Category: Norfolk

Lewis Herbert and Lucy Nethsingha – reservations around an Eastern Powerhouse devolution deal

“We’re going to take this in a democratic and transparent way to the first possible meeting, which is on 23rd March, and Cambridge will make a decision.”

17:20 Friday 11th March 2016
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: The BBC understands the Government wants to go ahead with an Eastern Powerhouse devolution deal, despite Cambridge City Council announcing it’ll not take part. The Leader of the City Council is with us very shortly. The proposals would give control of transport and planning to a single mayor, with responsibility across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. And the Leader of the LibDems on the County Council also with us in a moment or two. But first of all, political reporter Tom Barton from Look East. Tom, what’s it all about?
TOM BARTON: So this is about effectively Government giving away some power. So decisions that are made at the moment by civil servants and Ministers in Whitehall and Westminster instead being passed to local areas. It’s been going on for a while, trying to find an area that they can give it to effectively. Norfolk and Suffolk had put together proposals which they took to the Government. The Government said, we like what you’re talking about, but we don’t think you’re a big enough area for this to work in. We want you to go and work with Cambridgeshire instead.
CHRIS MANN: Big enough in terms of numbers?
TOM BARTON: in terms of the impact of the economy if you like. So not just population, but economic power.
CHRIS MANN: Because Cambridgeshire is a powerhouse.
TOM BARTON: Exactly. And the Government, this is all going to be announced at the Budget next week. George Osborne the Chancellor wants to stand up in the House of Commons and announce a deal for an Eastern Powerhouse. That’s what he’s talking about. And so this would give a new elected mayor, effectively East of England’s very own version of Boris Johnson, the power ..
CHRIS MANN: Or Alex Salmond.
TOM BARTON: Or Alex Salmond. .. the power to do a range of different things. We don’t know exactly what it’s going to be, but it’ll be around housing, infrastructure like roads, railways, public transport, skills, those sorts of things, across all three counties. So it would wear away the borders between the counties, and see decisions taken across the board.
CHRIS MANN: Where would it be based, this government, this devolved, not parliament, but devolved .. ?
TOM BARTON: The institution if you like of the mayor. We don’t know. That’s one of the things to be decided. They might choose a point somewhere geographically in between Norwich, Ipswich and Cambridge. Who knows? But the crucial thing is the Government has been trying to get this deal signed off. They really wanted the whole of Cambridgeshire on board. But last night, as the deadline approached for the deal to be signed off, Cambridge City Council walked away. They said that they don’t want to be part of it.
CHRIS MANN: OK. And let’s bring in the Leader of Cambridge City Council, who is councillor Lewis Herbert. Lewis.
LEWIS HERBERT: Hi Chris.
CHRIS MANN: Why did you say no?
Continue reading “Lewis Herbert and Lucy Nethsingha – reservations around an Eastern Powerhouse devolution deal”

Norman Lamb – Minister On A Mission

17:23 Tuesday 17th September 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Liberal Democrats at their annual conference have voted for tougher powers to crack down on poor quality care homes. Delegates in Glasgow say the watchdog The Care Quality Commission should be cracking down on care home owners if standards aren’t good enough. They’re also demanding better training and pay for care workers who visit people at home, and more time to do their jobs. The Care Minister is Norman Lamb, the MP for North Norfolk, and he joined me earlier.
(TAPE)
NORMAN LAMB: We’re acutely aware that there are too many examples of care falling down. I had an elderly constituent recently, a lady who talked to me about different care workers turning up every day, male care workers who she’s never seen before coming to shower her. Now this is an assault on your dignity. That’s not acceptable to me. She also talked about care workers turning up with just one day of training, people giving her the wrong medication, and on one evening no-one turning up at all, so she was left stranded in her chair through the night. Now we have to confront these unacceptable standards of care.
CHRIS MANN: Who’s to blame for this? And how do you fix it? Continue reading “Norman Lamb – Minister On A Mission”

Kings Lynn Incinerator – Option To Cancel

17:18 Tuesday 4th June 2013
Drive BBC Radio Norfolk

MATTHEW GUDGIN: Let’s hear from County Hall today. The controversial contract for a waste incinerator in Kings Lynn has come under renewed criticism today. Councillors on the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee said they still haven’t had a reliable report on how much it would cost to get out of the contract. They’ve called for an independent report outlining both the costs and the savings which would be made if the County Council cancelled the contract with Anglo-American consortium Cory Wheelabrator. Well our West Norfolk producer Jill Bennett was at the meeting at County Hall today, and is with us in the studio. Jill, why were members of the Committee not happy with the estimates that hed been given by their own officers? Continue reading “Kings Lynn Incinerator – Option To Cancel”