Opinion: A determination to deliver for the people of Peterborough

The count at the town hall was a great night for Peterborough Conservatives. We gained two seats in Park ward and picked up another one in Ravensthorpe.

I know the Council are determined to deliver for the people of Peterborough and I will continue to work with them to achieve this. We have a 6 point plan for Peterborough, which will see us unleash our potential. Time and time again this government has backed Peterborough’s future with over £100 million of investment to regenerate our city.

The Station Quarter development will finally be a reality, with £48 million investment from the Government.

We have a brand new University that will soon have completed its first academic year.

A new culture hub in the centre of town has also been announced along with a pedestrian bridge linking Fletton Quays to the Embankment.

Lots of this investment will link to another top priority for Peterborough, creating a high skilled, high wage local economy.

Our university specialises in science, technology, manufacturing and innovation with a £20 million ‘Living Lab’. It will give young people in Peterborough the skills needed for the jobs of the future.

I will continue my Peterborough for Jobs campaign to get more young and unemployed people into work.

We have made progress on cleaning up our city and getting tough on fly tipping. But fly tipping continues to be a scourge on our city. I have led campaigns in Parliament for tougher measures against perpetrators.

Locally, I have also pressed for covert cameras and streetscapes to catch fly tippers in the act and prevent illegal dumping.

Getting tough on crime and anti-social behaviour has been a major campaign of mine since I became MP. I have pressed for a crack down on anti-social behaviour and street drinking in the city centre.

Since 2019 we have recruited an extra 145 police officers for Peterborough and Cambridgeshire and I will continue to push for our fair share to make our streets safer.

We are also tackling NHS backlogs with the brand new community diagnostics centre that has been confirmed for Peterborough. The new centre means a capacity for an extra 67,000 scans, tests and checks every year, right here in Peterborough. This will tackle NHS backlogs and waiting times in Peterborough whilst ultimately saving lives.

Our schools are getting better. We have secured more funding for schools in Peterborough and two brand new schools have opened this last year. I want us to keep the best teachers here in Peterborough with this extra funding, meaning our children are prepared to take on higher skilled training and go on to do great things.

Our plan won’t be achieved overnight. But we are getting more support from the Government than ever before and we are a city on the up!