Energy Crisis – Government Floats Plan B

07:26 Friday 28th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Would you stop using electricity if you were rewarded with a bit of cash? Well the National Grid has suggested large business consumers could be asked to lower use on weekday afternoons. So could this be the start of the lights going out? Well Adam Kirtley is here from our business unit. Morning Adam
ADAM KIRTLEY: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Ofgen are saying what? Please turn off your lights? Or turn off your machines? Continue reading “Energy Crisis – Government Floats Plan B”

Queensgate Footfall Rise – Small Shops Neglected

07:07 Friday 28th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: It seems that Peterborough city centre is seeing something of a revival. New figures from the Queensgate shopping centre show that footfall has risen by 4% since November last year. The opening of discount clothes retailer Primark in November last year has contributed to a 4% rise in shoppers at the Queensgate centre. .. Meanwhile there’s something of a cafe culture emerging. Now nearly 300 seats available for outdoor dining across the city centre, and Cowgate has been much improved, after an £800,000 revamp. .. Rachel Parkin owns Reba, a gift shop on Cathedral Square Peterborough. She told me her shop hadn’t felt the benefit of the city centre revamp any time yet, and felt independent shops need much more help. Continue reading “Queensgate Footfall Rise – Small Shops Neglected”

Alex Colyer South Cambs Funding Cuts

08:25 Thursday 27th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Our local councils are going to have to tighten their belts still further. The Chancellor has said local government will have its funding cut by a further ten per cent on top of the savings they’ve already had to make. So how will they cope? Well on the line now is Alex Colyer, Executive Director for Corporate Services at South Cambs District Council. Morning.
ALEX COLYER: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: Well, find another ten per cent is basically what he’s saying, isn’t it? Continue reading “Alex Colyer South Cambs Funding Cuts”

No News Is Good News – Cambs Agog On A14 Upgrade

17:19 Wednesday 26th June 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

JULIAN HUPPERT: I think it’s a nationally important road, and it should be funded nationally, because it’s national taxes that will benefit. I don’t think a toll is the right thing to do. We’ll hear tomorrow about the tolling.
CHRIS MANN: Is that a hint that it might not happen?
JULIAN HUPPERT: And and and I think we will have to ..
CHRIS MANN: Oh. It is a hint that it’s not happening.
JULIAN HUPPERT: Wait and see what happens tomorrow.
CHRIS MANN: Ok. Are you in the know Julian?
Continue reading “No News Is Good News – Cambs Agog On A14 Upgrade”

Rescue Remedies For Victims Of Cambridgeshire’s Housing Crisis

08:20 Tuesday 25th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: A homeless hostel in Littleport is reopening to support families who find themselves with nowhere to live. It’s part of a five year plan by East Cambridgeshire District Council to reduce the amount they spend on emergency bed and breakfast accommodation. earlier we heard from Council Leader James Palmer. He said the hostel was closed in 2009 because homelessness wasn’t a problem. (TAPE)
JAMES PALMER: No problem goes away for good, but for several years we hadn’t had an issue on homelessness at all. And obviously, as any council does, savings have to be made where they can. Now the situation arose that there were people in homelessness. We made changes to the system we were using. We had I think twenty three families homeless at Christmas, and now we’re down to one. And obviously we are reopening, we’ve refurbished and we’re reopening the hostel in Littleport, which will help, should there be an influx in the future. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well Jenny Rhodes is running that hostel. She’s from Sanctuary Housing. Morning Jenny.
JENNY RHODES: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: So who exactly does the hostel provide accommodation for? Continue reading “Rescue Remedies For Victims Of Cambridgeshire’s Housing Crisis”

New Rules For Whistleblowers

07:26 Tuesday 25th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: If you’re thinking of exposing wrongdoing in your workplace, then you’ll get more protection under changes to the law being brought in today. The new rules mean whisteblowing must be in the public interest, and employees will have more rights protecting them from harrassment at work that may occur as a result. Sean Farrington is from our business unit. Morning Sean.
SEAN FARRINGTON: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Now we’ve had quite a few incidences of whistleblowing lately. I think the latest one involves a public toilet in Billericay. But it’s a big thing to put your head above the parapet, isn’t it? Continue reading “New Rules For Whistleblowers”

This Blessed Plot

07:25 Monday 24th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: For decades, when it comes to housing, politicians have only provided short-term fixes, according to our country’s chartered surveyors. They say the UK is at risk of creating another house price problem, (and) that the Government should be aiming to build twice the number of houses than it’s currently aiming for. But is that going to happen? Sean Farrington is from our business unit. Morning Sean.
SEAN FARRINGTON: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: We’d all like more houses built, I think. Every council in Cambridgeshire would like to build more houses, but there ain’t the money around.
SEAN FARRINGTON: Well you say we’d all like more houses, but of course if there was all of a sudden a plethora of new houses all across the country, that would mean house prices probably wouldn’t go up as quickly as they might already. And it’s a question that everybody really has to answer themselves. Do you want to see house prices going up? If you own one, do you like the idea of it, but if that means your child can’t afford one, or you’re in the market for one, you don’t really want to see them going up any more. And actually what the chartered surveyors say is that Government policy over decades now has been based around people owning homes. That has helped push prices up. And that is not a healthy way to have a housing market strategy.
PAUL STAINTON: The Government’s announced several housing schemes, part-buy, part-this, part-that. They’re sort of working, aren’t they, in the short term? Continue reading “This Blessed Plot”