Local Elections 2026: Conservative leader explains how he will address PT readers’ concerns if his party wins election

In less than 24 hours, we received hundreds of replies on social media from people of all ages and backgrounds, eager to share their thoughts, feelings and opinions.

We put these concerns to all six of the local party leaders who are campaigning to become Leader of the Council on May 8.

This is what the Conservative leader, Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, said he would do to tackle the city’s most pressing issues if his party triumphed in the 2026 local elections.

PT readers have voiced anxieties about the state of Peterborough city centre, with issues like begging, street-sleeping, absent public toilets, and crippling business rates being of particular concern. What will you do, if you become leader of the city council on May 8, to improve the city centre?

“We of course support the installation of more public toilets.

"The Council is sitting on funding which could be used to install toilets quickly, so there are no excuses. The vision for the Guildhall and Cathedral Square public consultation was done over two years ago - these decisions are taking far too long.

"A Conservative administration will push a plan forward with urgency.

“We will work multi-agency on street sleeping and will also work closely with our incredible partners and agencies including the Safer off the Streets partnership and the Light Project.

“Begging really is a police matter, but we will continue to push for more action and ensuring the PSPO (Public Space Protection Order) is enforced robustly.

“Business rates are set by central government so [it is] not really a council responsibility – we only collect the money for them – but we will continue to challenge the Labour government to come up with a fairer charging method.”

Many PT readers highlighted expensive parking and pot-holed roads as issues they’d like to see the new council tackle at pace. How would you go about dealing with these issues if you were council leader?

“Our combined authority mayor Paul Bristow has set aside £1.5m for a free parking scheme.

"We believe the current administration is obstructing this and putting politics before parking. The Labour-led administration by their own choice is missing a great opportunity since Paul was elected to get a good parking deal for the city.

“A Conservative administration will ensure we can get the best free parking deal agreed quickly, so the financial burden on shoppers is eased.

“We have seen temporary fixes on potholes which just don’t last. We want more first-time permanent fixes using the innovative equipment the highways team has at its disposal.”

Issues with crime and anti-social behaviour in the city are clearly uppermost in many PT readers’ minds. Many readers have suggested deploying more visible police foot patrols to deter criminality and make people feel safe. Is this something you would consider encouraging if you were to become leader?

“We will aim to double the amount of enforcement officers in the city centre to give all a better feeling of safety. We will continue to push for more foot patrols across the city, which remains a Policing decision, not a council one.

“We will work with our Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner to keep making the case for Peterborough to have a stronger visible police presence across the city.”

And, finally - fly-tipping. What would be your new administration’s approach to tackling this persistently upsetting issue?

“We will endeavour to install more covert cameras in known fly-tipping hotspot areas and bring back bulky waste collections now that the waste service is in-house once more.

“Making the public more aware of licensed carriers and ensuring it is easier for licensed waste carriers to dispose of waste, which will all help keep focus on reducing this issue across the city.

“Those who dump rubbish illegally must be held to account and punished appropriately.”