Opinion: Tough stance on road charge threat

The debate returned to Peterborough last week when the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) met once again to discuss its proposed Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP). The document outlines bus, train and cycling options for the whole county and references discouraging private car use, including the use of fiscal measures (congestion charging) to achieve this.

On the whole it is a very good document. However, I am uncomfortable with elements of the plan and so at the meeting I used the city council’s transport veto to halt its progress, but it seems that in doing so I landed myself in hot water.

I am not alone in this and was supported by council leaders from Fenland and East Cambridgeshire. You might think it was foolish of the combined authority to bring it back before elected members when I, and other members, had made it quite clear earlier in the year that the Conservatives in Peterborough and across the county could not support the plan whilst it referred to congestion charging and other regressive fiscal measures as an option.

The Labour CPCA Mayor, Dr Nik Johnson, said it would be for the city council to implement such measures and the LTCP alone could not achieve this. However, I was not prepared to push through a plan which referenced the possible use of penalties on motorists, particularly when there is now uncertainty over how much longer the Conservatives will be running the city council.

If media reports are correct, members of the Peterborough First group (Conservative Lite) on the council are set to take over the running of the administration at the next Full Council meeting in October, aided and abetted by the Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party. It is those members who have betrayed the trust of the Peterborough electorate who voted them in as Conservatives, yet now are attempting to wrestle control away from the party that won the public’s vote to run this city. They should have all resigned and faced the public vote again, but they have no principles and they would most likely lose.

I believe that if the Conservatives are no longer running the council, then there is a real risk that such congestion charges could be introduced in Peterborough in the future, and I had to do all I could to guard against that possibility. All the opposition parties will of course deny this, but they also failed to back a motion in the last council meeting that would have ruled it out. You can make your own minds up on that as it speaks volumes.

Whilst it is down to me, I will maintain my tough stance in rejecting the Labour Mayor’s policy of congestion and other punitive charges particularly aimed at motorists. Whilst the Conservatives are running this city it will not happen.

As for the petulant behaviour of the Mayor in refusing to pass on the £200,000 of government funding that would have gone towards the development of a new electric bus depot, I have since spoken to the government minister directly and he is less than impressed about this. If the Mayor, as he claims, truly does not believe in implementing congestion charging, then take it out of the policy - simple as that.

I remain confident that working with our two MPs, Paul Bristow and Shailesh Vara, we can bring forward this much needed investment despite the Mayor having now halted all work.

Last week we launched our budget simulator challenge which gives residents the chance to better understand the breadth of services provided by the council and to tell us which services they would invest in if they were managing the finances.

As those who have given it a go will tell you, it’s not an easy challenge and requires some tough decisions over where to make the savings that are needed in 2024/25, whilst still meeting the needs of residents.

I’d like to thank everyone who has completed it so far or helped to share it with our communities. At the time of writing this column, we’ve had 198 responses.

If you haven’t had a go at it yet, please visit the council’s website. Not many local authorities offer residents the chance to engage in the budget process in this way so please take the opportunity.

If you follow the council on social media, you will know that the tree which will stand proud in Cathedral Square this Christmas has been chosen. Councillors Steve Allen and Marco Cereste were tasked with picking the best tree and it will be delivered nearer to the Christmas lights switch-on event which will take place on 24 November. Soon after, the installation of the ice rink will begin which will open in Cathedral Square on 1 December, courtesy of Dash Events Limited.

There will also be a pop-up Christmas market and we’re currently looking for businesses to run stalls along Bridge Street during the festive period. To find out more email [email protected]