Chatteris Supermarket Opening Delayed

10:30 Monday 21st September 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Let’s speak to Chatteris Town councillor Florence Newell. Florence, morning.
FLORENCE NEWELL: Good morning. I’m also a Fenland district councillor for Chatteris.
PAUL STAINTON: OK.
FLORENCE NEWELL: Yes.
PAUL STAINTON: You’ve got a bit of shock breaking news this morning, haven’t you, concerning Tesco’s?
FLORENCE NEWELL: Not this morning. I got it Thursday morning. I got a letter from Tesco’s, signed by a Mr Bryn Woodward, Corporate Affairs Manager, saying that they will not be opening the store in Chatteris, .. “as we announced earlier this year, we are slowing down our store opening programme. We recognise that some people will be disappointed with this decision, and we are very grateful for the support we’ve received in the past.” And “We will keep you updated on our plans.” And they’re going to retain the current hoardings protecting the site.
PAUL STAINTON: It’s built, isn’t it? It’s finished. It’s there.
FLORENCE NEWELL: It’s finished completely. They’ve put a roundabout which isn’t to my satisfaction or to anyone else’s satisfaction. Because the big lorries are having trouble getting round.
PAUL STAINTON: Yes.
FLORENCE NEWELL: It’s on the main A141 road.
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Massive development advanced for the Waterbeach Airfield site

07:41 Thursday 18th September 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

DOTTY MCLEOD: A meeting in Waterbeach this evening will give residents the chance to find out more about proposed development in the village. Members of South Cambridgeshire District Council, the Ministry of Defence and developers Urban & Civic will be at Waterbeach School to talk about plans for thousands of homes on the site of the former barracks. Michael Williamson is the Chair of Waterbeach Parish Council. Michael, why did you call tonight’s meeting?
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Economic arguments in the Scottish independence debate

17:07 Wednesday 17th September 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: Last minute campaigning is taking place all over Scotland, ahead of tomorrow’s historic vote on independence. The leading figures on both sides of the debate are making their final pitches to voters in rallies today. So just what will the consequences either way be on things like jobs, economic growth, and of course the pound? Our business reporter Adam Kirtley told me.
ADAM KIRTLEY: Just to put this into some sort of context Chris, the Scottish population is roughly a tenth of the UK population, and the GDP per capita is roughly the same, a little bit less if you don’t include oil, a little bit more than the rest of the UK is you do include oil, but around twenty and a half thousand pounds per person. So therefore, the Scottish economy is roughly ten per cent of the UK economy. So if that goes, that reduces our economy, those of us left down here, but it also means that Scotland is much smaller, and it’s on its own. So the ‘Yes” campaign are saying don’t fret, that’s fine, we are self sufficient in food, because of fish and because of our farming. We have a huge whisky industry, we’ve got a tourist industry, and of course we’ve got liquid black gold, oil. That’s the ‘Yes’ campaign saying the economy will be fine. Don’t scare us, you horrible ‘No’ people. The ‘No Better Together’ campaign people say no way. Your economy is too small. It will rely much more for its income on oil than the rest of the UK economy does. Therefore, if oil isn’t as plentiful as you are predicting, or if the price of oil falls, you’re going to stuffed. So that’s where we are in the macro-economy . But of course you then start delving into the detail, and you can argue the toss either way, and it all gets very interesting.
CHRIS MANN: So what about all that oil and gas? The SNP have said for years, ‘Scotland’s oil.’
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Marco Cereste – The Big Conversation with Paul Stainton

10:09 Monday 15th September 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: The big interview on Ask the Boss is with Marco Cereste. Some call him a dictator. Some say he’s a man of the people. He’s the man who leads Peterborough City Council, and has done for a few years now. Contentious; polarises opinion; but who is he? What makes him tick? And what does he really stand for? Well he’s here. Let’s ask him. Morning Marco.
MARCO CERESTE: Hello Paul. How are you?
PAUL STAINTON: Is that a fair intro.?
MARCO CERESTE: Well I don’t know about that. One accepts what it is. (THEY LAUGH)
PAUL STAINTON: Your questions for Marco this morning in what is an interesting time for Peterborough and cities right across the country – if you’ve got something you’d like to ask him, 08459 252000. I suppose let’s start with that, that question. There are those who have been unkind and called you a dictator in the past, and said you don’t listen to people. And yet there are others out there who say actually you’re the most democratic Leader Peterborough City Council has ever had. So who are you?
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An interview with Sir Graham Bright Police and Crime Commissioner

