The Subversion Of Local Democracy

Monday 4th February 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

06:05
[L]OUISE NEIL: A Peterborough councillor is planning to write to the Prime Minister to ask why the city needs 57 councillors. Charlie Swift says the outsourcing of services has left him feeling pointless. Katie Prickett reports:
KATIE PRICKETT: Traditionally local services were provided directly by local councils, but in recent years housing, libraries, care and bin collections have all been outsourced. And more and more schools are becoming independent of local government control. Peterborough City councillor Charlie Swift says it’s left him unable to intervene if somebody has a problem, and feeling as if there’s no place for a councillor. So he’s planning to write to David Cameron to ask why there are so many councillors, and what their role actually is now.
Continue reading “The Subversion Of Local Democracy”

Peterborough Council Withholds Data On Solar Panel Income As MEP Joins Critics

07:20 Friday 1st February 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: An East of England MEP has got himself embroiled in the solar farm row in Peterborough. He’s going to meet with local councillors and activists over plans to build this farm later. UKIP’s Stuart Agnew will meet activists as consultation closes on proposals for this 900 acre site. Peterborough City Council says the farm, which will be built on agricultural land, could make £100 million for taxpayers. But Stuart Agnew the MEP says the proposal is heavily reliant on subsidies. Continue reading “Peterborough Council Withholds Data On Solar Panel Income As MEP Joins Critics”

Labour Calls For Apprenticeships On Government Contracts

17:48 Thursday 31st January 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: The Labour Leader Ed Miliband says HS2, which is the high-speed rail link from London to Birmingham to Manchester and to Leeds presents a major opportunity to offer apprenticeships, to help young people who can’t find work benefit from this massive civil engineering project. Labour’s plan is to say that every big firm that gets a contract with the Government must make a clear commitment to training young people for higher skilled jobs as part of the overall project. The Shadow Education Secretary Stephen Twigg joined me earlier to explain the idea. (TAPE)
STEPHEN TWIGG: We want to see more high quality apprenticeships for young people as they leave school or college. And what Ed Miliband has said today is the High Speed Rail project is an extraordinary opportunity to create thousands of high quality apprenticeships for young people in the future.
CHRIS MANN: Well how’s that going to work? Continue reading “Labour Calls For Apprenticeships On Government Contracts”

Building Houses For Workers On Green Belt Land In Stretham

08:08 Thursday 31st January 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Leasing a house in the private rental market got a whole lot more expensive for people living in parts of Cambridgeshire last year. Last year rents in Cambridge rose by nearly £50 a month, and in East Cambridgeshire they rose by £30. A report from the housing charity Shelter says people are having to paybout so much money for rent they can’t save up for a home of their own, leaving them stuck in what they’re calling a rent trap. Kate Webb is Senior Policy Adviser at Shelter. She says the local authorities should offer tenants longer contracts, and crack down on rogue landlords. (TAPE)
KATE WEBB: So many more people are renting. Everyone’s squeezed down the ladder a little bit. We are seeing more examples of what we term rogue landlords, and this is really really dangerous practices going on at the sharp end of the rental market. And we do think local authorities could be doing a lot more to crack down on rogue landlords. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Rents reflect house prices, and this is an incredibly very expensive place to live. as we’ve heard many times before. So what is the solution? Well councils across the county are doing their bit to help. In Peterborough the City Council launched a mortgage scheme in which the authority helps first time buyers get on the ladder. East Cambridgeshire District Council is also trying to help with its own solutions, called Community Land Trusts. And our reporter Dotty McLeod is in Stretham this morning to find out more about it. Morning.
DOTTY MCLEOD: Good morning Paul. Yes, well many people might have zoomed past Stretham on the A10 on the way in to Cambridge, or maybe from Cambridge into Ely. But if you haven’t dropped by, it’s a lovely little village. It’s quite small, but it’s got its own shop, its own pub, a church, a primary school, and we’re sheltering right now, on the High Street in the bus shelter, because there’s a good old drizzle on this morning. Now I had a quick look before I came out this morning at average rental prices in Stretham, just on an estate agency website, and for a three bed bungalow Paul you’re looking at about £750 a month, and this is a village that’s twelve miles from Cambridge, about four miles from Ely. For a four bed detached house it’s £1,100 a month, so pretty expensive for the location. Joining me now are Charles Roberts and Bill Hunt. Both are Conservative District Councillors. Charles is also Chair of the local Parish Council, and Bill is also a County Councillor . So we’ve got all the different kinds of councils covered this morning. Now Charles, starting with you, what is a Community Land Trust, this idea you’ve got to try to help the village help people on low incomes? Continue reading “Building Houses For Workers On Green Belt Land In Stretham”

Cambridgeshire Police Commissioner Rejects G4S Option

08:07 Wednesday 30th January 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Cambridgeshire Police along with Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire have now decided to pull the plug on a scheme to privatise some of their services through G4S, that private security company. The Police and Crime Commissioners from all three counties met yesterday afternoon to make that final decision. The plan had been to join with Lincolnshire Police as part of outsourcing plans with G4S, that company that failed spectacularly of course to provide sufficient security for the Olympics. Well Ansar Ali ran in the Police Commissioner election. He welcomed the news, but said he was surprised the Commissioner was even considering it in the first place. (TAPE)
ANSAR ALI: I welcome this decision. During the election campaign I said quite forcefully that G4S wasn’t the right route for delivery of policing services in Cambridgeshire. It would be a disaster for the people of Cambridgeshire, and I’m very very pleased that the three Police Commissioners made this decision. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well I’m pleased to say the Police Commissioner for Cambridgeshire Sir Graham Bright joins us now. Morning Graham.
SIR GRAHAM BRIGHT: Good morning to you.
PAUL STAINTON: A bit of an eleventh hour decision. What’s wrong with G4S? Why not? Continue reading “Cambridgeshire Police Commissioner Rejects G4S Option”

David Seaton on Peterborough Budget Proposals

08:07 Monday 28th January 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Proposals to close playcentres in the north of the county have been criticised by parents and local councillors in Peterborough. The plans are part of the City Council’s budget proposal, which includes £17 million worth of savings. They also want to axe the equivalent of 63 full-time jobs, cut bus service subsidies, stop its funding of the Halfords Tour cycle series, close the Enterprise Centre on Bridge Street, and put an end to the much talked about Neighbourhood Committees. .. Let’s speak to David Seaton. He’s the Cabinet Member for Resources at Peterborough City Council, He helped put these budget proposals together. Morning David.
DAVID SEATON: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: First of all, let’s deal with the £17 million black hole, if you like. How did that come about? Continue reading “David Seaton on Peterborough Budget Proposals”

Littleport Show Seeking Renewal

17:48 Friday 25th January 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: The future of the Littleport Show looks bleak, according to one of the Committee Members. The Show has been going for over 100 years, and usually attracts thousands of people, but of course last year the Show had to be cancelled. It seems there isn’t much support out there for it. Derek Timbers is one of the Committee Members, and joins me now. Hello Derek.
DEREK TIMBERS: Good evening.
CHRIS MANN: Last year, it was the floods, wasn’t it, that put paid to it.
DEREK TIMBERS: It was indeed. The ground was just saturated. We had no option but to cancel it, I’m afraid.
CHRIS MANN: Had a look at the pictures on the website of the ones before. It was a great event and enjoyed by all members of the family, and people from all round Cambridgeshire came to it. Just tell us what the essence of the Littleport Show is about Derek. Continue reading “Littleport Show Seeking Renewal”