Category: Peterborough

Peterborough Energy Plans – Government Steps In

07:41 Friday 14th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has warned Peterborough City Council that he will call in plans to build an energy park near Newborough, if they give it the go-ahead at a meeting on Monday. The Council is planning to erect solar panels and wind turbines of course on that farmland in the North of the city. Local residents up in arms, campaigning against it. Earlier this week English Heritage sent a letter to the City Council saying more archeological investigation was needed. So planning officers have now recommended that initial approval for the first part of the project be delayed. Well Conservative MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson has publicly condemned the project, and has written a letter to Eric Pickles voicing his concerns. And Stewart I believe you’ve tabled a Question in Parliament as well, haven’t you?
STEWART JACKSON: Yes. The Question I tabled Paul was whether he was going to call in the application, and he’s answered that Question now for me, without writing back to me, which is fine.
PAUL STAINTON: OK. So even if it’s rubber stamped at this meeting on Monday, or at a further date, he will look at it. And what does that mean? Continue reading “Peterborough Energy Plans – Government Steps In”

Peterborough Council Solar Plan – Site Investigation Requested

17:12 Wednesday 12th June 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: A decision on whether the Morris Fen solar farm near Thorney can go ahead has been deferred. English Heritage have urged precaution, and want to investigate the potential for buried remains, the environment in past geological times, and whether changes in hydrology might impact on the preservation of buried remains. Let’s find out what all that means. Nick Harding joins me now. He’s from Peterborough City Council’s Planning Services. Hi Nick.
NICK HARDING: Hello. Good evening.
CHRIS MANN: So we’ve just received the news this evening about this deferrment. So is the Council going cold on it?
NICK HARDING: No, not at all. This is all part of the planning process. Unfortunately we didn’t receive this letter from English Heritage until yesterday evening, so what we’ve done is go through that letter in detail, and have a brief discussion with colleagues at English Heritage. And what we’ve decided to do is to put forward to Committee on Monday a revised recommendation. Originally the recommendation was essentially to approve the development proposal. But in the light of this letter, what we’re asking Committee to do is to formally defer consideration of the application.
CHRIS MANN: And how long might that be for? Continue reading “Peterborough Council Solar Plan – Site Investigation Requested”

The London Stansted Cambridge Corridor Bid And The Reality of Rail

08:20 Tuesday 11th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: A new group launches today, aimed at improving links between Cambridge, London and Stansted Airport. It’s called the London Stansted Cambridge Corridor Consortium, or for short LSCCC. Business leaders and MPs are meeting in London today for the official launch. Steven King is the Deputy Director of the LSCCC. He says better transport links are one of their main aims. (TAPE)
STEVEN KING: One of our first dividends already is the railway line. It’s ridiculous that it takes so long to get from Cambridge to Liverpool Street, and also it’s absolutely ridiculous that there’s only one train an hour between Cambridge and Stansted Airport. So we’ve already extracted from the Mayor of London about £27 miilion to upgrade that line. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: But of course transport doesn’t just mean trains. The group is also looking to improve how Stansted serves the area, meaning possibly introducing more long-haul flight. Jeanette Walker is from the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. She says that would be a big help for many hi-tech companies in the city and beyond. (TAPE)
JEANETTE WALKER: They may be based in Cambridge, but it’s likely that their customers, their investors, perhaps the scientific advisers and collaboraters, will be located overseas. And that’s why having quick and easy access to international airports is crucial. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well listening to all that is George Freeman, MP for Mid-Norfolk. He recently called for Cambridge to receive a £1 billion Government investment now, to ensure its continued growth. George, morning.
GEORGE FREEMAN: Morning.
PAUL STAINTON: Why so much money for Cambridge? Continue reading “The London Stansted Cambridge Corridor Bid And The Reality of Rail”

