Residents, shoppers, businesses, visitors and other interested parties will be asked how they feel about Peterborough city centre and what experiences they’d like to see there over the next 15 to 20 years as part of a visioning exercise being launched today (Monday, 2 February).
The Peterborough Visioning Project is being driven by Peterborough City Council and is being prepared as part of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England to drive housing, economic growth and regeneration in the region. The project aims to bring forward a vision to create a truly inclusive city centre which attracts residents, visitors and new businesses to invest.
An on-line survey and a series of pop-up events and stakeholder workshops are being held to gather the views and opinions about the city centre now, and what people think are its strength and weaknesses.
People are being encouraged to share their ideas on how they would like it to develop in the future as somewhere our residents want to spend time with friends and family, a visitors’ destination, a residential area, a thriving businesses district and somewhere that attracts people in from far and wide.
The newly approved Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Local Growth Plan (LGP) highlights Peterborough as one of the most important locations for economic growth in the area. The Peterborough Fast Growth City Opportunity Zone aims to drive this growth forward, with investment in transport, housing, and regeneration in the city centre. The Peterborough Visioning Project and Strategic Place Partnership will support those goals, with the LGP ultimately aiming for a tripling of the size of the region’s economy by 2050.
The results of all the engagement exercises will then help shape a vision for the city centre to drive investment and regeneration over the next two decades
Cllr Mohammed Farooq, Cabinet Member for Growth and Regeneration, said: “The city centre is the beating heart of any city and is such a vital component when people consider living, working or visiting.
“We want to create a city centre of which our residents and communities are proud, somewhere they want to spend time with their friends and families and that meets their needs with the right balance of shopping, working and other experiences to make it an attractive place to be.
“Our new vision will set a clear direction for an accessible, safe and vibrant city centre that supports quality of life, attracts investment, and reflects the needs and aspirations of the people who live, work, study and visit here.
“We want to hear from as many people as possible to help shape this vision.
“Your views will help inform priorities for the city centre, including how it looks and feels, how easy it is to get around, the mix of uses and activities, and how inclusive and welcoming it is for everyone.”
Paul Bristow, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “It’s time to get moving on the regeneration of Peterborough city centre. This is about setting a clear direction for the next 15 to 20 years and backing it with ambition, momentum and delivery.
“Peterborough is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and the city centre has to reflect that confidence and potential. If we want higher-paid jobs, stronger businesses and rising living standards, we need a city centre that attracts investment, talent and visitors.
“This visioning work is a vital step in turning people’s wishes into real progress. Working with the City Council, through our Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England, and as part of our Local Growth Plan, we are aligning housing, transport and regeneration to transform the city centre and bring the accelerated growth that will make people healthier, wealthier and happier.”
Jo Nugent, Acting Executive Director of Markets, Partners and Places at Homes England said: “Through our Strategic Place Partnership with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, we're working closely with local leaders to turn the vision for Peterborough into reality.
“Together with partners, we're all focused on supporting how the delivery of sustainable regeneration and the acceleration of housing delivery can happen to benefit Peterborough residents, visitors and businesses for years to come."
A six-week engagement exercise is now being launched including an on-line survey and followed by a series of pop-up events in local schools, the university, with businesses and in the local community.
Among the events are special pop-up events in Cathedral Square tomorrow (February 3) and in Queensgate on 14 February. To read more and to complete the survey visit www.peterborough.gov.uk/shaping-city-centre
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Notes to editors
1. The CPCA Strategic Place Partnership is a formal collaboration between Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and Homes England which includes driving regeneration and attracting investment into Peterborough, one of the UK’s fastest growing cities.