Category: Peterborough

Lee Confirms Zero Job Security for Workers at Peterborough City Council

08:20 Thursday 27th October 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: The private company taking over the running of a number of services at Peterborough City Council has been chosen. Serco have been confirmed as the preferred bidder for the 10 year partnership, which should deliver at least £20 million in efficiency savings. Council tax collection and the customer service team are among the services being transferred in the deal. Matthew Lee is Deputy Leader at the City Council. Morning, sir.
MATTHEW LEE: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: There’ll be nobody left there soon that works for the city. They’ll all be private companies, won’t they? Continue reading “Lee Confirms Zero Job Security for Workers at Peterborough City Council”

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Cuts – Tim Bishop Interviews

07:07 Friday 7th October 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Good morning. (TAPE)
MARK THOMPSON: We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that the diminution of service to the public is as modest as possible, and that for the overwhelming majority of the public, almost all of the time, they don’t notice a loss of service. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: That was the Director General of the BBC Mark Thompson yesterday. The results of the BBC’s Delivery Quality First review were announced. The corporation has to make budget savings of 20%, as a result of a freeze on the licence fee and having to incorporate the BBC World Service into our main organisation. Amongst the proposals, and they are just proposals at the moment, are plans to scrap 2,000 jobs and radically change programming. Daytime programmes on BBC 2 will be replaced by news and repeats, and local radio will share more output, although no stations will close. BBC 1 will see much smaller cuts§ however, and Radio 4’s overall funding will not change. Well the Head of the BBC in the East of England, the region which covers BBC Radio Cambridgeshire of course, is Tim Bishop. He’s with us this morning. Continue reading “BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Cuts – Tim Bishop Interviews”

Hand Made in Peterborough

08:24 Tuesday 25th October 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY BURROWS: With two months to go until Christmas, a campaign has been started to get people to buy hand made in Peterborough. We’re being asked to support everything from school Christmas fairs, to the hand made markets in Peterborough city centre. The group Hand Made in Peterborough says it supports the local economy, and is better quality and value for money. Jo Taylor has been off to find out what it’s all about. Continue reading “Hand Made in Peterborough”

Peterborough MP to Defy Whip on EU Referendum

07:20 Friday 21st October 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: He’s a rebel. (MUSIC – REBEL REBEL DAVID BOWIE) He’s a rebel. MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson has threatened to resign as a Ministerial Aide if MPs are ordered to vote against proposals for a referendum on leaving the European Union. Downing Street says it expects Conservative MPs to vote against the proposals on Monday, but Stewart Jackson says he will rebel. He owes it to his constituents to support a referendum. Morning rebel.
STEWART JACKSON: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: How are you doing? Alright?
STEWART JACKSON: That’s not strictly correct. I haven’t threatened to resign. I’ve actually said I am going to vote for the motion, and therefore I expect to be sacked. Continue reading “Peterborough MP to Defy Whip on EU Referendum”

Dale Farm – MEP Manhandled

07:35 Thursday 20th October 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Well the big story this morning in most newspapers, the big story yesterday, live TV crews there at Dale Farm, as bailiffs were preparing to enter the UK’s biggest illegal travellers’ site. Yesterday 23 people were arrested during violent clashes between police in riot gear and the residents’ supporters. Amongst all that was Richard Howitt, Labour MEP for the East of England, who was removed from the site yesterday. Good morning.
RICHARD HOWITT: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: What were you doing, getting in the way Richard? Continue reading “Dale Farm – MEP Manhandled”

100 Years of Chewing Gum

17:55 Tuesday 18th October 2011
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY BURROWS: It’s been on sale for 100 years, and if you’re a fan of it, boffins think we probably chew 100 pieces of gum every year. But do you love it or hate it? It’s a sticky problem, or an irresistably chewy treat. Kat Harbourne reports. (TAPE) (MUSIC)
KAT HARBOURNE: Happy 100th birthday, stick chewing gum. Continue reading “100 Years of Chewing Gum”

Council Mortgage Scheme Switch from Housing Local People to Selling Local Houses

08:08 Thursday 13th October 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Peterborough City Council’s mortgage scheme is “bonkers”, according to one city councillor. The Council wants to invest £1 million into the scheme, which could help first-time buyers with up to 20% of a deposit, and then get them a 75% mortgage on top of that. Ed Murphy is the Labour councillor for Ravensthorpe. He was unhappy with the original plan, and wanted officials to add a clause that meant only local people could benefit from the idea. Continue reading “Council Mortgage Scheme Switch from Housing Local People to Selling Local Houses”

Orton Medical Practice Closure “A Gross Insult”

07:55 Wednesday 12th October 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: The Orton Medical Practice has become the first casualty of NHS Peterborough’s cutbacks on GP surgeries. NHS Peterborough is looking to save £4 million over the next five years, and says services need to be improved. The surgery, where a protest was held last week by angry patients, will shut its doors on December 9th, and 3,500 patients will have to register elsewhere. Peter Whiteman is Director of Primary Care at NHS Peterborough, and says the neighbouring Orton Bushfield surgery will be able to cope with that number of patients. (TAPE)
PETER WHITEMAN: It could take all of the 3,500 patients, if they chose to register with Orton Bushfield. But we also expect people to choose to go to Nene Valley Medical Centre in Orton Malbourne, or to the surgery in Botolph Bridge. And we’ll be writing to every patient this week, to describe all the surgeries that they could choose to register with, and we’re holding an open evening on 2nd November, when patients can come and meet their potential surgeries and doctors and choose which surgery to register with. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well let’s speak to Bernard Barker. He’s a patient at the Orton Medical Practice. Bernard, good morning.
BERNARD BARKER: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: Thank you for coming on this morning. So you’re at the Orton Medical Practice at the moment. Peter says it’s not such a big deal. You can just nip along to the Bushfield Surgery.
BERNARD BARKER: Yes. Absolutely brilliant. We found out in the paper yesterday. There’s been no contact with patients at all by NHS Peterborough. 3,700 of us have been dumped with no doctor, no local access to primary health care, and no communication from the health trust about how that’s going to happen. All our doctors are withdrawing from working for NHS Peterborough, so none of our doctors will be there. There are lots of disadvantaged, sick and immobile people who live in Orton and use this practice, and they’re now deprived of the doctors who’ve cared for them. All the support staff and administrative staff and nurses at the practice, they’re all discontinued with effect from 9th December. We found out yesterday in the media. This is a gross insult to the people of Orton, with serious consequences for the health and welfare of all of us. Continue reading “Orton Medical Practice Closure “A Gross Insult””