Latest news with #PaulBristow
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Mayor fights to keep March to Peterborough bus route
A newly elected mayor said he would fight to save the only direct bus service between a Cambridgeshire market town and a major said the 33 route between March and Peterborough was due to be shortened on 31 August due to "extremely low passenger numbers", and would start and finish in Whittlesey Bristow, the Conservative mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's Combined Authority, said talks on the changes were "ongoing", with "potential options available" to keep March connected.A passenger, who relied on the route, told the BBC that the service ending would "have a huge impact on people's jobs and mental state". The passenger, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "For a growing community it's absolutely unacceptable."Another bus user, Craig Denyer, 43, said he lived in Whittlesey but travelled to work in March at a care home. "Currently the bus gets me to and from work at the right times, and costs £2 each way. When the service is cut I will have to use the train, which will be well over £10 a day," he Denyer added that the train times would not be ideal either, as he would have to wait 90 minutes to catch a journey home. A third passenger, who lived in March, said they used the 33 route for regular hospital appointments in cutbacks would leave her having to use a more expensive train or using connecting buses that would mean travelling to Wisbech - "about eight miles in the wrong direction", she a fourth passenger, who commuted daily from Peterborough to March for work, said they were not aware the service was being stopped. They said the news meant they could be forced to find a new job closer to home. Bristow, who is in charge of the Combined Authority that oversees the county's bus network, said: "I understand how worrying it is for people in March and surrounding villages to know that they could lose their only bus service to Peterborough."I have already met with Stagecoach to discuss the 33 and other routes. This dialogue continues. There are potential options for keeping March connected and I hope that we will be able to get one of these options to work." Darren Roe, managing director of Stagecoach East, said: "I welcome our new Mayor Bristow and all the newly elected councillors into their positions. We know just how much we can achieve if we all work together."Cambridgeshire is a wonderful region to serve, but there are big and tough choices to be made to improve our regional transport network. "We believe in the need to plan for the future, and now is the ideal moment to do just that." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
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
12-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
£1 bus pass, staying says Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayor
The new mayor for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough says he plans to keep the Tiger bus pass - used on over one million journeys - allows children and young people under the age of 25 to travel for £1 per Bristow, who won the area's mayoral election for the Conservatives, made the promise in an interview with the BBC's Politics East programme. He also said he would proceed with the bus franchising agreement signed by the previous mayor, Labour's Nik Johnson. But he said he would not increase the council tax precept, which currently subsidises some bus services and fares. The Tiger pass was one of the previous mayor's 'proudest achievements'.Over 40,000 people have applied for says he also plans to "make bus franchising work" after the paperwork was signed in February. Franchising will see bus services in the area brought under the control of the combined authority. They will control routes and fares, with bus operators invited to run the buses are not his only plans for transport in Cambridgeshire. He also says duelling roads like the A10 and the A47 is among his top priorities. He also wants to explore options for light rail. "Cambridge is already congested," he said. "I think it is a solution that will get Cambridge and Peterborough moving."Bristow has previously said he thinks a light rail service between Cambourne and Cambridge could be up and running before East-West rail. BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday 12 January at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC iPlayer. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New mayor wants council leaders to 'hunt as pack'
A new Conservative mayor has said he wants all the political parties in the area to "hunt as a pack" to help secure government investment. Paul Bristow was elected as the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority mayor on Friday with 28.4% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats took control of Cambridgeshire County Council on the same day. Bristow has since told the BBC he will meet each elected council leader so they can work together for the "investment that Cambridgeshire deserves". "We have got to work together. We have got to hunt as a pack for Cambridgeshire," he said. Bristow added that if council leaders and parties fought each other instead of lobbying central government, they would fail to secure the government investment that Cambridgeshire "deserves". Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch visited Peterborough to celebrate Paul Bristow's mayoral victory [Ben Schofield/BBC] Bristow, who was the MP for Peterborough between 2019 and 2024, won 60,243 votes. He was followed by Ryan Coogan, the Reform UK candidate, with 49,647 votes. Labour's Anna Smith came third (42,671 votes), followed by Lorna Dupre for the Liberal Democrats (41,611) and Bob Ensch for the Green Party (18,255). Bristow said people had voted Reform UK or Liberal Democrat because they "weren't us [Conservative]" and the party had to now prove it was capable of tackling the big issues facing the country. "I think people were looking for a mayor like in the West Midlands, like Tees Valley and Greater Manchester; a mayor that is bigger than just the party brand and that is why I always said Cambridgeshire first, party second," he said. Bristow, who is now the leader of the combined authority, hoped its board, which consists of the leader of the district and city councils and the county council, could look at transport issues such as creating a light rail. He has proposed the light rail system could connect Cambourne to the city before East-West Rail was built. While campaigning to become mayor, Bristow said he wanted to see an end to "anti-car" schemes and was opposed to road pricing. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Related internet links
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
New mayor wants parties to work together for Cambridgeshire
New mayor wants council leaders to 'hunt as pack' 15 minutes ago Share Save Chris Mann & Harriet Heywood BBC News, Cambridgeshire Share Save Kate Moser Andon/BBC Paul Bristow believed voters had been looking for a mayor that was "bigger than just the party brand" A new Conservative mayor has said he wants all the political parties in the area to "hunt as a pack" to help secure government investment. Paul Bristow was elected as the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority mayor on Friday with 28.4% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats took control of Cambridgeshire County Council on the same day. Bristow has since told the BBC he will meet each elected council leader so they can work together for the "investment that Cambridgeshire deserves". "We have got to work together. We have got to hunt as a pack for Cambridgeshire," he said. Bristow added that if council leaders and parties fought each other instead of lobbying central government, they would fail to secure the government investment that Cambridgeshire "deserves". Ben Schofield/BBC Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch visited Peterborough to celebrate Paul Bristow's mayoral victory Bristow, who was the MP for Peterborough between 2019 and 2024, won 60,243 votes. He was followed by Ryan Coogan, the Reform UK candidate, with 49,647 votes. Labour's Anna Smith came third (42,671 votes), followed by Lorna Dupre for the Liberal Democrats (41,611) and Bob Ensch for the Green Party (18,255). Bristow said people had voted Reform UK or Liberal Democrat because they "weren't us [Conservative]" and the party had to now prove it was capable of tackling the big issues facing the country. "I think people were looking for a mayor like in the West Midlands, like Tees Valley and Greater Manchester; a mayor that is bigger than just the party brand and that is why I always said Cambridgeshire first, party second," he said. Bristow, who is now the leader of the combined authority, hoped its board, which consists of the leader of the district and city councils and the county council, could look at transport issues such as creating a light rail. While campaigning to become mayor, Bristow said he wanted to see an end to "anti-car" schemes and was opposed to road pricing. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
