Category: Peterborough

Fletton Parkway overspend – the devil in the detail

08:08 Monday 16th February 2015
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

DOTTY MCLEOD: There are calls for an investigation into why improvements to the Fletton Parkway in Peterborough will end up costing over 30% more than planned. Widening of the road hit problems in January when soil contamination was discovered, adding £4.5 million to the project cost and delaying completion. Now three counclllors say the decision to approve that extra spending needs to be looked at closely or called in. One of those councillors is David Harrington, an Independent councillor who represents Newborough. David, what’s your issue with the way this decision’s been made?
DAVID HARRINGTON: Good morning Dotty. Well the purpose of the call-in is not to question the need for the scheme. I fully appreciate that growth has got to take place in the city, but it’s has to be measured and it has to be sustainable. And it’s to look into if the Council can demonstrate if it has understood the terms of the contract it’s entered into, and effectively managed the obligations of the running of the contract. There are a number of discrepancies in the Cabinet report. It says that the fixed price contract option is a lot more complex than the preferred target cost model, which they went along with. And it’s actually not true. Both are very complex in their respective detailing and I want to question, did the Council fully understand their obligations in the contract. Because the type of contract, this target cost contract, effectively means that the Council enters into a partnership with the contractor, and they do it on an equal 50/50 basis. And all variations of that contract should be fully identified before the scheme starts, to see what proportionality of any risks have taken place. Now it appears that the Council have been fully loaded with all of the costs, and the contractor, as far as it appears, has no obligation in any of this. So it needs to be demonstrated why the contractor had no costs that it had to meet.
DOTTY MCLEOD: Because this is a considerable extra cost, £4.5 million to get this road finished.
DAVID HARRINGTON: Exactly. And there’s a number of things that are interwoven in the report that was put before Cabinet. It was already identified that this road would need a major upgrade. That was identified in 2011 at a cost of £9 million. Well that must have been apparent then, that there would have been significant money to upgrade drainage etcetera, to make that amount of money costing to be viable. So they must have known that there were going to be problems with the building of this new extension. So I can’t see why those weren’t taken into effect in the first instance, why this £9 million wasn’t identified and put in with the contract that we have now.
DOTTY MCLEOD: OK. Well let’s talk to Gavin Elsey, who is Peterborough City Council’s Cabinet member for Street Scene, Waste Management and Communications. The basic charge Gavin is that the City Council took their eye off the ball when they were signing up to this scheme. Do you think that’s fair? Continue reading “Fletton Parkway overspend – the devil in the detail”

Peterborough abandons costly solar farm ventures

17:30 Friday 13th February 2015
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

WILL FYFE: In the last half an hour, Peterborough City Council have announced they’re dropping plans for two proposed solar farms. The sites at Newborough and Morris Fen will no longer be considered, but they do want to do more research on a site at America Farm.

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Lisa Forbes and John Bridge on Ed Miliband and big business

09:25 Tuesday 3rd February 2015
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Let’s get a recap of this story about Ed Miliband this morning from our political commentator Chris Moncrieff. Ed’s fallen out with business. Business leaders saying he’s a throwback to the ’70s. We’ve got Lord Rose having a go at him. Several other business leaders. In Cheshire the former boss of B&Q. Sir Nigel Rudd the Chairman of Heathrow. We had the guy running Boots yesterday. This all after Ed Miliband accused some businesses and their leaders of not paying their taxes. I mentioned Chris Moncrieff is with us, political commentator. Morning Chris.
CHRIS MONCRIEFF: Morning.
PAUL STAINTON: Where’s all this come from?
CHRIS MONCRIEFF: Well it’s 93 days to go to the General Election and yet Miliband and the British industry’s leaders, captains of industry, seem to be already involved in a savage war of words. It emerged from nothing, with Boots boss having a go and saying that a Labour victory would be a catastrophe. And Ed Miliband hit back, saying well he lives in Monaco and he’s not paying his taxes. And other industrial leaders have fallen into line and come to the defence of the Boots man, saying this is an unfair personal attack, and that Miliband is playing the man, not the ball.
PAUL STAINTON: Well Lisa Forbes is with us as well. She’s Peterborough’s Prospective Labour Party candidate. Morning Lisa.
LISA FORBES: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Playing the man, not the ball?
LISA FORBES: I don’t agree. I just think this goes to the heart of what’s fair and unfair. You and I Paul, we have to pay our taxes. If you’re a self employed person and you don’t pay your tax, then the full weight of the law will come down onto you. And I think people just don’t understand, at a time of austerity and we’re trying to cut the deficit,  that these companies are allowed to get away with paying billions in profits into the tax system in this country.
PAUL STAINTON: Well they do employ five, ten thousand people at a time, don’t they? I’m Mr Small Businessman. I don’t, do I?
LISA FORBES: No you don’t, but if we could create more jobs by getting this money in, we could invest in our infrastructure. We could invest in our NHS. We could pay people a living wage, and we could bring the deficit down fairly in that way. And I think that this is what this is about at the end of the day. It’s about fairness. It’s about people feeling that they’re struggling while companies are being allowed to get away with paying billions in tax.
PAUL STAINTON: Well representing the interest of businesses across Cambridgeshire and the Chief Executive of the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce, John Bridge. John, morning.
JOHN BRIDGE: Yes good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Welcome to the spat. Welcome to the fall-out? This is not good. A prospective Prime Minister falling out with just about every head of business there is. Continue reading “Lisa Forbes and John Bridge on Ed Miliband and big business”

