Latest news with #ChristianHogg
BBC News
04-07-2025
- BBC News
Peterborough car cruising hotspot gets public protection order
New conditions will be in place for three years in an attempt to crack down on anti-social behaviour at a car cruising public space protection order (PSPO) is being used by Peterborough City Council at Pleasure Fair Meadow car council said it had received several reports from nearby residents of noise, smoke and odours from the site.A consultation found 151 out of 169 responses were in favour of the PSPO, which could see fines of up to £1,000 or penalty notices for people who break the rules. People told the council about meets involving up to 300 cars and smaller gatherings of vehicles where some drivers carried out manoeuvres like doughnuts and handbrake were also complaints about litter, the Local Democracy Reporting Service member for housing and communities, Alison Jones, said: "We have listened to feedback from residents and are taking direct action by setting up a PSPO aimed at tackling crime and improving the quality of life for communities within this area of the city."Pleasure Fair Meadow car park is monitored by a council-operated CCTV camera, which logged 32 incidents of anti-social or dangerous driving between April 2023 and November 2024. Leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Christian Hogg, represents the Fletton and Stanground ward where the car park is said: "It is absolutely most welcome, as the residents around Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park have been blighted for years with screeching tyres, revving engines and loud music on a regular basis."Hopefully this PSPO will finally produce a solution because it gives the police far more power to move people on and for them to not come back 15 minutes later."In Peterborough there are currently two area PSPOs – one in the city centre and one covering the Millfield, New England, Eastfield and Embankment councillor Julie Stevenson chaired the task and finish group created to examine the said: "This is great. It has taken a long time but now it is here and hopefully it will be effective in just getting people some nights where they can sleep again." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- BBC News
Council could introduce order on car meet hotspot in Peterborough
More than 150 people have supported a public space protection order on a hotspot for unauthorised car meets and cruising City Council proposed the order for Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park as a way of tackling vehicle-related anti-social 18 people opposed the order. They said there were limited locations in the city for car enthusiasts who like to meet and do not commit any implemented, anyone involved with vehicle-related nuisance and anti-social behaviour at the site could be fined up to £1,000 or face a fixed penalty notice. Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park is a council operated long stay public car is monitored by a CCTV camera and, from April 2023 to November 2024, 32 incidents were logged concerning anti-social or dangerous driving and vehicle-related anti-social ranged from large scale car meets of about 300 cars to smaller also carried out stunts such as doughnuts, hand brake turns and other dangerous driving, said the Local Democracy Reporting of the Liberal Democrat group, Christian Hogg, who represents the ward where the car park is located, said: "It has taken an incredibly long time to get to the point where we are right now."It is absolutely most welcome, as the residents around Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park have been blighted for years with screeching tyres, revving engines and loud music on a regular basis."It has been incredibly destabilising for people's work patterns and not being able to get a proper night's sleep."A report, following a public consultation in March, stated people in the area also had concerns regarding speeding and drug against the order said there were "limited locations for car enthusiasts to meet in Peterborough".Alison Jones, cabinet member for housing and communities, is expected to make a decision on the order by 3 implemented, it would allow the council and police to tackle vehicle-related nuisance and anti-social behaviour at the councillor Julie Stevenson said: "It can feel almost like people who love cars and getting together to enjoy them are being unfairly punished and I have some sympathy with that."Obviously, it is the behaviour of a few that are spoiling it for many, which is a huge shame and I hope those who run the car meets will talk to the council and try to find some compromise to do it safely." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Council defies school's wishes to fence off park
Fields shared by a secondary school and local people could finally be fenced off after years of deliberation, but with a smaller area than the school originally wanted. Peterborough City Council has agreed to lease a section of Werrington Fields to the Ken Stimpson Academy for use as self-contained playing fields. But it was a smaller section than the Four Cs Academy, which runs the school, said it would accept, leaving the authority open to a possible legal battle. The council also said it would pay up to half of the cost of erecting the fencing the school said was necessary to safeguard its pupils, estimated to be around £40,000. Councillors voted for a suggestion put forward by Liberal Democrat group leader Christian Hogg stating that the council should grant an 125-year lease to 4Cs encompassing the school buildings and around two-thirds of the fields next to them, leaving the rest open for public access. He divided this area – called Area C on the council's map of the fields – into two, labelling the part due to be leased to the school Area C1. The academy's lawyers told the council that "Area C must retain its education use designation and it cannot be divided". It said it would compromise with local people by allowing them access around the perimeter of these fields, but would not accept anything less. The local authority's own legal officer warned councillors at a meeting this week that proceeding with Hogg's plan would leave the authority at "significant risk of a successful legal