Success for PT Unlimited cAmpAign

Toilet provision in Peterborough city centre is to be reviewed, the leader of the council has pledged.

The announcement by Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald is a success for the PT’s Peterborough Unlimited campaign which has shone a light on the inadequate facilities for people with disabilities.

The building of a fully accessible toilet block in the city centre – to accommodate both people with and without disabilities – is one of the campaign’s five demands.

The Peterborough City Council leader, speaking at Wednesday’s full council meeting, also agreed to establish a cross-party working group which will look into disability provision as part of its remit.

Cllr Fitzgerald told councillors: “I’ve tasked officers to look at toilet provision in the city centre, another thing that’s become quite an interested topic for many of you.

“And I’ve also tasked officers to create an equalities, diversity, disabilities and inclusion working group.

“That will be a cross-party working group. Officers will be in touch on how that will be established and the terms of reference in due course.”

On top of improved toilet provision, the PT is campaigning for:

- The creation of a disability officer post at the council

- More Blue Badge parking spaces

- Keeping St Peter’s Arcade permanently open

- Improved access for disabled people into Queensgate.

The lack of toilets is a problem for many people wanting to enter the city centre, but especially for families where a person has a disability.

Currently, the only Changing Places (fully accessible) toilet is at Car Haven Car Park, behind the Town Hall, which is not easy to access if you are at the other end of town.

This situation has deterred many people with disabilities from visiting the city centre, with some instead travelling to other cities to go shopping.

“I’ve also tasked officers to create an equalities, diversity, disabilities and inclusion working group’’

Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald, council leader

sad time for everyone associated with the store.

“I want to pay tribute to my incredible team of partners here who have continued to conduct themselves with professionalism and dedication throughout the challenges of the pandemic, and especially during what has been a difficult past few months.

“They will all be supported in every way possible throughout the next stages and we will look at opportunities for anyone wishing to remain with the business.

“I would also like to thank our customers for their loyalty over the years and for the support they have shown us – it has always meant a lot and I am glad we will still be represented in the city through our nearby Waitrose.”

John Lewis has revealed a number of measures for supporting its staff who cannot remain with the retailer.

These include a dedicated Retraining Fund, which will contribute up to £3,000 towards a recognised qualification or course for up to two years for any partner with two years’ service or more.

All partners will have the option of a three-month support programme with an outplacement specialist to help with CV writing and interview skills.

In addition to statutory redundancy payments, partners who have worked with the business for more than a year would be entitled to partnership redundancy pay, which equates to two weeks’ pay for every year of service, regardless of age.

Those with less than one year’s service who leave on grounds of redundancy would receive an ex-gratia tax-free payment equivalent to one week’s contractual pay.

A recent appeal from economic development company Opportunity Peterborough for local employers with vacancies to come forward to help John Lewis staff generated responses from at least 50 employers.

Managers of the Queensgate centre have never commented on the John Lewis closure.