The following email exchange took place between an independent punt operator and Alastair Roberts (Safer Communities Section Manager, Cambridge City Council).
The precursor to this exchange was a face to face encounter the previous day on Quayside. During the encounter, a council officer (who did not identify himself) approached an independent punt operator who was in the process of dealing with some customers. The council officer told the independent punt operator that what he was doing was dangerous (loading customers onto a punt from Quayside) and that he (the council officer) would be shutting down independent punt operators. Asked when this would be, he said that he knew but that he wasn’t going to divulge the information.
A telephone call later that afternoon to the Cambridge City Council revealed that the council officer in question was Alastair Roberts, one of the council officers supposedly charged with providing independent punt operators with somewhere to operate from…
19th Feb 2008
Dear Mr Roberts,
Following our intriguing conversation yesterday i have received this morning a licence renewal form. As I explained to you, the council is putting me and fellow independent operators in an almost impossible and unjust position. Personally my licences amount to £1506.10 plus insurance. As you can imagine this is a large outlay if I am not able to commercially operate.
Contrary to almost all other communication saying that a decision has yet to be reached as to when the council may implement its new restrictions. Our conversation yesterday, which I have a record of, implied and verified to myself that indeed a decision has been made, but the council at this time are deciding not to disclose that decision.
Firstly I would like to know why if a decision has been made why, we, as the operators have not been informed?
Secondly I would like confirmation, as your detailed pink map suggests, that I am able to operate from quayside?
Thirdly if I am able to operate from the quayside public access why you publicly felt the need to inform me of my dangerous practice by using the public access? When the steps sole purpose is to embark and disembark punts or other vessels using the backs.
(Surely I have no control over how dangerous these steps are as I am not responsible for the maintenance or original design).
Fourthly, as a councillor, why you behaved so inappropriately by not introducing yourself and with such contempt towards me with out even knowing who I was?
Lastly, would it be possible to arrange a meeting with yourself? The purpose of this would be so that i could get some answers to some questions that I have, and of course for you to question me on my views and opinions.
I look forward to a response as a matter of urgency, so I can pass on the literature along with my recording of our conversation to my legal team.
You will notice I have Cc’d this letter.
Yours sincerely
Sam Matthews
Director Traditional Punting Company
Dear Mr Matthews,
Thank you for your e-mail which I shall respond to as soon as I can.
Yours sincerely,
Alastair Roberts
Alastair Roberts
Safer Communities Section Manager
Cambridge City Council,
Hobson House,
44, St. Andrew’s Street,
Cambridge. CB2 3AS
Tel: 01223 457836
FAX: 01223 457659
22nd February 2008
Dear Mr Matthews,
Thank you for your e-mail. I will try to answer the points you have raised. The Council’s position is that commercial punt operation should not take place from river frontages owned by the City Council without its express consent. This was decided at the meeting of the Strategy & Resources Scrutiny Committee held on 8th February 2008.
”The new restrictions’.
The report
stated quite clearly that enforcement would commence at the beginning of the 2008 season. Leaving the date unspecified is to
allow for the Council to put in place certain procedures necessary in order for that enforcement to take place.
Operation from Quayside.
The steps at Quayside are part of the Public Highway and are the responsibility of the County Council as the highway authority.
Individuals have the right to pass and repass using the steps but this does not confer upon them the automatic right to trade
from them. There is also an issue that the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers, given the gap from the lower step to
the water, is such that the City Council may well have concerns from a Health and Safety point of view. I understand that the
when the steps were put in originally the gap was to facilitate use by larger vessels.
I am an Officer of the Council and not a City Councillor. I acknowledged in our telephone conversation when you contacted me that I should have announced who I was. In our telephone conversation I apologised to you for this omission. The Council is preparing a statement containing key questions which we are being asked over punt operation together with our responses. I will contact you again when this is available. You might find it helpful to look at this prior to any further discussion about meeting.
Yours sincerely,
Alastair Roberts
Alastair Roberts
Safer Communities Section Manager
Cambridge City Council,
Hobson House,
44 St. Andrew’s Street,
Cambridge. CB2 3AS
Tel: 01223 457836
FAX: 01223 457659
23rd February 2008
Dear Mr Roberts, Thank you for your email responding to my questions. However, there is one fundamental question left unanswered. In our recorded conversation you specifically told me that you knew the date when you “would be shutting me down”. I would welcome a response.
Yours sincerely
Sam Matthews
Director Traditional Punting Company
25th Feruary 2008
Dear Mr Matthews,
Thank you for your e-mail. Would you please send a copy of the recording you have made. I will then respond to you again.
Yours sincerely
Alastair Roberts
Alastair Roberts
Safer Communities Section Manager
Cambridge City Council,
Hobson House,
44, St. Andrew’s Street,
Cambridge. CB2 3AS
Tel: 01223 457836
FAX: 01223 457659