The New Listener

This interview with Peterborough City Councillor and Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Nick Sandford takes place following the news that Peterborough City Council intend to hand responsibility for libraries, museums, sports facilities and the Key Theatre over to a charitable trust. Broadcast at 07:10 on Monday 22nd March 2010 in Paul Stainton’s BBC Peterborough Breakfast Show.

PS: Now, the city’s libraries, museum, sports facilities and the Key Theatre may no longer be managed by the City Council. A new charitable trust could take over the running of it in order to save the Council some cash. Let’s speak to LibDem Parliamentary Candidate Nick Sandford. Morning Nick.
NS: Good morning.
PS: Sounds like a good idea.
NS: Well it’s a good idea that it might save a small amount of cash I think. In the first year it will cost the Council money with all the setup costs. But they reckon it may save up to a couple of hundred thousand. I think the major concerns that we’ve got about it are there’s going to be a significant loss of democracy and accountability. The type of trust they’ve chosen, once the trustees have been appointed they can just reappoint themselves virtually in perpetuity. And I think that leaves a number of concerns about, for instance, the Council will lose control of charges. I remember a couple of years ago there was concern that sports charges were going up over the rate of inflation. When that happened, people could go to the local councillors. When the trust has control of it people will basically have no actual say.
Continue reading “Nick Sandford: Outsourcing Culture Sport and Heritage”

This interview with Peterborough City Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment Capital and Culture Matthew Lee takes place following the news that Peterborough City Council intend to hand responsibility for libraries, museums, sports facilities and the Key Theatre over to a charitable trust. Broadcast at 08:10 on Monday 22nd March 2010 in Paul Stainton’s BBC Peterborough Breakfast Show.

PS: … Peterborough’s libraries, museums, and the Key Theatre may no longer be managed by the City Council. As of tomorrow a new charitable trust could take over the running of it, in order to save the Council some cash. Earlier on the show, councillor Nick Sandford expressed his reservations.
NS: (TAPE) The type of trust they’ve chosen, once the trustees have been appointed, they can just reappoint themselves virtually in perpetuity. And I think that leaves a number of concerns about, for instance, the Council will lose control over charges. I remember a couple of years ago there was concern that sports charges were going up, over the rate of inflation.
PS: That’s Nick Sandford, The LibDem candidate in the forthcoming parliamentary election. Councillor Matthew Lee is Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment Capital and Culture at Peterborough City Council. Morning Matthew.
ML: Good morning.
PS: Can you understand Nick Sandford’s reservations?
ML: Yes but they’re not true. I’ve tried to correct him and unfortunately he doesn’t seem to want to listen. Can I just reassure everybody the trustees can’t just keep reappointing themselves. They’ll be time-limited. Two of the trustees will be councillors, and they’ll be appointed by the Leader of the Council. And this is deliberate, because some charities, when you see them with their trustees, over the years the trustees don’t change, and therefore the organisation doesn’t change, so it’s very important that this trust will be bringing in new blood over the years to reinvigorate the service.
Continue reading “Matthew Lee: Outsourcing Culture Sport and Heritage”