Category: Conversations

Reed Buntings Benefit From Diverse Farming Practices

17:53 Thursday 16th February 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: The RSPB has paid tribute to farmers near its reserve at Fowlmere in South Cambridgeshire. According to the RSPB, their bird-friendly farming technique has resulted in unprecedented numbers of reed buntings flocking to the Fowlmere reserve. Robert Law is one of those farmers, and he joins me from his arable and sheep filled Thrift Farm. Robert, good evening.
ROBERT LAW: Good evening.
CHRIS MANN: Just tell us, whereabouts are you?
ROBERT LAW: Right. I’m right on the Hertfordshire/Cambridgeshire border, and I’m just out from Royston, going towards Baldock.
CHRIS MANN: And what are you doing that’s so good for the birds, and bringing them back? Continue reading “Reed Buntings Benefit From Diverse Farming Practices”

Selective Licensing – A Potential Bonanza for the Council

08:12 Wednesday 15th February 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

JOANNE HODGES PETERBOROUGH CITY COUNCIL: .. we’ve also got the thing called Selective Licensing, which is another tool that we’re considering using within the Millfield and New England area. That means that all rented accommodation within that area would need to be licensed. So it would allow us to work with landlords, and landlords that don’t comply, to tackle things like anti-social behaviour, and the fact that they don’t give rent books, tenancy agreements, litter, that kind of thing. It would give us a lot more control over those issues. Continue reading “Selective Licensing – A Potential Bonanza for the Council”

13 Trees in Bridge Street Peterborough

07:40 Tuesday 14th February 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY GALL: We need to get an understanding about the reasons for the trees being cut down, so that we can move forward with the discussion.  So we’ll be able to speak to Andrew Edwards who’s from Peterborough City Council. Good morning Andrew.
ANDREW EDWARDS: Good morning. How are you this morning?
ANDY GALL: Pretty good. So can you tell us a little bit about the reasons for removing some of the trees please.
ANDRE EDWARDS: OK. The first thing to mention of course is that we don’t make a decision to take out trees lightly. And this has been a very well thought through, discussed and considered option. But in essence we’ve taken professional advice, looking at the trees, and the key thing here is to give a public space that will be there, not just for our generation, but for the generations to come.
ANDY GALL: And also during the process though, is it .. people want it to look aesthetically pleasing right now as well as in the future, so will it be done sympathetically?
ANDREW WILSON: Oh yes. We will do it in the best way possible. We’re very keen for the public realm that is produced as a result of taking these trees out to meet the needs of people of today and the future. The reason though that we are looking at taking these trees out is to ensure the life of the remainder. We could leave them in. We could say, right, we’re not going to do anything with these trees. And then, after a couple of years, you’ll see some of the trees starting to struggle. Some of them starting to die. And there’s a chance that we could lose considerably more than the thirteen we’re planning to take out at the present moment.
ANDY GALL: OK Andrew. Thank you very much for talking to us. And apologise for it being a little bit brief, but we certainly got the salient points from you. That’s Andrew Edwards from Peterborough City Council.

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Council Budget Numbers “Suspiciously Round”

08:07 Monday 13th February 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY GALL: Peterborough City Council has made more changes to its budget, but it still has a budget deficit of £2.7 million. The amount Enterprise has to save has been reduced by £320,000. Enterprise, of course provides a number of services for the City Council, including street cleaning and looking after parks and trees. The amount being invested in trees is £250,000 less, and crossing patrols have been saved as well, which would have been an extra £43,000 for the Council. Nick Sandford is the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party in Peterborough, and joins us in the studio now. Good morning Nick.
NICK SANDFORD: Good morning Andy.
ANDY GALL: So what do you make of these figures then? Continue reading “Council Budget Numbers “Suspiciously Round””

And There Is No Health In Us

17:40 Friday 10th February 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

NICK FAIRBURN: Let’s return to a story I mentioned earlier, the High Court ruling that local councils in England and Wales are breaking the law by holding prayers at the start of their meetings. It’s caused a lot of controversy today, this story. The case was brought against Bideford Town Council in Devon by the National Secular Society and an atheist councillor. The President of the National Secular Society, Terry Sanderson, told me earlier that he backs the ruling 100%. Continue reading “And There Is No Health In Us”

Peterborough Pwned

08:18 Thursday 9th February 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: The debate on the proposed rise in council tax in Peterborough continues to rage. Government Minister Bob Neill has urged the people of this city to lobby the Council over plans to raise council tax by nearly 3%, rather than accept a Government grant which would avoid such a rise. Mr. Neill joins Eric Pickles, the Taxpayers Alliance and MP Stewart Jackson in condemning the proposal from the Council. It’s a topic that’s splitting the Tories nationally .. and locally? Well, here’s Marco Cereste, Leader of Peterborough City Council. Morning sir.
MARCO CERESTE: Hello Paul. How are you.
PAUL STAINTON: I’m alright. Have you got another revolt on your hands here? Continue reading “Peterborough Pwned”

Managing the Collapse

07:30 Wednesday 8th February 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Let’s talk business. Apparently we’re spending more of our cash on food Adam Curtley. Well we knew that, didn’t we?
ADAM KIRTLEY: Oh don’t we just. Food inflation has been horrible over the last couple of years hasn’t it? Although actually another piece of information out today says food inflation is down from an annual 4.2% in December to just 3.7% in January and falling quite fast. So that’s good news. Continue reading “Managing the Collapse”

Charles Dickens on Peterborough

07:55 Tuesday 7th February 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON BBC: We heard earlier that he had a friend in Wisbech. We’ve got a crystal ball in the Wisbech Museum up there, and a manuscript from Great Expectations. But he’s been to Peterborough as well, hasn’t he?
STUART ORME PETERBOROUGH MUSEUM: He has indeed. . Continue reading “Charles Dickens on Peterborough”