Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Historic hotel will be central feature in Station Quarter plan

Plans to construct a major extension to a leading hotel in Peterborough have taken a step forward.

Owners of the 170-year-old Great Northern Hotel, in Station Approach, have already secured planning approval to create an area with offices and retail units on the ground floor in place of an existing extension. It is also proposed to create six new apartments.

In front of the railway station there will be a new public square and the creation of a new route to the town centre with shops and cafés.

The 19th century Great Northern Hotel, which will be a central feature in a planned redevelopment of the area.

The proposals are expected to deliver an extra 47 rooms for the hotel, 51 parking spaces and 200 cycle spaces.

Now Peterborough City Council has also approved an application under building control regulations to allow construction to take place.

A spokesperson for the hotel did not respond to a request for further details.

However, the works to the hotel will integrate with the multi-million pound plans to create a Station Quarter focused on a new-look train station with a new western entrance and car parking.

This image shows how the proposed Station Quarter regeneration could appear once completed.

Other proposed works to the £70 million development include a new office park and surrounding retail facilities plus new green areas with biodiversity, community spaces and better connections to the city centre to make it safer and more attractive for bikes and pedestrians.

It is hoped much of the funding – £48 million – will come from the Government's Towns Fund.

A bid for the cash was submitted to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities by a partnership of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Peterborough City Council, Network Rail and LNER.

Peterborough MP Paul Bristow will lead a debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday to make the case for Peterborough’s funding application.

He said: “Peterborough is the gateway to the East of England and the Station Quarter is the gateway to the city - It is vitally important that the Station Quarter and the station itself is fit for purpose.

“This is a chance to use this prime asset to bring jobs, retail and other visitors to our city.

"If we get this right, I can see new businesses and even another government hub coming to Peterborough.”

Extension plan for Peterborough's Great Northern Hotel moves forward as funding battle for Station Quarter is stepped up