When I became Council Leader in May I said there were a number of pressing issues that needed resolving as quickly as possible, in the interests of residents and council taxpayers.
Two of these issues came before the Cabinet this week and I’m pleased to say that we have taken a step forward with both.
Firstly, the Cabinet agreed to transfer ownership of the Hilton Hotel to a bidder who has come forward to take control of the hotel.
Selling to a third party will not only allow it to be completed as soon as possible, but also means that we will not have to incur the additional costs to complete the hotel ourselves.
I can’t reveal the size of the bid that has been made at this stage, but I can tell you that it is a good deal for the city.
At Tuesday’s meeting we also discussed the long-running Werrington Fields issue and voted to allow every member of the council the chance to debate the area of land around Ken Stimpson Academy in Werrington to be fenced.
Once again, there were two opposing views expressed, and both arguments were compelling. It is for this reason, I suspect, that previous administrations have ‘kicked the can down the road’ for as long as they have.
Since the Cabinet meeting in July where we decided to fence all the education land, known as Area C, we have taken even more time to listen to the community and to understand their position, and officers have met once again with the academy trust. We have also fully considered the recommendations of the Joint Scrutiny Committee which was to consult Full Council and for public consultation to take place.
As a result, at this week’s meeting the Cabinet voted to rescind the decision made at the meeting in July to fence the whole of Area C and to refer the matter to Full Council for debate.
We are also committed to negotiating further with the Academy Trust and the Department for Education, with a view to leasing and/or fencing approximately 60% of Area C.
We still want to find a compromise, but we also must act in accordance with the law and if this is education land and DfE expects it to remain as such and in use by the school, then our hand may be forced.
In the past week, we received more correspondence from the Department for Education (DfE), which stresses the importance of the land retaining its educational use designation. The letter also states that the size of the school’s playing field area is in keeping with the DfE’s area guidelines for mainstream schools, and that it is reasonable to expect that the land used by the school when it was maintained by the local authority should continue to be available to children at the academy and for the lease to be entered into as soon as possible.
I am firmly of the opinion that we must decide this as quickly as possible as I am not willing to condemn another generation of children to having no outdoor area, irrespective of the size of land to be demised to the academy.
To help this, a special meeting of Full Council is being arranged for November so that the matter can be discussed as soon as possible.
The issue of councils struggling financially and how this affects vulnerable people, especially children, has been highlighted by national media this week.
Analysis by the BBC shows that local authorities are making £3bn in savings this financial year, whilst still facing a funding shortfall of more than £5.7bn by 2026-27, starkly illustrating the situation we face, locally and nationally.
In Peterborough, our Children’s Services team spoke to the BBC about the many challenges facing them, including the rising demand for care. Our social care assessment team, effectively the ‘front door’ into children’s social care, receives about 80 referrals each week which is 84 per cent higher than in 2021/22.
The department is making steady progress, as highlighted by a recent Ofsted inspection, and financial resources have been committed adding much-needed capacity and resources. While there is still work to be done, we are confident that our ongoing efforts will lead to even better outcomes for our young people, and we remain dedicated to ensuring that every care leaver receives the support they need.
We’re currently asking residents to help us shape our priorities for the city over the next three years, as part of the ‘Shaping Our City’ consultation.
The consultation runs until October 27 and there are three more public engagement sessions taking place over the next week. For more details and how to attend a session or give your views online visit: https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/consultations/shaping-our-city-consultation
If you’re currently looking for a new job, have you considered what opportunities may be available at the council?
If so, we’re holding a Careers Fair at Sand Martin House in Fletton Quays on Wednesday 6 November from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, which will showcase a wide variety of roles at the authority.
You can find out about many different roles including jobs in education, psychologists, public health, finance, supporting families, HR, town planning, legal services, social care, growth and regeneration and childminding.
There's also the opportunity to check out roles with our partners Vivacity and Aragon Direct Services.
Register your interest in attending by visiting https://forms.office.com/e/4XsUV2k4yj
Finally, I would like to say a big thank you and well done to everyone involved with Sunday’s Great Eastern Run.
From the thousands of runners who took part in the half marathon and Anna’s Hope Fun Run, to the organisers Good Running Events and the dozens of volunteers who kindly gave their time, you all did an amazing job!
The Great Eastern Run is a showpiece event for Peterborough and seeing our city’s streets lined with hundreds of spectators cheering on the runners is always an incredible sight, bringing home what a fantastic community spirit we have here.