Paul Bristow interview: ‘Coalition of chaos’ could destroy Peterborough’s ‘exciting’ future

The Conservative MP for Peterborough labelled critics of the new Peterborough university as “moaning minnies” while praising the Tory-run city council for its vision with regenerating the town centre.

This includes not only the new university by the Embankment but also major schemes at the Station Quarter, North Westgate and Northminster, on top of the current redevelopment of Fletton Quays at Peterborough’s South Bank.

May 2021 will see delayed local elections take place which could lead to the end of the 22 year Conservative rule if opposition parties enjoy success.

Currently, the Tories hold 28 of the 60 seats on the council and rely on the support of the three Werrington First councillors to have enough votes in the Council Chamber.

But at the next election they are defending 14 of the 22 seats which are being contested, compared to just four for Labour, two for the Liberal Democrats, one for the Liberal Party and one for Werrington First.

Speaking to the Peterborough Telegraph in an interview marking his first anniversary as MP for Peterborough, Mr Bristow said: “I’m very impressed with the council’s vision for regenerating the town centre. They’ve got £23 million - which myself and (North West Cambridgeshire MP) Shailesh Vara helped secure - from government to take that regeneration of the city centre forward.

“I need Conservative councillors in the city I can work with to achieve this vision. The alternative fills me with dread. You’ve got a very left-wing and extreme Labour Party, and the idea of those guys in charge working with the Liberal Democrats and Greens in some sort of coalition of chaos, the whole thing could collapse within about 12 months.

“They don’t share the vision and that’s the risk.”

The new university, ARU Peterborough, will open in 2022, initially for 2,000 pupils with a campus at the Wirrina Car Park.

It will then be followed by a new research ‘super hub” which has received £14.6 million of government funding.

Asked for his thoughts on the project, Mr Bristow said: “We’ve got the potential to build something very special in the middle of our city, not just a university but that research super hub which will specialise in science, technology, manufacturing, engineering, agri-tech - all the things that make our city special, reflective of our history as a working city.

“The decisions which are being made now will set up our future health, wealth and happiness. We’ve got a real opportunity to bring highly paid jobs back to our city centre, and when we bring those jobs back those people are going to go out and use the retail in our city centre, the pubs, bars and restaurants.

“These are the decisions which can really guarantee our future and I’m really excited about the prospects of our university.”

However, while millions of pounds is being ploughed into the university, the city council is battling a financial crisis brought on by years of government cuts to its funding, rising demand for services and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Bristow said: “It’s very clear to me that the funding formula does not work for Peterborough. It doesn’t take into account our hidden population which is not picked up from the Census.

“My job is to make sure ministers are aware of that, which they are, because myself and Shailesh Vara have met with them on a number of occasions with Peterborough City Council to make that point, and there will be changes to that formula coming soon.

“Secondly, my job is to make sure that funding comes from extra money to make up for that shortfall in the formula and ministers have given Peterborough City Council extra money. They’ve got extra money from the Covid emergency, they have been allowed to do various budgetary things which allow them to balance the books which perhaps other councils are not allowed to do, and we continue to make the case that Peterborough needs its fair share.

“I don’t think anybody can say I’ve not been successful in my year as an MP, and Shailesh in the years that he’s been an MP, in trying to ensure that this city gets more money. We’ve got £14 million for the university, £23 million for the Towns Fund regeneration, lots and lots of extra money due to Covid and over £800,000 for some of the challenges facing our rough sleepers.

“That’s a record I’m proud to stand on in terms of getting Peterborough more money and more investment from central government.”

Mr Bristow said he has a “constructive relationship” with the council but will challenge it on certain issues.

One of his criticisms of the local authority is on its recent comments relating to the regeneration of the Millfield area.

Critical comments from community leaders in the Millfield area were made in response to the PT’s revelation that only £663,000 of a promised £7.5 million investment from the council to regenerate Millfield and New England has been spent in the past three years.

The council told the PT that unprecedented spending challenges meant “difficult investment decisions are being undertaken and a small number of funding projects have had budgets redistributed”.

However, council deputy leader Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald later insisted that the money was still available, with £2 million of it in the budget and more ready to spend if suitable schemes were proposed.

Asked for his thoughts on the issue, Mr Bristow replied: “If I’ve got any criticisms of the city council is that it needs to be better at doing some of its PR sometimes. They managed to create a narrative where Millfield was promised all this money but it wasn’t delivered.

“The council has set aside millions of pounds for Millfield in the budget. It’s there, it’s clear, but they’ve issued the challenge that there needs to be plans to spend the money which is entirely right.

“I think what needs to happen is the city council need to appointment somebody, or some sort of body, to co-ordinate ideas from local organisations, councillors and other people in Millfield to come together with a costed plan on how to spend money on regeneration.

“The last thing that taxpayers of Peterborough want is money to be wasted.”

This is one of a five-part interview with Mr Bristow.

The remaining articles will appear at: https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/politics.