I’ve had some real stand out moments since becoming Leader of the Council and two of them occurred in the space of 24 hours this week.
Firstly, I want to shout from the rooftops about the amazing AEPG Great Eastern Run which took place last Sunday and saw more than 6,000 runners take to the streets and over £300,000 raised.
The organisation that goes into this event is phenomenal and it’s one that truly places Peterborough on the map.
As a result, I am proposing to set up of a working group to make it even bigger and to strive to reach a target of raising £1million for charity. I know we can do it!
The following morning, I welcomed Bridget Phillipson MP, Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, and Olivia Bailey MP, Minister for Early Years and Minister for Equalities, to Honeyhill Family Hub in Paston to showcase the fantastic work taking place there.
The visit was part of an announcement from Government of its Best Start in Life campaign and a funding commitment for many other areas of the country to benefit from the rollout of successful Family Hubs just like ours.
I was so proud to see our programme being used as an exemplar, and to speak to the secretary of state and minister about our successful work, particularly in relation to preparing children for school.
We are working hard as an administration, led by Cabinet Member Councillor Katy Cole in this area, to support our children and young people to thrive and not just survive. The sea change in the way we approach early years by our Labour Government, including rolling out 30 hours of government funded childcare for working families and creating and expanding new school-based nurseries, will make such a difference to families and children in our city.
Together we will break down the barriers to opportunity, so that where you come from does not determine where you end up.
In further news, it’s fantastic we are moving closer towards having a much-needed new pool for our city. Many of you have celebrated this, but I know there are some who have expressed a desire for a 50m pool.
If money was no object, there would be no question. However, we must consider how it will be funded and a 50m pool would cost an extra £11m.
Swimming is an essential life skill, and too many children are not being able to learn to swim in our city as it is. We must deliver a new pool as quickly as possible, and a 25m pool can be delivered soonest.
In addition, the location on the embankment next to the Lido works well and means there will be space remaining to develop that area to include other sports facilities and attractions.
Subject to Cabinet approval, we are now focussed on getting the business case completed so that we can get the funding agreed to progress as soon as possible.
At the same Cabinet meeting, councillors were asked to launch a consultation on our 2026/27 budget. You can read more on our website and social media channels.
As part of this we’re asking for your views on increasing council tax above the national limit. It’s not a proposal at this stage, we are simply asking the question as to whether you would be happy to pay more if the money was used, for example, towards a new swimming pool or to support people struggling the most.
We continue to charge one of the lowest rates of council tax in the country. Our band D rate currently benchmarks as £117 less than Huntingdonshire, for example, and £206 less than Fenland.
What you tell us will guide us as we develop proposals for making savings – proposals we will share with you at a later date – so please get involved.