City of Peterborough explained

City of Peterborough
Settlement Type:City and unitary authority
Coordinates:52.5725°N -0.2431°W
Subdivision Type:Sovereign state
Subdivision Name:United Kingdom
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:England
Subdivision Type2:Region
Subdivision Name2:East of England
Subdivision Type3:Ceremonial county
Subdivision Name3:Cambridgeshire
Subdivision Type4:City region
Subdivision Name4:Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Established Title:City status
Established Date:1541[1]
Established Title1:Incorporated
Established Date1:1 April 1974
Established Title2:Unitary authority
Established Date2:1 April 1998
Named For:Peterborough
Seat Type:Administrative HQ
Seat:Sand Martin House, Fletton
Government Footnotes:[2]
Government Type:Unitary authority
Governing Body:Peterborough City Council
Leader Title:Executive
Leader Name:Leader and cabinet
Leader Title1:Control
Leader Title2:Leader
Leader Name2:Dennis Jones (L)
Leader Title3:Mayor
Leader Name3:Marco Cereste
Leader Title4:MPs
Area Rank:
Population Rank:
Population Demonym:Peterborian
Demographics Type1:Ethnicity (2021)
Demographics1 Title1:Ethnic groups
Demographics Type2:Religion (2021)
Demographics2 Title1:Religion
Timezone1:GMT
Utc Offset1:+0
Timezone1 Dst:BST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+1
Postal Code Type:Postcode areas
Postal Code:PE
Area Code Type:Dialling codes
Area Code:01733
Iso Code:GB-PTE
Blank1 Name:GSS code
Blank1 Info:E06000031

Peterborough, or the City of Peterborough,[3] is a local government district with city status in the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The district is named after its largest settlement, Peterborough, but also covers a wider area of outlying villages and hamlets.

The district's area covers parts of the historic counties of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire, as well as a small part of Cambridgeshire. In 1965, the area became part of the short-lived county of Huntingdon and Peterborough before becoming a district of Cambridgeshire in 1974. Located in the East Anglia region of England, the area borders the surrounding counties of Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire. The population of the district was 202,259 making it the second-largest district by population in East Anglia (after Norwich).[4]

Most of the contemporary district was formerly part of the Soke of Peterborough, a liberty within the historic county of Northamptonshire. Between 1889 and 1965, Peterborough was governed by the Soke of Peterborough County Council, making the Soke of Peterborough a completely autonomous, self-governing part of Northamptonshire, while the rest of that county was governed by Northamptonshire County Council. Today, the City of Peterborough district holds a similar status as part of Cambridgeshire to what the Soke of Peterborough did as part of Northamptonshire, in that the contemporary district is a Unitary Authority with its own council, and a self-governing part of Cambridgeshire while the rest of that county is governed by Cambridgeshire County Council.

Peterborough was a Saxon settlement during the Anglo-Saxon era.[5] The district also includes outlying villages such as Thorney, Old Fletton, Werrington, Parnwell, Dogsthorpe, Eye Green, Glinton, Northborough, Maxey, Wittering, Wansford and Ailsworth.

The district borders North Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Fenland, South Kesteven and South Holland.

Administration

Parliamentary seat

The city formed a parliamentary borough returning two members from 1541, with the rest of the Soke being part of Northamptonshire parliamentary county. The Great Reform Act did not affect the borough, although the remaining, rural portion of the Soke was transferred to the northern division of Northamptonshire.[6] In 1885, the borough's representation was reduced to one member,[7] and in 1918, the boundaries were adjusted to include the whole Soke.[8] Recent Members of Parliament for Peterborough have included the Conservative Sir Harmar Nicholls (1950–1974), Labour's Michael Ward (1974–1979), Conservative Brian Mawhinney (1979–1997), Labour's Helen Clark (1997–2005) and Conservative Stewart Jackson, from 2005. Fiona Onasanya won the 2017 general election for Labour;[9] Onasanya was then expelled from the Labour party in December 2018,[10] but kept her seat as an independent until being ejected on 1 May 2019 after a recall petition, triggering a by-election,[11] which won by Labour's Lisa Forbes (June - November 2019).[12] The current incumbent is Conservative Paul Bristow, who won the seat in the 2019 general election.[13]

