Mayor's View: A thriving city should have a thriving heritage

Jobs, homes and investment matter – of course they do. But alongside growth, we must protect and promote the historic and cultural assets that make Peterborough unique.

So I’m delighted my £300,000 proposal to upgrade Peterborough Cathedral’s critical lighting system was backed this week by the Combined Authority’s Funding Committee. If the Combined Authority Board, which I chair, also backs it when it meets on September 24, then it will be an important shot in the arm for our Cathedral.

It’s a place of worship, yes – but it also brings culture and history to local people and visitors alike. Thousands of tourists make the trip to the 900-year-old building every month.

Concerts, festivals, school events and exhibitions all provide a draw to the heart of our city. But the old lighting system is on its last legs and limits what the Cathedral can do as a major attraction.

With this investment we’ll have a modern, energy-efficient, flexible lighting system that makes the Cathedral a better venue and more welcoming. It will unlock new events, new revenue, and more reasons for people to come into Peterborough city centre.

It’s also about the spin-off custom for shops, restaurants, bars and cafes with money spent in our local economy that pays local wages and keeps the high street and evening economy thriving. £300,000 spent now will benefit the city for years to come.

And the Cathedral is just one piece of the picture.

I want a Peterborough where growth and regeneration sit alongside heritage and culture.

Our wonderful historic buildings and museums, as well as open spaces, our river, places like the lido; they’re not “nice extras” – they’re central to what makes Peterborough a place where people want to live and visit. We need to make sure these places continue to thrive alongside the city.

And new development can also add modern heritage. Look at ARU Peterborough. Our new university is deliberately open, with a campus design that connects to the wider city. Students learn in state-of-the-art facilities, but are also connected to the city, to the cafes and shops, adding life and energy to the city centre. Our first graduates got their degrees this year – how fitting that the ceremony should be in the Cathedral.

That’s heritage meeting the future.

And I’m working on bringing more people in to enjoy our city. That includes free parking, getting funding for regenerating our train station and the surrounding land, and the development of a new community stadium for the Posh that will also be a concert venue and incorporate the longed-for new pool. Big projects that create jobs, attract visitors and give people reasons to stay and enjoy the heritage, culture and history we’re blessed with.

So yes, I’m proud that we’ve secured this Cathedral funding. It’s a symbol of the kind of city I want Peterborough to be – growing, ambitious, but one which looks after its history and culture.

We can’t separate the two. A thriving heritage and a thriving city are one and the same.