Five Peterborough stories you might have missed

Louise Roe, who is smiling and has long wavy light brown hair and is wearing a large pair of red-tipped glasses, with a chain attached, and a pale pink top. She is standing outside and the background of trees and grasses is out of focus. — Image caption,
Louise Roe, from the Nene Park Trust, said it is hoped a new wetland at Ferry Meadows will boost biodiversity

Joanna Taylor

BBC News, Peterborough

3 hours ago

The leader of Peterborough City Council resigned from the role and his party, while work began to create a new habitat for otters, water vole and wading birds at a popular country park.

Here's five stories you might have missed this week in Peterborough.

Council leader resigns after 'white trash' comment

Dennis Jones wearing a navy pinstriped blazer, light coloured shirt and pink tie as well as a red Labour rosette. He is standing in Peterborough Town Hall and looking at the camera. — Image caption,
Dennis Jones referred to victims of grooming gangs as "poor white trash from Rotherham"

Dennis Jones, the Labour leader of Peterborough City Council, resigned from the post and his party after messages in which he referred to victims of grooming gangs as "poor white trash from Rotherham".

Mr Jones, who will now represent Dogsthorpe ward as an independent councillor, said he "apologised wholeheartedly for the language" in the messages, shared by ex-Labour councillor Daisy Blakemore-Creedon.

Liberal Democrat, Conservative, Green and independent group Peterborough First have urged the Labour group to reconsider its leadership of the authority.

Work starts on long-delayed 'eyesore' sinkhole

A fenced off footpath with a sinkhole in it- placed between the River Nene and a block of flats on the other side of it. — Image caption,
The path is said to have been deteriorating for seven years

People in riverside flats next to a long-standing sinkhole on a footpath say they are "delighted" much-awaited repair works will finally begin.

The sinkhole, on Henry Penn Walk next to Peterborough's Town Bridge, was first reported in 2021 and the path has been closed amid arguments over who should be responsible for the works, which were expected to cost millions.

After years of dispute, Riverview Housing Freehold Limited (RHFL), which includes leaseholders and freeholders of 24 flats, have agreed to pay for the repairs.

Flood meadow restoration begins at city park

Ham Mere with grasses and reeds in the foreground, an open area where trees have been removed in the middle ground and trees in the distance. The sky is cloudy. — Image caption,
Ham Mere is part of the country park at Ferry Meadows and has become overgrown over the years

Work has begun on a project to restore a flood meadow at a 2,500 acre (1,011ha) city country park.

Nene Park Trust has been awarded more than £64,000 for the work, which it is hoped will boost biodiversity at an overgrown site at Ferry Meadows, Peterborough.

Fundraising officer Louise Roe said: "Over the years, Ham Fen has been taken over by willow and birch and we're using the funds to cut that back to create a wetland."

It is hoped it will attract otters, water voles and rare wetland birds.

Charity fears vandalism was a targeted attack

alt="The exterior of a building, showing three windows with white window panes. The front is a mixture of brown stucco and at the top is white stucco with black beams. There is a sign that reads "Unity Hall 1927" and beneath it is a sign that reads "PARCA: Supporting people in need". — Image caption,
PARCA says the centre remains open as a "safe space" despite the incidents

A charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers fears recent incidents of vandalism against its centre have been targeted attacks.

Peterborough Asylum and Refugee Community Association (PARCA) on Northfield Road runs a drop-in centre and offers support to migrant communities such as language classes, housing advice and children's workshops .

Moez Nathu, the charity's co-founder, said garden equipment and furniture and a section of its outdoor area had been damaged during two recent incidents of vandalism.

Rough sleeper centre to offer safe spaces to women

Two women volunteers - one wearing a purple floral top - handing out a plate of toast to a lady in a black jacket, who is also holding a cup of tea and has her back to the camera. Another volunteer is wearing an animal-print hoodie smiling at the lady receiving the toast. — Image caption,
The charity said it would work to have female volunteers during the weekly women-only sessions

A charity supporting homeless people has said it plans to hold weekly women-only sessions because vulnerable women can feel "intimidated" by the number of men.

Light Project Peterborough (LLP) runs The Garden House in the city centre - a respite day centre for rough sleepers offering advice.

The charity said about 20% of people they supported were women, with a rise in the number of female visitors over the past two years.

The week in politics

The big political news this week in Peterborough was the resignation of the council's leader, Dennis Jones, from the post and the Labour party. A new leader will be elected on Friday 12th September.

Meanwhile, plans for a new housing development in Thorney were withdrawn over concerns about drainage at the proposed site. Morro Partnerships had put forward proposals to build 47 homes off Station Road.

The council rejected plans to create a caravan site for Gypsy and traveller families in Barnack. Highways services said it had concerns over access to the site on Uffington Road.

The mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, scrapped grants for small businesses aimed at helping them reach net zero. And Simon Megicks, who began his career as a police officer in Cambridge in the 1990s, was appointed chief constable for the county after a unanimous vote by the Police and Crime Panel.

The week in sport

Peterborough United's defence of the EFL Trophy got off to the worst possible start with a 3-1 defeat at home against Leyton Orient on Tuesday.

Posh were level just before half time through Harley Mills but conceded twice in the second half against an Orient side that was reduced to ten men in the 26th minute.

Darren Ferguson's side have now failed to win any of their opening eight games.

Peterborough Sports slipped to their 5th defeat of the National League North season after a 3-2 loss against AFC Telford United on Tuesday.

Sports are second bottom of the table and are three points from safety with four points from seven games.