How Peterborough City Council responded to public petitions on allotments, road safety, anti-social behaviour and the state of parks

The following is a summary of the decisions made by Peterborough City Council in response to petitions received over the past six months.
The summary was presented to Members of the Cabinet at their online meeting this week where Fiona McMillan, Director of Law and Governance said: “Since June 2020, the council has received six petitions, and these are the decisions that the council has made in respect of each.”

- Fletton Glebe Allotment:

The petition was submitted by Alan Bull on June 23, 2020. The petition contained 21 valid signatures and called on the council: “…to provide / replace suitable green fencing on two sides of the allotment to prevent further break-ins this Summer and in the future.”

The Head of Environmental Partnerships responded: “Thank you for the recent petition you sent on behalf of yourself and plot holders at Fletton Glebe Allotments with regards to the current fence along two sides of the site. I have also received the cover letter and reviewed its contents.

“I can confirm we have a quotation for a fence to be installed along two sections of the allotment and this was valued at £27,160 this does not include any compensations for the plots that would have to be reduced in size to allow these works to be carried out or the shed’s that may need to be replaced, as a result, the contractor has advised this could be up to 17 plots.

“As you may be aware the current allotment budget is used from the income generated by the plot fees paid each year and this money has to cover all the sites across Peterborough as it stands, we do not have the budget to fund these works. When I attended the site with Jayne Jarvis and the site rep, I was shown the rear fence, the fence along the Frank Perkins Parkway that you mention in your cover letter, it was agreed at this time as the shrubbery was now very dense and blocking access to the fence this would reassess in the Autumn.

“When I viewed the back-fence area it was clear that it was dense with vegetation and that there was one main point of access where you could see people may have been gaining access. On the balance of the access issues, the potential damage that could be caused to current plots and structures, and the current dense vegetation in place, it was jointly agreed to block this access would be the best course of action. We are aware of other sites that indeed have some form of metal fencing but still suffer from break-ins and have seen in the past where we have removed dense foliage it makes it easier for break-ins to occur.

“I note that you have had an independent quotation for the fencing to be carried out and they feel that that access via a vehicle would not be needed and it to be not a big job, I would be happy to look over this quotation if this offers a lower price to see the options they have put forward.

“At this time we do not have the funds to cover the replacement of the complete fence we can however look at the section that is currently open to block this, I am happy to work with you to look at other options and your quotation and see if any joint funding can be raised for this work to happen in the future.”

- Traffic Restrictions in Cowgate:

The petition was submitted by Peter Fierro on June 24, 2020. The petition contained 43 valid signatures and stated: “The business and property owners wish to express their strong opposition to either the temporary or permanent restriction of vehicular access to Cross Street and Cowgate and the associated pedestrianisation and introduction of cycle lanes to these streets”.

The Group Manager – Transport and Environment responded: “Thank you for presenting the above petition. I can confirm that we acknowledge the petition and the concerns of the petition signatories contained within it. As you may be aware, we are undertaking a number of measures in and around the city centre as part of a grant allocation recently awarded to the Council from the Department for Transport. Whilst some measures have already been installed, we are still in the process of finalising the remaining measures and as such we cannot, at this stage, confirm the final plans.

“Please rest assured that we will not proceed with any measures without further correspondence with yourself and the affected traders. We will write to you again, week commencing 27th July, to discuss any plans that we intend to proceed with in further detail. In the meantime, should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me using the details above”.

- Anti-Social Behaviour on Lincoln Road:

The petition was submitted by Mr Shahzad at Full Council on June 29, 2020. The petition contained 118 valid signatures and called on the Council: “To implement measures including stronger licensing enforcement, revoking licences and increased Community Officer presence to address the issues surrounding premises serving alcohol and the associated antisocial behaviour in Lincoln Road.”

“The Licensing and Business Manager responded: “Thank you for presenting the petition pertaining to concerns that some businesses in Lincoln Road are not respecting lockdown rules and the serving of alcohol on their premises.

“The council’s Environmental Health and Licensing teams have been actively investigating compliance in this area throughout the pandemic, both proactively and reactively. Where complaints of non-compliance have been received in relation to specific premises, these have been passed to the relevant service area for further action. The most appropriate enforcement action is considered at the time, based on the information provided but includes conversations with the business owners, visits made to determine the COVID-19 secure measures that have been implemented with advice or instructions provided where measures were found to be inadequate.

“The council’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Team have undertaken a broader piece of engagement work with business owners on Lincoln Road, both via email and in person by providing leaflets with key messaging on social distancing, good hygiene practices and queue management. Upon the announcement by the government regarding the reopening of the hospitality sector, the licensing team made contact with all licensed premises in Peterborough, which included those in Lincoln Road, to offer assistance to businesses who may require further clarity on the government’s guidance on reopening safely and also to ensure that businesses understand their responsibilities in relation to collecting customer details.

“In reference to the lockdown, on 23 March, the government required by law that certain businesses and venues were to close in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. A number of businesses providing essential goods and services were permitted to remain open, this included fast food outlets, cafes, bars, pubs, and restaurants that sold alcohol and food for consumption off the premises if their licence authorised the activity. Our records do not show any complaints of premises selling alcohol without the benefit of a licence, however if you are able to provide specific details in this regard, these will be investigated.

“In order to build on the activity previously mentioned, on 14 August, officers from the Licensing Team and Environmental Health Team joined with Police Community Support Officers for a day of targeted action which saw open businesses in Lincoln Road visited for the purpose of ascertaining the COVID secure measures implemented in each premises and to ensure that businesses and residents continue to stay alert and safe during this public health crisis.