Peterborough NHS Monitor Report – MP Meets Minister

17:07 Friday 7th June 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: Peterborough and Stamford NHS Foundation Trust has been told it’s financially unsustainable in its current form. A report from Monitor says the Trust will continue to operate at a deficit of at least £38 million each year for the next five years. It’s also been suggested they would not be able to pay its staff or buy any more medical supplies if the Department of Health does not intervene. Well let’s put this in some context. Here’s our reporter Alex Harris. Alex, tell us what’s been going on.
ALEX HARRIS: Well the new Peterborough Hospital opened three years ago, and was built with Private Finance Initiative money, in a deal signed off by Labour back in 2007. It was a decision given the go ahead by the East of England Strategic Health Authority and Trust bosses, but that decision turned out to be costly. The Trust found itself battling a multi-million pound debt, as it still is, with the failure to shift the old site of the hospital, which remains unsold. Now the Trust has received a number of Government bail-outs, which the taxpayers are paying to keep the Trust afloat. These are to the tune of £2 million a month for the next 30 years or so. Well clinicians and MPs have maintained throughout however that patients care has not suffered, but finances are a different matter, and a report that we will be seeing today compiled by Price Waterhouse Cooper says that while the Hospital is deemed clinically sound, it is financially unstable in its current form. It’s deficit has reduced, and at the end of the 2012 financial year it stood at £45 million. It’s come down to £37 million, but that deficit will continue. And for the next five years, the report says it will rack up a deficit of at least £38 million every year. But perhaps most worryingly is the long term prognosis of the Trust’s finances. The report says that without future bailouts, without more Government intervention, the Trust will not be able to pay staff salaries, and will not be able to pay for medicines.
CHRIS MANN: Alex Harris with that background report. Well let’s find out more about this. Stewart Jackson is the Conservative MP for Peterborough. Hello Stewart.
STEWART JACKSON: Good afternoon Chris.
CHRIS MANN: Talk to you in just a moment or two, but first of all, Dr Peter Reading is the Interim Chief Executive of Peterborough and Stamford NHS Trust. Hello Peter.
PETER READING: Good afternoon Chris.
CHRIS MANN: Truly frightening numbers. A massive deficit. What’s the future? Continue reading “Peterborough NHS Monitor Report – MP Meets Minister”

Peterborough Wind Turbine Plans Condemned By Leading Experts

07:41 Friday 7th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Much heated debate on the show yesterday about this new proposed solar and wind energy farm at Newborough, and development of it on that land North of Peterborough could spoil archeological remains of international significance, unless proper work to preserve them is carried out. That’s according to a letter from Professor Charles French, Head of the Division of Archeology at Cambridge University. It was read out at a meeting on Wednesday, which urged  City Council to conduct archeological investigations before beginning any building work. To recap, Peterborough City Council wants to put solar panels and wind turbines on 900 acres of farmland they own at a cost of about £400 million. Well Dr Francis Pryor of course is the archeologist to Flag Fen, worked with Professor French in the past. Morning.
FRANCIS PRYOR: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Do we know yet what the significance of this site could be? Continue reading “Peterborough Wind Turbine Plans Condemned By Leading Experts”

Mike Greene Outspoken On Peterborough Council “Dictatorship”

07:07 Thursday 6th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridge

PAUL STAINTON: Let’s start with that thorny issue of solar panels and wind farms. Around 150 people turned up at a meeting last night to fight plans for this renewable energy park that’s been proposed for prime farmland around Peterborough. The Council want to convert 900 acres of land into solar and wind farms they claim will generate millions of pounds in profits which will benefit everyone in Peterborough. But locals are not happy. Earlier I spoke to the man who chaired last night’s meeting, businessman Mike Greene. Continue reading “Mike Greene Outspoken On Peterborough Council “Dictatorship””

Peterborough Council Energy Scheme Bowled A Bouncer

08:27 Thursday 6th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Now let’s return to our main story this morning, Peterborough City Council’s plans to build a green energy park using both solar and wind turbines. But the whole project could be thrown into disarray this morning after the Government announced it wants to give local residents more power to block onshore wind farms. The new guidelines say that national targets for green energy shouldn’t automatically override the views of local communities. If these guidelines are approved, it could be disastrous for Peterborough City Council, because it’s budgeting on the wind farm aspect of the energy park making nearly four times as much profit as the solar panel part. So without wind, the project will only make around £30 million, and not the £140 million that the Council are banking on. By that take then, they’d have to invest £400 million to get back £30 million, if they don’t get the wind turbines. That’s what we’re saying here.Well here to tell us more about the new guidelines is our business guru Yuan Potts. Morning Yuan.
YUAN POTTS: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: This is going to certainly throw Peterborough City Council’s plans a bit of a spanner, isn’t it? Continue reading “Peterborough Council Energy Scheme Bowled A Bouncer”

Hempsted Land Marco Cereste

Looking at the article on the row between Gillian Beasley and Stewart Jackson MP concerning backroom plans to import the homeless from Kensington and Chelsea,  there is a PDF file of documents that relates to that which includes a document which runs as follows:

“News from Peterborough City Council Communications Team PR4121 Open Letter Kensington & Chelsea An open letter from Marco Cereste Leader of Peterborough City Council about the recent reports about a partnership etc. etc.

6th March 2013″

It talks about development land, building houses, bringing people in etcetera. The full version is available at the PDF link above. It is difficult to copy all of it into text from that PDF so view there if you wish.

It’s listed as a PCC media statement, but doesn’t seem to appear at the date of writing on the media archive at PCC.
Continue reading “Hempsted Land Marco Cereste”