Westminster Life: Good news for tourism and Peterborough Museum

This means the government has given Peterborough Museum a boost of over £300,000 this year, helping to mark a turn in its fortunes since cutting its hours was on the table earlier in the year. We are finally turning a corner on our visitor plan and attracting more people into the city. And I really want to pay tribute to the businesses and attractions working to make Peterborough a better place to work.

Despite the challenges (and there are some stinkers), we have a lot going on in Peterborough, from our majestic cathedral and Flag Fen to Railworld and Nene Park. Over 13,000 people have got tickets for the Dr Who exhibition.

And more than 37,000 visits were undertaken to the Lido, and that’s before we include the dogs. I was pleased to thank the Claire Marshall, the Friends of the Lido, and the staff at the pool in the House of Commons this week. I know from speaking to swimmers from across the country, lido’s matter a lot to communities, and it is the same in Peterborough.

I want next year to be the year of the Lido, as the pool marks its 90th anniversary. This is a huge opportunity to showcase one of the jewels of the city and to bring people together to celebrate the city. Peterborough Museum is already talking about an exhibition of the Lido through the years. We need a longer season and to improve facilities at the Lido, as well as the covers to keep the heat in, that the council will be installing over the winter.

This makes me optimistic about the future. Similarly, the additional investment in the museum, backed by the government, means it will be able to expand its accessibility provision, upgrade the outdated lift, and protect the city’s unique heritage for future generations. Museums like ours are not only about preserving the past. They are vital centres for learning and community pride, and this new funding is a recognition of their ongoing role at the heart of city life. I will keep fighting for further investment in our city, including for Thorney Museum, which has building troubles, and to attract more investment for Flag Fen.

The real point here is that we are at our best when we work together. None of these changes are about superhero politicians stepping in to save the day. Things don’t change because you have a photo opp with a big cheque, they change when we work together. I am pleased to play my role in helping our city, but I will always pay tribute to those who do the work every day.

This includes everyone from the Tourism Collective, who came together recently with me for a tourism planning meeting at the Kathmandu Lounge. They are leading the way on a new Visit Peterborough website, which will launch soon, and in putting together an independent tourism board to help guide our work locally.