07:06 Friday 12th September 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

DOTTY MCLEOD: This week we’ve been focusing on how Cambridgeshire Police is adapting in the face of tough budget cuts. Today we go to the man who holds the purse-strings, and sets the objectives for the police force to follow. It’s nearly two years since Sir Graham Bright was elected as Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner. It’s his job to hold the police to account, making them answerable to the public. Regular listeners to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire will know that we have had difficulty at times securing interviews with Sir Graham on air, but I’ve been to see him, and I have recorded an extended interview that we’ll be playing in two parts, the first one now, the second one in about an hour’s time. In Part One he speaks about how he has been able to influence policing policy in Cambridgeshire, and I asked him why he so rarely agreed to be interviewed on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s Breakfast Show.
(TAPE)
DOTTY MCLEOD: So going to start with something that we’ve just been touching on really, the role of the Police and Crime Commissioner. Turnout in the elections when you were elected was quite low. A year into the job we went out and asked people in Cambridgeshire whether they knew who you were and what you did, and what a PCC did. A lot of people didn’t. Is that a problem?
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South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge Local Plans go to Inspector

07:07 Thursday 11th September 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

DOTTY MCLEOD: An independent Government inspector will outline today how she’ll access plans to build 33,000 new homes in and around Cambridge by 2031. The South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge Local Plan includes a new town north of Waterbeach, a new village at Bourn Airfield, and a major extension to Cambourne, as well of course as the massive Northstowe development. It also continued development of the area around Cambridge railway station, and sites on the edge of the city. The Inspector, Miss Laura Graham, will set the scene for how a series of hearings over the coming months will be carried out. The homes are part of a plan that it’s hoped will create 44,000 jobs in the area. Well Robert Turner is the Cabinet Member for Planning on South Cambridgeshire District Council. Robert, remind us what is in the Local Plan for Cambridgeshire. What are the keynotes of the Plan for the district?
ROBERT TURNER: Well first of all good morning to you and to your viewers. Well this is an exciting time for us here in South Cambridgeshire. We are trying to create 22,000 jobs within South Cambridgeshire, 19,000 new homes which will be going forward. Like you said in your earlier report, a Miss Laura Graham has been appointed as the Inspector, who will be carrying out the pre-hearing meetings today at two o’clock in the Guildhall. We’re looking forward to the start date, which will be hopefully confirmed some time for the middle of October.
DOTTY MCLEOD: Robert, what happens if Miss Laura Graham comes along, and she doesn’t like what you have put in front of her?
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Opposing Views on MPs’ Pay

