Category: Peterborough

Another Financial Disaster For Peterborough Council

07:20 Wednesday 27th February 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: City Council officials have admitted that the solar panel project on the old Freemans building in Peterborough isn’t working, and the Council still doesn’t know what’s wrong with it. Peterborough City Council borrowed just under a million pounds so they could fit these panels on the former factory in Westwood Peterborough, but the panels have never actually worked, since being installed, and the Council chiefs have been unable to say when it will be fixed. Well Johnny D. is at the site of the building this morning. Continue reading “Another Financial Disaster For Peterborough Council”

Energy Plans Could Bankrupt Peterborough

08:07 Tuesday 26th February 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Delays in getting approval to build a renewable energy plant in Peterborough could undermine the whole of the City Council’s budget for next year. Plans to build one of the biggest solar and wind energy parks in Europe have been delayed because of an anomaly found during a land survey at Newborough Farm, just north of the city. The Council hope the project will make over £100 million over the next 25 years, but the findings on Newborough Farm, and a further delay on the survey on America Farm, have delayed the whole project, which could derail the Council’s budget. Mike Goodliffe is one of the tenant farmers who could lose land if the plans are approved. He said it’s common knowledge the land has artefacts buried under it. Continue reading “Energy Plans Could Bankrupt Peterborough”

Peterborough For Sale

08:16 Monday 18th February 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

(MUSIC: ANY OLD IRON)

PAUL STAINTON: If you live in the North of the county you might have to start learning Cockney. Bridge Street, wreck your feet says David Bailey. Grin and bear, Cathedral; Square says Catherine. It’s always closed – it’s the bish bash bosh, the Whittlesea Wash. You get the idea, a bit of Cockney. Well Peterborough’s MP has slammed plans that would allow a London borough to build houses in Peterborough. The City Council is in talks with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The idea is that it might help young Londoners get on the housing ladder. Marco Cereste joins us now. Morning.
MARCO CERESTE: Hello Paul.. How are you?
PAUL STAINTON: I’m .. I’m fine.
MARCO CERESTE: Good. Continue reading “Peterborough For Sale”

Transportation Of People – The Tale That Grew In The Telling

17:00 FRIDAY 15th February 2013
News BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

KERRY DEVINE: Leaders of the second richest local authority in the country reportedly want to buy land in Peterborough to build homes for people on its housing waiting list. The average price of a house in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is more than one and a half million pounds, while in Peterborough that figure is just over £160,000. Ben Stevenson has more. Continue reading “Transportation Of People – The Tale That Grew In The Telling”

Catastrophic PFI Contracts Threaten Cambridgeshire Health Services

08:24 Thursday 7th February 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: MPs have delivered their verdict on what has been described as one of the worst reports ever seen within the NHS. “Catastrophic” was a word used to describe the Private Finance Initiative for Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Trust. The future of two of the county’s hospitals is inow in doubt, although we have heard this morning that Peterborough will not be closed. Stewart Jackson MP for Peterborough has that guarantee from the Health Minister. But regional health bosses and the Labour Government have been blamed for what went wrong here. Earlier, MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson, who called for the investigation by the Public Accounts Committee, had this to say. (TAPE)
STEWART JACKSON: I’ve had a personal guarantee from Secretary of State that Peterborough Hospital will not be closed. It’s not a situation where either of the hospitals are likely to be closed. But there will be some difficult decisions, reconfigurations, and some cuts in clinical services, to keep jobs and clinical care at the Hospital. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: He also went on to say he didn’t think either hospital would close. But he went on to blame other people for what was going on, including the last Labour Government, and said that Andy Burnham, the Health Minister at the time, needs to be called to account. Well we can speak to Ed Murphy. He was the Labour Parliamentary Candidate in Peterborough at the least election. So Labour have to shoulder some blame here Ed, for what they did, and particularly Andy Burnham. Continue reading “Catastrophic PFI Contracts Threaten Cambridgeshire Health Services”

Stewart Jackson On Gay Marriage

11:20 Monday 4th February 2013
Andy Harper Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[A]NDY HARPER: Now I know that we have talked about this before, but we are now on the eve of this debate in Parliament. The Times leads with “Tory gay marriage rebels are told you are out of touch.” Do you think you are out of touch with the general public and your constituents?
STEWART JACKSON: Absolutely not. I’ve had about 350 letters and emails about this issue, over 300 have expressed a very strong opposition to the proposals and the legislation, including some very high up officials in the Anglican Church living in my constituency, and about less than 20 in favour. And my view is that if the legislation is of such great importance, then why wasn’t it in our manifesto, and why isn’t it in our forthcoming manifesto for the 2015 election. Not one Conservative Member of Parliament was elected on a mandate to disregard traditional marriage and force a hierarchy of equalities, whereby equal marriage campaigners are saying your religious tolerance is less important than my right to get married to a same-sex person. And I think that’s absolutely the wrong attitude. It’s unnecessary. There’s no mandate. And it will cause endless legal problems in our society. Continue reading “Stewart Jackson On Gay Marriage”

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”