Latest news with #PaulBristow
BBC News
15 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
'Take East seriously', mayor warns government
The Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has warned the government not to take the region for Bristow says the lack of any mention of improving the Ely rail junction in this month's spending review threatens to undermine the region's ambitions for growth and could "demonstrate the East is not being taken seriously".The government has announced plans to spend £725bn on infrastructure projects over the next decade but so far has said nothing about upgrading the two key rail junctions at Ely in Cambridgeshire and Haughley in sources have told the BBC that a lot of funding has already been announced for the East and more is likely to follow. For some time both the business community and local politicians have described the need to improve Ely and Haughley junctions as "the big ask" for the is now surprise and frustration that in the flurry of spending announcements this month nothing has been said about the two projects, leading to fears that they may have, once again, been a directly elected mayor whose job is to oversee economic growth in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, says the region is a place of "innovation and world-changing breakthroughs"."But if the government thinks success can be taken for granted they are making a costly mistake."He points to more than £400m of rail spending given to rail upgrades in the north of England, pointing out that the investment would return £2.50 for every pound spent, while the Ely improvements would return nearly £5."Nobody doubts the north needs investment (but) when government invests it should do so with value for money in mind. Not funding Ely junction would further demonstrate the East is not being taken seriously." The Liberal Democrat MP for Ely, Charlotte Cane, has also spoken out, saying "the government's failure to fund the Ely junction upgrade is both economically short-sighted and inexcusable"."The chancellor must stop stalling and get this project back on track and fully funded without further delay," she former mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, James Palmer, who now runs the business lobby group Eastern Powerhouse, told the Politics East programme: "I know for a fact that the previous transport secretary backed Ely junction, we know that Labour in opposition campaigned in favour of Ely junction."We get the first spending review of this new government and Ely has disappeared off the face of the map again."Who is actually making the decisions?" More spending expected Government MPs have been keen to stress that the East has already done well out of the spending review, with money for East West rail, Sizewell C, the lower Thames crossing and two regeneration projects in Abbott, the MP for Ipswich, who is also the government's so called 'mission champion', recently told Look East: "We have seen some really big ticket funding announcements along with a big up lift in day-to-day spending for the police, NHS and local government."He said more spending announcements would Jermy, the Labour MP for South West Norfolk, raised Ely junction in Parliament this week, telling the Treasury Minister Darren Jones: "The project would help not only my constituency but dozens in the east of England, and help drive economic growth in our part of the world."Jones encouraged him to talk to transport ministers about the scheme, saying: "We are absolutely in the business for high value-for-money cases that unlock growth and opportunity in every part of the country."I understand that the Department for Transport plans to announce long-term spending plans for capital projects in July along with a proposed timetable for tell me there will be more money for rail projects but will not confirm if Ely or Haughley are on the £500m, Ely junction is expensive and complicated but publicly and privately local MPs and the business community are continuing to make their case in the hope that after more than 25 years of campaigning this scheme will move forward.
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cambridgeshire's Tiger pass £1 fares must be 'fully costed'
A mayoral authority said there was "clear and unanimous" support for making a scheme that gave young people cheaper bus fares Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) added that extending the Tiger pass beyond the autumn would need to be "fully costed".It came after Labour East claimed the pass - which gave under-25s £1 fares - was under threat and set up a petition to save it.A spokesperson for the CPCA, which is led by Conservative mayor Paul Bristow, said there had been a "misunderstanding" over decisions made at a meeting on 4 June and there was "unanimous desire to retain the pass". The CPCA spokesperson said: "At the recent board meeting, there was a clear and unanimous desire to retain the pass in a permanent form."However, any permanent scheme must be both sustainable and fully costed. "The transport committee has therefore been asked to explore and evaluate viable options to achieve this."The Tiger pass has been used for more than one million journeys and gives £1 fares on a single bus journey to children and young people under the age of the meeting, a recommendation backed by Bristow to use money raised from the bus fare cap to continue the Tiger pass until March 2026 was voted East set up a petition, claiming that Bristow had refused to rule out who has previously confirmed his plan to keep the Tiger pass scheme going, did not wish to respond to Labour's claims.A paper outlining options for the future of the pass will be presented to the CPCA's transport and infrastructure committee on 25 June. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Reprieved bus service is a lifeline, say users
Bus users of a service that runs between a market town and a city have reacted with relief after the route was saved. The March to Peterborough 33 route was to have been shortened from 31 August due to "extremely low passenger numbers", according to operator Stagecoach. The Combined Authority Board has backed a proposal by Conservative Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Paul Bristow to save the service. Students Laurisa Hallam and Paige Camplin said that without the bus, they would have to pay "two or three times more" to access their Peterborough college courses. Saving the service will cost the authority, which oversees the county's bus network, an additional £115,000, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Bristow told its board meeting it would be "unthinkable" to not have a town as big as March connected to Peterborough by bus. "I think it's a good thing to save the bus for people like us, teenagers needing to go to college or get to work," said Ms Campin, 18. She relies on the number 33 to attend her course 14 miles (23km) away in Peterborough at least three days a week and sometimes every day. Her only