09:21 Monday 8th September 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: On the subject of money and MPs’ pay, the TUC say everyone in the UK deserves a pay rise. That’s what’s going to be said at the TUC General Congress later on today. It follows that news that MPs might get up to £74,000 a year. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority recommended the increase, saying MPs do an important job, and shouldn’t be paid such a miserly amount. Well on the line is Nick Clarke, Chairman of Cambridgeshire Conservatives. Morning Nick.
NICK CLARKE: Morning Paul. How are you?
PAUL STAINTON: I’m alright. “A miserly amount”. £67,000.
NICK CLARKE: Well that depends on where you sit and what you’re getting paid, I’m guessing. That’s quite interesting. This is always a most difficult subject for politicians, whether it’s at the local level or nationally. Politicians don’t like this subject at all, because whatever is the outcome, they always get the blame. Now in this case it’s an independent study. And I think the media is missing one point here at the moment. It’s not actually a pay rise, because it’s a renegotiated terms, renegotiated package. My understanding is that the MPs are going to have to give up their golden goodbyes, the money they receive when they are no longer elected, which is clearly a silly thing to hand out anyway. And I also understand it’s going to affect their contributions to pensions, and they’re going to modernise a whole bunch of the expenses which none of us like anyway. And if we throw our minds back to the days of my hero Margaret Thatcher, it was about then that she also encouraged MPs not to take a pay rise. And of course over time the Nelson’s Eye was turned towards the allowances, and a scandal arouse because of it. I think the good news about this is that once we get through this concern about the headline figure, I think MP salaries are then going to be linked to average earnings, which I think is a very sensible way forward.
PAUL STAINTON: Yes, average earnings, which are a third of what MPs are earning. Is that fair? We’ve not had a pay rise Nick.
NICK CLARKE: No, and I don’t get paid anything at all these days, so I sympathise entirely. But at the end of the day I want the best people we can attract into politics to help run our affairs.
PAUL STAINTON: Does this guarantee it, paying them more money? Do we get better politicians?
NICK CLARKE: Well, some politicians are motivated by power, some are motivated by self-importance, some motivated by the rewards I’m guessing. It’s part of the package, and what we don’t want to be doing is paying a salary that doesn’t attract the best. And equally we have to be mindful that we must be paying sufficient that we don’t get involved in any of the old corruption scandals that used to affect our police forces so many years ago, when they weren’t paid enough. So it’s a difficult balance. I think the big bit about this though is linking .. once they can get past this .. linking MPs’ salaries then to some .. you know .. the average earnings rise is a very sensible way forward, and I just wish they would do it with local councils as well. because at least for the MPs it’s an independent authority that sets this.
PAUL STAINTON: Well they set up the independent authority, didn’t they? Let’s be fair.
NICK CLARKE: Yes which is very sensible.
PAUL STAINTON: As independent as possibly the word can be.
NICK CLARKE: Yes, but a lot more independent than MPs actually voting for their own pay rises, which is a complete nonsense, and causes even more political shenanigans, I have to say.
PAUL STAINTON: But you can understand why people have been listening to this this morning. At the TUC there’s going to be a speech later on today from Frances O’Grady, saying we all deserve a pay rise. Why can’t we all have one then? What’s good for the goose has got to be good for all us ganders, surely.
NICK CLARKE: Yes, I would totally agree with that, but as I say, this isn’t a pay rise per se. It’s a renegotiated package, isn’t it? And in business anywhere else, if someone was to come to you Paul and say oh, we’re going to take away some of your pension rights, and all your holidays and all the other good things you get, company car perhaps ..
PAUL STAINTON: I wish.
NICK CLARKE: I know. And in return we’re going to buy those benefits off you by raising a one-off payment increase, that’s quite normal in business, quite normal in negotiating employment rights. So I’m not shocked by that particularly. I think getting it tied then down to something sensible, so we haven’t got to go through this pain every two or three years, is the right way forward.
PAUL STAINTON: Rupert Read is with us as well. He hopes to be the Green candidate for Cambridge at the General Election. Rupert, morning.
RUPERT READ: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: Ooh it’s a big earner now isn’t it? Seventy four grand. That must be enticing.
RUPERT READ: (LAUGHS) The point here from a Green point of view is that our MP, Caroline Lucas, has been a shining light of probity on this. Nick as a Conservative says, oh dear, this is a very difficult issue for politicians …
PAUL STAINTON: What do you mean, she’s been a shining light of probity? That’s a very nice sentence. well constructed, but what does it mean?
RUPERT READ: I was just about to explain, if you let me explain.
PAUL STAINTON: Go on.
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Cambridgeshire MP calls for Network Rail to be opened up to scrutiny

09:20 Friday 5th September 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: The MP for North East Cambridgeshire Stephen Barclay wants David Cameron to confirm when Network Rail will be accountable to the public. At the moment it’s not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, and according to the MP, with £34 billion added to the national debt this week from Network Rail at a stroke, that needs to change. So what do you think about giving a company billions of pounds, when there’s no way of finding out publicly how where or when the money is spent? Well Stephen Barclay is here. Stephen morning.
STEPHEN BARCLAY: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: It’s almost inconceivable that can be right.
STEPHEN BARCLAY: It is, and I think it’s a matter of time that those paying their rail fares will want to see this done quickly. It’s not just the Freedom of Information that we need opening Network Rail up to, it’s also to give the National Audit Office unfettered access. At the moment, the National Auditors have to go through the Rail Regulator, which creates a barrier in terms of the scrutiny that our public money is under. So I think we do need to let the public have access to information, and really open up the challenge that informed people in the community, particularly those with a knowledge of railways, or engineering, someone who perhaps has had a lifetime as an engineer, allow them to start looking at some of the infrastructure projects, and see whether we can deliver them in a more cost-effective way.
PAUL STAINTON: Yes. It’s almost like it’s been all done behind closed doors, with billions and billions of pounds of our money.
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