Opinion: Green light for exciting projects

To illustrate the significance, this is around ten per cent of our total budget.

We’ve been planning for how we will meet this challenge for many months which has become more severe in recent weeks because of rising inflation and other factors. For example, we’ve reviewed all our contracts to make sure they’re providing best value and are looking at how we can transform our services to deliver them more effectively.

We’re doing everything we can to protect all our services, but with the challenge that we face it is inevitable we will have to make changes which will affect people. It is for this reason we have launched our budget simulator challenge this week, as we want to give residents the chance to tell us what’s important to them.

Each year we consult on our budget proposals, but participation from the public is usually low. The simulator gives people the chance to have a go at setting our budget, telling us where they think we should be investing and saving money, which we hope will encourage greater participation, particularly from a younger audience.

It also shows the difficult choices members must make when setting a budget and the consequences of reducing spend in each area. You will also see that our biggest areas of spend are on Adult Social Care and Children’s Social Care (£107m) and repaying the costs of borrowing (£30m) - the areas where we have little flexibility as these costs must be paid.

We’ve faced some criticism from opposition councillors this week, when in fact the idea as to how we could improve engagement with the public came about as a result of a request from an opposition member on our Financial Sustainability Working Group. Officers were asked to find something that could be implemented and chose the budget simulator which has been used by many other local authorities.

Whether you like the simulator or not, we hope that it will encourage more people to take an interest in our budget setting process and we will use what people tell us when we develop our budget proposals later this year.

It’s live until 28 November so visit our website or social media pages and have a go.

I am extremely proud of the work we have done to support people in need over the past couple of years and you can rest assured that we will continue to do all we can to help.

On that note, we have announced that the Household Support Fund (HSF), which has already helped over 16,000 people since launching last November, has been extended until March 2023. This will support people over the autumn and winter period, with the council receiving £1.82million for the scheme.

Residents who meet eligibility criteria can apply for food or energy vouchers. We would urge anyone struggling to get in touch with us at the earliest opportunity. The quickest and easiest way is to visit www.peterborough.gov.uk or you can also call the council on 01733 747474.

As well as offering financial support, we will also be setting up special community hubs across the city. We are planning to open the hubs in November and will announce full details shortly. At the hubs you will be able to apply for HSF funding and stock up on essentials such as dry foods.

The HSF is just one of several support measures in place to help vulnerable residents. We’re also making families with school-age children aware that continuing help will be made available over the October half term holiday with each child meeting the relevant criteria receiving a £10 supermarket voucher.

If you want to check if your child may be eligible, there are more details at www.peterborough.gov.uk.

In last week’s column I highlighted how our city’s ongoing rapid development is being boosted by the government’s Towns Fund initiative and I’m delighted to say three more exciting projects have been given the green light as part of the scheme.

The Pedestrian Bridge project, Station Quarter scheme and Lincoln Road improvements have all had their business cases signed off by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) – with £6million now on its way to Peterborough to help fund them.

A pedestrian bridge will be constructed to link the Embankment with Fletton Quays, offering pedestrians and cyclists an alternative route across the river, away from the busy main road with construction due to start in 2024.

The Station Quarter project will create a safer and more visible route to the city centre from Peterborough Train Station for pedestrians, cyclists and those with restricted mobility. This will cut down on travelling time, encouraging more people to walk and cycle and improving people’s first impressions of the city. Design options will be developed and a public consultation will follow, with construction due to start in 2024.

Finally, street and highway improvements will be made on Lincoln Road between Searjeant Street and Windmill Street. Officers are now reviewing responses from a public consultation this summer and will work with the council’s highways provider to create the final scheme. The improvements are due to start next year.