other alternative is the train service, but "if I get train, it's two to three times more money – I have done that before when the bus is cancelled". Fellow student Ms Hallam, 19, also makes the journey three times a week from March to Peterborough. She was grateful for plans to subsidise the route, saying "it's a good use of money". Stagecoach said only 32 passengers used the 33 service between March and Peterborough on an average day. The route includes stops at the villages of Eastrea and Coates, as well as Whittlesey. Coates postmistress Anne Benedict said: "It's great news, not only for me, but also for elderly customers. "One comes every Tuesday, from here to Whittlesey, not only for shopping but so they're not stuck in the house, while others go into Peterborough at least twice a week." The £2 fair contrasts with the cost of a taxi journey into Peterborough, which the 46-year-old said ranged from £22 to £25. While Eastrea resident Sharon Stevens also welcomed the news she admitted she did not use the service herself, preferring to use her car. "God forbid I hurt myself and couldn't drive, then I would have to use a bus, because I definitely wouldn't use the taxi service because of the cost," the 55-year-old said. "There's lots of people who say it's their lifeline, they like to do a bit of shopping in Whittlesey, have a coffee and a meet-up." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'Drastic' action needed to save £1 bus fares Market town to city bus route will be saved Bus route change deprives villagers of 'lifeline' Stagecoach Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Reprieved bus service is a lifeline, say users
Bus users of a service that runs between a market town and a city have reacted with relief after the route was saved. The March to Peterborough 33 route was to have been shortened from 31 August due to "extremely low passenger numbers", according to operator Stagecoach. The Combined Authority Board has backed a proposal by Conservative Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Paul Bristow to save the service. Students Laurisa Hallam and Paige Camplin said that without the bus, they would have to pay "two or three times more" to access their Peterborough college courses. Saving the service will cost the authority, which oversees the county's bus network, an additional £115,000, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Bristow told its board meeting it would be "unthinkable" to not have a town as big as March connected to Peterborough by bus. "I think it's a good thing to save the bus for people like us, teenagers needing to go to college or get to work," said Ms Campin, 18. She relies on the number 33 to attend her course 14 miles (23km) away in Peterborough at least three days a week and sometimes every day. Her only other alternative is the train service, but "if I get train, it's two to three times more money – I have done that before when the bus is cancelled". Fellow student Ms Hallam, 19, also makes the journey three times a week from March to Peterborough. She was grateful for plans to subsidise the route, saying "it's a good use of money". Stagecoach said only 32 passengers used the 33 service between March and Peterborough on an average day. The route includes stops at the villages of Eastrea and Coates, as well as Whittlesey. Coates postmistress Anne Benedict said: "It's great news, not only for me, but also for elderly customers. "One comes every Tuesday, from here to Whittlesey, not only for shopping but so they're not stuck in the house, while others go into Peterborough at least twice a week." The £2 fair contrasts with the cost of a taxi journey into Peterborough, which the 46-year-old said ranged from £22 to £25. While Eastrea resident Sharon Stevens also welcomed the news she admitted she did not use the service herself, preferring to use her car. "God forbid I hurt myself and couldn't drive, then I would have to use a bus, because I definitely wouldn't use the taxi service because of the cost," the 55-year-old said. "There's lots of people who say it's their lifeline, they like to do a bit of shopping in Whittlesey, have a coffee and a meet-up." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'Drastic' action needed to save £1 bus fares Market town to city bus route will be saved Bus route change deprives villagers of 'lifeline' Stagecoach Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority
BBC News
06-06-2025
- BBC News
Reprieved March to Peterborough bus is lifeline, say users
Bus users of a service that runs between a market town and a city have reacted with relief after the route was saved. The March to Peterborough 33 route was to have been shortened from 31 August due to "extremely low passenger numbers", according to operator Combined Authority Board has backed a proposal by Conservative Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Paul Bristow to save the Laurisa Hallam and Paige Camplin said that without the bus, they would have to pay "two or three times more" to access their Peterborough college courses. Saving the service will cost the authority, which oversees the county's bus network, an additional £115,000, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Bristow told its board meeting it would be "unthinkable" to not have a town as big as March connected to Peterborough by bus."I think it's a good thing to save the bus for people like us, teenagers needing to go to college or get to work," said Ms Campin, relies on the number 33 to attend her course 14 miles (23km) away in Peterborough at least three days a week and sometimes every day. Her only other alternative is the train service, but "if I get train, it's two to three times more money – I have done that before when the bus is cancelled". Fellow student Ms Hallam, 19, also makes the journey three times a week from March to was grateful for plans to subsidise the route, saying "it's a good use of money". Stagecoach said only 32 passengers used the 33 service between March and Peterborough on an average route includes stops at the villages of Eastrea and Coates, as well as Whittlesey. Coates postmistress Anne Benedict said: "It's great news, not only for me, but also for elderly customers."One comes every Tuesday, from here to Whittlesey, not only for shopping but so they're not stuck in the house, while others go into Peterborough at least twice a week."The £2 fair contrasts with the cost of a taxi journey into Peterborough, which the 46-year-old said ranged from £22 to £25. While Eastrea resident Sharon Stevens also welcomed the news she admitted she did not use the service herself, preferring to use her car. "God forbid I hurt myself and couldn't drive, then I would have to use a bus, because I definitely wouldn't use the taxi service because of the cost," the 55-year-old said."There's lots of people who say it's their lifeline, they like to do a bit of shopping in Whittlesey, have a coffee and a meet-up." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
