Westminster Life: Go backwards – or build a better city?

The Conservatives won a mandate to lead the council.

In November last year, despite the election results, a new leader to run the council was appointed – shamefully backed by Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Greens - who have no mandate to run our council.

But what’s happened has happened.

It’s now only fair to judge the new administration on their record - how they deliver local services, work with local people, and ensure that council officers are accountable.

Sadly, my inbox has been inundated with concerned and frustrated local residents who have raised a number of issues with me.

The council closed three bridges at Cuckoos Hollow with no consultation or warning. This continues to be a massive inconvenience to local residents and effectively cuts many people off, leaving vulnerable people stranded and isolated.

Many months after the closure there is no indication from the administration how they plan to help local residents and re-open these bridges.

In Werrington, much-loved local fields are under threat from the council’s plan to fence them off.

Despite many years of work and compromise that was reached between the school, council, and local residents the new administration continues to ignore this.

This election is our last chance to save the Werrington Fields.

The Bretton Centre has had a great past and can have a super future.

Residents have contacted me to tell me they desperately want improvements at the centre. I am keen to move forward to plans to regenerate the Bretton Centre and I know a new Conservative council will work with me to deliver this.

On Thursday 2nd May, at the local elections, the people of Peterborough will deliver their verdict on this council administration.

They are a vote on re-opening the bridges at Cuckoos Hollow.

They are our last chance to save Werrington fields.

They are our only opportunity to build a better future for the Bretton Centre.

And they are even more than that.

They are a referendum on council tax.

Peterborough Conservatives will keep council tax as low as possible. Unlike the Labour Mayor of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire who is upping his share of council tax by a whopping 200%!

They are a referendum on finding a new home for the POSH.

The Peterborough Conservatives have conducted a survey so the people of Peterborough can tell us where the POSH should have its new home.

The POSH is a team on the up and they deserve a state-of-the-art new home.

They are a referendum on cleaning up our city.

Council tax payers deserve better. Free bulky waste collections will help tackle fly-tipping across our city and rural lanes.

They are a referendum on cracking down on crime and anti-social behaviour.

Conservative councillors will work with local community groups, council enforcement officers and the police to help local people feel safe.

Ultimately, they are a referendum on the future of Peterborough.

A choice between continuing to go backwards or building an even better city for all of us to live and work – a Peterborough we can all be proud of.