PETERBOROUGH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

WERRINGTON & GUNTHORPE RESIDENTS’ NEWSLETTER

Issue number 101

Your Lib Dem FOCUS Team – councillor Darren Fower, councillor Julia Davidson and Andrew Bond

Keeping in touch – working all year round

www.peterboroughlibdems.org.uk

Happy to pay extra tax for the mayor’s car? The Tory-led council has decided to provide the mayor (also a Tory!) with a new chauffeur-driven Jaguar XJ. The car alone will cost £534 per month. Local Liberal Democrat councillor Darren Fower has started an on-

line petition to overturn the decision.

You can add your support by visiting www.bit.ly/MayorsCar or write

to Darren at the Town Hall (address details on back page). Darren told us: “The majority of people do not see why such a lavish,

expensive and environmentally unsound concept should continue. “It is a time of austerity at the Town Hall, we are being asked to pay

an increase in Council Tax and the council is borrowing so that future generations are being expected to pay off our debts.

“How can this be the right decision by a local authority which aspires to become the Environment Capital?”

Bus shelter request While the mayor rides in his chauffeured limo, local residents have asked Lib Dem councillors Darren Fower and Julia Davidson for assistance in keeping dry while waiting for the bus.

They have asked about the possibility of erecting a shelter at the bus stop located on Corfe Avenue and Amberley Slope.

One resident said: “The shelters are used by a number of older people, as well as youngsters, some of whom are only 4 years of age, who have to stand in all weathers to wait for the bus.”

Bin and path problems Local Lib Dem councillor Darren Fower has been contacted by local residents about the state of the footpath that runs alongside Campbell Drive and behind Ambleside Gardens and issues with some of the bins. Darren said: “There are cracks in the

footpath. The council has done some tarmacking but it’s been patchy. I’d like to know why the problem is occurring. Some of the bins situated along the

footpath that leads through to Baron Court have not been emptied regularly and one damaged bin was not replaced for weeks. Darren has now raised all these points

with the council and demanded action.

Manor Drive Following the article in the previous issue of FOCUS about the lack of bus service for Manor Drive, residents have contacted local Lib Den councillor Darren Fower about a range of issues relating to car parking, litter, dog dirt, street lighting and play areas. One local resident told Darren,

“Although some residents have been here almost a year, we are yet to have our street lights switched on!” Another resident said: “Play areas are

something residents wanted from day one of building. Some purchased homes on the promise of one.” Darren has now raised these and

other issues with the city council and is pushing for action to be taken.

Printed by Exaprint 86-90 Paul Street London EC2A 4NE

Published and promoted for and on behalf of the Liberal Democrats by C Wiggin, 24 Delves Way, Peterborough PE7 8GJ

CONTACT FOCUS By phone: Darren Fower – 07572 463 904 Julia Davidson – 07506 536 627 Andrew Bond – 07761 563 465

By post: Darren Fower or Julia Davidson Town Hall, Bridge St, Peterborough PE1 1HG

By e-mail: werring-gun@peterboroughlibdems.org.uk

COME AND TALK TO US Visit one of our ‘ward surgeries'

6:00 to 7:00 pm First Friday of every month

Community Centre, Church Street

9:00 to 10:00 am Third Saturday of every month

Brookside Church, Gunthorpe Road

Search for Darren

Fower, Julia Davidson

and Andrew Bond or ‘Peterborough Liberal

Democrats’

Printed on ‘green’ FSC certified paper

A call for help I am very proud to announce that we have

just completed delivery of 100 issues of

FOCUS. This is a great achievement by the FOCUS

Team. However – we really could do with some

more help. New ward boundaries that come into

effect in May mean that we have a far bigger area

to cover than we did previously.

This is why as your FOCUS co-ordinator I am

issuing a plea for help from any reader who

enjoys our articles and has the free time to take on

a delivery route.

The Liberal Democrats are able to provide a great

service to local people purely because of those who

appreciate what we do within our local community

and are willing to help us by delivering FOCUS

once per month or so.

We are particularly looking for deliverers in The

Steynings, The Orchard, Lewes Gardens,

Cissbury Ring and Lakeside. In Gunthorpe the

routes are Borrowdale Close and Hawkshead Way.

If you are willing to help please contact me – my

details are below.

Best regards, Andy Bond

So, what would we do? Continuing our series on what we would do differently if Liberal Democrats were running the city council, we turn our attention in this issue to education. We would put more investment into education and

make better use of the pupil premium – government cash which allows schools additional money for disadvantaged pupils.

We would aim to raise ‘aspirations’ by showing the benefits of education. For example, we would invest in a major ‘careers fair’ to show that good, well-paid jobs are available to pupils from any background who work hard at school.

We would make better use of buildings that the council

already owns which could be used for educational purposes – such as the Central Library.

We would invest in children’s early years – including better care for 2 year olds.

Get a postal vote! Every city council seat will be up for election on 5 May and there are new ward boundaries including, in our area, a newly created ‘Gunthorpe Ward’.

To make sure you can have your say, why not have apply for a postal vote? Anyone is entitled to vote by post – you no longer have to be disabled or away from home on polling day.

To get one, simply phone 747474 and ask for the Electoral Registration Department; or get in touch with the FOCUS Team (contact details below) and we will arrange for you to be sent an application form.