Cambridgeshire MPs put forward alternative council proposal
The changes are happening because the government announced it wants all local councils to become unitaries. Currently, Cambridgeshire operates under a two-tier system, with a county council in charge of things like social care, education and local highways. Smaller district councils then look after planning, bin collections and social housing. Peterborough already operates as a unitary authority, with a population of about 220,000. The government has previously indicated it wants each authority to oversee at least 500,000 residents in future.However, with a large amount of growth in the area, some people think there could be an argument for authorities to be slightly smaller.Sam Carling, the MP for North West Cambridgeshire, said he believed the three-council model would be best for residents. "A Mid Cambridgeshire council would allow rural areas across East Cambridgeshire, Fenland and parts of Huntingdonshire to form an authority that can deliver effectively on residents' priorities, while a Greater Peterborough council encompassing the most high-growth areas of northern and western Cambridgeshire could better regulate and plan that growth."Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes said: "Putting Peterborough into a mega council would make it harder to attract investment and focus on the challenges we have as a city."He thinks a Greater Peterborough council "would allow a renewed focus on protecting what makes Peterborough great". He said it would also ensure there was "a local lens on areas in western Huntingdonshire", which would not be "lost or swallowed up into a super-council covering a huge geographical area".
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20 minutes ago
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21 minutes ago
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Asylum seekers ‘gambling away tax-payer funded cash cards' meant for food and clothing ‘on slot machines and casinos'
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Outrage was also sparked this week after workers were spotted hauling beds into a posh London hotel that is set to house hundreds of asylum seekers. Labourers wheeled in the new furniture at the four-star Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf this morning, following an anti-migrant protest outside the property last night. Around 150 activists had surrounded the hotel - in London's eastern financial centre - last night after false reports claimed asylum seekers were being transferred there from another migrant hotel in Epping. The rumours, circulated on X by far-right figure Tommy Robinson, claimed migrants would be moved from The Bell Hotel in Epping to the Canary Wharf building. While the Home Office later debunked these claims, it has been revealed that the hotel - where rooms cost up to £460 a night - will be repurposed as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. A spokesman for the Tower Hamlets Council said: 'We are aware of the Government's decision to use the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. 'It is important that the Government ensures that there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel. 'We are working with the Home Office and partners to make sure that all necessary safety and safeguarding arrangements are in place.' It has been confirmed that no asylum seekers are currently living there - the Home Office reserves beds in empty hotel rooms in case of a surge in crossings over the summer period. Home Office sources revealed to The Sun that the average cost per night for a hotel room for a migrant is now £118.87, down from £162.16 in March 2023. Housing asylum seekers in hotels costs the taxpayer £5.77million a day. Some 23,534 migrants have already arrived on small boats this year — 48 per cent higher than this time in 2024. GROWING UNREST Chaos was sparked outside the hotel in Epping last week after an asylum seeker appeared in court charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. The unrest saw yobs launching themselves on riot vans, smashing windshields and ripping off wingmirrors in senseless displays of "hooliganism". One thug was even run over while attempting to stop a police van gaining access to the hotel. Another man had his teeth knocked out after riot cops smashed a shield into his face in a brutal clash. Cops arrested two men, aged 36, and 47, on suspicion of violent disorder under Section 2 of the Public Order Act. A 51-year-old has also now been charged with violent disorder. A 34-year-old man remains in custody on suspicion of breaching Section 60AA of the Public Order Act. Meanwhile, two teens aged 17 and 16, were also arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage to a vehicle and going equipped to cause criminal damage, respectively. The force confirmed eight officers were injured in the clashes. The protest was sparked by a 38-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker who was arrested and later charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who had been living at the Bell Hotel, in Epping, Essex, denies sexual assault. He appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Thursday, July 10, where he denied all charges. His arrest led to multiple protests in the region, culminating in the violent clashes. Since tensions reached boiling point, violent demonstrations have cost the force £100,000. 9 9 9