In 1997, the North West Cambridgeshire constituency was formed, incorporating parts of the city and neighbouring Huntingdonshire. The sitting member is the Conservative Shailesh Vara, who succeeded Sir Brian Mawhinney, former Secretary of State for Transport and Chairman of the Conservative Party, in 2005. Mawhinney, who had previously served as Member of Parliament for Peterborough from 1979, was created Baron Mawhinney of Peterborough in the county of Cambridgeshire later that year.

Local government

From 1889, the ancient Soke of Peterborough formed an administrative county in its own right with boundaries similar, although not identical, to the current unitary authority.[14] The area however remained geographically part of Northamptonshire until 1965, when the Soke was merged with Huntingdonshire to form the county of Huntingdon and Peterborough.[15] Following a review of local government in 1974, Huntingdon and Peterborough was abolished and the current district created by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Peterborough with Peterborough Rural District, Barnack Rural District, Thorney Rural District, Old Fletton Urban District and part of the Norman Cross Rural District, which had each existed since 1894.[16] This became part of the non-metropolitan county of Cambridgeshire.[17] Letters patent were granted continuing the status of city over the greater area.[18] In 1998, the city became autonomous of Cambridgeshire county council as a unitary authority, but it continues to form part of that county for ceremonial purposes.[19] The leader and cabinet model of decision-making, first adopted by the city council in 2001, is similar to national government.[20]

Policing in the city remains the responsibility of Cambridgeshire Constabulary; and firefighting, the responsibility of Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. The Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade, founded in 1884, is unique in the United Kingdom in that it functions as a retained fire station, under the control of the county fire and rescue service, but with unpaid firefighters.[21] [22] The Royal Anglian Regiment serves as the county regiment for Cambridgeshire. Peterborough formed its first territorial army unit, the 6th Northamptonshire Rifle Volunteer Corps, in 1860.[23]

Health service

Following the Health and Social Care Act 2012, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group became the main commissioner of health services in the city. Adult social care functions of NHS Peterborough transferred back to the city council in 2012 and public health transferred in 2013. The responsibility of guided primary care services (general practitioners, dentists, opticians and pharmacists) transferred to NHS England. In 2017 the responsibility for commissioning Primary Care Services transferred back to the CCG.[24] Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is one of the largest CCGs in the England with over 984,000 registered patients, 91 GP practices and a budget of £1.16bn in 2017–18.[25] Although predominately providing health services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough the CCG also has practices in both Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire.

Previously, NHS Peterborough (the public-facing name of Peterborough Primary Care Trust) guided primary care services in the city, directly provided adult social care and services in the community such as health visiting and physiotherapy and also funded hospital care and other specialist treatments. Prior to the formation of the PCT, the North West Anglia Healthcare NHS Trust provided health functions within the city and before that, Peterborough Health Authority.

Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust became one of the first ten English NHS foundation trusts in 2004[26] and in 2017, merged with Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust to form North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust. Although a £300 million health investment plan has seen the transfer of the city's two hospitals into a single site, the Trust has been plagued by financial problems since the move.[27] The full planning application for the redevelopment of the former Edith Cavell Hospital was approved by the council in 2006. Planning permission for the development of an integrated care centre on the site of the former Fenland Wing at Peterborough District Hospital was granted in 2003.[28] The City Care Centre finally opened in 2009[29] and the first patients were treated at the new Peterborough City Hospital in 2010.[30] The private Fitzwilliam Hospital run by Ramsay Health Care UK is situated in the landscaped grounds of the Milton Estate.[31] Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, a designated University of Cambridge teaching trust, provides services to those who suffer from mental health problems. Following merger of the Cambridgeshire Ambulance Service in 1994, then the East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust in 2006, the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust is responsible for the provision of statutory emergency medical services (EMS) in Peterborough. The East Anglian Air Ambulance provides helicopter EMS across the region.[32]

