Month: July 2011

Public Told to Stop Asking Questions at Neighbourhood Council Meetings

07:13 Monday 11th July 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: There’s more criticism of Neighbourhood Councils in Peterborough, which are designed to promote democracy in the city. The way they are run was reviewed, but Dale McKean went to one of the revamped meetings the other night, and thinks actually they’re worse. Let’s speak to him. Morning Dale.
DALE MCKEAN: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: What happened at this Neighbourhood meeting then? Continue reading “Public Told to Stop Asking Questions at Neighbourhood Council Meetings”

Local Authority Mortgage Scheme: Who Takes the Risk?

Members of Peterborough City Council’s cabinet agreed yesterday to take part in the pilot Local Authority Mortgage Scheme, which will see the authority pay a contribution towards the deposits of first-time buyers.”
Source: Peterborough Evening Telegraph 14th June 2011

On Tuesday 14th June at 08:10 on the BBC Peterborough Breakfast Show Council Leader Marco Cereste made the following statement:
Continue reading “Local Authority Mortgage Scheme: Who Takes the Risk?”

NHS Peterborough – MP Condemns Consultancy Spending

07:28 Friday 8th July 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Millions of pounds to consultants. NHS Peterborough spent more than £1.3 million on consultants in the last year, the second highest out of all the PCTs in England, even though they had to make a £2 million reduction in running costs by April 2012. The figures have been revealed through an FOI, Freedom of Information request, submitted by medical magazine Pulse. Richard Hoey is the Editor. Morning Richard.
RICHARD HOEY: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: That’s a heck of a lot of cash. Tell us more. Continue reading “NHS Peterborough – MP Condemns Consultancy Spending”

Peterborough City Council and Geoffrey Osborne Limited

07:20 Friday 8th July 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: A Peterborough City councillor is querying why the Council has paid over £1 million to one company in just a month. Construction company Geoffrey Osborne Limited worked on the Cathedral and St Johns development, as well as doing work on the parkways and Northey Gravel Bridge. Liberal Democrat councillor Darren Fower wants to know exactly what work the company Geoffrey Osborne Limited did for the Council in January, and what the payments are for. Darren’s with us now. Morning Darren.
DARREN FOWER: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: How did you come across this information?
DARREN FOWER: It was while I was doing a little bit of reading up on how the City Council decided to ahnd the work for introducing solar panels on to the Town Hall building to a Leicestershire company. I happened to come across this openly local website, which does quite a good job at being open about the financial figures.
PAUL STAINTON: Right. So you’ve spoken to the Council, and asked them why they paid this company a million pounds in January. What’s been their response? Continue reading “Peterborough City Council and Geoffrey Osborne Limited”

Mark Edwards Peterborough Evening Telegraph Editor on Journalistic Integrity

08:08 Thursday 7th July 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: There’s no doubt what the top story is, the story that’s dominating all news agendas, all newspapers, and every media outlet. It’s the hacking story. .. Earlier we spoke to Ian Overton, editor of the Bureau of Investigate Journalism. He said he would never condone the practices, if they are proven to be true. (TAPE)
IAN OVERTON: Certainly there is a fine boundary of what do you cross to get the story. Now nobody has gone as far as phone-tapping something that affects the judicial process, and I think that’s one of the problems here. In the Milly Dowler case, there was an ongoing investigation, and phone-tapping occurred, and messages purportedly were deleted. Now that is obviously a significant issue, if it turns out to be true.(LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well yesterday the Prime Minister called the allegations of phone-hacking “absolutely disgusting”, and promised a full public inquiry. Let’s speak to Mark Edwards. He’s the editor of the Peterborough Evening Telegraph. Morning Mark
MARK EDWARDS: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Newspapers under increasing pressure. We heard from Ian earlier this morning saying that part of the problem in his opinion is young people coming through, not learning the trade, thrust into the limelight, doing their work under extreme presure from espacially national newspaper editors to get the story. And they’re cutting corners. Continue reading “Mark Edwards Peterborough Evening Telegraph Editor on Journalistic Integrity”

Jeremy Baumberg on Iridescence

17:53 Wednesday 6th July 2011
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY BURROWS: You know when you see that kind of rainbow effect on the back of a CD or in soap bubbles? Well scientists at the University of Cambridge have found that the same spectrum effect is used to attract bees to plants. And that could also help us to find new partners, would you believe. Earlier on I spoke to Jeremy Baumberg. He’s a Professor of NanoScience. It was fascinating. Continue reading “Jeremy Baumberg on Iridescence”

Peterborough Car Parking Charges Rise Again

07:09 Tuesday 5th July 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: We’ll start with car parking charges in Peterborough, which have risen yet again. Some of Peterborough City Council’s own car parks have gone up by around 10%… Councillor Stephen Goldspink is on the line. Morning.
STEPHEN GOLDSPINK: Morning .. I do understand people’s concerns about the increase in charges. Every year the Council charges seem to go up across a range of services, and whilst I know the Council is in a difficult financial position, following a cut in Government grants, I always maintain there are always choices that the Council can make. And I’m not sure they make the best choices all of the time, when they’re talking about the “blend” of increasing charges and cutting expenditure.
PAUL STAINTON: And this is at a time when we’re trying to drive people into the city, we’re trying to drive businesses into the city. You run a local business. This is going to stop people parking, isn’t it? Continue reading “Peterborough Car Parking Charges Rise Again”

Church Commissioners Plan a Massive Housing Development on Farmland at Ely

07:18 Monday 4th July 2011
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PETER SWAN: Residents have two weeks to have their say on plans to build hundreds of new homes in Ely. Land at Highflyer Farm, owned by the Churches Commission, will feature a district centre which will provide shops, community facilities and services. Over the weekend an exhibition displaying the plans was put on show at a local school. I’m pleased to say that Jennifer Orchard from the Quatro Public Relations, who are working on behalf of the Church Commissioners can join us now. Thanks for joining us on the show Jennifer.
JENNIFER ORCHARD: Absolutely no problem.
PETER SWAN: Now tell us about your proposals then. What are we going to be getting in Ely? Continue reading “Church Commissioners Plan a Massive Housing Development on Farmland at Ely”