Opinion: ‘Balancing Peterborough City Council books was a great effort’

Last Friday we published a final set of proposals which, I’m pleased to say, means we can balance our budget in the new financial year.

We started the current year with a £27 million budget gap for 2022/23, so it’s quite an achievement to reach this stage.

It hasn’t been easy, and we have had to make some proposals that I wish we did not have to; reductions in funding for the library service, museum and Flag Fen, for example.

But there is also investment in areas where we know people need our help the most, such as the additional £2.7 million we are spending to support vulnerable adults and the elderly in our city.

We will also continue to invest what we can in those services that residents tell us are important to them. Our crackdown on fly-tipping will continue and we will do all we can to keep our streets clean, safe and tidy, whilst continuing to support children in care and assist those in housing crisis.

Also, to set the record straight, we are not ‘pulling the plug’ on our Christmas lights switch-on event as reported on the PT online; we are seeking sponsorship so that the event does not cost us anything to host. Just to add, there will still be a Christmas tree and lights display.

Considering the cuts and closures which other councils have needed to implement to balance their budgets, I would argue that we have done remarkably well to protect as many services as we have.

Thanks should go to council staff – in particular our finance team – and cross-party members who have been part of the budget- setting process this year.

Despite this, it is a shame that we are once again seeing the typical negative commentary from some members on the council. I would remind them that they are part of the budget-setting process and did not object to the final proposals that have been published.

A senior Labour councillor has said that this budget is hitting the most vulnerable the hardest.

I am not sure how.

We are still investing in services for children and adults. We are not closing leisure attractions; we are working as hard as we can to keep them open.

It is not a picture of doom and gloom as some members have tried to paint. Far from it!

Peterborough is punching well above its weight in so many areas.

Companies are investing in our city as they see its potential, at places like Northminster and Fletton Quays, and at our new university site, which opens this autumn.

Additionally, we have millions of pounds coming our way from Government to deliver projects that will transform our city and the services we provide. If all goes according to plan, in the coming financial year we are to receive £20 million in Levelling Up funding and £22.9 million from the Towns Fund, which we will be investing in the city to improve life for residents now and in years to come.

We’re the 10th most eco-friendly place in the country, according to analysis published by In Your Area.

And according to Centre For Cities data, our city centre footfall had bounced back to pre-Covid-19 levels last summer and autumn, and is higher than the national average. The data shows our retail economy has weathered the storm significantly better than many other towns and cities.

There are exciting times to come for our city and everyone who lives here, but for now we all need to work together; stop talking the city down, and take Peterborough forward so that everyone benefits.

Despite rates of Covid-19 reducing nationally, Peterborough currently has the highest levels in England with case rates double the national average.

It’s a stark reminder that Covid is not on the decline in our city and we must all continue to do what we can to reduce its spread and keep people safe. If you have not done so already, please get your vaccine and booster as soon as possible. It remains our best defence against the virus and will help save lives.

Last week we launched a consultation on proposals for something called selective licensing, which helps us make sure that homes in the city which are rented out privately are of a good standard, helping to protect some of our more vulnerable residents.

Our original selective licensing scheme, launched in 2016, expired at the end of October 2021. It was a great success, helping to reduce anti-social behaviour and improving conditions for tenants, so we are hoping to build on these achievements by making an application to the Government for a new scheme.

The consultation is being run online and we’ve organised a series of webinars where you can find out more about the proposals and ask any questions you might have, either as a landlord, resident or tenant.

The first webinar is on Tuesday, February 1, from 2pm-3pm. To register for this, fill in our consultation survey and to read more about the plans, go to www.peterborough.gov.uk/SLconsultation.

You have until April 13 to have your say.