Opinion: Our potential is there for all to see

Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper at Peterborough Rail Station with Peterborough MP Paul Bristow and Council leader Wayne Fitzgerald

He came to open GB Railfreight’s new facility But I also wanted to show him the station and our plans for the £48 million Levelling Up money secured earlier this year.

He was impressed with our plans and the effect it will have on jobs, extra homes and new retail.

The new Station Quarter will make us the gateway to the East of England and it will be a fantastic first impression for people visiting Peterborough.

The new opening on the west side of the station will also ease congestion and improve accessibility. It is fantastic news all round!

The government sees our potential, Peterborough is a city on the up!

We’ve had hundreds of millions of pounds of investment in Peterborough, for a new university with a state-of-the-art living lab, to regenerate our city centre, for a new community diagnostics centre and much more.

It goes to show what can be achieved when you have a Conservative MP, a Conservative Council and a Conservative Government all working together for Peterborough.

However, we are being held back by a Labour Mayor. Whatever he says in public, his road charging proposals are there in his Transport Plan for everyone to read.

In his new plan, road charging has simply been renamed ‘demand management and fiscal measures’.

He must think people in Peterborough are stupid! What are these ‘fiscal measures’?

Thankfully, the Conservative Leader of the Council stood up for our city and vetoed this. Only the Conservatives are stopping road charging coming to Peterborough.

We have stopped this for the time being, but any other party in charge risks road charging coming to our city.

Unfortunately, the Mayor threw his toys out of the pram and proved his disdain for our city when he refused to give us the £200k funding the Government has given him to plan our bus depot.

This is our money and he has no right to withhold it from us.

He also risks having to send £4 million ear marked for Peterborough back to Central Government for failing to spend it.

Much like he had to return hundreds of millions for warm homes because he didn’t get round to spending it either.

This Mayor has been through 3 Chief Executives - 2 receiving massive pay offs - and a big report into his own conduct.

He should publish that report so the public can make up their own mind up.

Like I have said many times in the past, Peterborough is a city on the up. We are one of the fastest growing cities in the UK, delivering 1,000 new homes every year and we have one of the highest business startup rates in the country.

I want to work with the Mayor - but he needs to put Peterborough first and stop his Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridge approach, if Peterborough is to reach its full potential.

The Government sees our potential, I see our potential, and so should he.