When I became council leader almost a year ago I promised that my administration would listen and respond to residents.
I promised this because having a culture of engagement, active listening and transparency are values that are vitally important to myself and my cabinet.
Recent decisions show that we have kept our word on these pledges, none more so than the cabinet’s recent approval of the council’s final draft Local Plan, which will shape future development in the city.
The plan will now go out for a final public consultation in September and October and is a truly collaborative piece of work, that has been adapted and updated in response to feedback from residents.
As a result, we have removed a number of previously proposed sites from the plan, including the Drysides nature spot at Stanground after around 700 people commented against the site being included. Similarly, a proposal to allow up to 3,000 homes to be developed at Castor and Ailsworth was removed, along with proposed housing at the Green Backyard in London Road, again after initial negative feedback.
This demonstrates that we are an administration which engages in decision-making processes in consensus with the populations we serve and takes our local heritage and nature reserve sites into consideration.
Our ongoing work to enhance the look and feel of the city centre is more proof that we are actively listening to residents.
We are fully aware of concerns and criticism about the city centre and are now working towards positive permanent change.
Operation Horizon, our recent clean-up operation, was a big success and following this initiative, a City Impact team will carry on this good work, creating a daily plan for the area and working effectively with partners on long-term goals, such as tackling anti-social behaviour.
We also listened to concerns about cyclists, e-bikes and e-scooters in the city centre and acted, with the Impact Team holding a crackdown operation last week. I attended and even stopped a cyclist in Bridge Street myself!
During the operation, 14 fixed penalty notices were handed out and police seized two illegal e-bikes and four e-scooters. Officers also dealt with those who ignored the city
centre PSPO and weaved through the pedestrian-only zone, putting vulnerable shoppers at risk, which we know is a big bugbear for many people.
With the new football season under way, I noted with interest that Mayor Paul Bristow is calling for a new stadium in the city, having written to the Treasury on the matter.
I share these ambitions and want to help the Posh become as successful as possible, be that via a refurbishment of their existing stadium, a new stadium elsewhere in the city centre or outside it. I have not seen a business case nor any detail on the plan by the Mayor. However, let me be clear to residents: I have told Paul Bristow that no new stadium will be built on the Embankment on my watch.
Our administration is developing exciting plans for the area, with progress for our Sports Quarter, Youth Zone and Cygnet Bridge continuing at pace. As such we feel the Embankment is highly unsuitable for another major development.
It is also pleasing that the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) work that my administration has been passionate about from the start is continuing.
To recap, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough were awarded LVEP status earlier this year by VisitEngland, following a successful bid. As a result, we are working with partners, including the CPCA, to develop plans for attracting visitors and future growth.
However, names and positioning mean everything and therefore I have written to Mr Bristow asking that the name of the LVEP include reference to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. I will always fight to ensure that our city gets the status and recognition it deserves.