Cambridgeshire
Click Oliver Cromwell (who once lived here) to go to contents list.
A personal view
by Philip Grosset
ALCONBURY AIRFIELD
The USAF ceased flying from Alconbury in 1995. There was a proposal by ADL (Alconbury Developments Limited, a powerful consortium of the British Airports Authority, Ministry of Defence and Kingspark Developments) to make it into a large freight centre combining road, rail and air traffic. This aroused much local opposition - particularly because of possible increased congestion on the already overcrowded A14 road between Huntingdon and Cambridge, and to the proposed flights which might have ended up as a constant stream of aircraft throughout the day and night. This is the last thing anyone who lives near the flight path (that would go right over St Ives) wanted!
Then on 17th December 1998, a special meeting of the Planning Committee of the Huntingdonshire District Council, attended by many protestors, reacted to public concern and rejected the development by 11 votes to 9, with 2 abstentions. However, a subsequent meeting couldn't agree on the reasons for rejection, so the whole issue had to come up yet again at a full meeting of the Council on February 17th 1999. The councillors then decisively rejected the proposal by 32 votes to 18. This was very much against the wishes of their own planners and their council leader, so was a magnificent example of an elected body actually heeding public opinion.
Eventually In August 2011 the government declared the old airfield would become an Enterprise Zone under its new owners, Urban and Civic, which, it is hoped, would bring up to 8000 jobs to the area and could include up to 5000 new homes. But there'll be no flying. Hurrah!
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Bridge Street back in January 2002, when cars were still allowed. This was the view looking up it from the bridge.
The car on the right was stopped by one of the new (and welcome) Community Support Officers in June 2005 - but many fewer cars now try to cross the bridge. It may seem odd, but heavy vehicles are still allowed to cross here, but that is because there is nowhere for them to turn.
Before these new houses and apartments could be built on the old Permanex site at the corner of Ramsey Road and The Waits, an archaeological dig revealed the existence of the circular remains of an old cockpit, dating back to at least the 18th century. There is even a possibility that illegal cockfighting may have taken here in Cromwellian times. Not one of the attractions currently offered by the new development!
August 2004. This, unfortunately, lost a lotr of money so turned out be the last of the splendid open air concerts with classical music and fireworks, that used to be held as part of the St Ives Music and Arts festival, which has now been replaced by a more down-market Summer Festival.
This latest sophisticated little device to help clean up the streets can be found on some town centre lamp-posts.
On left: this solitary peacock could often be seen strolling down the middle of Westwood Road and Church Street. It was eventually removed to a safer site by the police. The photo was taken in January 2008.