Public utilities

The council's budget for the financial year 2018–19 is £418.7 million.[33] The main source of non-school funding is the formula grant, which is paid by central government to local authorities based on the services they provide. This was reduced by nearly 40% during the course of the 2010-15 parliament. The remainder, to which the police and fire authorities (and parish council where this exists) set a precept, is raised from council tax and business rates. This amounts to £59.5 million in 2015–16.[33] Mains water and sewerage services are provided by Anglian Water, a former nationalised industry and natural monopoly, privatised in 1989 and now regulated by OFWAT.

Following deregulation, the consumer has a choice of energy supplier. Electricity was formerly provided by Eastern Electricity, which was privatised in 1990. In 2002, the supply business was sold to Powergen (now E.ON UK) and the distribution rights to EDF Energy who sold them to UK Power Networks in 2010. Natural gas was (and still is) supplied by British Gas, which was privatised in 1986; distribution (and gas and electricity transmission) is the responsibility of the National Grid, having been demerged as Transco in 1997. These industries are regulated by OFGEM. Peterborough Power Station is a 367 MWe gas-fired plant in Fengate operated by Centrica Energy.[34]

British Telecommunications, privatised in 1984, provides fixed ADSL enabled (8 Mbit/s) telephone lines. Local loop unbundling, giving other internet service providers direct access, is completed at four out of 12 exchanges. The city is cabled by Virgin Media (previously Peterborough Cablevision, Cable & Wireless and NTL).[35] These businesses are regulated by OFCOM. Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council are embarking on a superfast broadband project to deliver access to improved connectivity to areas where it is acknowledged that the market is unlikely to deliver.[36]

Civil parishes

The district contains the unparished areas of Peterborough, Old Fletton and Stanground North and 29 civil parishes:[37]

Demographics

Ethnicity

Ethnic GroupYear
1981 estimations[38] 1991[39] 2001[40] 2011[41] 2021[42]
Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%
White

Total

122,72694.1%141,80392.6%140,00389.7%151,54482.5%162,58175.3%
White: British133,75185.7%130,23270.9%128,35359.5%
White: Irish1,6971,2571,1770.5%
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller5605510.3%
White: Roma9380.4%
White: Other4,55519,49510.6%31,56214.6%
Asian or Asian British

Total

8,5605.6%11,4007.3%21,49211.7%30,80114.3%
Asian or Asian British: Indian2,6622,8764,6367,1693.3%
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani4,7526,98012,07816,9727.9%
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi541132294420.2%
Asian or Asian British: Chinese3585348729900.5%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian7348973,6775,2282.4%
Black or Black British

Total

2,0091.3%1,9281.2%4,1642.2%8,7514.1%
Black or Black British: African2045512,4806,2252.9%
Black or Black British: Caribbean1,2081,1181,1741,4190.7%
Black or Black British: Other Black5972595101,1070.5%
Mixed or British Mixed

Total

2,2891.5%4,9482.7%7,6173.5%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean9501,5421,9900.9%
Mixed: White and Black African2088271,6270.8%
Mixed: White and Asian6871,3842,0210.9%
Mixed: Other Mixed4441,1951,9790.9%
Other: Total7940.5%4410.3%1,4830.8%5,9202.7%
Other: Arab4288970.4%
Other: Any other ethnic group7940.5%4410.3%1,0555,0232.3%
Ethnic minority: Total7,6665.9%11,3637.4%16,05810.3%32,08717.5%53,08924.7%
Total130,392100%153,166100%156,061100%183,631100%215,670100%

Religion

Religion2001[43] 2011[44] 2021[45]
Number%Number%Number%
Holds religious beliefs118,54975.9126,15568.7133,00161.7
Christian106,62168.3104,20256.799,80246.3
Buddhist2540.24630.36170.3
Hindu1,3830.92,3201.33,8131.8
Jewish1470.11440.11850.1
Muslim8,9635.717,2519.426,23912.2
Sikh8330.51,1840.61,3480.6
Other religion3480.25910.39990.5
No religion24,38815.645,18324.670,06632.5
Religion not stated13,1248.412,2936.712,6045.8
Total population156,061100.0183,631100.0215,671100.0

Local landmarks

The district contains many notable attractions and landmarks including: Peterborough Cathedral, Burghley House, Nene Valley Railway, and Longthorpe Tower.

