Footfall in Peterborough city centre continues to rise, council say

With more than 100 restaurants and other venues are taking part in the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme, and more residents are heading into the city centre.

Cllr Marco Cereste, cabinet member for street scene and the environment at Peterborough City Council, said: “Having been out in the city centre on week nights recently, I’m delighted to see so many people out and about. Last week I tried two different restaurants and could not get a booking. We’ve worked hard to regenerate the city centre in recent years and it’s an area to be proud of with great choice for meals and drinks out.

“While the latest Centre for Cities data shows that Peterborough high street is recovering following lockdown pretty well, it’s important that we continue to do all we can to protect our local economy during this time, so I would urge everyone to make the most of the Eat Out to Help out scheme and our free parking.”

Dinesh Odedra, owner of the Banyan Tree restaurant in Westgate, said: “Since the start of the scheme, we’ve seen many more people booking meals during the week, in fact we’ve had to turn people away on some nights. The free parking has also helped encourage people to come out so we’re grateful to the council for that.

“All our staff are taking the necessary precautions, including wearing face masks and gloves, sanitising between service and making sure customers are socially distanced. Things aren’t fully back to normal yet, but the scheme has helped us to get back up and running so it’s been a massive boost.”

Gareth Norman, who runs Bean Around cafe in Cathedral Square, added: “The biggest positive for us is the fact there are more people in the city centre during midweek. We are seeing lots of new faces coming in along with our regular customers, so our midweek custom has definitely been boosted.

“For smaller businesses like cafes, we have to work hard, because people are coming in for coffee and snacks as opposed to full meals in restaurants. But the scheme gives our customers the opportunity for extra choice, so as they are getting a discount they can consider having some food or a snack with their drinks.”

MORE: More in Peterborough join Eat Out to Help Out scheme