• City Council candidate 2023
• anne@annemiller.uk

I have lived in Newnham for over 20 years and I stood for election as a city councillor not only because I wanted to represent my community but also to help Cambridge respond to the Climate Emergency. I have been involved in the fight against climate change virtually all my adult life, so have real expertise to offer.

Although I was not elected in 2023, I am continuing to help on issues relating to climate and the environment.

I first came to Cambridge to study Engineering at Churchill College, then, after graduating, worked in Research and Development for several local technical companies. I was then one of the co-founders of a successful technical consultancy just South of Cambridge, before setting up my own business to help organisations be more creative. I ran this from my home in Newnham.

Climate Change and the environment have been important to me since I was a student. I am Chair of the community group Carbon Neutral Cambridge. We have been providing our expertise to help local councils tackle climate change since 2018. This included running an event that helped enable the excellent Net Zero Carbon Homes policy in the draft Local Plan. This policy will require all new homes to be so well insulated they’ll cost virtually nothing to heat. Over the next year or so, it will be important for us to defend this policy, because some developers will undoubtedly try to get it watered down.

I like getting hands on to improve the local environment, so regularly litter pick in Paradise Local Nature Reserve and on Grantchester Meadows. I’m also a committee member of Cam Valley Forum, helping with projects to raise awareness of the threat to our chalk streams, to reduce the sewage pollution of the Cam, and to tackle invasive weeds.

Fairness is important to me. Everyone should have a right to an energy efficient home, so I have been involved in campaigns to improve the energy efficiency of student and social housing, and to enforce the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards in private rented homes. Cambridge has been making progress in this, but I’d like to see us move faster.

I supported the principle of the Sustainable Travel Zone, because the aim of improving the buses, reducing congestion and responding to the threat of climate change was clearly sensible and well supported. Although the initial proposals were not perfect, they would have helped those without a car, while making it easier for those that really do need to drive to get about.  I was disappointed that, in September 2023 the decision was taken to stop work on it.  We now have the difficult challenge of finding a better alternative.

Newnham is a large and leafy ward, and I want to help it stay that way, while being fair to the needs of everyone else in and around Cambridge.

If you have ideas, or problems that you think I can help with, do get in touch.