challenge". But councillors said cutting off public access could also leave it open to litigation from local campaigners who have claimed the land is designated as having a dual use, and that ultimately they must vote with their consciences. The council, which is the freehold owner of the land, has consistently said it wanted to reach a compromise. It previously applied to the Department for Education to change the designation of the land to help it divide it, but this was rejected. Negotiations between council, the school, academy trust and central government have been going on since 2019, when the school first raised the need for a fence. A final decision on the issue has been delayed several times. It even had an airing in Parliament after being raised during Prime Minister's Questions last year. The Save Werrington Fields campaign group also said it had compromised, having initially said it wanted to keep the entirety of the fields for open access, but later said it would accept a reduction in the size of the fenced area. The council was also presented with almost 400 pages of objections to the larger parcel of land being fenced off. The Labour council leader Dennis Jones said all of Area C should be offered to the school. The reason for this proposal was to "not put this council at risk of a legal challenge of the school," he said, "which would be north of a hundred thousand pounds if we lose, when we've already spent well over a hundred thousand pounds and taken six years to get to this point". He said the cash-strapped council would be taking a potentially expensive gamble over a 13.5% difference in land use and that the academy could seek a judicial review. Mr Hogg said his suggestion gave the school "a fair amount of space that is sufficient to meet their needs while recognising the wishes of the wider community of Werrington". "I don't pretend it gives either party what they are hoping for as a solution, but hopefully it is one that both parties can live with," he said. He added that a legal challenge would not necessarily be successful as he was not proposing to change the educational use designation of the part of Area C left open to the public. He said the school could apply for a lease on that part of the land if their needs changed in future. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Playing fields to be fenced in to protect pupils Electric collars help cows learn grazing boundaries City museum and gallery appeals for volunteers
BBC News
14-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Peterborough council defies school over Werrington Fields fencing
Fields shared by a secondary school and local people could finally be fenced off after years of deliberation, but with a smaller area than the school originally City Council has agreed to lease a section of Werrington Fields to the Ken Stimpson Academy for use as self-contained playing it was a smaller section than the Four Cs Academy, which runs the school, said it would accept, leaving the authority open to a possible legal council also said it would pay up to half of the cost of erecting the fencing the school said was necessary to safeguard its pupils, estimated to be around £40,000. Councillors voted for a suggestion put forward by Liberal Democrat group leader Christian Hogg stating that the council should grant an 125-year lease to 4Cs encompassing the school buildings and around two-thirds of the fields next to them, leaving the rest open for public divided this area – called Area C on the council's map of the fields – into two, labelling the part due to be leased to the school Area C1. The academy's lawyers told the council that "Area C must retain its education use designation and it cannot be divided".It said it would compromise with local people by allowing them access around the perimeter of these fields, but would not accept anything local authority's own legal officer warned councillors at a meeting this week that proceeding with Hogg's plan would leave the authority at "significant risk of a successful legal challenge".But councillors said cutting off public access could also leave it open to litigation from local campaigners who have claimed the land is designated as having a dual use, and that ultimately they must vote with their consciences. The council, which is the freehold owner of the land, has consistently said it wanted to reach a previously applied to the Department for Education to change the designation of the land to help it divide it, but this was between council, the school, academy trust and central government have been going on since 2019, when the school first raised the need for a fence.A final decision on the issue has been delayed several times. It even had an airing in Parliament after being raised during Prime Minister's Questions last Save Werrington Fields campaign group also said it had compromised, having initially said it wanted to keep the entirety of the fields for open access, but later said it would accept a reduction in the size of the fenced council was also presented with almost 400 pages of objections to the larger parcel of land being fenced Labour council leader Dennis Jones said all of Area C should be offered to the reason for this proposal was to "not put this council at risk of a legal challenge of the school," he said, "which would be north of a hundred thousand pounds if we lose, when we've already spent well over a hundred thousand pounds and taken six years to get to this point". He said the cash-strapped council would be taking a potentially expensive gamble over a 13.5% difference in land use and that the academy could seek a judicial Hogg said his suggestion gave the school "a fair amount of space that is sufficient to meet their needs while recognising the wishes of the wider community of Werrington"."I don't pretend it gives either party what they are hoping for as a solution, but hopefully it is one that both parties can live with," he said. He added that a legal challenge would not necessarily be successful as he was not proposing to change the educational use designation of the part of Area C left open to the said the school could apply for a lease on that part of the land if their needs changed in future. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
