Catherine Smart On Cambridge City Council Eviction Policy

17:07 Thursday 19th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Peterborough has been named as the “hotspot” by the homeless charity Shelter, when it comes to homes being repossessed. A report released by them today says over 1,100 home owners lost their property in the twelve months to September this year. That’s 1 in every 63 homes. Nationally that figure is almost 1 in every 105 households across England at risk of eviction or repossession. The research is based on figures from the Ministry of Justice. Antonia Bance, Head of Campaigns at Shelter, joined me a little earlier.
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South Cambs – Radical Solutions To Protect Services

09:09 Thursday 19th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[A]NDIE HARPER: Local councils in England are facing a 2.9% cut in overall Government funding for 2014/15 it was announced yesterday afternoon. On the Bigger Breakfast we heard that across the board, councils in Cambridgeshire will receive around £25 million less in Government grants next year. Joining me is Cllr Simon Edwards, the Deputy Leader of South Cambs District Council, who last week was critical of the decision to give MPs a pay rise. Simon, Good morning to you.
SIMON EDWARDS: Good morning. Andy.
ANDIE HARPER: So are all the councils in it together? Brandon Lewis yesterday was trying to stress that this was fairer, because there have always been concerns about favouring certain councils. Do you think you’re all in it together at the same price?
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Stewart Jackson – PMQ – Peterborough’s University Technical College

12:15 Wednesday 18th December 2013
BBC Two
Daily Politics

MR SPEAKER: Mr Stewart Jackson.
HOUSE: Hear hear.
STEWART JACKSON: Unemployment in the Peterborough constituency stands at 5.5%, the lowest since the financial crisis, and there are 1,180 fewer JSA claimants than a year ago. However there are too many young people who are jobless and lacking work skills. So will the Prime Minister give an early Christmas present to Peterborough people, by giving his personal support for our bid for a University Technical College to be decided in the New Year?
DAVID CAMERON: I know that my Right Honorable Friend the Education Secretary will look closely at the proposal for a University Technical College. They are working well. I think it’s a very good innovation in our education system. But the news on youth unemployment is better, 19,000 down this quarter, and the claimant count as well falling. But there’s a lot more work to do, and I think we should particularly look at the Work Experience Programmes, which seem to have one of the best records at reducing youth unemployment, and see what we can do to encourage companies and businesses to get involved in this Work Experience Programme.

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Patrick Davies Look East Preview

17:25 Wednesday 18th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Now, tonight at six thirty on BBC 1 Look East brings you a roundup of the region’s news sport and events, and to find out what’s on tonight’s programme I’m joined by one of the senior men, Patrick Davies.
PATRICK DAVIES: I love it when you say that. It makes me feel ever so important.
CHRIS MANN: He’s come down from way up in the heights there, from some big important meeting.
PATRICK DAVIES: If only everybody else thought that.
CHRIS MANN: Anyway, what’s on the programme?
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Peterborough Solar And Wind Option Backed By Council Committee

06:50 Tuesday 17th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Peterborough City Council’s Scrutiny Committee has voted to ask the Cabinet in Peterborough to halt plans for the very contentious solar energy park on farmland North of the City. It happened at a meeting last night at the Town Hall, where the Committee discussed a detailed report into the park, which is to be sited on land in the Newborough and Thorney area. It was Cllr Dale McKean who asked the Committee to look again at the issue. Dale’s here this morning. Dale, morning.
DALE MCKEAN: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Now, very contentious. We had the big debate about the whole thing last week, which was very heated, very spiky. Was it spiky last night? Was it heated last night?
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Waterbeach – A Sense Of Optimism

08:40 Friday 13th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Back in March Waterbeach Barracks officially closed, marking the end of an era. The base in the South Cambridgeshire village was running for over seventy years, but that ended with Government cuts. Since then, local businesses have been suffering. Well our reporter Johnny Dee is in the village this morning, finding out how life has changed in Waterbeach.
JOHN DEVINE: Yes, I’ve been in the village of Waterbeach since about seven o’clock this morning. I’ve moved along now to the cosy surroundings of the Brewery Tap public house, which is right opposite where the Barracks used to sit. Now I actually managed to speak to three ladies at the bus stop, waiting to go on their daily commute into Cambridge earlier today.
(TAPE)
PUBLIC ONE: It’s got a lot quieter. There are far fewer people around during the week. The school’s got fewer children. Some of the youth organisations are suffering, because the kids aren’t there. They’ve all moved off the Barracks.
PUBLIC TWO: I’ve been living here for a very very long time. The village has gone quieter, and as the lady said, businesses are suffering immensely. And we are hoping that we will get more people here so the businesses can start doing better.
JOHN DEVINE: Of course you are hoping to have houses on the site of Waterbeach Barracks.
PUBLIC TWO: Yes there are (plans).
JOHN DEVINE: But it’s going to take time though.
PUBLIC ONE: It will take time. Like everything else in life, it does take time. But we are hoping, aren’t we?
PUBLIC ONE: A lot of people think it’s going to ruin .. there are too many coming, and it’s going to completely swamp the village. So it’s a very controversial subject.
JOHN DEVINE: It’s a bit of a double-edged sword then really, isn’t it?
PUBLIC ONE: It is. Yes.
JOHN DEVINE: One one hand you want the people, but on the other hand you don’t want too many. Is that what you’re saying?
PUBLIC ONE: Yes I think so. I think the size of the planned development is too large. But I think we do need some development up there. We need people. We need more numbers.
PUBLIC THREE: That’s great if they get people in quite soon. And also if the facilities in the village can adapt or cope with that, as even the doctors, we can’t get in an appointment for a month at the moment. What’s going to happen when these people all come in?
JOHN DEVINE: I’ve got with me now councillor James Hockney. Now how do you plan to revive Waterbeach James?
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The Newborough And Thorney Solar Debate

19:00 on Friday 13th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: So tonight (Thursday 12th December 2013) we bring everybody together that’s got something relevant to say about one of the biggest issues that I’ve ever known in Peterborough, in the 25 years I’ve lived in and around the city, the grand Newborough and Thorney solar debate. We also bring together two people who have played out a bit of a debate in public as well. The MP for Peterborough, Stewart Jackson, and the Leader of the Council, Marco Cereste. The key facts: the debate is about 900 acres of farmland North of Peterborough (East), described as good quality land, most of it around Newborough Thorney and Eye, fields that are used to farm crops to feed what is an ever-growing, as well known, population. But cover it in solar panels is the plan, and some wind turbine,. and you have, according to the Leader of the City Council, an income that will protect front line services. It will mean the people of Peterborough will have more, pay less, at a time when the Government has put the squeeze on local councils. Well tonight we’ll look at the wider issues, around the financial challenges of the Council, around the potential black hole in five years time in their finances, and how do we balance farm land, green energy, sustainability and the future of our children. We begin though with the two men who have been it’s fair to say I think right at the heart of the debate. We’ll start with Leader of the Council Marco Cereste. Marco, good evening. And just explain your position if you would.
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Ashley Walsh On Free School Dinners

17:42 Friday 13th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: The Government’s pledge for free school lunches has been questioned by another Cambridgeshire councillor. From September next year, all 5 to 7 year olds in primary schools could be entitled to a free hot dinner. Ashley Walsh .. the Labour councillor for Petersfield is questioning whether our county’s schools are able to serve up that promise. Ashley, tell us what your concern is.
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