Latest news with #CombinedAuthority
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Peterborough station quarter regeneration approved by government
A £65m project to regenerate the area around a city centre railway station has been approved by the government.A full business case for a new station quarter in Peterborough was submitted to the Labour government in approval has unlocked nearly £48m in government funding towards the plans, which include a new western station entrance, pedestrianised square and multi-storey car Bristow, the Conservative mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said it was "fantastic news" for the city. "We've got the green light and we now want to get building," he who was the MP for Peterborough between 2019 and 2024, was elected as the Combined Authority mayor earlier this said: "I played a big part in securing this funding when I was the local MP [and] a key reason I stood to be mayor was to see through major projects like this."The rest of the build would be funded by Peterborough City Council and other partners, such as Combined Authority, Peterborough City Council, LNER and Network Rail have been joint partners in the project. The first phase of works plans to create a new pedestrian and cycling route between the station and the city centre, replacing an existing underpass at wider project would see a new western entrance to the station and a multi-storey car park on the station's west side, with refurbished station buildings to the would also be new public spaces for people to meet and estimates suggested construction could start in the next year, with wider development of the station quarter expected to continue up to 2028. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
East Midlands mayor pledges delivery after 'difficult first year'
Mayor pledges delivery after 'difficult first year' 10 minutes ago Share Save Georgia Roberts Political Reporter, BBC Derby Share Save BBC Claire Ward was elected mayor of the East Midlands in 2024 The mayor of the East Midlands insists the coming year will be of "delivery" for the region after getting off the ground from scratch in her new role. Labour's Claire Ward also said that a brutal set of local election results for the party, whereby they lost scores of councillors across the East Midlands, underlined the need "to really deliver for people". "I understand that frustration," said Ward, who was elected as the first for the region last year to oversee the new East Midlands Combined Authority. The position is supposed to serve as a boon for attracting investment into local areas, with powers transferred from Westminster to take charge of projects. Claire Ward told the BBC: "This [was] a difficult first year because when I arrived a year ago into that office, they were literally unpacking the computers out of the boxes. There were 20 interim staff. "So this year has been about building those foundations, building the capacity and capability of the organisation so that I can go and do things. "And there's nothing worse than trailing around the region promising things that I simply couldn't deliver." The mayor driving a simulator for trainee drivers at East Midlands Railway's headquarters in Derby She cited new brownfield sites being cleared for housebuilding and investment in adult skills in colleges across the region as examples of visible upcoming delivery, as well as £5m for a youth scheme. The mayor said she would be increasing her presence across the region "now that some of those administrative pieces have been done", amid some criticism from opposition parties that she has not done enough to reach out to local people. She also insisted Derbyshire would benefit from "different funding pots and opportunities" for regeneration funding after Chesterfield was the only Derbyshire-based area in the region to be named as benefitting from £140m of regeneration funding. Asked whether the government were listening amid criticism from Red Wall MPs that investment in local infrastructure was seen as "too difficult", she said the government "needs to do more". 'Work with me' "If you look at transport funding, [the East Midlands] are not just at the bottom of the are way down. "What we need to see from the government is delivery, delivery, delivery. And they need to understand that in these regions, it's really important that we get that change. And that's why people are angry. "But the money that we've got from devolution, we're already investing." Ward pledged to "reinforce" a message of "delivery" to the government. In anticipation of Reform UK taking the reins in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, where they will need to work with the mayor on a number of issues, she said, "Look at the manifesto that I stood on last year and tell me which bits you don't agree with. "Work with me. We will work together and we will deliver for this region." Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Final weekend to have your say on potential new Cumbrian mayor
A public consultation on a potential elected Cumbrian mayor is entering its final weekend The government is asking Cumbrian residents to share their thoughts of an elected mayor in the county which would be a major change. A public consultation has been launched to hear the views on a proposal to form a Mayoral Combined Authority for the local government areas of Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness. This follows the announcement that Cumbria has been selected for the Devolution Priority Programme, which will introduce an elected mayor system similar to that of Greater Manchester and the Tees Valley. Devolution provides regions with more powers and decision-making over matters including transport, employment support, planning, and housing. Critics of devolution say that it adds another layer of bureaucracy and does not offer value for money for tax payers. Read more: Update on proposed mayoral combined authority for Cumbria | News and Star The consultation will run until 11.59pm on April 13 and includes questions on the proposed geography and how the Combined Authority will make decisions, as well as the effects of working across the area through a Mayoral Combined Authority. Those interested in sharing their thoughts can do so online. If approved, Cumbria could go to the polls to elect a mayor in 2026.
