Westminster Life: Building a fairer future for Peterborough

Every week, I hear from residents across Peterborough about the real challenges they face: unfair leasehold charges, rising rents, and the struggle to find a home that’s both decent and affordable. These aren’t abstract issues, they’re personal, and they deserve action.

On Monday, I took your concerns straight to Parliament, asking the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, what’s being done to fix our broken leasehold system. Too many people, especially in our newer estates, are being hit by unfair charges and poor service from management companies. Practises like this can be devastating especially when struggling families are being burdened by unexpected and unjust costs out of the blue.

That’s why I’ve been working with local people to challenge these dodgy charges and pushing for meetings with companies like FirstPort, so your concerns are heard. I’ve also been working with colleagues nationwide to demand stronger protections for leaseholders. Central to this is the government’s new consultation on leasehold reform. This is a real chance for your voice to be heard - so if you’ve been affected, please take part and share your story.

The proposed changes, making service charges clearer, ending automatic legal costs for leaseholders, and giving you more power to challenge poor practice, are long overdue. I’ll keep fighting to make sure these reforms happen and make a real difference.

I am also really pleased that the Government, working with the construction industry, is getting the country back into building council houses. I grew up when council houses were something to be proud of, a place for working-class families to grow up and get on in life. The challenge wasn’t the right to buy, it was that the Tories didn’t replace them. I want us to get back to council housing in Peterborough once again.

Creating good housing takes more than bricks and mortar. It’s about building communities where people feel proud to live and raise their families.

Earlier this month, I joined some of Ray Laxton’s family, a former Mayor, to unveil a new plaque at Laxton Square alongside Cross Keys Homes. The redeveloped square is a tribute to our city’s past and a symbol of our ambitions for the future. As new homes go up across Peterborough, we must ensure they’re built to last, with good infrastructure, green spaces, and, above all, that they’re genuinely affordable for working families.

I also want to highlight the Family Hubs programme, which I wrote about last week. These hubs are already making a real difference for families here, and I’m pushing to see them expanded to places like Eye Village so every child gets the best start in life.

If you’re struggling with housing, leasehold charges, or anything else, my door is always open. Together, let’s keep building a fairer, stronger Peterborough, where everyone has a place to call home.