Westminster Life: Turning the corner with the city’s regeneration

Last week the Government approved the Business Case for the £47.8 million revamp of Peterborough Station. Too often Peterborough has lagged behind when it comes to regeneration and infrastructure, but with the Station Quarter we move further up the queue.

Ensuring Government approval for the plans, including the Business Case, has been one of my priorities since my election last year. It takes a team to get projects like this approved.

And everyone involved deserves credit.

Anyone who travels through our station knows it is long overdue a revamp. The Station Quarter project will deliver a vibrant, modern gateway to our city, making Peterborough a destination to be proud of. This isn’t just about bricks and mortar, it’s about creating a welcoming first impression for visitors, improving connectivity, and boosting our local economy.

This redevelopment is about more than just a new station building on the other side of the tracks. It’s about jobs, investment, and opportunity for local people. A revitalised Station Quarter will make it easier for businesses to invest in Peterborough and for residents to access jobs, education, and leisure.

It will also help us attract new visitors and businesses, supporting our city centre’s ongoing regeneration.

There is still work to do, and I will continue to push in Westminster to ensure the funding is delivered on time and the project stays on track. But this week’s announcement is a vote of confidence in Peterborough. We aren’t without challenges, but with the growth of ARU Peterborough, more police on the way for the city centre and now the station, we are turning a corner.

This summer is already shaping up to be great, with the Dr Who exhibition at the Museum, Shaun the sheep at the cathedral and important events like Armed Forces Day coming up.

One issue I want to see quick progress on is our new pool.

The closure of the Regional Pool without a plan for a new one was bad for the city. There is merit in plans for a new stadium put forward by the Mayor, but this should not delay our new pool. For places like Brentford who have a community stadium, the plans took 15 years to develop. And the Embankment will divide the city if it is the location for a stadium.

We don’t need delays or division. We can’t wait that long for a new pool. Plans are being drawn up for a city centre pool as part of a university quarter and we could be ready to go soon. But we need to be quicker. I hope together, we can be ambitious and get on with the pool whilst we wait for bigger plans to come forward.

This shows the partnership working Peterborough needs. Too often the view in Westminster is that Peterborough doesn’t work together, Regardless of party politics we need to work better together for the good of the city. If we can do that, more investment will come to the city.

I’m up for playing my part.