Candidates clash in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral contest

A nine-member audience quizzed the candidates

Candidates for the post of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor clashed over housing and transport in a BBC television debate.

The three mayoral hopefuls took questions from a nine-member audience who asked questions via Zoom.

The candidates are James Palmer for the Conservatives, Lib Dem Aidan Van de Weyer and Labour's Dr Nik Johnson.

Mr Palmer won the election in 2017 when the post was created.

One of the most lively debates was on the topic of housing, one of the big issues for people in Cambridgeshire.

According to Land Registry figures for February 2021, average house prices in Cambridgeshire are £307,069, well above the UK average of £249,309.

The average cost of a home in Cambridge over the last 12 months is £456,562 - and £235,238 in Peterborough.

Poppy Huskinson, 23, who has to commute from Stevenage to her job at One Space Media in Cherry Hinton, near Cambridge, asked: "How can the mayor help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder?"

She has had to live with her parents in Hertfordshire because of prices in Cambridgeshire.

Mr Palmer said: "What Poppy's asking is how do we get people on the housing market - and we have a product that's unique to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

"It's my policy: the £100,000 home. If I am elected. I will use that mandate to request and ensure that each planning authority delivers at least 10% of homes that are affordable £100,000 home for first-time buyers.

"We've got 21 completed homes or under construction. Every £100,000 home is delivered at zero cost to the taxpayer. We lend money to developers at a low rate of interest and what we get back is £100,000 homes. This is the only policy in the entire country, totally aimed at first-time buyers."

Mr Van de Weyer said Miss Huskinson's situation was "very common for people who work and live around Cambridge".

He said: "It's really difficult for young people to find houses that they think they can afford and the solution is to build more houses across the whole area and make sure that people can get to and from work from the houses.

"We need to build more and more and better affordable houses. I'm afraid that the idea of a £100,000 house is just a gimmick. We have only managed four so far and there's no real prospect of building more."

BBC Politic East's Amelia Reynolds conducted the debate

Dr Johnson said he would like to see 50% social housing. He said he believed it was deliverable "if you prioritise it and work with developers in the right way, and if you look for the rights of land".

"We should think of different parts of the county and maybe sometimes if we focus on other areas, in particular the Fens and greater Peterborough. I think they are deliverable," he added.

"But it can only be done if we have connectivity in terms of transport arrangements."

A dairy farmer, a business consultant and a children's doctor walk into a TV studio…

The debate offered no punchline to the gag. And yes, one candidate was beamed in via video link.

But what it lacked in laughs, it made up for in policy.

There's clear daylight between the three candidates.

And that prompted testy exchanges on housing, transport and the environment.

Conservative and current mayor James Palmer said he's "astounded by the chutzpah" displayed by his Liberal Democrat opponent over transport policy.

Lib Dem Aidan Van de Weyer wrote off Mr Palmer's £100k homes scheme as a "gimmick" that's only built four houses so far.

And on littering, Labour's Nik Johnson vowed to press drive-through restaurants to print drivers' number plates on packaging.

Now all you have to do is choose which of these - and the other policy areas - you care about most.

Transport is also a key issues in Cambridgeshire with competing plans for a Cambridge Metro, an expanded busway and plans for an East-West rail route to link Cambridge to Oxford.

Coton parish councillor Helen Bradbury, who has concerns about a busway asked the candidates: "Does the business case for a multi-million pound Cambourne-to-Cambridge busway stack up when the go-ahead has also been given for a rail route from Cambourne?"

Mr Van de Weyer said: "I was sceptical about it, I'm not convinced yet. Things are changing with the new railway line that connects Cambourne and Cambridge.

"We have to see how traffic patterns since the pandemic has changed things. One of the problems we have had was it was very difficult working together [with the mayor].

"He [Mr Palmer] said it was the right thing to do to build the busway and then he's changed his mind."

Now it is mainly supported by the county council and the city council, he said.

Lib Dem Aidan Van de Weyer is the deputy leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council

Mr Palmer said: "I am astounded by the chutzpah that Aidan has come out with. Aidan campaigned against the busway when he wasn't elected.

"When he was elected [to South Cambridgeshire District Council] he became chairman of the Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership and tried to drive this policy through.

"I have tried every way to stop this nonsensical busway being delivered, without proper consultation. The East-West rail link is a valid point and I am trying to achieve a Cambridge metro scheme.

"The busway is totally inappropriate."

Conservative candidate James Palmer won the election for mayor in 2017

Dr Johnson said: "As someone who has lived and worked in Huntingdonshire I have seen the benefits of a guided bus route... so I would come into office and reconsider it.

"I think we're missing a trick here... In Manchester they have taken the buses in-house. Let the combined authority run a bus service that connects and works for all in the community.

"I want to see a network of green, sustainable, low carbon buses called Fen Tigers, to bring in different communities.

"I believe bus routes are the answer going forward."

Labour candidate Dr Nik Johnson is a children's doctor at Hinchingbrooke Hospital

The candidates were also asked for their environmental credentials for the job of mayor.

Tom Gosling, 34, from Sawtry, Cambridgeshire, who created a litter-picking group after noticing what he called a "litter pandemic" in his village, asked: "What policies do you have to combat littering?"

Mr Van de Weyer said: "One of the roles of the mayor is to help communities to help themselves to improve their areas.

"The mayor can also help join up natural habitats that are fragmented."

Mr Palmer said a "significant part" of his next term if re-elected would be addressing environmental concerns.

"We are working very closely with local nature groups. We have drawn up a road map," he said.

Dr Johnson said the mayor would have a "role to co-ordinate volunteers" and look at local council litter strategies.

He added that he would like to set up a scheme where takeaway establishments printed the car number plate of their customers on bags to deter roadside littering.

A special programme with all three candidates - called A Mayor for Cambridge and Peterborough - will be broadcast at 14:20 BST on Sunday on BBC One in the East.