Tag: Marco Cereste

Democracy in Peterborough

07:07 Friday 23rd March 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Could the way that Peterborough City Council is governed be about to change? From 4th May, councils across the country will have the option of scrapping the current cabinet system, which we have in Peterborough, and replacing it with a new system which would see a committee run various departments. Now some say this is a fairer and more transparent way to run local authorities. Critics say though it makes the whole system way too slow, and you get nothing done. Nick Sandford is Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Peterborough, and is in favour of the change, Nick? Continue reading “Democracy in Peterborough”

Peterborough Council and the Section 106 Money

08:08 Monday 5th March 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: A City councillor has expressed his dismay after the City Council agreed a deal with a developer to accept a lower Section 106 contribution. Basically every time a development is built in the city, a fee is agreed between the developer and the Council for how much money needs to be given to accommodate the new facilities. And it means if you get something built in your ward, then you generally get something nice to spend on say a park, or a community centre, or something that your ward needs. This particular deal means that Central ward has missed out on around £39,000. Now earlier we heard from Councillor Nazim Khan. He represents Labour in Central ward. He explained what happened. (TAPE)
NAZIM KHAN: There was a development taking place on Lincoln Road. There was about 23 apartments that were to be built. And the money was allocated, £50,000 towards the Hobson site, that they were going to make use of for children and young people. And apparently, after the completion of the building and everything else, they have decided that they can’t afford to pay £50,000, and they can only make the contribution of £11,000. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well the Council says the terms of the development has changed. Well last year the Council revealed that a total of £6.5 million of Section 106 money has yet to be spent, and was lying in Council coffers. Nick Sandford’s here from the LibDem group. Morning Nick.
NICK SANDFORD: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: It sounds a bit odd to me, that you make an agreement with a developer. They agree to pay £50,000. Then they go at the end, I can’t afford that. What if we call it student accommodation, and we only pay £11,000? Continue reading “Peterborough Council and the Section 106 Money”

North Westgate – Currently A Barnacle

08:08 Wednesday 22nd February 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: .. plans have been approved for the redevelopment of the old Royal Mail sorting office. At the moment it’s just a massive car park. Well included in the plans is a block of offices, a supermarket, a landscaped area for the public, and the potential creation of around 600 jobs. Now the site on Bourges Boulevard is set to be part of that railway station regeneration. It will improve the look of the whole area, as you come into Peterborough from the railway. Earlier, Councillor Lucia Serluca, who chaired the meeting last night, approved the plans, because she thinks it’s vital to revitalising the city. (TAPE)
LUCIA SERLUCA: They are going to put a 4,300 square metre food store, and an 805 square metre for other shops and offices. And obviously it will create over 600 jobs over there. It will just .. it will be a great gateway into the city really from the train station, and the development and the regeneration there can only aid in the way Peterborough is moving forward. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well if you were listening yesterday you know we discussed the plans, and MP Stewart Jackson voiced concerns that he thought the North Westgate development was still being neglected, and needed to be brought back to the table. But when we asked Council Leader Marco Cereste if work to regenerate North Westgate was a possibility, he didn’t seem very keen. Continue reading “North Westgate – Currently A Barnacle”

Secrets and Lies

Tuesday 21st February 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

Peterborough Tories fall out in deselection row.

CLLR.RAY DOBBS: I think there’s been a witchhunt. There is a divide in the Conservative Party, and there’s those who support Marco, and those who don’t. I’m seen as being a Marco man, and seeing as how the selection committee is made up five members who don’t support Marco in any way, what chance have you got? .. South of the river are predominately Marco’s men. And anything north of the river, they would prefer another Leader. .. They never stop bickering, and trying to score silly political points, although we are one Party. And we should act as one Party. .. It’s not a case of sour grapes. It’s reality.

CLLR. MIKE FLETCHER: There’s definitely a split. And I know, the decision to oust Pat Nash was made at least six months ago. And for Wayne Fitzgerald to claim she has not been deselected is just a play on words. Of course she’s been deselected. They knew they were going to deselect her. And what’s more, Pat herself had already been told or heard of rumours, that she was going to be deselected, several weeks ago. .. John Peach and Wayne Firzgerald persuaded me to stand as a Conservative, because I told them then I was going to stand as an Independent. They wanted me to stand as a Conservative to form an alliance to get rid of Marco Cereste. They know that’s the truth. I know it’s the truth. Everybody else knows it’s the truth. And then they found they couldn’t do that. They hadn’t got quite enough votes. And so, in the end, I’m so disillusioned with them, I decided to take the bull by the horns and go where I can vote to my own conscience, and for the benefit of the people of South Bretton, who elected me. With the Conservative Party, it’s more like a dictatorship. They sit round like a bunch of nodding donkeys, and they’re told what to do by two or three people. And they follow that line.

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North Westgate – Time to Get On With It

08:10 Tuesday 21st February 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: The long hoped for North Westgate development, remember that? David Shaw is one of the men behind it, planning adviser to Hawksworth, who’ve been trying to get this North Westgate development sorted for, how long David?
DAVID SHAW: Ooh, a very long time. Eighteen years. I really am beginning to get a little old, I think.
PAUL STAINTON: I was going to say, you must have been a boy in short trousers when it started.
DAVID SHAW: I was nearly. I’ve been trying to get things to happen in the city centre for nearly thirty eight years. Queensgate did succeed, but with North Westgate we’re not having any success. Continue reading “North Westgate – Time to Get On With It”

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”

Full Marks for a Good Answer

08:25 Wednesday 18th January 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridge

PAUL STAINTON: Much talk about your salary Malcom. Are you worth £1000 a day?
MALCOLM NEWSAM: I would be the last person to be able to comment on that. I hope I am, but you’ll have to ask Cllr. Sheila Scott, and the Chief Executive and the Leader as we go on through this year. And I hope that I will be able to demonstrate that. What I do bring I think is experience of having done this in a number of troubled authorities. And we have been successful. I have to say that’s primarily not about me, it’s about the people who are inspired and engaged to deliver improvements, and there are already many many people in Peterborough who want to deliver that improvement, and have just been crying out for the leadership to actually deliver that improvement.

Cereste Wurzel Pledge

PAUL STAINTON: Are you backing our Wurzel campaign by the way?
MARCO CERESTE: Whatever. Yeah. (LAUGHS)
PAUL STAINTON: You know it makes sense.
MARCO CERESTE: I’m sure it does.
PAUL STAINTON: Gillian’s behind it. C’mon Marco. Give us the backing. The Wurzels, this summer, Cathedral Square. C’mon! Continue reading “Cereste Wurzel Pledge”