A lack of vision is clear for all to see

Listeners to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire earlier this week were likely surprised to hear that our council doesn’t currently have a culture officer.

This is odd, considering that Peterborough should be a place where history buffs congregate: after all, our cathedral is a majestic gem, it is the place where Katherine of Aragon was laid to rest, and one of the resting places for Mary, Queen of Scots, writes cllr Shaz Nawaz, leader of the Labour Party on Peterborough City Council.

This is part of a wider pattern. Ask any resident of Peterborough what they think the vision for the city is, you will get a variety of responses. Some may cite the: “creating the UK’s environmental capital”, though few believe this. Some may state that Peterborough is a commuter town for London and Cambridge. Others will state something else.

This administration is exhausted. There are no new bold visions to which it aspires. It is reactive, trying to grab what positive Press coverage it can, while trying to push aside problems that they have helped create, such as our lagging education results. The difficulty is that we cannot get to the next level as a city without the bracing tonic of aspiration.

The administration may cite the University of Peterborough as an example of its ambitions. OK, where is it? What progress has been made? We were told it would have degree awarding powers by 2025. It looks like this is going to occur at 2030 at the earliest. When something is kicked that far into the long grass, it becomes difficult to see.

How about the promised café culture? Was that ever a realistic prospect? Again, it was an idea that has yet to be realised.

What about replacing Vivacity? At the moment, our leisure and cultural facilities are being handled by the same council venture that deals with our waste disposal. I have no doubt that there are people with managerial competence and skill there, but the two are very different things.

What about the digital economy? This doesn’t appear to be high on the list, despite the fact that distance working has made digital work more lucrative than ever. Although, as you can imagine, I am pleased the administration borrowed our idea of a super-hub. The same idea they laughed at when we presented it at full council. It’s now a great idea simply because they are using it!

Sometimes, an administration just runs out of steam. Sometimes, they are there just because they are there. Much of Conservative rhetoric is focused on making Labour sound worse than they are: that’s not the same as them doing any good. Worse, from the Rhubarb Bridge fiasco to Fletton Quays, their mistakes keep piling higher and higher.

The Labour Group does have a vision for the city, which has three main points: first, we want to encourage modern industries in the city. This means a new focus on environmental and digital technologies.

Second, it’s not enough to shunt culture and leisure to a company and merely hope it takes care of itself. If the coronavirus has taught us anything, it’s that the healthier people are, the better they can cope with change. We should focus our efforts on encouraging active lifestyles.

Third, Peterborough should be known for itself and what it has to offer. It is amazing what a renewed focus can do, combined with a bit of imagination. Doncaster Council’s Twitter account got the city known across the globe; it has sparked up interest in the city from as far afield as the west coast of America. There is nothing to stop us from doing the same; for example, why isn’t Peterborough generally a prominent destination on those taking a tour of places of historical interest?

An exhausted administration, bereft of ideas, crushed by its own dismal track record, simply doesn’t have the focus to do this. Their main role is to just stay where they are. They have no time to go out into the wilderness and reflect. Maybe they don’t want to, because they don’t believe they have anything to reconsider.

In which case, it will be up to the voters to ensure that re-examination occurs.