Local Plan - 14/2/2014
- Council to listen to residents about Green Belt plans - 11/2/2014
- “You would think it were not green belt, but it is.” - 7/2/2014
- Worts Causeway development marches on - 28/1/2014
- Not a great night for our local councillors - 13/1/2014
- How to object to the Council’s draft local plan ? a guide - 15/9/2013
- Park & Ride Parking Charges: a small victory for democracy - 12/9/2013
- EF Language School Developers introduce themselves - 9/9/2013
- Parking Charges at the Park and Ride: more parking chaos on the way - 5/9/2013
- Campaign to save the Cambridge Green Belt website - 2/9/2013
- New segregated cycleways for Hills Road on the way - 1/9/2013
- Former Councillor weighs in with Wort’s Causeway criticism - 13/7/2013
- Councillor Swanson’s position on development in the Green Belt - 2/7/2013
- City Council refuses to remove Wort’s Causeway development from Local Plan - 29/6/2013
- Further reports add to case against Worts Causeway development - 20/6/2013
- New “Queen Edith” pub on Wulfstan Way gets go-ahead - 5/6/2013
- Resident’s letter demolishes case for Wort’s Causeway development - 17/5/2013
- Bad news for the Wort’s Causeway campaign - 13/5/2013
- EF Language School Development Before Council Committee - 8/5/2013
- Cambridgeshire County Council elections, May 2013: What happened - 3/5/2013
- Cambridgeshire County Council elections, May 2013: What’s likely to happen? - 23/4/2013
- Cambridgeshire County Council elections, May 2013: our candidates - 18/4/2013
- EF Language School revised proposals are now online - 3/4/2013
- Queen Edith’s County Council Election 2013 Guide - 29/3/2013
- The case against any Wort’s Causeway housing development - 26/3/2013
- EF Language School revised plans revealed - 14/3/2013
- EF Language School returns with a different proposal - 6/3/2013
- Campaign objecting to development on Wort’s Causeway gathers momentum - 1/2/2013
- Building on the Green Belt at Wort’s Causeway - 20/1/2013
- Parking Plan Consultation online response form available - 15/12/2012
- Parking Plan to be revealed on 14 November - 7/11/2012
- Boundary Commission revisions make Queen Edith’s position more illogical - 19/10/2012
- Council refuses Planning Permission for EF Language School demolition - 16/8/2012
- Response from NRAP Architects to the Council’s recommendation - 3/8/2012
- Thumbs Down for the EF Language School development from CambridgePPF - 22/7/2012
- Parking in Queen Edith’s - 17/7/2012
- Letter from Councillor Birtles in Cambridge News - 13/7/2012
- City Council recommends EF Language School withdraw their proposal - 12/7/2012
- Council Team comes out against supporting the development of the EF Language School - 11/7/2012
- Council Design & Conservation Panel Meeting Report - 11/7/2012
- The History of 221 Hills Road, Cambridge - 11/7/2012
- Objection from The Victorian Society - 6/7/2012
- Cambridge News reports on the Development Control Forum - 5/7/2012
- Hills Road and its importance to the City - 1/7/2012
- Development Control Forum information - 28/6/2012
- Deadline for public comments extended to 20 July - 22/6/2012
- Roundup of objections from organisations and consultees - 20/6/2012
- Councillor Swanson meets with the Planning Department - 18/6/2012
- Deadline for public comments extended to the end of June - 15/6/2012
- Local residents are sending in their comments - 9/6/2012
- The objections to the EF Language School development begin - 6/6/2012
- We request a Development Control Forum - 4/6/2012
- The Architects explain the proposed EF Language School development - 2/6/2012
- We wonder why we didn’t know about the development earlier? - 31/5/2012
- We discover that the EF Language School wants to grow - 30/5/2012