Month: August 2012

Peterborough Care Home Closures – Everything You Need To Know

07:08 Friday 31st August 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Without doubt, the biggest and most emotional story we’ve covered over the entire life of the Peterborough Breakfast Show was the City Council’s plan to close two of the city’s care homes. The proposal is currently open to consultation, which ends in November. This week saw workers from both Greenwood and Welland House meet the Leader of the Council, Marco Cereste, to talk about their concerns. Well, Mr Cereste was keen to reiterate that it’s an open consultation, and the Council will listen to people’s concerns. (TAPE)
MARCO CERESTE: Well, there’s a consultation. That’s what consultations are about. The staff may come forward with another solution that we haven’t thought about. And we will certainly listen to them, and we will take seriously whatever it is they come forward with. (LIVE) Continue reading “Peterborough Care Home Closures – Everything You Need To Know”

Viridor Peterborough Waste Incinerator Plans Raise Infant Mortality Fears

07:07 Thursday 30th August 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY GALL: Peterborough will be getting a multi-million pound incinerator to deal with waste in the city. That’s despite concerns from opposition councillors and local environmental groups. A special meeting was held last night with a coalition of councillors (who) weren’t happy when the City Council announced the waste management company Viridor as to be the preferred bidder. Now David Harrington is the leader of Peterborough Independent Forum and we can speak to him now. Now you’re one of the councillors to call in the decision. Why did you do that? Continue reading “Viridor Peterborough Waste Incinerator Plans Raise Infant Mortality Fears”

The Whittlesey Shopping Experience

07:46 Wednesday 29th August 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY GALL: Residents of Whittlesey could be one step closer to getting a big supermarket. It’s to be decided at a planning meeting at Fenland District Council whether Sainsburys or Tesco will be given the go-ahead to build on Eastrea Road. The rival bids between the retail giants have been going on for months. Cllr Martin Curtis is from Whittlesey and joins us now. So what do you think about both the bids then, put in by these two behemoths of supermarkets? Continue reading “The Whittlesey Shopping Experience”

Carol Barbone on UK Airport Expansion

17:20 Tuesday 28th August 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: Downing Street is insisting the Coalition will stick to its commitment not to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport. David Cameron’s coming under increasing pressure to reconsider the Government’s position, with some Conservatives arguing that expansion will help revive the economy. The Chairman of the Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee, South Suffolk MP Tim Yeo, urged David Cameron to decide whether he was “man or mouse”. Officially, both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats oppose the move. But Tim Yeo says the business case for expansion is now overwhelming, and environmental concerns have also been addressed. (TAPE)
TIM YEO: We ought to make Britain the most business friendly country in Europe. Part of that is modernising our transport infrastructure, and here’s a project, unlike almost all the others, which does not require a single penny of taxpayers’ money. There could not be a more attractive option than to give the go-ahead now.” (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: But the Tory MP for Harwich and North Essex, Bernard Jenkin, is pressing for a new airport in the Thames estuary instead. (TAPE)
BERNARD JENKIN: Both North Kent and South Essex are depressed areas. This would be a golden opportunity to regenerate the Thames corridor. We also need to have a third Thames river crossing, and another Thames barrier, and these are all things that could be combined in a single project, which would be of enormous public benefit, and provide the strategic airport capacity that we need. (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: Campaigners against expansion at our local airport at Stansted say it wouldn’t surprise them if there was another attempt to build a second runway there, but say they are ready to rebuff it. Carol Barbone is from the Stop Stansted Expansion (Campaign), and I spoke to her a little earlier on, to get her reaction to today’s developments. Continue reading “Carol Barbone on UK Airport Expansion”

Cambridge Green Belt – New Homes for Rough Sleepers?

10:23 Monday 27th August 2012
Mid-Morning Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: A few minutes ago we heard from Paul Miner from the Campaign to Protect Rural England, as they call on the Government to honour its pledge to safeguard the Green Belt. It’s claimed there are bids for more than 81,000 homes on Green Belt land around cities and towns across England, a matter of concern for us all, I’m sure. Well Paul told us he was particularly concerned about plans for land around South Cambridgeshire. (TAPE)
PAUL MINER: It surprised and disturbed us to find that in the past couple of years new local plans have been coming forward which are actually talking about major changes to the Green Belt. And in Cambridge in particular, the City Council is talking about building 12,000 new dwellings on the Green Belt. And South Cambridgeshire District, on top of that, is likely to propose even more, which would be a major change in Cambridgeshire’s Green Belt. (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: Well let’s get some instant reaction now, because Councillor Simon Edwards, Deputy Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council is on duty even today, on a Bank Holiday. .. What do you think of what Paul Miner had to say? Are you concerned? Continue reading “Cambridge Green Belt – New Homes for Rough Sleepers?”

What Are The Odds?

08:08 Friday 24th August 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY GALL: After weeks of being closed, Bretton Water Park should reopen this weekend. The Park had to suddenly shut after several children became ill. It’s thought that there was an outbreak of norovirus at the site. .. We can now speak to Paul Phillipson who’s Operations Director at Peterborough City Council. First of all, how likely is it that the Park will be open tomorrow for the Bank Holiday weekend?

PAUL PHILLIPSON: 99.9% certain. We still haven’t got the certification results yet. They’re not through ’till just past lunchtime today, but the early indications are that the water quality is perfectly OK. So I can reassure the public that they can turn up at ten o’clock tomorrow morning, and the Park will be open up and running for them. .. I can, hand on heart, say, if you want to be there at ten o’clock tomorrow morning, it will be there and open.”

===============

 

Later that day …

Bretton Water Park stays closed after E. coli discovery

 

===========

Slow Start to the Season for The Posh

18:08 Thursday 23rd August 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: Let’s talk football. Posh go into Saturday’s clash with Leeds having lost their first two League games of the season. At the moment they’re equal bottom of the table, with nil points. Fergie told our Sports Editor Nick Fairbairn there’s no need for anyone to panic. (TAPE)
DARREN FERGUSON: I think a lot of people think we’re down, we’re doomed. With 42 games, we’re two games in, everyone’s panicking. Some of the stuff I’ve heard today, certain media people, and all the rest of it. It’s bizarre really.
NICK FAIRBAIRN: What kind of stuff? Continue reading “Slow Start to the Season for The Posh”

Housing The People

08:08 Thursday 23rd August 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY GALL: There are calls for a boost in the private rented sector to help meet the nation’s housing demands. The report by Sir Adrian Montague suggests that more investment into build-to-let, more flexibility for councils, which could allow authorities to waive affordable housing on new developments. But there are concerns that this could have an impact on those who are not very well off. Rachael Orr is Campaign Manager at Shelter and joins me on the line. And also Ed Murphy is a labour councillor in Peterborough. We’ll go to Rachael first. What do you think about these potential new rules? Continue reading “Housing The People”