Peterborough’s Solar Ambitions Baulked

08:08 Friday 9th December 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Peterborough City Council could end up losing out on about £6 million over the next 25 years when it comes to solar panels. Earlier this year the Council installed panels on the roof of the Town Hall, and the Freemans building, hoping to make money from the energy they produce. But changes to tariffs means although the Council applied for a higher return in energy, they’ll end up with a lower one. The figure comes from calculations made by Richard Olive, co-ordinator of Peterborough Friends of the Earth. (TAPE)
RICHARD OLIVE: Well over a 25 year period, it’s going to be £6.52 million. Of course we could do a lot with that money, couldn’t we? (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Councillor Nick Sandford from the Liberal Democrats said if the figure is correct, it’s a huge blow to the city. (TAPE)
NICK SANDFORD: This feed-in tariff was introduced in April 2010, and it had been advertised for about six or twelve months previous to that. It was always envisaged that the feed-in tariff would be cut as the cost of the technology dropped. Now if Peterborough City Council had got in right at the beginning, we could have had not just panels on the Regional Pool. the Freemans building, the Town Hall, as Richard was saying we could have had them on social housing. We could have had them on other Council buildings. Continue reading “Peterborough’s Solar Ambitions Baulked”

The Peterborough Council Shilling

Friday 9th December 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

08:23
PAUL STAINTON: On yesterday’s show there was a little bit of confusion when we spoke to Council Leader Marco Cereste about that independent report into councillors’ allowances. We’d just like to clarify that the report recommended Councillor Matthew Lee’s Special Responsibility Allowance be reduced from 75% of the Leader’s Allowance to 65% of the Leader’s Allowance. That same report also put forward a recommendation to increase the Leader’s pay by over £4000. That suggestion rejected by Councillor Cereste and the Council. Just want to make that clear, because there was some confusion yesterday.

08:30
PAUL STAINTON: Just a quick message, by the way. This is a forum for the people of Peterborough, by text, by phone, by e-mail. however you want to contact us, please do. It is not a forum for one particular councillor to text in with different names, on a number of occasions. I appreciate all the texts that come in, but they will not all get read out if it’s from the same person, even if you are using a different name, councillor. This show’s for the people, alright? Thank you.

08:33
PAUL STAINTON: Perhaps the councillors should get their own radio station for councillors. Then they can text in to their own show.

Eye Village Under Attack Yet Again

07:19 Thursday 8th December 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: We brought you the news last year that Eye was one of the places earmarked for major development. The City Council recommended 85 more homes to be built there. But now an independent report has said that Eye could do with not 85 but 160 new homes. The news has been met with criticism from some residents. Dale McKean is one of those residents. Morning Dale.
DALE MCKEAN: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: What are you so worried about? You’ve got all that land around Eye. We could put plenty of homes around there. It would be lovely. Continue reading “Eye Village Under Attack Yet Again”

Payrise Proposal for Peterborough Councillors

07:08 Thursday 1st December 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Yesterday we brought you the exclusive news about possible changes to councillor allowances in the city. An independent panel has suggested a cut in the size of the Cabinet, and a reduction in the money given to those with special reponsibilities, whatever that means. This could mean an extra cash rise in allowances for members by about 13%, if it all goes through. The recommendations will be debated at the Full Council meeting next Wednesday. Yesterday we spoke to the Leader of the Liberal Democrat group in Peterborough, Councillor Nick Sandford. This is what he had to say. (TAPE)
NICK SANDFORD: There’s a need to attract more people to become councillors. What they would rather do is take away some of these so-called special responsibility payments, or to actually reduce them, and to use that to increase the basic allowance payable to all Members of the Council. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well that’s what Nick Sandford had to say. Ed Murphy, councillor for Ravensthorpe, is putting forward a motion at the Full Council meeting next week to cut allowances and expenses by about £200,000. Morning Ed.
ED MURPHY: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: So you’re not for this, obviously, for a rise in allowances effectively, a redistribution of the wealth, if you like. Continue reading “Payrise Proposal for Peterborough Councillors”

K1 Co-Housing in Cambridge

17:43 Tuesday 29th November 2011
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: The new housing initiative known as K1 has been launched in Cambridge today, a scheme in which groups of people wanting new houses get involved in the project right from the very start at the planning stage, so they can help design and shape their new homes. Managing Cambridge K1 is Adam Broadway, the man to explain to us now how it will work, and who it’s for. Continue reading “K1 Co-Housing in Cambridge”

Peterborough Bids Farewell To Independent Local Radio

07:50 Monday 28th November 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Now let’s take you back, way back on your Peterborough Breakfast Show, to 1980. (MUSIC – ABBA SUPER TROOPER) Abba, number one, Dexy’s Midnight Runners in the charts. and the birth of independent local radio in Peterborough. (JINGLE HEREWARD RADIO ) How does that feel, Stewart Francis?.. How nice is it to hear those original jingles? July 1980, Hereward Radio 225, a milestone for the city really, wasn’t it? Continue reading “Peterborough Bids Farewell To Independent Local Radio”

Stewart Jackson MP on Thomas Cook

07:22 Monday 28th November 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Peterborough-based travel company Thomas Cook could axe 1000 jobs in a radical restructuring. It’s after the banks threw it a £200 million lifeline. It sells more than 22 million holidays in the UK every year, but bookings have dropped, partly due to the unrest in popular destinations like Tunisia and Egypt. Let’s speak to MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson, who’s with us this morning. Morning Stewart.
STEWART JACKSON: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: First of all I suppose we’ve got to say thank the Lord we can still not just book it, we can Thomas Cook it. That’s the good thing. Continue reading “Stewart Jackson MP on Thomas Cook”

Peterborough Children’s Services in Crisis: Consultants Named

07:07 Friday 25th November 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Peterborough City Council’s Children’s Services has a new Director, looking after the department. It was confirmed yesterday a super-consultant is to be brought in to try and improve it, which  was criticised by Ofsted in September. Now one city councillor is questioning how truly successful consultants have been when tackling the same job in the past. Let’s speak to Cllr Mike Fletcher. Morning Mike.
MIKE FLETCHER: Good morning Paul. ..
PAUL STAINTON: Now how many consultants have had a go at Children’s Services in say the last three or four years? How many different companies have had a go at sorting it out. Continue reading “Peterborough Children’s Services in Crisis: Consultants Named”