Political View: 'Power grab' is preventing scrutiny
By now, there would normally be a bustle of preparation for the council scrutiny meetings taking place in June after the May full council, writes Conservative Group press officer John Howard.
This is where your elected Councillors scrutinise decision making and processes within the council, across a range of vital areas and departments. In June, there are no such meetings… all you will hear is a pin drop, as the calendar is clear.
The comments online are mostly of shock, how did it come to this? It’s another cost of the potential power grab, as some political groups spent more time plotting than submitting their representations to the committees in time for the May full council meeting. A fundamental part of democracy, and a key part of why you vote for your local representatives, is so they can be your voice and your challenge on the scrutiny committees. Local democracy is being failed by the distraction of a lust for power, and it really is time for us to get back to business and get on with a very difficult year ahead.
The next budget will be even tougher and harder than we have seen before, and it will need every political group, as uncomfortable as it might well be for some, to start working on the challenges and opportunities that the public want to us do, rather than self-serving power grabs. Online, much is said about the political choices I have made, but I will say this-the current behaviour of some in the chamber makes it absolutely clear why I rejoined the Conservatives. The Conservative group did submit their committee preferences in good time, because we enjoy serving and playing our part in council business. We want to contribute positively.
With the Lido open for the summer season, we are glad to see swimming in Peterborough is high on the agenda again. Everyone is now talking seriously about a new pool. Our combined authority Mayor Paul Bristow is making the case for a city centre stadium, pool and concert venue provision, and although coming from different angles on where and how, our MP is now pushing the case too.
We just need to get Peterborough swimming again and no politician will argue with this. Credit to Paul for turning the heat up on this agenda and getting everyone talking about a new pool provision.
The pool and stadium discussions always lead to talk about the Embankment. I cleared up last week that a city centre stadium wouldn’t need to occupy the Embankment. Let’s start talking positively about the Embankment and not be afraid to have the conversation. With the proposed Cygnet bridge, let’s give them somewhere to go-some riverside leisure and café provision on the Embankment edge would help serve the growing university, and give an entire gateway of leisure and recreation from the Key Theatre down towards the new bridge. This would still give provision for all the things we love on the Embankment. The green space, the events that take place-including the Beer festival, the Great eastern run, can all still happen.
And concerts too-remember when we had artists like Simply Red perform? It would be great to see such events like this again, especially after the sad cancellation of the ‘on the green’ festival. A more connected provision would also help contribute to public safety in this area too. So, let’s be brave and bring the embankment back to life with a mix of events and leisure.
A café culture that could run to the city centre…. Hold that thought as I will need to continue that conversation in another article!