Town Hall View: Meeting a hero from the golden age of children’s TV

It honours the triumph of Allied forces and pays tribute to the courage, resilience, and sacrifice of millions who fought for freedom.

Peterborough played its part in the commemorations, and you may have seen the Union Flag bunting adorning the city centre and on buildings including the Lido and Museum. The Cathedral and Queensgate Shopping Centre were lit up in red, white and blue, the Union Flag raised outside the Town Hall and a civic service with a proclamation from the town crier and the lighting of a beacon.

Last week, residents went to the polls to vote in the elections for the Combined Authority Mayor and the Barnack by-election. Locally, I’d like to congratulate our newest councillor, Independent Kevin Tighe, who

won the Barnack seat, and I look forward to working with him.

I made my views known on the candidates standing in the Combined Authority election many times in this column in recent weeks, so I am naturally disappointed that Anna Smith, our Labour and Cooperative candidate, did not win, although I congratulate her on a well fought election campaign.

“To the winner the spoils” and congratulations to Conservative candidate Paul Bristow on being elected as mayor of our combined authority. Regardless of our political differences, we both care passionately about Peterborough and doing what is right for our residents so we will work together for the good of the city.

Moving on, the first public event as part of the public consultation on our Draft Local Plan took place this week. If you missed it, there are further events taking place until 15 May, including one this evening at Queensgate Shopping Centre.

We’ve had a couple of requests to host more public events in community settings, such as libraries, but with the limited resources that we have available this sadly isn’t possible. There are, however, other ways people can get involved, including online consultation events, completing an online survey or by obtaining paper copies of the draft plan and comment forms available across the council’s library buildings and in the Town Hall.

Our Draft Local Plan is essential for ensuring that housing, employment and infrastructure needs are met. A well thought out and managed plan for growth means our area can grow in the right way and provide the best amenities for people.

It will act as a key guide for determining future planning applications, setting out a vision to support new homes, workspaces, transport, community facilities and other infrastructure, outlining how the city and surrounding villages will grow and change over the next 20 years.

I must emphasise that the plan is still in draft form, so no decisions have been made, so the public’s feedback is essential in helping shape later versions. Visit our website www.peterborough.gov.uk for more information and to take part in the consultation before it closes on 29 May.

Last Saturday, I had the immense privilege to welcome actor and former Blue Peter presenter, Peter Purves to open the unofficial Dr Who Time and Space exhibition at the museum.

You know you are old when you watched the very first episode featuring actor William Hartnell as the very first Dr Who. Peter was his first companion, Stephen Taylor, before he went on to greater fame as a Blue Peter presenter.

It was a pleasure to introduce him as one of my childhood heroes in, what I consider to be, the golden age of Children’s TV. Not only a very good actor and presenter but also a very nice guy who stayed for over two hours chatting to fans and signing pictures. A memorable event for all the best reasons.

Peter spoke passionately about the plight of museums across the country and Peterborough’s in particular. It is events like this and future exhibitions that, with public support, will secure the future of our beloved museum. We are off to a great start by extending the opening hours to accommodate the people wanting to visit this fabulous exhibition.

And finally, I’d like to praise the work of council staff and police officers for targeting illegitimate sellers at the Wellington car boot sale in the city. Following a planned partnership operation to disrupt sellers of concern, more than 675 items with an approximate sale value of over £10,000 were surrendered or abandoned on the site, including confectionary, cosmetics, chocolates, coffee and laundry detergents.

Ordinarily these items would all be destroyed following such an operation, but many of the products were found to be legitimate and safe to use.

To help ensure that the seized items could be put to good use, officers donated them to Care Zone in Peterborough, a charity which helps vulnerable families to access household goods and furniture.

I’m delighted that the items seized have been donated to charity and will benefit families in need in our communities.