Tag: Huntingdonshire District Council

Tory Defectors Join UKIP On Hunts District Council

17:12 Monday 4th November 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Two councillors at Huntingdonshire District Council have announced they’re joining the UK Independence Party. Cllrs. Ken Churchill and Rod Farrer were originally elected as Conservative members. They both left the Tories early this year. Now they’ve announced jointly they’re joining UKIP. It comes six months after that party won twelve seats in the Cambridgeshire County Council elections. Well I’m joined on the line now by one of those two, Cllr Rod Farrer. Hello.
ROD FARRER: Hello.
CHRIS MANN: Why have you decided to join UKIP?
Continue reading “Tory Defectors Join UKIP On Hunts District Council”

Victory For Cambridge Blogger As Pickles Rules On Filming Council Meetings

17:39 Thursday 31st October 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Another blow for openness and transparency in public life has been struck, following a campaign led by a Cambridgeshire activist. People who want to film and report on council meetings will have new rights, allowing them to do so. The Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has just announced that a new law will be put before Parliament. He had been lobbied by the Cambridge based journalist who’s with me in the studio now, Richard Taylor. Hi Richard.
RICHARD TAYLOR: Good evening Chris.
CHRIS MANN: Last time you were in here, you had, not exactly stormed, but you tried to film I think it was the Huntingdonshire ..
RICHARD TAYLOR: Yes it was Huntingdon District Council. Because Eric Pickles had said that we could just go along to council meetings and film them. He’d given guidance and asked councillors to open their doors to people like me who want to film, tweet, photograph and blog from council meetings.
CHRIS MANN: And when you went there they obviously hadn’t had the message from Mr Pickles, because they threw you out. (LAUGHS)
RICHARD TAYLOR: That’s right. It seems like the Minister Eric Pickles now has got fed up with local councillors not considering his guidance, and not doing what he wants, and he’s decided to go ahead and pass a law.
CHRIS MANN: You’ve actually had hostility at meetings, and they’ve prevented you filming.
Continue reading “Victory For Cambridge Blogger As Pickles Rules On Filming Council Meetings”

Tim Ward On Funding An A14 Upgrade

08:18 Friday 11th October 2013
BBC Radio Cambridge

[D]OTTIE MCLEOD: Lots of other councils giving money towards the A14 upgrade. East Cambridgeshire District Council paying £1 million; Huntingdonshire District Council are paying £5 million; Fenland District Council contributing £800,000; Peterborough City Council planning to contribute £1.5 million; Cambridge City Council, the city that the A14 really goes closest to, apart from possibly Huntingdon, they’ve said that their wallets will be staying absolutely closed. Tim Ward joins me. He’s the Executive Councillor for Planning at Cambridge City Council. Tim. It’s a farce, isn’t it, if Peterborough contribute and Cambridge don’t?
Continue reading “Tim Ward On Funding An A14 Upgrade”

Richard Taylor On Open Democracy

17:23 Friday 28th June 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Should council meetings be recorded and filmed? Well the local Government Secretary Eric Pickles thinks so, and he told people recently. But when a Cambridgeshire man tried to follow his guidance and film in a meeting at Huntingdon District Council, he was threatened with arrest. Thirty three year old journalist and campaigner Richard Taylor, who is from Cambridge, joins me in the studio now. Richard, hello.
RICHARD TAYLOR: Good afternoon Chris.
CHRIS MANN: So Eric Pickles told you personally? Continue reading “Richard Taylor On Open Democracy”

£25 Million To Breathe New Life Into Old Huntingdon

08:40 Wednesday 15th May 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Huntingdon town centre is to be spruced up to the tune of twenty five million big ones. A new town centre multi-storey car park is due to be completed by December, and with Sainsburys moving to a new site, more brand new shop units are planned, as well as a redevelopment of the wider Chequers Court area. Jason Ablewhite of course is the Executive Leader of Hunts District Council. He’s with us. Morning.
JASON ABLEWHITE: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: £25 million! Where’s all this come from then? Continue reading “£25 Million To Breathe New Life Into Old Huntingdon”

Ukip Launch County Council Campaign

17:46 Friday 5th April 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Ukip has revealed the seats it will fight at the up and coming County Council elections on May 2nd. They are to contest all seats in both Fenland and Huntingdonshire, and it shows that their promised push is certainly going to take place here in the East of England. Let’s bring in a County Councillor and one of their organisers for the area, Peter Reeve. Hello Peter.
PETER REEVE: Good afternoon.
CHRIS MANN: So just tell us the news in terms of Cambridgeshire and what you’re going to fight.
PETER REEVE: Yes. Starting with the East of England we’re fighting 318 of the 380 seats, so most of the East of England itself will have a Ukip candidate. Here in Cambridgeshire we’re fighting 54 of the 69 seats that are up.
CHRIS MANN: Ok. Let’s not talk about the individual ..
PETER REEVE: So you can have a Ukip led Council if people want it.
CHRIS MANN: Ok. Don’t talk about individual seats, that’s all I’m going to ask you. Continue reading “Ukip Launch County Council Campaign”

Great Haddon Approved

norman_cross07:18 Wednesday 20th March 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Plans to build 5,000 homes as part of the Great Haddon development just south of Peterborough have been given the go-ahead. Lucia Serluca is the Chair of the Planning Committee at Peterborough City Council. Great debate apparently yesterday, because not everybody wants these houses built, do they?
LUCIA SERLUCA: Yes it was a great debate. We debated it for over four hours, because it is a very important part of the growth agenda within Peterborough. And it was almost unanimous, the vote yesterday. There was one abstention. But the debate was very good.
PAUL STAINTON: The houses themselves, to just explain to people who are not too au fait with where Great Haddon is. It’s round the back of Yaxley and the back of Hampton.
LUCIA SERLUCA: Yes. That’s right.
PAUL STAINTON: So what are we going to get? We’re going to get 5,000 houses, and some new roads?
LUCIA SERLUCA: We’re going to get 5,000 houses, three new primary schools, a secondary school, there’s going to be a retail area. There may potentially be a cemetery built there as well. There’ll be new infrastructure with reference to the roads around there. So there’s going to be a lot happening over there. It is a major major development for Peterborough.
PAUL STAINTON: What were the concerns about? What did the residents bring up at the meeting? What are the big concerns? Continue reading “Great Haddon Approved”

Stop Great Haddon Battle Joined as Stobart Pullout Rumours Spread

07:07 Tuesday 4th October 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Banners opposing a development which would provide up to 5,000 new homes and around 9,000 jobs have been put up ahead of an important meeting. The Government’s inspector is coming to Peterborough to discuss the Great Haddon development. Olive Main is from the Norman Cross Action Group. Good morning Olive.
OLIVE MAIN: Good morning.
PAUL STAINTON: Now .. tsk .. you put banners up. You’re angry. There are 9,000 jobs at stake here Olive. What’s the problem? Continue reading “Stop Great Haddon Battle Joined as Stobart Pullout Rumours Spread”