OFGEM regulation failing the consumer

10:29 Monday 2nd February 2015
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: We’re also talking about energy, and asking whether or not the Big Six energy companies are cashing in on the falling cost of oil. Now according to energy watchdog OFGEM they are. It says the Big Six are not passing on savings from the falling price of oil to customers. The Big Six have promised to lower their prices over the coming months, but experts say they’ve nowhere near gone far enough. So are you left feeling cold by the 2015 energy price rip-off? And what can be done about it? Well joining us now is the Labour Parliamentary candidate for Cambridge Daniel Zeichner. Daniel morning.
DANIEL ZEICHNER: Hi Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Labour of course, the party offering price freezes if they win the next election. And also with us is Peter Thom from Green Heat in Girton, who are specialists in home energy efficiency. Morning Peter.
PETER THOM: Morning Paul. How are you?
PAUL STAINTON: I’m very good. Daniel first of all if I may, you’re being blamed, aren’t you, the Labour Party, for some of these companies not reducing their prices? Apparently they’re scared of the effect that your cap might have if you win an election.
DANIEL ZEICHNER: That’s what they’re saying. And of course they would say that, wouldn’t they? I think the evidence from OFGEM is absolutely clear. The Big Six haven’t been passing on the savings. And the longer term issue is how do we actually change the market so it works more effectively. And that’s the second half of our plan really. It’s not just a price freeze. It’s about making sure there’s more transparency. because at the moment these companies have some very complicated procedures, which make it very hard to actually find out what they’re charging, and where their costs are going. And they claim not to be making profits, but actually everybody knows they are. So it’s actually about changing the way the system works in the longer terms that’s probably the more important thing. And as you’ve got Peter on the line, I’m sure he’ll agree that the really really big goal is actually to use less energy in the first place. And the massive gain would be if we can improve particularly the efficiency of many of our homes, which I’m afraid at the moment are still quite inefficient.
PAUL STAINTON: Peter, John the Hippy, he’s got a very eco-friendly home. He was saying earlier that he never worries about it. It costs him £700 a year. He’s got his heating on all the time, 20° to 23° on all three floors, and his basement. And when anyone decides to buy a car, say £10,000, and use it, instead of buying that car, use that £10,000, get some solar panels and improve your home. Continue reading “OFGEM regulation failing the consumer”

Council partnership with Chinese government called in for scrutiny

10:25 Friday 23rd January 2015
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: A scheme that could see money from the Chinese government invested in Peterborough has been called in now by city councillors. The Peterborough Liberal Democrats have objected to the deal, because they say the country’s human rights record just isn’t good enough. The scheme would see foreign money from China used to develop parts of Peterborough. Well the Tory Cabinet called it a unique idea that would help regenerate the city when money was at a premium. And according to Amnesty International, China has the worst human rights record in the world. But in these austere times, can we afford such morals? Nick Sandford is the Leader of Peterborough’s Liberal Democrat party. He’s also standing for Parliament in North West Cambridgeshire. Morning Nick.
NICK SANDFORD: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: What’s your beef?
NICK SANDFORD: Well I think one of the things you said. This scheme that Peterborough City Council has signed up to is unique. As far as I know there is no other council in the country that has entered into a partnership with an overseas regime, in order to bring money into Peterborough. And the concern mentioned, I think it was a couple of years ago that Amnesty International mentioned that China had the worst human rights record in the world. I understand, to be fair to them, it has improved slightly, but looking this morning at some figures from Amnesty International, over 500,000 people in China are currently enduring punitive detention without trial. There’s widespread use of torture, harassment, surveillance, house arrest, the suppression of a whole range of religious and ethnic minorities, the suppression of people with disabilities, homosexuals, a whole range of different things. I think we really have to question. This is not a private company in China entering into an arrangement. It’s a company that the Chinese government wholly owns.
PAUL STAINTON: But when it comes to investment, when it comes to money, when it comes to improving the city of Peterborough, can we afford morals like that?
Continue reading “Council partnership with Chinese government called in for scrutiny”

City announces massive cost overrun on infrastructure project due to unforeseen circumstances

07:20 Friday 23rd January 2015
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

