100 jobs to be saved thanks to new café culture spending in Peterborough

Funding of £983,000 will help encourage people to spend their money in the city centre and attract new investment into Peterborough.

The money will be spent on:

. Lighting existing cultural assets such as the Guildhall and to provide a clear route to a car park

. Sustainable heating and seating, which includes trialling new products and using green technology

. Protective coverings that can be used in the majority of weather conditions

. Public wifi

. Security, including measures to ensure the café culture does not become a target for terrorism.

The coronavirus pandemic led to the introduction of al-fresco dining in the city centre, with several restaurants introducing outdoor seating when welcoming back customers after the first national lockdown.

According to the city council, Centre For Cities data showed Peterborough had bounced back to 97 per cent of its footfall by the end of August – well above the national average.

The council added: “The development of a café culture in the city would ensure this continues to be the case in the coming months/years.

“The project will provide Covid-19 secure infrastructure (heating, seating, lighting and protective covering) to enable people to return safely and confidently to the city.”

The vast majority of the funding (£800,000) is coming from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, the county’s mayoral body, with the rest being supplied by Peterborough City Council.

The council said the money will:

. Save 100 jobs in the hospitality and retail sectors

. Stimulate a new enterprise culture in the city

. Boost city centre business productivity by 28 per cent

. Provide infrastructure which will be carbon neutral

. Attract additional investment into the city of £10 million by 2025.