Roadworks pain will lead to gain - Cllr John Holdich, Peterborough City Council leader

The story gathered plenty of reaction after being picked up by the local media, perhaps understandably given I’m pretty sure the words Peterborough and beach have never been mentioned in the same sentence before!

To make it clear, should this proposal for an ‘urban beach’ go ahead it would be funded by Weston Homes, the company behind the build of the apartments at Fletton Quays, and not the city council - as people may have been initially led to believe.

To be fair to the local media this point was later clarified and we can now look forward to the completion of a key development for our city. (See Editor’s note).

I think any idea that could potentially attract people to the city and make an area more attractive is a good thing, so we’ll have to wait and see if the ‘urban beach’ plan comes to fruition.

As you will see if you pass the site, Fletton Quays’ development is progressing at quite a pace and I’m very much looking forward to seeing each stage come to completion, starting with the council’s move to new offices there in the summer.

As a council, we work with our partners to support businesses and keep the local economy vibrant - as we are seeing with the work of the Peterborough Investment Partnership bringing forward Fletton Quays.

So, I was delighted to hear encouraging news this week about the number of new businesses starting up in Peterborough. According to an economic intelligence report compiled by our colleagues at Opportunity Peterborough, the rate of business creation in the city was recently 50 per cent higher than the national average.

We all know that the last few years have not been easy for businesses and the report states that during the height of the economic crisis between 2009 and 2012, new businesses struggled to start up in the city as they did across the country.

So it’s great to see that local businesses are flourishing once again and the city is exceeding expectations.

Local businesses are the lifeblood of our city’s economy and we will continue to support them and encourage growth.

Here’s a question for you: How much trade do greater Peterborough companies do with America? The answer is 1.3 billion dollars.

I was also pleased to hear that a new roundabout in the city is helping to keep motorists safe.

Back in 2015 we built a roundabout in Staniland Way in Werrington at a junction which had become known as an accident blackspot.

A relative of mine was involved in a collision there, so I was personally well aware of the problems that the previous triangular junction was causing.

The new roundabout has made a big positive difference.

Not only has it improved traffic flow but reported accidents there have plummeted since it was built.

The roundabout was one of the first major projects delivered by the new partnership of the city council working together with Skanska, and is one of many key improvements that have been made to our roads in recent years, with several more in the pipeline.

On the subject of roads, can I remind you all to keep a lookout for any potholes you see on your travels.

It’s the time of year when potholes tend to form and the sooner they get reported, the sooner we can fill them in.

To report a pothole call 01733 747474 or visit www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk.

The ongoing roadworks in Bourges Boulevard continue to attract publicity as a result of the congestion caused.

We have warned motorists about this, and I would advise drivers to follow traffic updates and seek alternative routes where possible.

I’d like to emphasise that this is a case of short-term pain for long-term gain. The new junction will improve access to the Virgin Trains car park and open the future development potential of the site.

Finally, you may have seen the news that from March 1 we will be adopting powers to take action against vehicles which are causing hazards, either by double parking or parking in front of dropped kerbs. From this date, anyone caught doing this may be issued with a penalty charge notice. We are taking this approach because residents have made us aware that these are particular problems in certain parts of the city.

To report a parking offence call 01733 747474 or email [email protected]

Editor’s note: The story was sourced from a release by the developer... just to be fair to us... the PT has never reported that the council was involved - all our stories were accurate.