This is certainly a very busy period across the partnerships.

We are working hard in all areas to drive delivery forward so that we can achieve the visions and aspirations of the Sustainable Community Strategy.

And we have made some real progress. The cranes over Bretton are a clear sign that our health infrastructure is being renewed: the hospital development is one of the most exciting in Peterborough for many years. And the hoardings around Cathedral Square tell a similarly positive story as work progresses with the new public realm. We are also doing well right across our environment capital agenda, hitting our recycling targets and hugely increasing our use of sustainable transport. There have been significant achievements too in key areas of educational attainment and in the rates of smoking cessation, for example.

But for many people the impact of the economic downturn will put these achievements in the shade – and understandably so. If you are out of work or struggling to keep your business afloat, some of these things don’t register too high on your priorities. Which is why we are putting a lot of thought at the moment into how we respond to the economic downturn.

There is no doubt that Peterborough is being hit hard by the downturn. We have over 6,000 people claiming Job Seekers Allowance as of the end of April. So we have to make sure that we are working to today’s agenda, not yesterdays and adjust our work and our priorities to reflect this new reality.

We have already put together a leaflet sign-posting how businesses can help and advice during the downturn and we are now putting similar information online on the GPP website, highlighting a wide range of services available for ordinary people.

We are now working with a wide range of partners, including Job Centre Plus, the Learning and Skills Council, Encluster and Peterborough City Council to develop a bid for Government funding designed to create new jobs for young people. The Future Jobs Fund offers a very exciting opportunity to link up a number of aspects of work. Our ambition is not to employ people on short term contracts that might not lead anywhere but to deliver up to 200 permanent new jobs within a twelve month period aligned to the priorities and outcomes of the Peterborough’s Sustainable Community Strategy.

I’ll keep you posted on this one through the Blog – but if you would like to know more, just send me an email!