Month: June 2011

Council Subsidy for PREL’s Cranfield Link-Up

07:21 Thursday 30th June 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

(Need to know on this story is that the Leader of Peterborough City Council Marco Cereste is also Chairman of the private company Peterborough Renewable Energy Limited.)

ANDY GALL: Should Peterborough City Council give financial support to universities who want to open learning centres in the city? Council chiefs have announced plans to pay Cranfield University a grant of £120,000. The money would be used to employ a Chair in Renewable Energy, who would then work with the Council, Cranfield and Opportunity Peterborough. Let’s find our more by speaking to John Richards, who’s the Executive Director of Children’s Services at Peterborough City Council. Joins us now. Good morning John. So how does this grant work? You’re planning to pay £120,000 to Cranfield University to fund this role and why.
JOHN RICHARDS: Right. Well I’m glad you’re interviewing me actually, because on previous occasions you’ve said to me, how are you going to increase the higher education offer in Peterborough, ie bring universities to Peterborough, and this is one of the ways which we are doing that. Now the Chair in Renewable Energy will be working in Peterborough with not only the City Council but with all the eco-environmental companies, and particularly with PREL. And the idea is that it brings doctorate masters students and they provide continous professional development for staff working in Peterborough. So it’s about upping the skills of Peterborough people. Now the actual cost of the Chair and all the accoutrements of a Chair of Renewable Energy is over £300,000. The City Council is only putting in £120,000, that’s £40,000 over three years, and the rest of the money is being put up by PREL. So this is a real partnership between business, the Council and the university. Continue reading “Council Subsidy for PREL’s Cranfield Link-Up”

Cutting Legal Aid – Penny Wise Pound Foolish

17:07 Wednesday 29th June 2011
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgshire

PETER SWAN: Let’s kick off with Ken Clarke. The Justice Secretary has been defending his criminal justice agenda today, which includes proposed sentencing and legal aid changes. Under the plans, aimed at saving £300 million from the £2.1 billion legal aid bill, people will not be eligible for legal aid in a far broader range of civil cases than currently is the case. To discuss the implications, here’s Rachel Talbot from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau in Cambridge. Evening to you Rachel.
RACHEL TALBOT: Hello.
PETER SWAN: Now could you just fill us in on what the current situation is. What have we got at the moment, and what is it that Ken Clarke is looking to change? Continue reading “Cutting Legal Aid – Penny Wise Pound Foolish”

Christopher Evans in Defence of the Archeological Planning Condition

17:17 Tuesday 28th June 2011
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PETER SWAN: On Friday’s show we heard from a chap called Alan Melton. He’s the Leader of Fenland District Council. And he was unhappy because he believes archeologists are delaying building projects in the Fenland area. This is what he had to say. (TAPE)
ALAN MELTON: It seems to me that a whole industry has grown up where wherever anybody wants to develop or build, irrespective of where it is, even if it’s in sub-soil such as clays, there has to be some form of archeological dig. And I actually believe that in many instances it’s not necessary, and it’s a very very costly process.(LIVE)
PETER SWAN: Now Mr Melton is keen to ease planning restrictions in Fenland, but as you might imagine. he hasn’t exactly endeared himself to archeologists, both locally and nationally. Now Chris Evans is Executive Director of the Archeological Unit at Cambridge University, and I’m pleased to say he joins us now. Evening to you Chris.
CHRIS EVANS: Good evening to you Peter.
PETER SWAN: Now I guess we ought to start, what is this issue all about? What is Archeological Planning Condition? Continue reading “Christopher Evans in Defence of the Archeological Planning Condition”

Newmarket Open Door Takes On Recycling

10:35 Tuesday 28th June 2011
Mid Morning Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: A charity is taking over the running of Newmarket’s household waste recycling centre. It was earmarked for closure by Suffolk County Council to save some cash, partly because they thought it was mainly used by people like us, from Cambridgeshire. But the move was extremely unpopular, and a campaign was started to keep it open. Yesterday, local charity Newmarket Open Door sealed a deal with the Council to take it over. John Durrant from the charity joins me now. Morning John.
JOHN DURRANT: Morning.
PAUL STAINTON: What experience have you got then, for running a recycling centre? Continue reading “Newmarket Open Door Takes On Recycling”

Coping with Drought in the Fens

11:22 Monday 27th June 2011
Mid Morning Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: How are we doing for water? Well let’s speak to Geoff Brighty, who’s from the Environment Agency .. Thank you for coming in. We had this massive period of dry weather, unprecedented almost. We’ve had a bit of rain. Now it’s absolutely boiling hot again. Where are we with water levels at the moment? Continue reading “Coping with Drought in the Fens”

Richard Jones from Barker Storey Matthews on Development in Peterborough

07:08 Friday 24th June 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Peterborough apparently needs more warehouses. It’s the view of a leading city businessman, who says he’s having enquiries from as far away as Felixstowe for warehouse space right here in Peterborough. Last month we revealed that Eddie Stobart, of coursem will be the first business to open a distribution centre in Great Haddon, this big development just to the South of Hampton. But the city’s MP Stewart Jackson said he wanted more  high-skilled jobs coming to Peterborough, and fewer warehouses. Richard Jones is the man who wants more warehouses, says we could do with a lot more warehouses, from Barker Storey Matthews. Morning Richard.
RICHARD JONES: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: So Stewart Jackson doesn’t know what he’s talking about, does he? Continue reading “Richard Jones from Barker Storey Matthews on Development in Peterborough”

Council Million Pound Mortgage Scheme Called In

07:35 Thursday 23rd June 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Peterborough City Council’s decision to join the Local Authority Mortgage Scheme, investing a million pounds, has been called in for discussion by two of the city’s councillors. The scheme means they could help with up to 20% of the deposit, and help people get a 75% mortgage on top of that. All seemed very peachy. Labour councillor Mohammed Jamil though, not happy. Morning.
MOHAMMED JAMIL: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: What’s wrong? Continue reading “Council Million Pound Mortgage Scheme Called In”

Parnwell Peterborough

07:08 Wednesday 22nd June 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: David Cameron has urged us all, I believe,  to get involved in the Big Society, become part of where you live. And that’s just what one of our listeners has been trying to do. But she says she’s unable to set up a charity event in Parnwell, aimed at raising community spirit, because of the area’s bad reputation. But is it really that bad in Parnwell? Our reporter Sam Appleby has been out and about to find out. (TAPE) Continue reading “Parnwell Peterborough”