Tag: John Shearman

Safer Streets In Peterborough – Petition On Council Agenda

07:19 Monday 15th April 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: There have been renewed calls for Peterborough City Council to support the 20 is Plenty campaign. Residents in Park Ward have compiled a petition calling for lower speed limits in their neighbourhood, whilst opposition councillors will also be raising the issue at this week’s Council meeting. Our reporter Johnnie D. is in Park Ward this morning. Morning Johnnie.
JOHN DEVINE: Good morning Paul. We have to explain that 20s Plenty is a national campaign to make 20mph the default speed limit wherever people live, in residential areas of course, instead of 30mph like it is now. Cambridgeshire County Council have signed up for it. Peterborough City Council have not yet, and I’m actually now standing talking to you Paul from Princes Gate in Peterborough, which runs alongside the entrance to Central Park, a public green space. Lots of joggers and dog walkers around even now. The road is not very long, but it’s in the middle of Princes Street , which is one side, and Princes Gardens which is the other. And they cross importantly Broadway, a very busy road, and Park Road. So it’s like two very very busy crossroads, either side of this short road I’m on now. And there’s residential housing each side of those roads, cars parked either side of the street, an area where you wouldn’t like to see speeding traffic really Paul. I’ve got with me this morning Richard Ferris from the 20s Plenty campaign for Peterborough, and Labour councillor John Shearman. So Richard first, why does this area need a 20mph speed limit?
RICHARD FERRIS: Because we’ve got very narrow streets here, as you say, and it’s become very dangerous now for pedestrians and cyclists. You see a lot of cycling on pavements, because cyclists no longer feel safe on the roads. The traffic speeds round here are above 30mph, at least 50% of them. And it would just make for a safer environment for everybody.
JOHN DEVINE: We’ve seen two or three examples already standing here this early of illegal driving, haven’t we, just up the road here? Continue reading “Safer Streets In Peterborough – Petition On Council Agenda”

Social Housing Left Empty In Peterborough

08:36 Tuesday 2nd April 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[R]ONNIE BARBOUR: As the Government’s planned housing benefit changes come into place, a block of flats belonging to a social housing provider is sitting empty in Peterborough. That’s according to Councillor John Shearman for Park Ward. He says there are around 25 empty flats at Muir Housing’s Elizabeth Court. As a reminder of the changes, people receiving housing benefit must pay now more rent in the future of they have a spare room. John Shearman is on the line to explain a bit more. John, good morning to you.
JOHN SHEARMAN: Good morning Ronnie.
RONNIE BARBOUR: What can you tell us about Elizabeth Court, and who lives there?
JOHN SHEARMAN: Right. Elizabeth Court is just off the centre of Peterborough, near Central Park, 53 flats altogether, 25 of them empty. In Peterborough we have about 370 long term empty properties that our Empty Property Officer is trying to fill. So that 25 is quite a sizable proportion of that number. Back in February I checked out with the Council how many applicants we had in Peterborough wanting a one bedroom property. It’s a staggering 5,262 people. Now that’s likely to be reduced now the Council has introduced a new allocations policy. But this new bedroom tax will make the situation worse.
RONNIE BARBOUR: How long have the flats been sitting empty? Continue reading “Social Housing Left Empty In Peterborough”

Children in Poverty – Department in Disarray

08:08 Tuesday 8th May 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

Listen to the audio here

PAUL STAINTON: A charity that helps families and kids in poverty says Peterborough City Council isn’t equipped to support people who struggle to make ends meet. According to 4Children, the Council doesn’t have a strategy in place for helping youngsters and parents cope. It comes after research reveals that three local authorities, Central Bedfordshire, Suffolk and Peterborough, have failed to take even the first steps towards combatting the problem. Well Mark Bennett from 4Children was on the show earlier. He says he’s alarmed by the lack of preparation by Peterborough City Council. (TAPE)
MARK BENNETT: It sounds to me like there is a council in Peterborough which is not taking its duties to children and particularly children in poverty and struggling families very seriously. If you can’t measure anything, you can’t show in a year’s time whether you’ve made any progress or not, because you’ve not actually set yourself any targets. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well we asked Peterborough City Council for their strategy on child poverty, and we’ve yet to receive it. But they have let us speak to the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Cllr. Sheila Scott. Morning Sheila.
SHEILA SCOTT: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Have you managed to find the strategy document anywhere?
SHEILA SCOTT: Well it’s a really interesting question, because .. Continue reading “Children in Poverty – Department in Disarray”