“As specifically cited in the petition, it is acknowledged that the council has the authority to revoke a premises licence where there is a clear and serious breach of the licensing objectives, however it must be recognised that this involves a statutory process and any action must be led by evidence. It is good practice for responsible authorities to give licensees early warning of any concerns relating to the licensing objectives and offer advice on the need for improvement. A graduated approach consisting of advice, warnings, and the use of action plans or statutory notices is appropriate in the vast majority of cases.

“Where there is an evidenced failure to adequately respond to warnings, or where concerns are of a particularly serious nature, licensing authorities may be asked to review a licence. Reviews are conducted by the council’s licensing sub-committee and the review process includes a 28- day consultation period to allow for public engagement. Where it has been evidenced that the licensing objectives are being undermined, the sub-committee have a range of options available, including modifying or adding conditions to the licence in question, suspending all or any licensable activities for up to three months or revoking the licence. Any of these steps needs to be shown to be appropriate and proportionate. Clearly revocation is the most serious of these steps and will need careful consideration. In most cases, reviews result in the modification or addition of conditions to the licence.

“The Prevention and Enforcement Service are currently in the process of renewing the Public Space Protection Order which covers Lincoln Road, Millfield. Conditions around antisocial behaviour will be included. We are urging all residents and businesses to take part in the consultation which will commence in September to allow officers to gain their views and make any amendments to the order as required. Over the past month Prevention and Enforcement Officers have been working closely with the neighbourhood police team and regulatory services on a number of projects in the area. As we move forward it is hoped to build on these activities and have more joint enforcement patrols with the local PCSOs in the area to increase visibility and take enforcement action when required.

“It is apparent that many of the issues raised may not directly relate to the current crisis therefore are matters that can continue to be addressed through existing planned interventions and collaborative partner working. To that end I am happy to pass on your comments regarding additional police (PCSO) presence to the Police who are best placed to address this matter.”


- Road Safety Mayor’s Walk:

The petition was submitted by Messrs Rafiq and Saghir at Full Council on June 29, 2020. The petition contained 115 valid signatures and called on the Council: “To improve road safety for pedestrians and cyclists, install speed cameras and improve visibility at junction of Midland Road and Almoner’s Lane”.

The Network and Traffic Manager responded: “I refer to the petition submitted by Ummer Saghir and yourself, that was duly submitted by Councillor Murphy, requesting engineering measures to be implemented on Mayors Walk, specifically between the junction with Alderman’s Drive and the bridge over the railway to the east.

“Having looked at the accident data over the last three years up to April 2020, there have been a total of seven collisions resulting in some form of injury:
2017/18: 2 accidents; 2018/19: 3 accidents; 2019/20: 2 accidents.

“Of these seven, none have excessive or inappropriate speed assigned as a contributory factor by the police who have attended the scene and compiled the reports. Four occurred at junctions where speeds would be considerably reduced.

“We undertook a speed survey between 8am and 9am on 5th February 2020 near 14 Mayors Walk. The data obtained showed average speeds of 26mph westbound and 28mph eastbound. From this data we determined  what speed 85% of drivers are travelling at (or below), and this resulted in speeds of 30mph and 31mph respectively. These are approximately 4mph higher than the average speed and is what you would expect for a 30mph speed limit. Compliance with the speed limit is taken as being where the average speed is at or below the signed limit which is the case at this location.

“The use of mirrors on the highway is not something that we would advocate or support particularly in urban areas where street lighting is present. They are prone to condensation, dazzle, distortion, and cause difficulty for drivers in estimating distances or speeds.

“Data is reviewed regularly to ensure that any significant changes in accident patterns can be identified along with whether the main contributory factors can be addressed through engineering interventions. In the absence of excessive speed related collisions or a proven speeding problem we would be unable to justify the provision of engineering interventions. Likewise, the suggested use of safety cameras has no impact on accident rates where the collisions occur at low speed.”


- Traffic Restrictions in Broadway:
The petition was submitted by Councillor Fitzgerald at Full Council on June 29, 2020. The petition contained 27 valid signatures and objected: “…to the proposal of a temporary installation of pop-up cycles interventions and request to be kept informed of future developments in the area.”

The Principal Sustainable Transport Planning Officer responded: “We collected all the feedback on the pop-up cycle lane proposals and discussed the concerns with some of our Cabinet Members. A decision was made that we will not be progressing with our proposed plans on Broadway and we will instead be installing a temporary pop-up cycle lane on New Road.

“Regarding the anti-social behaviour. The City Council is currently in the process of renewing the Public Space Protection Order which covers Broadway and Stanley Recreation Ground.  Conditions around anti-social behaviour will be included in this order. Officers from the Prevention and Enforcement Service are in the process of contacting various businesses to collect statements about issues they are experiencing in the area.   The proposed order will be subject to public consultation in September and all businesses are encouraged to respond.

“In addition, over the past month Prevention and Enforcement officers have been working closely with the neighbourhood police team to undertake joint patrols in the area.

“Thank you for presenting the petition and if there is anything further that you want to discuss then please let me know”.


- Maintain Peterborough Parks:
The petition was submitted by Amira Hussain on September 23, 2020. The petition contained 31 valid signatures and called on the Council: “…to maintain the Play parks belonging to Westwood, Ravensthorpe and Bretton”.

The Head of Environmental Partnerships responded: “Thank you for your Petition with regards to the play areas in Westwood, Ravensthorpe and Bretton. We currently carry out Weekly, Monthly and Annual (independent) inspections of all our play areas to ensure they are safe for use and this also highlights to us any potential deficiencies in provision

“We are currently in the process of looking to put extra equipment into Bretton park and replacing some Items in Hampton Court and we have recently spent some further funds on Hampton Court, Baker Park is also on the list to potentially have some further equipment added this year.

“I would be more than happy to work with you to look at any specific play areas you have concern with so we can look at any potential funding to help?”.