2016 EU Referendum

See also: Results of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. On Thursday 23 June 2016 Peterborough voted in the 2016 EU Referendum under the provisions of the European Union Referendum Act 2015 where voters were asked to decide on the question "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?" by voting for either "Remain a member of the European Union" or "Leave the European Union". The result produced a large "Leave" majority by 61% of voters on a turnout of 72% across the city[46] with only the wards of Peterborough Central, Barnack and late postal votes in the city council area returning "Remain" votes and all other wards returning "Leave" majority votes. Stewart Jackson, the then MP for the parliamentary constituency of Peterborough, backed "Leave". Shailesh Vara, MP for the neighbouring constituency of North West Cambridgeshire which includes a substantial part of the city, campaigned for a "Remain" vote.

United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016
Peterborough
ChoiceVotes%
Leave the European Union53,216 60.89%
Remain a member of the European Union 34,176 39.11%
Valid votes87,392 99.91%
Invalid or blank votes77 0.09%
Total votes87,469 100.00%
Registered voters and turnout120,892 72.35%
Peterborough referendum result (without spoiled ballots):
Leave:
53,216 (60.9%)
Remain:
34,176 (39.1%)

Notes and References

  1. Book: Beckett, John V. . City Status in the British Isles, 1830–2002 . Ashgate Publishing . Aldershot . 2005 . 0-7546-5067-7 . 14 . 15 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140122181912/http://books.google.com/books?id=jqqSSOyjBEoC&printsec=frontcover . 22 January 2014 . live.
  2. Web site: About the council . Peterborough City Council . 9 June 2024.
  3. Web site: Local Authority Districts, Counties and Unitary Authorities (April 2021) Map in United Kingdom . 2023-08-01 . Office for National Statistics: Open Geography Portal . en-us.
  4. Web site: East Anglia region, England, United Kingdom Britannica . www.britannica.com . 12 July 2022 . en.
  5. Web site: Lambert . Tim . A History of Peterborough . Local Histories . 12 July 2022 . 14 March 2021.
  6. Formally the Representation of the People Act 1832 (2 & 3 Will. 4. c. 45).
  7. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23).
  8. Youngs, Frederic A. Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England Volume II: Northern England (Part III: Parliamentary Constituencies) Royal Historical Society, London, 1991.
  9. News: Peterborough . Election 2017 . BBC News . 12 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170612003117/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000878 . 12 June 2017 . live.
  10. News: Labour confirms expulsion of convicted MP Fiona Onasanya . The Guardian . London . Dan . Sabbagh . 4 January 2019 . 20 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190420082036/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/04/labour-confirms-expulsion-of-convicted-mp-fiona-onasanya . 20 April 2019 . live.
  11. https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2019-05-01/recall-petition-result-fiona-onasanya-no-longer-peterboroughs-mp/ Fiona Onasanya no longer Peterborough's MP
  12. News: 2019-06-07 . Labour sees off Brexit Party in by-election . en-GB . BBC News . 2020-05-14 . 7 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201107230530/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48532869 . live.
  13. Web site: Conservatives win back Peterborough as Paul Bristow takes seat . www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk . en . 2020-05-14 . 22 May 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200522210104/https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/politics/conservatives-win-back-peterborough-paul-bristow-takes-seat-1340114 . live.
  14. Under the Local Government Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict. c. 41).
  15. The Huntingdon and Peterborough Order 1964 (SI 1964/367), see Local Government Commission for England (1958–1967), Report and Proposals for the East Midlands General Review Area (Report No.3), 31 July 1961 and Report and Proposals for the Lincolnshire and East Anglia General Review Area (Report No.9), 7 May 1965.
  16. Under the Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 73).
