Opinion: ‘Peterborough’s time really is now’

As regular readers will know, my love for Peterborough burns brightly and I’m really proud of the work we’ve achieved in recent years to develop our thriving modern city.

I want to help build a city that future generations will be proud of and that’s why I’m really excited about our latest announcement that the much-anticipated North Westgate project is moving forward at pace.

This week the council gave approval to commence land assembly for the £150 million scheme which will play a crucial part in the city’s future.

The council and our partners Hawksworth Securities PLC, have entered into an agreement to begin acquiring land at the site, kick-starting exciting plans to re-vamp the area and create hundreds of jobs.

The scheme will provide new homes, office premises, a hotel, and supporting retail, restaurant, café and leisure uses, set within extensive new public spaces and landscaping.

But although we’re developing for the future, we’re also considering the present in ensuring that the popular Brewery Tap pub and Westgate Church remain within an enhanced public realm setting.

While the Council is in a unique position of being able to use compulsory purchase powers, if required, the aim of both parties is to secure the remaining parcels of land through private treaty negotiations, as far as possible.

Like Fletton Quays, the redevelopment of North Westgate will generate growth in this under-utilised part of the city and is part of our long- term aim to extend and revitalise Peterborough city centre.

North Westgate ties in nicely with our plans to open up the Station Quarter area of the city, creating a welcoming route from the train station into the city centre and creating space for the development of new homes and offices.

It also complements our planned regeneration of the Northminster site, with architects continuing to work on a design brief to move this forward.

As I have said previously, Peterborough’s time really is now, we want to make our city an even better place to work, live and play for the next 50 years.

This week has seen new national restrictions imposed as the government continues to work to control the spread of Covid-19.

The message from the Prime Minister on Tuesday night was clear. We must all take action now to stop our invisible enemy in its tracks or risk devastating consequences - more deaths, our NHS becoming overwhelmed and unable to treat cancer patients and many others, and a second lockdown which would be damaging for businesses and cause renewed loneliness for many.

Please, follow the guidance and let’s look out for one another. Limit your contact with others, social distance at all times, wash your hands regularly and wear face coverings in shops and on public transport. Crucially, if you have symptoms you must self-isolate and take a test.

I know it is not as easy as the Government would like to get tested at the moment, but you must keep trying.

Many thousands of people are being tested daily. In fact, the UK is testing more people than anywhere else in Europe, despite what you might be reading in the media.

Between 9 March and 6 September, the UK did more than 16.4m tests – second place was Germany with 13.3m tests. Per capita, we have performed 246 tests per 1,000 people, better than Germany (160 per 1,000) and France (124 per 1,000).

We are also reminding businesses and residents that an enhanced national Test and Trace app launches today (Thursday) which will notify users if they come into contact with someone who later tests positive for coronavirus.

The app will allow people to report symptoms, order a coronavirus test, check in to venues by scanning a QR code and help the NHS trace individuals that may have coronavirus.

A number of businesses, organisations and community venues are now required by national law to collect customer, visitor and staff contact detail logs, as well as displaying an official NHS QR code poster.

The QR posters allow people using the app to scan a code and sign in at the venue, so that the venue information will be logged on the user’s phone.

The device will check if users have been at that location at the relevant time and if the app finds a match, they will get an alert anonymously with advice on what to do based on the level of risk.

I want to make it absolutely clear that if businesses fail to collect customer, visitor and staff details or display the poster they will face fixed penalty fines, so please do not run this risk.

The QR code posters can be downloaded online at https://www.gov.uk/create-coronavirus-qr-poster, the process is straightforward and will only take a few minutes to complete.

We all have a part to play in controlling the virus and saving lives, so please make the most of this new app when you’re out and about. The more people who use it, the better it will work – and it will help us get ahead of the virus.

As always, you can rest assured that we will continue to work hard to keep you safe and to keep the city moving forward.