Peterborough leisure and arts services close doors for lockdown

The former Vivacity services transferred to City College Peterborough Foundation and Peterborough Limited in August this year. Both have experience in commercial development and service delivery and as such are ideal for taking over the running of leisure and heritage in our city.

Arts, culture and heritage services transferred to City College Peterborough Foundation. Sports and leisure services transferred to Peterborough Ltd, a wholly owned company of Peterborough City Council.

From tomorrow (Thursday, 5 November), the following services will again close and will be re-opened on Wednesday, 2 December – subject to alternative announcements by the Government:

Libraries

All libraries and the mobile library service in Peterborough will close their doors to the public, apart from Central Library. Central Library will open during limited hours (Mon, Wed, Fri between 10am and 3pm) to allow access to public computers for residents without IT access to check job applications, benefit claims and other public services. Some digital/virtual services will continue, such as e-lending, online Rhyme Times.

Fines from overdue library books during this period will not applied.

All leisure centres, swimming pools and Peterborough Athletics Track will close their doors to the public.

All memberships have been frozen and no payments will be taken during the period of closure. Customers with memberships have been updated as to the closures.

The Key Theatre will close its doors to the public

A full updated list of shows for the period of lockdown is shown on the Key Theatre website - https://www.vivacity.org/faqs-covid-19-coronavirus/Where shows are postponed your ticket will be automatically transferred to the new date in the exact same seat, unless you advise the Box Office otherwise.

Where shows have been cancelled, you will be automatically offered a gift certificate for the full amount paid. Your gift certificate refund will be posted to you. Contact the Box Office for alternative arrangements.

If you are happy with the above, please await contact from the Box Office in order to keep our communication lines clear. If you would like to discuss alternative arrangements for your booking however, please email.

Staff will be placed on furlough during this period or reassigned to assist Peterborough City Council’s Coordination Hub which continues to support the most vulnerable members in our city during the Covid-19 pandemic, including providing access to food, medical support and companionship. A core skeleton of staff will continue working to take care of sites and start planning for re-openings in December and the New Year.

Councillor Steve Allen, cabinet member for culture and recreation in Peterborough, said: “Since City College Peterborough Foundation and Peterborough Limited took over the running of Vivacity services we’ve made good progress in re-opening sites up for the public and were looking forward to re-opening Peterborough Museum later this month.

“However, due to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic and the Government’s decision to impose a second national lockdown, we will have to close the majority of services once more.

“This is disappointing for all involved, including residents who were looking forward to using these services over November and to staff. Many of these staff will be asked to assist Peterborough City Council’s Covid-19 Coordination Hub which has been providing support to the most vulnerable members of our society – support which will need to be ramped up again now this second lockdown has hit.”