Political View: Power in local hands can supercharge Peterborough’s next big leap

There’s no shortage of ambition in the city, but we know it needs more investment. The Combined Authority, which I lead, has already proven that devolution delivers. With more power in local hands, we can bring about the better future Peterborough deserves.

This week the Government launched the Devolution White Paper giving regions like ours more control – moving power away from London to local leaders like Mayors, who have ‘skin in the game’. If we want Peterborough to reach its potential, it’s exactly what’s needed.

ARU Peterborough shows that devolution works. For decades a new university sat on the city’s wish list. It was devolution and the establishment of the Combined Authority which breathed life into that ambition. We partnered with the City Council, and then ARU, to deliver the stunning campus we see today.

Only last month I was privileged to help open the fantastic new campus phase – ‘The Lab’. As well as providing much-needed higher education opportunity, the university is well placed to be the anchor for something much bigger. There are early-stage plans for a global innovation centre, focused on future energy including hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels, helping to put Peterborough at the forefront of green technology.

Then there’s Peterborough Station Quarter, on which we’re working in partnership with the city council and for which we’ve secured £48 million in funding from Government. Our aim is to make the station work for passengers, and deliver a gateway to the city we can be proud of. This will then unlock future phases, mixing housing and commercial space on what are currently swathes car parking. More devolution can make the most of this opportunity – and help us find more investments to push Peterborough forward.

Devolution also means we can overhaul the way our bus system runs as right now too many residents struggle to get where they need to be. Early in 2025 I’ll be deciding whether to bring in franchising to give more control of our buses – routes, fares and links between rural areas, workplaces and the city centre.

We just need the tools to do the job. When the time’s right, The Combined Authority will be ready for an ‘integrated settlement’ with Government - a long-term, dependable funding agreement that gives us the ability to plan ahead confidently for Peterborough and the region.

And let’s have fairer tools to raise the money ourselves – for example by keeping more of the business rates we generate to put back into local priorities. No micromanaging from London. Less scrambling for Government cash in competition with other regions. Just the freedom to deliver what Peterborough needs.

This White Paper will set out how we take devolution to the next level. It’s not power for power’s sake – it’s about the better transport, better jobs, better skills and decent affordable homes that will make Peterborough an even greater place to live. These proposals are a huge opportunity for all of us. My message to Government is simple: devolution works and we’re ready for more