Latest news with #AndrewPakes
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Cambridgeshire MPs put forward alternative council proposal
Cambridgeshire MPs have put forward alternative proposals for local government re-organisation, which they say would protect "what makes Peterborough great".Original plans put forward by the county's eight councils suggested there should be two new unitary authorities covering the whole county, with different options being Labour MPs Andrew Pakes and Sam Carling said this was not in the best interests of Peterborough, and have made their own suggestion. They want a "Greater Peterborough" area, along with a "Greater Cambridge" and a "Mid Cambridgeshire" authority. The proposal will be considered by Peterborough City Council at a full council meeting on Wednesday. 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 with a large amount of growth in the area, some people think there could be an argument for authorities to be slightly 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". Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hybrid locomotives aim to halve freight emissions
New locomotives that run on electricity and renewable fuels could reduce rail freight emissions by more than half on a typical journey. A £150m investment was made into Class 99 locomotives, which were unveiled in Peterborough at GB Railfreight (GBRf) headquarters on Thursday. Once testing was complete, the new fleet could enter commercial service to move consumable goods and materials across the country this winter. Andrew Pakes, the MP for Peterborough, said it was a "game changer for our city and the national effort to build a greener, more sustainable future". The Class 99s run on electric lines where available and switch to renewable fuels elsewhere. They aimed to reduce the industry's carbon footprint and ensure goods arrived at their destinations sooner. John Smith, CEO of GBRf, said the locomotives "set a new benchmark for performance and sustainability in UK rail freight". "It's massive," he said. "This is seven years in the making from the point of having the idea to replace our existing diesel trains with this bi-mode locomotive, to ordering them, to financing them, to them actually being built and delivered to the UK." Mr Smith hoped the decarbonising locomotives would help grow rail freight in the UK as it was "far less carbon emitting than road transport". Transports from GBRf included materials for house building, aviation fuel to airports, clothes, white goods, wine and materials used to heat homes. Jon Garner, senior operation training manager, told the BBC it was "a real pleasure" to drive and "fantastic for our office and the community". "I've spent about nine months talking about the locomotives and looking at them when we visited Stadler in Valencia. They're our babies." Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, said he looked forward to seeing the locomotives decarbonising the rail network. He said: "With robust protections for fair network access and ambitious growth targets a part of our plans for Great British Railways, we're ensuring the rail freight sector has what it needs to thrive so it can continue removing thousands of HGVs from our roads whilst delivering huge economic benefits across the country." The new locomotives had hybrid power, faster acceleration, reduced downtime, and increased productivity. Pakes added the investment would not only help cut emissions, but also create local jobs and drive economic growth. "Peterborough is proud to be at the forefront of Britain's rail freight innovation," he said. "I am proud to see our city playing such a key role in shaping the future of rail freight." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More like this story Minister opens city's £5.75m rail maintenance hub Rail boss 'surprised and thrilled' at OBE award Related internet links GB Railfreight
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Peterborough hybrid locomotives aim to halve freight emissions
New locomotives that run on electricity and renewable fuels could reduce rail freight emissions by more than half on a typical journey.A £150m investment was made into Class 99 locomotives, which were unveiled in Peterborough at GB Railfreight (GBRf) headquarters on testing was complete, the new fleet could enter commercial service to move consumable goods and materials across the country this winter. Andrew Pakes, the MP for Peterborough, said it was a "game changer for our city and the national effort to build a greener, more sustainable future". The Class 99s run on electric lines where available and switch to renewable fuels aimed to reduce the industry's carbon footprint and ensure goods arrived at their destinations Smith, CEO of GBRf, said the locomotives "set a new benchmark for performance and sustainability in UK rail freight". "It's massive," he said. "This is seven years in the making from the point of having the idea to replace our existing diesel trains with this bi-mode locomotive, to ordering them, to financing them, to them actually being built and delivered to the UK."Mr Smith hoped the decarbonising locomotives would help grow rail freight in the UK as it was "far less carbon emitting than road transport". Transports from GBRf included materials for house building, aviation fuel to airports, clothes, white goods, wine and materials used to heat Garner, senior operation training manager, told the BBC it was "a real pleasure" to drive and "fantastic for our office and the community". "I've spent about nine months talking about the locomotives and looking at them when we visited Stadler in Valencia. They're our babies." Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, said he looked forward to seeing the locomotives decarbonising the rail said: "With robust protections for fair network access and ambitious growth targets a part of our plans for Great British Railways, we're ensuring the rail freight sector has what it needs to thrive so it can continue removing thousands of HGVs from our roads whilst delivering huge economic benefits across the country."The new locomotives had hybrid power, faster acceleration, reduced downtime, and increased added the investment would not only help cut emissions, but also create local jobs and drive economic growth. "Peterborough is proud to be at the forefront of Britain's rail freight innovation," he said."I am proud to see our city playing such a key role in shaping the future of rail freight." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Peterborough Station Quarter £65m project takes step forward
A £65m project to regenerate the area around a city station is getting closer to receiving much-needed government City Council needs to confirm it will be responsible for additional costs in building an area known as the Station Department for Transport (DfT) has agreed to pay nearly £48m towards the project – on the condition that the council is responsible for any "cost overruns".A report being presented to councillors on 23 July said: "For local authorities in receipt of significant public funding, this is a standard request." The government approved the Station Quarter project in May, which would build a new entrance to Peterborough railway station, pedestrianised square and multi-storey car £48m of DfT funding was signed off a few weeks later, with works set to begin in August. At the time, the city's Labour MP, Andrew Pakes, said: "I'm really hopeful we will see the hoardings going up in August and work beginning to start."As well as a refurbished station building, new paths would make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to get to the city centre shops - and landmarks like the city's City Council and Network Rail would be responsible for the building works, which are expected to cost £65m in total, with the rest being match-funded by other sources, such as Network Rail and the city council's Towns report said: "The council will be accountable for the agreed level of grant funding provided.. and as such will be responsible for any costs incurred over and above that figure."It added that the project would have "significant social, economic, and environmental regeneration benefits" for the area around the station and wider city centre. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Plans for NHS diagnostic centre in Peterborough win approval
Plans for a community diagnostic centre aimed at reducing patient waiting times have been means building work can begin next month on the facility in Wellington Street, Peterborough, which should be open in West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which submitted the plans, said it would offer scans and cardiology and respiratory diagnostic Coffey, its chief executive, said she was "incredibly pleased" that planning approval had been granted. "As an organisation, we are working tirelessly on reducing diagnostic wait times, and opening the [centre] will undoubtedly improve patient experience," she Coffey said the government's 10-year plan for the NHS had highlighted the need to shift care out of hospitals and into the centre will have CT, MRI, Dexa, X-ray, ultrasound and fibroscan Pakes, the Labour MP for Peterborough, said it would ease pressure on hospitals."As Peterborough grows, we need local services that grow with us," he said."This centre is a big boost for patients and for our brilliant NHS staff."The plans were approved by Peterborough City Council on Monday. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
