The previous year is one that will live long in my memory, but things move quickly in politics and my thoughts are firmly now on what 2026 holds for our city that I just love.
I’m confident that this year is going to be another positive one for our administration, in which we build on the excellent progress made over the past 12 months.
This past year has also been and will continue to be one of accountability. My Administration is setting the record straight by taking firm action over decisions made by previous administrations that were lacking accountability and governance.
Decisions around the John Mansfield Centre and investigations triggered by recent FOIs into payments made to outside organisations are just some of the examples for which the public deserves answers. We are also looking after the public purse and took decisive action to instruct the administrators to sell off the Hilton Hotel, for which a £15 million loan was taken out in 2017 by the then Conservative-led council to a Developer to finish, which went into administration in 2023.
We also decided to sell the TKMaxx building after it was bought again by the Conservative administration, with no progress on the project it was bought for. This waste of taxpayers' money is something we have taken seriously. Whilst other matters are being investigated, when I said we would reset the dial at the start of my leadership, I have demonstrated just that and we will continue to investigate all such decisions and why they took place.
Since becoming the leader in September, we have made huge strides on major projects and secured significant funding boosts for Peterborough.
When my coalition came to power, my first aim was to ensure that our Culture and Tourism offer was a top priority. I'm pleased to say that we are achieving this after our MP, Andrew Pakes and the Government gave us the much-needed £20 million to start work on our new swimming pool as quickly as possible.
We recently carried out a consultation exercise to help inform our detailed plans for the new pool and I want to thank everyone who took part in this.
Your feedback will be included as part of our business case, which we will send to the government, and I look forward to announcing further updates.
Alongside this, work on the Station Quarter has started at the Queensgate roundabout, and we will keep you posted on our social media accounts on how this scheme is developing. I’m really excited about it. We will see the whole landscape change with a new Western access before the Crescent Bridge and social amenities with additional walkways and cycleways.
There is much to look forward to, as well as tough challenges to be faced, but we will continue working collaboratively for the betterment of our residents and communities.
Many of us will have made new year’s resolutions in recent days and whatever your goals are for 2026 I wish you all the best.
We are currently promoting the Dry January initiative which is a great way to re-set your relationship with alcohol, especially after the celebratory festive period. If you think taking part in Dry January would help you, then have a look at our social media accounts for advice and support.
Finally, the past year saw some fantastic events take place in our city, and I’m delighted to say that 2026 is set to follow suit. A special celebration is planned to mark the Lido’s 90th anniversary and popular venues such as the Cathedral, Flag Fen and Museum will once again have much to offer visitors, so watch this space.