Peterborough City Council is urged to focus on cost of living crisis rather than 'blue sky thinking'

The leader of Peterborough City Council’s Labour group has called for urgent action to be taken to ease the cost of living crisis facing city residents.

The demand comes from Councillor Shaz Nawaz who says the problems caused by the soaring prices of energy, food, clothing and other essentials are not being given the serious attention by the local authority that it deserves.

His comments were prompted by the release of the council’s new Sustainable Future City Council strategy, which warns that the local authority is in a ‘permanent era of austerity’ and facing a £20 million to £30 million hole in its budget as it enters the most challenging times since WWII.

It outlines a four point plan for the next three years as the council tries to find its own ways to plan and gear up for a future that allows it to operate effectivity and independently with smaller finances.

It also highlights a huge contradiction of a city, which is one of the fastest growing in terms of population and economy, a top four employer, with a new university, and a rich offering in retail, outdoor attractions and heritage and yet on so many human measures, is near the bottom of the league.

It warns: “While our city continues to grow and prosper, there are still too many people who feel left behind and who do not directly benefit from the opportunities our city presents to us.

It states: “We also need to change because what the council has done in the past is no longer good enough in meeting what our residents need and expect today.

"Our city residents are at the bottom of too many league tables - people in the city die earlier, have poorer health and lower levels of education and skills than in most other cities.

"Too many are insufficiently skilled, too many are in low paid work, too many struggle to find suitable accommodation to live in.”

But Cllr Nawaz said: “The report highlights some key challenges which are already well documented.

"While strategy reports are fantastic for painting a picture of what ‘may happen’ in the future, the problem is that the tactics to implement the strategy fail all too often and nothing much happens apart from a lot of wasted money on blue sky thinking.

"But by far the biggest challenge for most people across the city is the cost of living crisis.

"And this cost of living crisis is not being addressed with the commitment it requires.

"My stance is simple.

"Highlight the problems, find solutions, work with business and the local community, take action and make things happen.

Cllr Nawaz added: “Unfortunately, most people I speak to in the city have little faith that anything will change because they’ve seen far too much lip service and minimal action.

"It’s time to change that so we deliver real outcomes for people across the city.

"A report is a good start but we need commitment and action to deliver results.”