Local elections 23: We’re building for the future and investing in our city

​In the next 12 months many of those projects will move forward at pace, including the development of the Station Quarter and phase three of the new University. This can only be good for the economy and the people who live here.

In exclusive news today, I can reveal that we will be looking to redevelop the old Woolworths / TK Maxx building. If all goes to plan this will be replaced with a new landmark property that will do wonders for traders in the lower end of Bridge Street and revitalise this area of the city for all to enjoy what will be on offer – more details to come on this in the coming months.

A review of the Local Plan is now underway to ensure that the city develops in the right way. It will make clear where more housing developments should be and places where employment opportunities can be developed. And at the same time, it will ensure the city can meet its carbon zero objectives which will lead to a cleaner and greener city not just for those living here today, but for future generations too. A potential site for new housing as exclusively shown here would be on the river Nene which is known as Middlehome.

In the future, we will continue with our relentless focus on our finances. We have done much work on reaching financial sustainability, which means living within our means with the money that we receive through local council tax, government funding and other commercial income streams. This has meant making tough decisions, that only the Conservatives were prepared to make, to get us back on an even keel and in a position that will enable us to start to reinvest in core council services.

This year we will be looking to increase our spending on street cleansing which we know is an area of great concern to many local residents in Peterborough. In some parts of the city in particular we need to make an extra effort to achieve more frequent cleaning and make sure we clean up any litter and flytipping in a timely manner. We will also look to step up prosecutions of those caught doing it as they spoil the look of our city for all. We will also push for a change in the law to impose tougher penalties and higher fines to deter this poor behaviour.

Our aim in 2023 / 24 is to fix more roads and fill in more potholes than ever before. We are acutely aware of the problem across the city, and we know that the public expects more to be done on this. Therefore, we will invest more to tackle this issue, and provide the machinery and people to do it quicker, which will result in repairing more potholes and in half the time it takes now. And following the Prime Minister’s recent announcement that sees an extra £200m going into the budget for potholes, it will go a fair way to help us achieve this here in Peterborough. It should also be noted that it is widely accepted that on average Conservative run councils repair more potholes than those run by Labour or Liberal Democrats – something else to think about before voting on May 4.

We will continue to support the elderly and the vulnerable and help those that that need a little extra support through our network of Family Hubs. We are keen to keep people living at home longer, but we will still be on hand to help with social care for a loved one in your family.

The Conservatives in Peterborough are successfully shaping the city and its future. We are going forward with our growth plans that will bring prosperity for all our residents. Let’s not go backwards with a Labour led coalition of chaos which is the alternative choice. That’s why we would say support your local Conservative councillors and candidates and please do vote for them on May 4.