Catherine Atkinson
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Town and City Centre Safety
Catherine Atkinson Excerpts(1 day, 18 hours ago)
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Baggy Shanker (Derby South) (Lab/Co-op) [R]
I beg to move,
That this House has considered town and city centre safety.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I declare my interest as a city councillor in Derby and former council leader, but most importantly as a proud Derby-born resident since 1972—yes, the year we won the league. In Derby, as in towns and cities up and down the country, there is so much to be proud of. We have a community that rolls up its sleeves and cracks on. From Alvaston to Sinfin, our Derby Parks Volunteers are out come rain or shine, working to keep our parks looking their best. Just before Christmas, volunteers from across the city—from the Salvation Army, the Pakistan Community Centre and the gurdwaras—pulled together to support 200 Pear Tree families evacuated from their homes. It is those examples of community, and many more, that make us proud to call our city home.
The city is brimming with what it has to offer our residents and visitors. People can grab a pint at the Hairy Dog, and head on to a gig at Vaillant Live, which opened its doors last year. They will see that the city is buzzing. And there is an exciting future ahead, with regeneration efforts breathing new life into the cultural heart of our city. Demolishing the Assembly Rooms, which could not come a moment too soon in my view, will completely transform our marketplace, creating a multipurpose community venue, a four-star hotel and grade A office space for the fantastic businesses across our city. That is not all. From the redevelopment of the derelict Friar Gate Goods Yard, to the Guildhall theatre, regeneration is going full steam ahead. In our city, we are committed to creating positive change that our community can feel.
Catherine Atkinson (Derby North) (Lab)
My hon. Friend is setting out brilliantly some of the regeneration that we are seeing in our city. From the new performance venue, Vaillant Live, and the redevelopment of the Friar Gate Goods Yard, to the £20 million that the Government are investing in the Guildhall and Derby theatres, it is regeneration that he has played a central part in, both as council leader and, now, as an MP. He is absolutely right that the long-awaited demolition of the Assembly Rooms and the regeneration of that site will be transformational for our marketplace—the icing on the Birds Bakery cake. But does he agree that people will go into the city centre and enjoy that regeneration only if they feel safe to do so? Does he agree that more bobbies on the beat and further investment in our CCTV—issues that we have both been working on—are essential so that everyone feels safe to live, work and play in our city?