Conservative Party opinion: 'Skyline is changing across the city', writes council leader Wayne Fitzgerald

In just under a month’s time, people will go to the polls in Peterborough and only by voting Conservative will we maintain the strong and decisive leadership that this council needs.

We’re at a crucial point in our city’s development, we’ve already achieved a great deal, but there’s so much more to come.

When I look around the city I now see a place that is gathering real momentum and it’s only going to get bigger and better.

The skyline is changing before our very eyes, with the continued development at Fletton Quays and with our new university opening its doors to students in September, it will see many new opportunities for our residents and businesses come to fruition.

Where once the city centre was lacking, it is now booming making it a thriving, welcoming place attracting businesses and visitors alike. The new market opening this summer will further enhance the area.

Other major schemes are progressing too, with work to redevelop Northminster under way and exciting plans for the Station Quarter and North Westgate in the pipeline.This Conservative administration has driven these major projects forward and with your support we can deliver them to their full potential and develop new schemes in future.

It is always easy for opposition parties to point the finger at those in power, but they offer little in the way of credible alternative solutions.

Instead, they spend their time plotting and scheming to take control of the council in a coalition of chaos consisting of the left-wing Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, and at the same time they all run the city down – they have nothing positive to offer.

Finally about elections, this week saw notices of election published on the council’s website, confirming which candidates will be standing on May 5 where you live.Visit www.peterborough.gov.uk to find out who is standing where. Please take part and make your vote count.

It may not seem like it right now, but spring is finally here and we can all start looking forward to spending more time outdoors.You can now enjoy a swim at the Lido, which opened at the weekend with city MP Paul Bristow testing the water – bravo Paul!

On a serious note, we are reminding people to stay cautious while out and about because Covid hasn’t gone away and infection rates in the city remain high.This is having an impact on staffing capacity in some of our essential services, like health and social care.

We want our city to remain working, so employers should ask people who are feeling unwell to stay at home to stop the virus spreading throughout the workforce.It is still worth following the usual guidance to stay safe, so get the vaccine or booster if you haven’t already done so, wear a face mask in enclosed crowded places and wash your hands on a regular basis.Take regular tests if you can, but don’t forget that free testing has now ended for most people in England, so this is now a personal choice.We’re extremely fortunate in Peterborough to have some fantastic parks and green spaces on our doorstep.

As a council we promote healthy lifestyles and encourage residents to enjoy our parks, something which many people did during the lockdowns.To help residents make the most of our open spaces, a new map has been created enabling people to search for their nearest parks and discover what facilities they offer, as well as which events are being held there.The Cambs Open Space map is the centrepiece of a new #LetsGetOutdoors campaign and can be accessed by visiting https://www.cambsopenspace.co.uk/parksVisitors can search for parks in all parts of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with each park having its own designated page with a list of facilities and local volunteer groups.Our parks are well worth visiting at any time of year, with the many benefits including improved physical and mental wellbeing.

Finally, I hope that young people across the city are currently enjoying a well-earned Easter break.For some people, supporting their children during school holidays can be difficult, so I’m delighted that we’re giving families access to supermarket vouchers during the Easter holidays after the Government extended the Household Support Grant.

Vouchers will be allocated to parents/carers whose children meet set criteria and more information can be found at http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/freeschoolmealsIf your child was eligible and you have not received your voucher, or you have any queries about the scheme, contact [email protected] and include the name of your child, their date of birth and which education establishment they attend.