THE Government has unveiled a 20-year vision to deliver more affordable housing, boost jobs and improve transport links in the east – with Peterborough in line for a multi-million pound investment.
The blueprint was launched by Communities Minister Parmjit Dhanda yesterday.
Almost £150 million over three years will be poured into new developments around the main cities and towns including Peterborough – with £17.5 million earmarked specifica
lly for the city.
This will help give its growth and environment credentials a major push, including the creation of 24,610 homes and 27,500 jobs in the next two decades.
As part of the overall 130-page East of England Plan, 508,000 homes will be built by 2021 and 452,000 new jobs will be in the offing in the region.
The figure for the number of homes is up from the 478,000 in previous predictions and the jobs target has also risen from 444,000 in a bid to meet revised forecasts showing an increase in demand.
Barbara Follett MP, the Labour party's East of England minister spoke to The Evening Telegraph after the launch, where she described the plan as "a key milestone for delivering sustainable housing growth and tackling problems of homelessness, housing affordability and climate change here in the East of England."
She said: "It is a 20-year look ahead, and sets out a framework for development and growth in the area.
"Peterborough is one of the growth areas and we hope it will be an engine of growth.
"We are trying to attract more businesses there. Work has been done on that already, so it will be more of the same.
"We are trying to get high-tech businesses, not old industry.
"Houses built will be environmentally friendly and sustainable.
"We are raising the threshold of affordable housing.
"There will be more regeneration.
"I'm sure it will mean roadworks but we do have to improve the transport infrastructure.
"I hope it will mean more trains, too.
"Houses will be built in such a way so they will not use so much water and will be designed to conserve water."
nThe full plan can be viewed at www.goeast.gov.uk
The full article contains 373 words and appears in Peterborough ET newspaper.
