Opinion: Some serious business and fun attending mayoral duties

Mayor of Peterborough Nick Sandford opens the Bridge Fair at the Embankment . Taking the wheel of one of the dodgems.

For that reason, it’s important that the Mayor remains neutral and avoids expressing opinions publicly on politically controversial issues.

So I am not going to say anything about the recent decision of the Government to cancel the HS2 rail project. But one of the spin offs from that, is the decision to make permanent the £2 flat rate bus fare for single bus journeys in England. The scheme has been trialled since January this year and it’s widely supported politically. For a host of social and environmental reasons, we need to reverse the long term decline in bus travel and cutting fares in this way can help to do this.

Not all bus companies have joined the scheme but here in Peterborough, our main bus company Stagecoach have and also First Group are participating, although DeLaine Buses are not. So that means any single bus journey within Peterborough is only £2 or less… great for local trips to work or for shopping

or leisure. But it also means you can travel to places as far away as King’s Lynn, Norwich, Kettering and Northampton for only £2…. Or £4 for a return trip. So what are you waiting for? Why not get on the bus for a day trip whilst the good weather lasts!

Related to this, as a councillor, I recently attended a carbon literacy course run by the City Council on behalf of the Carbon Literacy Trust. The idea is to raise awareness of the importance of tackling climate change and what we need to do locally and nationally to achieve this.

On the mayoral front, we had a very successful sausage supper to raise money for my mayoral charities, the Mayoress and I cut the ribbon to start the Sue Ryder Starlight Hike and we visited a new low carbon social housing development built by Accent Nene housing association in Hempsted. We attended a splendid “Justice Service” in Peterborough Cathedral as guests of the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, the opening of a new outdoor play area at Ravenshorpe Primary School and a 10 th anniversary celebration for the “Extended Hands” group, which helps women who are feeling lonely or isolated.

Coming up this weekend we have a Black History Month event in Cathedral Square on Saturday and I will be firing the pistol to start the Great Eastern Run on Sunday. All are welcome at both important events.