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Shaping the future of Peterborough City Centre

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We are at the beginning of an exciting journey for Peterborough City Centre - to transform the heart of the city into a place where our residents want to spend their leisure time, that attracts visitors from far and wide, and in which businesses want to invest.

We want you to help us shape that future vision by sharing your feelings about the city centre now and telling us what experiences you would like to have there in the future.

This is your opportunity to help us shape a long-term vision for the city centre on how the city centre looks, feels and functions for the next 15 to 20 years.

Your experience and views of the city centre matter. The decisions we make today will influence the opportunities, character and wellbeing of future generations. So, we want this vision to reflect the ideas and ambitions of our communities.

Cathedral Square and Guildhall - Cathedral Square wide

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. 

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.

Logos of Homes England and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA)

Boundary of the city centre

The area of Peterborough that we are asking for your feedback on in this survey is shown on the map below.

Map of the city centre boundary - see dropdown box below for plain text summary

The map shows that the city centre boundary goes as far north as Burghley Road and as far south as Fletton Quays. The western part of the city centre boundary is Peterborough Station Quarter and its surrounding area. The north east of the boundary goes as far as Stanley Park, and Brook Street and Wellington Street car parks. The central area of the city centre covers areas such as Peterborough Cathedral, Bridge Street, Cathedral Square, Queensgate, Rivergate, Westgate, Cowgate and surrounding streets.

Complete the survey

Our survey runs from 2 February to 12 March 2026.

In addition to the survey, we will be speaking with lots of people in different ways to help develop the vision. This includes community events, workshops and online engagement.

Attend a pop-up event

We are holding pop-up roadshows in Peterborough where you can talk to us about the city centre. These take place at the following locations and times:

  • Tuesday 3 February 2026 under the Cathedral Arch at Cathedral Square - 2:30pm to 4:30pm
  • Saturday 14 February 2026 outside Frasers on the ground floor of Queensgate Shopping Centre - 12pm to 2pm

Why this work matters

A new city centre vision will help Peterborough set a clear direction for the future. It will:

  • Create a long-term plan for an accessible, safe and vibrant city centre
  • Draw on lived experience from residents, businesses and visitors
  • Build on strong data and evidence
  • Provide confidence for future investment
  • Ensure quality of life is central to every decision

This vision will act as a foundation for improvements over the coming decades. It will guide development, regeneration, business planning and public space enhancements.

What we want your views on

To help develop the vision, we will be speaking with lots of people in different ways, including community events, workshops and online engagement. Together, we will explore the big questions that will define the future of the city centre.

We want your views on:

  • How you feel about the city centre now? What makes you want to visit and what stops you from visiting?
  • What kind of experiences do you want to have in the city centre?
  • Would you like to see a greater focus on the arts and cultural opportunities, the night-time economy, or more job opportunities or more housing to create a real 24-hour community?
  • What types of businesses, job opportunities and housing should we encourage?
  • How could movement in and around the city centre be improved?
  • What should our public spaces look and feel like?
  • What would improve quality of life for people who live and work here?
  • How we can ensure the city centre is inclusive and enjoyable for everyone?

Your insights will be combined with feedback from key stakeholder groups and an audit of current council programmes will help us to shape a future vision. 

Understanding how people experience Peterborough City Centre today is an important starting point for shaping the vision. We want to hear what people value, what feels distinctive, and where there is room for improvement.

  • What do you think works well and is unique about the city centre?
  • What do you think could be improved?

This will help us understand what should be protected, strengthened or changed as the vision develops.

As the Vision looks ahead to the next 15 to 20 years, it is important to understand which priorities matter most to people.

  • A safe and welcoming city centre
  • Heritage and history
  • Ease of getting around on foot, by wheelchair or mobility aid
  • Cycling routes and facilities
  • Attractive public spaces and places to spend time
  • Trees, planting and nature
  • A varied mix of shops
  • Cafés, leisure and other community spaces
  • Homes in and around the city centre
  • Access to jobs and business opportunities
  • A city centre that supports health and wellbeing

This will help shape a vision that reflects what people feel is most important for the future of the city centre.

How people travel to and move around the city centre plays a key role in how it is experienced and used.

  • Different ways of travelling, such as walking or wheeling, cycling, bus, train, car or taxi
  • Which car parks people use most to access the city centre

Understanding current travel and access patterns will help inform future thinking about how the city centre functions.

Public spaces are a central part of the city centre experience and influence how long people choose to spend there.

  • What would encourage people to spend more time in the city centre
  • What would encourage people to spend more time in areas around the embankment
  • Views on seating, greenery, lighting, activities, spaces for children and families, cafés or markets, cleanliness and shelter from the weather

This will help shape public spaces that people want to use and enjoy.

Environmental sustainability and climate resilience are important considerations for the future of the city centre.

  • How important it is that the city centre supports environmental sustainability and climate resilience

This will help us understand how strongly these issues should be reflected in the vision.

A successful city centre should work well for everyone, whatever their age, background or reason for visiting.

  • Ideas for making Peterborough City Centre more inclusive and accessible for everyone
  • What would improve the experience for families with young children
  • What would make the city centre a place young people want to spend more time
  • What would improve the experience for visitors and tourists
  • Any other views on the future of Peterborough City Centre over the next 15 to 20 years

This will help ensure the Vision reflects a wide range of experiences and perspectives.

Last updated: 02 February 2026
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