BBC News
10-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
MP says White Rose Station delays due to 'difference in opinion'
A "difference of opinion" between the public body funding a new railway station and a key landowner has led to an impasse at the site and work being paused, according to an on the White Rose Station between Cottingley and Morley, near Leeds, was halted in March 2024 after the cost of the project rose above the original £26m Sewards, MP for Leeds South West and Morley, said the stakeholders needed to find an "amicable solution" but that both sides were keen to "resolve issues" so that construction could resume.£22m of investment has come from West Yorkshire Combined Authority, with landowner Munroe K, the operator of the White Rose Park, providing £4m. Sewards said: "I've been frustrated with the lack of progress on the station, and it's really important that WYCA and Munroe K get together and find an amicable solution."He said that there was a difference in opinion between the two sides but having spoken to both parties it was clear "they wanted to resolve issues".Other major infrastructure developments have seen costs inflate by 20% due to the surge in prices for building materials. The scheme began in March 2022 with the station originally due to open in was designed to serve White Rose Business Park, the shopping centre and Elliott Hudson Sixth Form a joint statement WYCA and Munroe K said: "Following the temporary pause in construction at White Rose Station, we've been working with partners to resolve issues so that work can restart on the site."The station is a major priority for West Yorkshire and an update is anticipated in the coming months."West Yorkshire's mayor Tracy Brabin was also asked about the scheme and said that the Combined Authority was "in the process of sorting out the next steps and we'll get to a good position soon".White Rose Station would be served by trains on the Transpennine route between Leeds, Huddersfield and Combined Authority is also developing three other new railway stations in the region at Elland, Thorpe Park and Leeds Bradford at Elland is scheduled to start next year following a 25-year to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
08-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
North Yorkshire fire service must 'adapt and invest'
A county's fire and rescue service will be expected to adapt to deal with a wider range of emergencies in coming years, according to its new action plan. The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Plan, which sets out the service's priorities to 2029, was launched on Monday. The aims of the plan, compiled by York and North Yorkshire's Combined Authority, include tackling the causes of fires, improving safety in buildings, preparing communities for emergencies and investing in new equipment and staff. Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith said: "The service needs to adapt and invest in estates, equipment and staff. Investing to make it more efficient will have a positive knock-on effect." Skaith said this year's hike in the fire and rescue precept - equivalent to a 28% increase, or £24, compared to 2024-5 - was necessary after years of under-investment. 'Visitor influx' The new plan recognised the challenges posed by climate change, which meant "the calls the service is dealing with are changing", Skaith told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Over the last 10 to 15 years, we've seen firefighters responding to much more flooding."The influx of visitors North Yorkshire gets every year - particularly in coastal areas - also adds pressure."Meanwhile, Jo Coles, deputy mayor for policing, fire and crime, said the plan also aimed to cut road deaths as firefighters were increasingly responding to traffic safety was "a big issue" for the service, Coles said."Thirty two people died on the roads last year and we've had 11 deaths this year - and we're only in April."Every death is a tragedy and we want to work to raise awareness of road hazards to meet the aim of having zero people killed or seriously injured," she added. Chief fire officer Jonathan Dyson said North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was investing in new fire appliances and training for staff to make it fit for the said he welcomed the fact that more than 1,600 people had taken part in formulating the plan via a public consultation. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
