Cllr Christian Hogg
Council Group Leader
ViewManifesto for Peterborough City Council Elections 2024
A VISION OF A FAIR, SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE PETERBOROUGH
Introduction
The Liberal Democrats want to create a fair, safe, and sustainable Peterborough in which everyone is equally empowered to fulfil their ambitions and live healthy lives.
We have the ideas that Peterborough needs to build a society in which everyone - regardless of their age, gender, or background - has the opportunity to fulfil their potential and get on in life. To do this we would:
- Reduce crime and anti-social behaviour
- Tackle the climate emergency
- Give residents a greater say on what happens in their area
- Improve our public transport, roads and pavements
- Build affordable housing
- Improve education for all
- Tackle social exclusion and improve the care and health of our residents
- Increase efficiency to deliver effective services
With over two decades of Conservative administration in our city, our city has fallen backwards. Our council is over-centralised and secretive, we are failing to act to address the climate emergency seriously, our services are being cut while anti-social behaviour is increasing, and the lack of affordable housing has become a major issue.
The Lib Dems believe that our city can have a bright future, but only with fresh ideas. our city needs new and innovative ideas and a more progressive way of working..
In recent years, Conservative chancellors have cut Peterborough’s grant from central government. On average central government grants to local authorities were cut 38% in real terms between 2009/10 and 2018/19. The Lib Dems believe that the fight against these cuts should involve more than the Conservatives’ initiatives like the ‘Stand up for Peterborough’ campaign which simply sought to ‘move the deck chairs around’ and was quietly shelved after the local elections. We believe that much more money needs to be invested in the vital services that local government provides.
With the Conservatives destined to lose council seats across the city, it looks increasingly likely that the city council will remain firmly in no overall control by any one party after the local elections. Politicians from all political parties will need to work together to protect and improve the services which many local residents rely on.
This document shows that the Lib Dems are more ready than ever to help build a city that works for everyone.
Our commitment to the residents of Peterborough is that a council run by the Lib Dems will work to improve the lives of all residents by listening to you and working hard all year round.
This document sets out the policies that Liberal Democrat councillors will strive to implement should we get into a position of power or influence on the City Council. The order and speed with which the policies can be translated into action will depend on the funds available and the circumstances prevailing at the time. There are also some policies which relate to the responsibilities of the Council's partner organisations, such as the Combined Authority, North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridgeshire Constabulary where the process will involve influencing the decision makers rather than being able to make direct changes to service delivery.
Simon Edens
Local Party Chair
ViewReduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
We will ensure that the council works with the Police to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour across our city and make our communities safer. We will make sure your local Police know about the problems in your area and we’ll follow that up so that things get better where you live.
We will demand additional resources to reduce violent crime and domestic abuse, particularly against the more vulnerable members of our society, and we will support victims.
The Lib Dems will improve Prevention and Enforcement Teams so that more of them patrol outside of the city centre and address anti-social behaviour in our local communities.
We will also promote and encourage more local communities to get involved by setting up schemes such as, Speed Watch and Neighbourhood Watch to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
Tackle the Climate Emergency.
We believe that the whole of Peterborough should reduce its overall carbon use significantly over the next 10 years and be a carbon neutral city before 2045. We support the ambition for achieving carbon neutrality for the Council by 2030 but we think current actions and plans in place will make this very difficult to achieve.
Despite declaring a climate emergency in Peterborough, the council’s ambition to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment are weak, focussing only on council owned buildings and services. The Lib Dems believe that the council should take a much wider role in reducing Peterborough’s impact on the environment by promoting low carbon energy, transport, and housing for the whole community.
We will support existing local businesses and help to create new ones through training, business advice, the supply of appropriate premises and assistance with finding investment capital. We will encourage the creation of jobs in the green economy and look to adapt the city’s infrastructure to new ways of working for the 21st century.
Give residents a greater say on what happens in their area.
The previous Conservative administration had been prioritising investment in the city centre at the expense of the rest of the council area. The Lib Dems will reform the secretive, cabinet decision making process in the Town Hall, opting instead for a system which will be open and transparent to residents, giving councillors of all parties’ greater influence. Longer term, we will make your representation the same wherever you live across the council through Area Committees or Parish Councils.
Improve our public transport, roads and pavements.
The Lib Dems will seek to increase investment in the bus network, working with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor to introduce green public transport to Peterborough such as light rail and/or electric buses. We will invest in our roads and pavements to improve for all users, encouraging the continued increase of cycling and walking following the COVID 19 pandemic and taking advantage of the consequential improvements to our health of more exercise and reduced pollution.
Build affordable housing.
The Lib Dems will work to introduce a new strategy which properly supports and rehomes the increasing number of people living on the streets of Peterborough. The Lib Dems will ensure the council meets its target of 30% of all homes built in the city as affordable or social housing, if necessary, by establishing a council-owned housing company.
Improve education for all.
The Lib Dems wish to see inclusive education of our children, we support the phasing out of selective admissions policies based on faith and would aim for all children to be able to attend their local school if they so wish.
Tackle social exclusion and improve the care and health of our residents.
The Lib Dems will work to make Peterborough an age-friendly city. We will work to tackle barriers to older people living well in our city. As part of this project, we will tackle social isolation and improve opportunities for older people to play a full and active part in their communities.
The Lib Dems will improve support for carers in our city both paid and unpaid, supporting both through direct financial aid, funding voluntary organisations and providing respite care.
Increase efficiency, deliver effective services.
The Conservatives seek to portray an image of financial and management competence – but in fact over the past few years here in Peterborough they have wasted huge amounts of money through bad management and poor decisions. The Lib Dems will invest wisely in services and facilities and ensure that benefits are returned to the council rather than just to private companies or investors.