Tag: Peterborough City Council

Unitary Authority For Greater Cambridge

17:07 Monday 11th November 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: So, the man who was, until earlier this year, the most powerful politician in Cambridgeshire local government, has declared his support for a radical shake-up, and the abolition of a tier of councils. It would mean an end to Cambridge City Council, East Cambs, South Cambs, Hunts District and Fenland. In their place, former Conservative Leader of the County Council Nick Clarke now favours a new unitary authority for Greater Cambridge, and an enlargement of the one in Peterborough that already exists. He says the move would save money and be more effective. I’ll get reaction live in the studio from the Leader of Cambridge City Council, and the Leader of Huntingdonshire District Council, both with axes apparently poised above their heads. But first of all Nick Clarke. Welcome.
NICK CLARKE: Good afternoon Chris.
CHRIS MANN: You didn’t say this when you were in power.
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Peterborough Council Solar Ambitions Debated At Westminster

07:07 Tuesday 5th November 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: The MP for Peterborough is raising the row over plans for a renewable energy park for Peterborough in the House of Commons. The City Council wants to build solar and wind farms on farmland it owns near Newborough and Thorney. The project will see the Council invest over £280 million, and could create over £30 million profit, which would be income for front line services. But MP Stewart Jackson is concerned about prime farmland being used for the project, and wants the Council to look at other options. His debate comes as local councillors and residents criticise the City Council for a lack of transparency with the plans. Let’s speak to some of those who are concerned right now. Mike Greene is part of the Newborough Landscape Protection Group and he’s with me this morning. Mike, morning.
MIKE GREENE: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: What are your prime concerns? We know what your concerns are about the solar farm. But what are your concerns about transparency, particularly from Peterborough City Council.
MIKE GREENE: It’s increasingly frustrating when we ask for information and we get half answers back, or when the team attended a scrutiny meeting, that they had faulty systems that meant that there wasn’t a full and complete copy of public records in effect.
PAUL STAINTON: There wasn’t a copy in public record of what was said.
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The Peterborough Plan To License Private Landlords

07:07 Friday 1st November 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Our big question this morning, is enough being done to regulate landlords behind houses of multiple occupancy? It’s a problem in Peterborough, in Wisbech and even in the relatively affluent Cambridge. But only just over 400 houses of multiple occupancy in Cambridgeshire have to be automatically licensed. It’s thought the actual amount of HMOs in the county is in the thousands. .. In Peterborough they’re considering going one step further and making all private landlords in specific problem areas get a licence. And on each individual licence will be a people limit specific to that house. .. Peterborough City Council says in a statement:
“We’re currently consulting on selective licensing to raise standards in the private rented sector, and tackle problems including rogue landlords, overcrowding, anti-social behaviour and poor property conditions for tenants. It’s important to note that whilst there are many good landlords, we recognise that poor management practices by others are having a negative effect on the areas. Selective licensing would enable the Council to direct more resource to the area, to bring about significant improvement to properties in the wider community, and give tenants more information about who they rent from. The licence fees would cover the costs of implementing and administrating the scheme.”
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The Light Fantastic

08:20 Tuesday 29th October 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Peterborough is set to become one of the first Gigabit Cities in the country. That’s the promise of the City Council as they prepare to enter into a new agreement with private company CityFibre. They are set to invest £30 million in the project. We’ll get reaction from the City Council in a moment, but first we’re joined on the line by Mark Collins from CityFibre. Mark, morning.
MARK COLLINS: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Gigabit city. Superfast, superfast, it’s all very confusing. What exactly are you offering, and what will we get?
MARK COLLINS: What we deliver Paul is gigabit speeds, that’s a thousand megabits per second, 100 times faster than the UK average, 40 times faster than so-called superfast broadband. We will be delivering that into all of the businesses and all the homes of Peterborough over the next two to five years as we roll that infrastructure out for the benefit of all in the society there.
PAUL STAINTON: Coming down existing networks, yes?
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Peterborough Solar Farm Setback But A Glimmer Of Hope For North Westgate

07:49 Friday 25th October 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[D]OTTY MCLEOD: Council plans to build a solar farm on tenants’ farmland in Peterborough have been thrown into doubt, after archeologists discovered a number of artefacts believed to be from the Roman and Saxon eras. The findings were made earlier this week, but have been kept under wraps by the City Council officials. The archeological digs are being undertaken after experts from English Heritage and Cambridge University warned that the three sites being earmarked for the energy project could be riddled with remains. Peterborough City Council archeologists are now conducting tests to find out how old the finds are. Joining me now is Dr Francis Pryor, the man who discovered Flag Fen. Francis, does this surprise you at all?
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Cambridge Population Estimates – A Difference Of Opinion

08:18 Tuesday 15th October 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Is Cambridgeshire being short changed by the Government, because the official figures suggest our population is lower than it actually is? That’s the question we’ve been asking all morning on the Bigger Breakfast, and trying to come up with ways of counting people proper – better – whatever. But Cambridge MP Julian Huppert and Peterborough’s Stewart Jackson are concerned that the Office for National Statistics are not giving accurate figures for the number of people who actually live in the county. Johnnie D. can explain what that means, and what effect it might have. First of all Johnnie, who are these people at the ONS, and how do they compile these statistics?
JOHN DEVINE: Good morning Paul. Yes, it’s their job to collect all sorts of information about the population and present that to the public. And they use things like official registrations of births and deaths, as well as information about migration, to try and predict which areas will grow in the coming years, and which areas will see a decrease in the population.
PAUL STAINTON: So are they accurate? That’s the big question, isn’t it?
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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?
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Blood From A Stone – Hilary Benn On Taxing The Poorest

[D]OTTIE MCLEOD: Have you been forced to pay council tax for the first time this year? Well if you have, you’re not alone. Labour says that over 150,000 people have received a court summons for non-payment of council tax since the Government changed the welfare system in April. Here in Cambridgeshire the worst affected area was Peterborough. Rather than absorb the Government cuts like many other councils in the county did, Peterborough City Council actually increased the cut, meaning that nearly 9,000 households are paying council tax for the first time. We can now talk to Hilary Benn, the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Good morning.
HILARY BENN: Good morning.
DOTTIE MCLEOD: Now we saw long lines outside court in Peterborough because of these changes, outrage from many of those affected. But isn’t it fair enough, if people don’t pay their taxes, that they should be taken to court?
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