BBC transcripts
17:18 Monday 31st December 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
[C]HRIS MANN: We’re almost at the end of the 2012. What kind of year has it been in politics? Twelve months ago the economy was struggling, there were strains in the Coalition, and Labour were ahead in the opinion polls. The man with a ringside seat at Westminster, for us, has been our Political Correspondent Paul Rowley. Continue reading “Paul Rowley’s Political Roundup Of 2012”
17:45 Tuesday 18th December 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridge
[C]HRIS MANN: Microsoft have opened a new research building in Cambridge. The new six storey office in Station Road was designed by Chetwoods Architects, which is part of the CB1 masterplan. Sven Töpel is the Chief Executive of Brookgate, who are the developers. Hello Sven.
SVEN TÖPEL: Hello. Good evening.
CHRIS MANN: Tell us more about the new building that’s opened today.
SVEN TÖPEL: Yes, it’s the first major office building, new built office building, down Station Road. And it will become, as you said, the home for Microsoft Research in Cambridge. And they will be moving in shortly after the Christmas break. The furniture and other matters are happening as we speak, so it’s very exciting.
CHRIS MANN: Obviously Microsoft’s a big deal. This is their European headquarters. Continue reading “CB1 Welcomes Microsoft”
10:20 Tuesday 18th December 2012
Andy Harper Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
ANDY HARPER: Joining us is the Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, Ray Manning. .. There are specific issues which we can talk about, but let’s talk first of all about housing. The sale of council houses, the housing associations, and of course the underlying concern about homelessness as well, because so many people want to live in this part of the world. Do you think you’ve got your policy as a council right?
RAY MANNING: I think we’re trying to walk the middle line between the two, because you could have a complete free for all, and build enormous quantities of housing. One of the easier advantages is that houses sell readily round here. When I go to some of the other leaders from other districts, they talk about the problems and getting developers to redevelop a brown field site. We don’t actually have that problem. We’re always looking to where can we put housing to cause the least problem, rather than a case of trying to develop anywhere. So life’s easier that way, but it’s the balance of trying to preserve South Cambs as being the best place in the country to live. Everybody wants to live here. Continue reading “Ray Manning On Housing And The Expansion Of Cambridge City”
Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Lisa Forbes today 17th December 2012 condemned a proposal in the Peterborough City Council’s review of social care provision to increase charges for Meals on Wheels from £3.20 to £5.20. Continue reading “Tory Peterborough Targets Meals On Wheels”
07:26 Thursday 13th December 2012
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
PAUL STAINTON: European leaders have agreed a new deal to bring the continent’s biggest banks under the control of a new Europe-wide banking regulator. Our business guru is Tony Bonsignore. Morning.
TONY BONSIGNORE: Morning.
PAUL STAINTON: Mmm. Mmm. Not everybody is going to be happy with this, are they?
TONY BONSIGNORE: No. Some people in the City of London are going to be rather worried about it, one would imagine, given that Europe’s banks seem to be coming together and Europe are agreeing shared responsibility for banks, and especially for bailing out banks when things go wrong. The problem is if you’re on the outside of that, the problem is you might lose business. You might suddenly look less attractive to people who might be thinking of placing their business with you. So maybe people in the City of London are a little bit worried. And also some Germans as well, who tend to end up bankrolling these things in Europe. They’re the ones who are most concerned within the single currency about what this means.
PAUL STAINTON: And isn’t it the first step along the road to federalisation?
TONY BONSIGNORE: Yes I think it is. I think this is .. the European Union are saying this is “an historic moment”. They’re saying it’s .. I’ve heard the Cypriot Finance Minister say it was a “Christmas present to the whole of Europe”. Now I’m not quite sure that’s an accurate way of describing it, but it certainly is a big moment, and the feeling is I think that we’re moving towards political union. This is an important first step. I think there’s so much to do, so much to be agreed, and so much to argue about.
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17:19 Wednesday 12th December 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
CHRIS MANN: It’s getting harder and harder to get on the property ladder in Cambridgeshire. More number crunching from yesterday’s 2011 census data shows big drops in the proportion of mortgaged homes in Huntingdonshire, Peterborough and Cambridgeshire. Rachel Orr , the Campaigns Manager at the housing and homelesness charity Shelter joined me earlier for her reaction. (TAPE)
RACHEL ORR: I think what the census figures show is a historic shift in the way that young people are living their lives. And really this is a result of successive governments failing to build enough homes. And that means now that a lot of young couples, young families, just don’t have the same expectations in terms of being able to afford to own a home that their parents did.
CHRIS MANN: Certainly the figures here for Huntingdonshire, Peterborough and Cambridgeshire all show what you’re saying. I guess the big worry is that it’s going to take so long to get out of this mess, because it takes a long time to plan and build homes. Continue reading “Current UK Housing Model Broken”
08:20 Wednesday 12th December 2012
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
PAUL STAINTON: It’s been five years. It’s taken three planning applications. There’s been a year’s building work. People will soon though be living in a Victorian manor house in Peterborough. Plans to knock down Thurston House first went to the Council in 2007, but the developer Accent Nene was told it must be saved. On the line now is Margaret Randall. She lives near Thurston House, and was at first worried of course by the decision to turn it into affordable housing. Margaret, good morning.
MARGARET RANDALL: Hello there. Hello.
PAUL STAINTON: Are you still worried? Continue reading “Thumbs Up For Thurston House”
08:08 Tuesday 11th December 2012
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
PAUL STAINTON: A local MP and member of the Public Accounts Committee has revealed that theatres at Peterborough City Hospital could close, as the Trust running the hospital continues to struggle with debt. The Hospital, which has been open for two years of course, was funded by that expensive PFI agreement, and has seen the Trust rack up over £50 million of debt, £1 million a month. Now, speaking to us earlier, MP for North East Cambridgeshire Stephen Barclay described the way the new hospital was funded and then managed as “disgraceful and shocking”. (TAPE)
STEPHEN BARCLAY: Well it was quite disgraceful, and it raises serious questions over the performance of senior managers in the NHS, many of whom are paid significant salaries, and their performance has been quite shocking. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well the Trust has had to receive bailout money from the Government in order to stay open, and as Mr Barclay revealed earlier, the Hospital may have to close theatres just to stay afloat. Continue reading “Peter Reading On The Financial Crisis At The Peterborough City Hospital”