  17. Under the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70), see The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972 (SI 1972/2039) Part 5: County of Cambridgeshire.
  18. Issued under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 25 June 1974, see
  19. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/1878/contents/made The Cambridgeshire (City of Peterborough) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996
  20. Under the Local Government Act 2000 (c. 22), see Modular constitutions for English local authorities via at UK Government Web Archive, archived 7 March 2008, Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions, February 2001.
  21. Web site: Peterborough Volunteers Fire Brigade . www.cambsfire.gov.uk . Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service . 1 January 2022 . 1 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220101182056/https://www.cambsfire.gov.uk/find-a-fire-station/peterborough-volunteers-fire-brigade/ . dead .
  22. Walton, Jemma "Meet Peterborough's Volunteer Fire Brigade team", Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 26 July 2007.
  23. http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/features/-Volunteer-soldiers-mark-unit39s.3942089.jp "Volunteer soldiers mark unit's centenary year"
  24. https://www.cambridgeshireandpeterboroughccg.nhs.uk/about-us/primary-care-co-commissioning-joint-committee/ Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG Primary Care Commissioning Committee
  25. https://www.cambridgeshireandpeterboroughccg.nhs.uk/about-us/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/ About us
  26. http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/_db/_documents/NHS_Performance_Ratings_2005-2006.pdf The annual health check: assessing and rating the NHS
  27. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24061844 Peterborough and Stamford NHS trust rescue plan outlined
  28. http://www.healthplan.org.uk/ Greater Peterborough Health Investment Plan
  29. http://www.peterborough.nhs.uk/documents/News/CCC_General_Leaflet.pdf?preventCache=03%2F06%2F2009+14%3A34 City Care Centre
  30. Urem, Adam "Peterborough City Hospital: The big move begins", Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 11 November 2010.
  31. http://www.ramsayhealth.co.uk/hospitals/private_hospitals/fitzwilliam_hospital.aspx Fitzwilliam Private Hospital
  32. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-33503402 Prince William begins East Anglian Air Ambulance job
  33. https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/upload/www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/council-tax/CouncilTaxBooklet2018-19.pdf?inline=true Council Tax Summary
  34. Web site: Power Stations: Peterborough . Centrica Energy . 1 May 2015.
  35. https://www.samknows.com/broadband/county/Peterborough Broadband availability details for Peterborough
  36. http://www.connectingcambridgeshire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Connecting-Cambridgeshire-Public-Consultation.pdf Superfast Broadband for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
  37. Web site: Children of Peterborough City Council. Mapit. 13 July 2022.
  38. 1985 . Ethnic minorities in Britain: statistical information on the pattern of settlement . Commission for Racial Equality . English . Table 2.2. Equality. Commission for Racial.
  39. Data is taken from United Kingdom Casweb Data services of the United Kingdom 1991 Census on Ethnic Data for England, Scotland and Wales (Table 6)
  40. Web site: Office of National Statistics; 2001 Census Key Statistics . 2021-09-07 . webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk.
  41. Web site: 2011 Census: Ethnic Group, local authorities in England and Wales . 2021-12-15 . webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk.
  42. Web site: Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics . 2022-11-29 . www.ons.gov.uk.
  43. Web site: KS007 - Religion - Nomis - 2001 . 2022-10-18 . www.nomisweb.co.uk.
  44. Web site: KS209EW (Religion) - Nomis - 2011 . 2022-10-18 . www.nomisweb.co.uk.
  45. Web site: Religion - Religion by local authorities, ONS.
  46. Web site: EU Referendum results. Peterborough City Council. 19 October 2016. 20 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161020041346/https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/elections/eu-referendum/. dead.