DOTTY MCLEOD: An extra £4.5 million will be needed to complete the widening of the Fletton Parkway in Peterborough. It’s after soil contamination was discovered under the carriageway. The City Council will be asked to approve the additional funding at a Cabinet meeting on 2nd February. It would take the total for the project to £18 million. Roadworks to widen this carriageway started last February, and are scheduled to finish in May. The extra money will pay for the increased cost of dealing with contaminated soil, repairs to drainage, and some will also be spent on the protection of Great Crested Newts. Critics though say the problems could have been foreseen. Let’s say hello to David Harrington, who is an Independent councillor for Newborough in Peterborough. What do you think of this then David?
DAVID HARRINGTON: Good morning Dotty. Well I’m very concerned and frankly amazed that PCC have allowed themselves to be placed in a position where there appears to be no third party contractual obligations, and therefore it appears that the Council bear all of the risk on this scheme.
DOTTY MCLEOD: So just explain what you mean by that, what you think they should have done.
DAVID HARRINGTON: Well they should have appointed an overall contractor to make sure that all the preliminary investigations were done, site surveys. And that contractor should have been under obligation to make sure these things were done. And therefore, had there been any problems, it would have been down to the contractor to put these things right, rather than the City Council. I just find it amazing they’ve allowed this kind of contract to be signed.
DOTTY MCLEOD: This kind of contamination problems though, we understand very unusual.
DAVID HARRINGTON: Well frankly it’s unbelievable, given the history of that particular area, which we all know is adjacent to what was the biggest brownfield site in the whole of Peterborough, adjacent to the former Orton brickworks. That issue of contamination does not appear to have been factored in in any of the preliminary site surveys, or any initial soil analysis. The extra cost to the taxpayer seems to be around 30% of the cost of the whole scheme, which cannot be justified on the premise that the problem was totally unexpected, and couldn’t be foreseen. It just isn’t acceptable.
DOTTY MCLEOD: Well let’s talk to Andy Tatt, who’s the Head of Peterborough Highway services. David, do stay on the line though. We’ll come back to you in a minute. Andy, it’s not acceptable. That is the claim from David Harrington. What do you say to that? Continue reading “City announces massive cost overrun on infrastructure project due to unforeseen circumstances”

City centre congestion in Cambridge and Peterborough a cause for concern

10:23 Tuesday 13th January 2015
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: We’re also talking about congestion in our city centres, in Peterborough and Cambridge, and asking whether you’re being put off venturing into both cities because of the terrible traffic. Does it put you off? Yesterday Margaret in Peterborough got in touch with us about the traffic along Bourges Boulevard in Peterborough. She had this to say.
(TAPE)
CALLER: Bourges Boulevard is not as good as it used to be. You could go down Bourges Boulevard, be into town in a few minutes. Now you’re just sitting in queues of traffic. The journey down from Werrington to Queensgate shopping centre on a Saturday afternoon, it was awful. I caught the Delaine bus. I felt quite sorry for the driver really. We got to B&Q just over the roundabout and it was two lanes of traffic. Luckily the bus driver turned off at the Toys ‘R Us roundabout and went round the back street, and he must have only had about five minutes before he then had to drive the bus back to Stamford. With the roadworks, there’s too many traffic lights. I’m just wondering whether the Council seem to be deterring people, deterring them from coming into the shopping centre, because it will be a little while before I go down there again. It’s awful.
(LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well that was Margaret on the Show yesterday. But it’s not just Peterborough of course. Cambridge experienced some of the most congested traffic it’s ever seen just before Christmas. And joining me now is Andy Campbell. He’s Managing Director of Stagecoach in the East. Morning Andy.
ANDY CAMPBELL: Morning.
PAUL STAINTON: How difficult is it in Peterborough and Cambridge for your bus drivers at the moment?
Continue reading “City centre congestion in Cambridge and Peterborough a cause for concern”

Election year 2015

08:24 Monday 5th January 2015
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

DOTTY MCLEOD: MPs return to the Commons today after the Christmas break with a little over four months to go before the General Election. And this morning each of the three main parties are holding key news conferences to focus on their priorities. Joined by our political correspondent Paul Rowley. Paul it feels like the General Election campaign is already in full swing. Just looking at some of the papers this morning, you’ve got David Cameron wooing UKIP on the front page of the Times, you’ve got one of the Labour Shadow Justice Secretaries on the front page of the Independent. It is all getting very political.
PAUL ROWLEY: It is, even though officially the campaign only begins at the end of March when Parliament is prorogued as they call it, to allow formal campaigning to begin. But let’s be honest Dotty, it’s underway. The sequence begins at ten thirty this morning, when Ed Miliband will host a Labour event in Greater Manchester. When he stops talking, Nick Clegg will hold his London news conference at Westminster, not in a Government building for once but at the Liberal Democrat’s headquarters, primarily because he’s going to be slagging off his Coalition partners the Conservatives. And then around mid-day an array of Tory cabinet ministers led by George Osborne the Chancellor will join forces to have a pop at Labour. All this a matter of one hundred and twenty two days before election day itself on May 7th.
DOTTY MCLEOD: So what are the opening sallies looking like?
Continue reading “Election year 2015”