Cllr Darren Fower, Cllr Julia Davidson, FOCUS Team, SNWGFOCUSTeam, Werrington, South Werrington, Gunthorpe, North Gunthorpe, Peterborough, City Council, Local Newsletter, Lib Dems, Liberal Democrats, Lib Dem FOCUS Team, Darren Fower

1. News from Lib Dem councillors
Julia Davidson & Darren Fower
Issue number 81
SOUTH WERRINGTON & NORTH GUNTHORPE
RESIDENTS’ NEWSLETTER
TORIES VOTE TO CLOSE
CHILDREN’S CENTRES
Your local Liberal Democrat councillor Darren Fower was one of a
small group who forced a special meeting of the full council to
consider Tory plans to shut children’s centres across the city.
Despite this last-ditch attempt to prevent the closure of eight out of 15
council-run children's centres, the Tory-controlled city council rejected
parents' protests, deciding instead that closure was its preferred option.
Werrington Children’s Centre is one of those
identified in the plan. The council claims that the
venue will be "re-used by other providers of
services for families with children under the age
of five" but Darren says he no longer trusts the
Town Hall on this issue.
He said: “Facilities must continue to be
provided at this location. Werrington might not
have the highest level of deprivation in the
city but in future years we will have more
young families here.
“My only hope now is that the site could
become part of Welbourne School. I understand
that discussions about this have started."
One local Werrington parent said: "My
daughter and I have attended the centre for two
years.
“The groups have kept me going as a single mum. I do not have the
money to travel to other groups.
“I have suffered from depression and over the last year, thanks to
support of the staff and groups, have felt well enough to come off my
tablets. What is going to happen to me next year?”
Another mother said: "I relied heavily upon the support given by
Werrington Children's Centre when my baby was born. I dread to
think what will happen in the future if that support is no longer there.”
Question: Did the Tory councillor for this area vote in FAVOUR
of the closure? Answer: Of course she did!
FOCUS
CONTACT FOCUS
Text or phone your local Liberal Democrat councillors:
Darren Fower – 0796 184 91 10 Julia Davidson – 0750 653 66 27
By post: Town Hall, Bridge St, Peterborough PE1 1HG By e-mail: SWNG_FOCUS@peterboroughlibdems.org.uk
Via Facebook, YouTube and Twitter: Search for ‘SWNGFOCUSTeam’
Or visit the councillors’ ward ‘surgery':
6:00 to 7:00 pm, first Friday every month - Community Centre, Church Street
9:00 to 10:00 am , third Saturday every month - Brookside Methodist Church, Gunthorpe Rd
Local Lib Dem councillor
Darren Fower helped
fight for Werrington
Children’s Centre.
Julia’s picture gallery
Local Lib Dem councillor Julia
Davidson has been ‘out and about’
dealing with complaints and
problems for residents. Here are
some of the things she has been
trying to sort out over the past
couple of weeks.
Broken railings on footbridge.
Abandoned shoppng trolley and broken
safety post.
Damaged wall and fence.

2. Beware of garden crime!
Your local Lib Dem ward councillors, Darren Fower
and Julia Davidson, are reminding local residents to
be mindful of crime when designing or maintaining
their front gardens.
The warning comes after several people reported having
items stolen recently, ranging from heavy rocks to plants.
Darren said: ““It is particularly distressing that several of
the victims have been elderly.”
He is urging anyone who has been a victim of such
crime to report it to the police so that it will at least be
included in the official crime statistics for the area.
Parking on pavements
Local residents have contacted the FOCUS Team to
complain at the seemingly increasing problem of cars
parking on footpaths throughout the area.
One local resident told us: “Cars parking on the
pavements, forcing mobility scooters and pushchairs into
the road to get by, is becoming a real problem. Pavements
are for pedestrians not for riding bikes or for parking cars!”
Another told us: “Rules about not parking on pavements
and other inconsiderate parking causing a hazard should
be enforced.”
Local Liberal Democrat councillor Darren Fower said: “It
is time that the city council came up with a scheme that
actually address this issue of ‘problem parking’ and
started to look at ways of reducing such activity.”
What’s your experience or thoughts on this matter?
Please get in touch with FOCUS (contact details on front
page) and let us know.
Sell the Town Hall!
As Focus was being written, the city council
was agreeing its budget for the next
financial year. Around £8 million of savings
have to be made as the government is
cutting grants to councils by more than 40
per cent over four years.
Rather than cutting spending which supports
the most vulnerable members of our society
(such as axing Children’s Centres – see front
page) Liberal Democrats want the council to:
 Sell the Town Hall and move all council
staff into new offices which are being built
as part of the South Bank Development.
 Cancel the £2 million Long Causeway
refurbishment programme.
 Rationalise IT equipment given to
councillors. Many currently have both an
iphone and an ipad provided by the council.
 Abolish the council’s cabinet system and
scrap the special payments made to many
senior Tory councillors.
 Curb increases in pay for senior council
staff and impose a pay freeze for directors.
 Abolish the mayor’s chauffeur-driven car
and cut spending on food and drink for
councillors.
Printed by PPS, Peterborough PE1 5XG. Published and promoted for and on behalf of the Liberal Democrats by Peter Chivall, 88 Elmfield Rd, Peterborough PE1 4HB
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Parking on pavements is
forcing pedestrians –
including people on
mobility scooters and
mothers with children –
out into the road.