Month: June 2012

Policing and Profit

07:22 Friday 29th June 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Cambridgeshire Police are to look at outsourcing some back office services. The county’s Police Authority approved a move at a meeting last night, but said officers need to look at other ways too to make savings. Along with forces in Besfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, they’ve all got to make savings of about £73 million by 2016. It’s thought bringing in private companies to run services like finance, HR and IT might help them do that. Our reporter Natasha Malcolm-Brown has been speaking to Chief Constable Simon Parr. She started by asking how realistic it was to think cuts wouldn’t now affect front line services. Continue reading “Policing and Profit”

A Tradition of Public Service

08:20 Thursday 28th June 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

DOREEN MURRAY FORMER COUNCILLOR: I was a councillor for almost twelve months before I was told I should claim expenses. And I said I’m not in here to claim expenses, I’m in here to make things better for people around me. Because my son was born partially sighted, and I saw the way things weren’t being done for them. So many things within the community needed doing. And I was approached three times by the Conservatives to run for them. And then I looked around, and my son said to me Mum, you’re always saying you want to help people out. This is your opportunity. So that’s why I became a councillor. I never, ever drew expenses. The only expenses I drew was for my telephone bill, because it never stopped. And I am absolutely disgusted. Because where everything went downhill with the Council is when councillors started to get a wage. They joined the Council not to make things better. They joined it because it’s a gravy train. And Charlie (Swift) saying that it was a traditional thing to get sandwiches. That’s rubbish. I never ever. The only time you got a cup of tea was when the Mayor would invite us into the Parlour. And that was it. I get very upset about it all. You’ve got some good people within, but you’ve also got an adminstration that really needs kicking out. And everything starts at the top. It starts with the Head of the Council. And things need changing, and I think councillors should start giving up the wage that they’re getting, and give it to charity. Because it’s needed more for charitable causes. Charlie (Swift) is a good guy. I like Charlie. He’s worked hard for his community, and that’s why he’s still a councillor. I think it’s immoral. I get very upset when I know how much money that they’re getting, the councillors, and they’re getting advisors who are earning salaries, to advise them. Why should they need people to advise them? Go out in the community. Knock on doors. Find out is there anything you want. That’s what Jack Rigby and I used to do. Every Saturday morning we did a walkabout in Orton Longueville. Everybody knew us. We asked, is there any problems? What’s needed? You don’t need advisers. The public are your advisers. Listen to them.

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Fiona Radic Green Party on Peterborough Council’s Incinerator Plans

07:10 Wednesday 27th June 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

FIONA RADIC: Landfill tax is a problem. However, that doesn’t take into account that we still have to dispose of what’s left, because there’s a residue left after incineration. There are two residues. One is bottom ash, which is what comes out of the bottom of the incinerator process. That goes to landfill. There is some notion that it can be used in roads, but apparently that’s not actually ever been done, outside the boundaries of landfill sites. The other much nastier is fly ash, which comes from inside the stack. And we don’t know what would be done with that, although we understand there are various chemical processes. It can be combined with cement working, and so on. But basically we don’t know what the plans are for those. And we also can’t quantify how much. So when they say it eliminates landfill, that can’t possibly be true, because we need to work out what’s left after incineration.
Friends of the Earth has very pessimistic forecasts for the amount of energy this particular plant, or a plant of this type, can actually produce. But much more importantly, in the plans there is no energy delivery infrastructure. Now in Scandinavia, where they do have a record of moving warm or hot water into people’s homes, or facilities like swimming pools, there’s a very very very very high tech grid, which has to be put in. And there’s no indication that the Council has got that grid, or even thought about it at the moment.

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Miasma and Media Lockdown

The Leader of Peterborough City Council, Marco Cereste,  is the owner of a private company, PREL, that wants to build a modern version of an incinerator in the city.

Meanwhile, Peterborough City Council is in negotiation to build another publicly owned incinerator, alongside the PREL version, using older technology.

What might be the advantage or disadvantage to PREL of having two incinerators side by side?

(Peterborough City Council is currently unavailable for comment.)

Listener Spots Man Behind Curtain

10:25 Monday 25th June 2012
Andy Harper Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

On the subject of a Government suggestion to remove housing benefit from all young people.

ANDY HARPER: This one says. morning Andy. You might recall my text of a few weeks ago, when you were discussing gay marriage, and I suggested how governments like to control the agenda. Well here we go again, with you discussing a subject that Cameron admits won’t be considered until the next Parliament. Why can’t they just deal with things that are affecting us all right now?
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The subject driven off the headlines is Tory donors and tax avoidance.

Banter

16:45 Wednesday 20th June 2012
Richard Spendlove Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire:

RICHARD SPENDLOVE: Give us a call if you like. .. It will be a delight to talk to you, as it will very shortly be a delight to talk to somebody else, but he’s not ready yet, because he’s a little bit behind. .. Are you alright?
CHRIS MANN: Young man. How are you?
RICHARD SPENDLOVE: Are you .. were you .. just a minute. Were you impr .. did you .. a few minutes ago did you hear .. have you .. did you record it for your programme?
CHRIS MANN: I always listen to everything you say Richard.. Continue reading “Banter”

Ansar Ali Independent For Police Commissioner

07:20 Thursday 21st June 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Another person from Peterborough has announced their intention to run for the post of the Police Commissioner of Cambridgeshire. Elections to the post, which will replace the Cambridgeshire Police Authority, will be held in November. Labour announced last week that city councillor Ed Murphy has been selected by the Party as their candidate. Let’s speak to the latest person to announce their intention to run for the job, Ansar Ali, who’s been an independent member of the Cambridgeshire Police Authority since 2008. Morning Ansar.
ANSAR ALI: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Why do you want this curious position?
ANSAR ALI: Because I think I’ve got the right qualities to deliver the expectations of the public of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
PAUL STAINTON: What are they? Continue reading “Ansar Ali Independent For Police Commissioner”

What’s Going On Here Then?

07:15 Tuesday 18th June 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

 

 

NICK SANDFORD LIBDEM: PREL are building a high technology waste treatment plant. What the Council are proposing is a conventional old-fashioned incinerator where you don’t sort the waste out you just throw it in.

RICHARD OLIVE FRIENDS OF THE EARTH: The PREL one will be absolutely state-of-the-art, a much better process. It is almost 100% recycling, the PREL one.

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