Helping more young people to get their voices heard and get involved in politics locally is a key aim of mine and something we are already making good progress with.
I was naturally delighted when Daisy Blakemore-Creedon was elected as a Fletton & Woodston ward councillor back in May, becoming the youngest Labour councillor in the country at 18-years-old. This combined with Sam Carling’s recent election as MP for Northwest Cambridgeshire, aged just 22, shows the impact that young people are making here.
I’ve been highly impressed with the work of our city’s Youth Council who are making waves on several fronts, including a new advertising policy restricting the promotion of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar in Peterborough.
The new scheme will switch the spotlight away from high fat, salt and/or sugar (HFSS) food and drink and instead focus on promoting healthier foods in advertising spaces owned by the council or on council-owned land.
The idea was first raised by members of the Youth Council last year who submitted a petition requesting that the council restrict the advertisement of HFSS food and drink locally.
Last November, members of the Adults and Health Scrutiny Committee considered the petition and asked for a task and finish group to be set up to begin drafting a policy. A draft policy was taken back to the Scrutiny Committee in March, and it was then recommended to go before Cabinet for adoption recently, which we were happy to agree.
I think this is a fantastic idea and one which will have many benefits. Advertising for unhealthy foods has been shown to lead to increased snacking, as well as the buying and consumption of unhealthy foods.
Research has also shown that seeing just one additional HFSS advert results in young people consuming an additional 350 calories of unhealthy foods and drinks.
I would like to offer my thanks and praise to the Youth Council for raising this important issue and driving it forwards. Their good thinking and dedicated action have led to a new approach to advertising which should see health improvements for people in our city now and in the future.
Our exciting plans for growth and investment in Peterborough were highlighted at a special event last week.
The annual Developer’s Forum, hosted by the Council and Opportunity Peterborough, took place at the Holiday Inn in Thorpe Wood and was attended by investors, developers, property agents, and businesses who have either already bought and developed key sites within the city or have plans to.
The forum enables the sharing of insights, and opportunities to network and engage in topics that affect the development, planning and regeneration sector.
We have a pipeline of economic development and regeneration across the city, which will positively change the lives of our residents, most notably investment in our university and Station Quarter. Both projects will make it easier people to travel, gain skills and access employment with higher wages – essential for our future growth as a city.
We have ambitious plans for the next 12 months and it was great for council representatives, including our Cabinet Member for Growth and Regeneration, Councillor Nick Thulbourn, to answer questions from developers who will play such a big part in making that happen.
I was honoured to be a guest speaker at the John Clare Countryside conference last week which highlighted exciting plans for this much-loved area.
The prospect of creating large new areas of nature rich habitat and restoring the landscape to its former glories, will not only be good for nature, but will also be good for people who can access nature, improving their health and well-being. It will also be beneficial for farmers and the local economy, as more people will want to visit and enjoy the landscape.
The project has the potential to be an internationally significant example of how we can combine nature, arts and heritage under the banner of Britain’s greatest nature poet, to deliver better health, community cohesion and overall quality of life.
Finally, when I became Council leader, I wanted the authority to be open and transparent with residents, explaining why we make certain decisions.
That is why I will be taking part in an ‘Ask the Cabinet’ online session to answer questions from people on any subject that affects their daily lives. So, if you have a query or a ‘bee in your bonnet’ (as I often do) about a particular issue why not get in touch and take part?
We are planning a session soon. If you have a question you would like us to answer email it to askthecabinet@peterborough.gov.uk