Mayor's View: Let’s get the tools to do regeneration right
Last week I was in Tees Valley in the North East meeting my fellow mayor Ben Houchen to see first-hand how he is driving investment and regeneration in a region which is pushing strongly for economic growth, writes Combined Authority Mayor Paul Bristow.
The tool he is using to drive regeneration is a Mayoral Development Corporation and that’s something I’m backing for Peterborough.
The Tees Valley site is a former steelworks, and very different to Peterborough, but the point is the same: we need to be bold if we want to get regeneration in Peterborough happening properly.
Many of us will remember what a development corporation did for Peterborough between 1968 and 1998. It shaped the city we know today including Orton, the Parkways and Queensgate. That progress gave the city a sense of momentum, which I really felt when I was growing up.
The development corporation worked then because it brought together land, infrastructure and investment with a proper plan.
That's exactly what we need because everyone feels Peterborough needs that shot in the arm.
Peterborough is already one of the fastest growing cities in the country for population and jobs. But growth alone isn't enough. We need to make sure that growth delivers better jobs, higher wages, and real opportunity for local people. Right now, too many residents are in low-paid work or relying on Universal Credit. The city centre isn’t what it was. We're growing, but we're not yet getting the full benefit of that growth.
A development corporation would help change that. It would unlock stalled sites, attract private investment, and deliver the kind of projects that make a real difference, like a revived city centre with thriving markets, a community stadium that can be used for concerts, better use of our riverside, and well planned homes that support growing communities.
Combined Authority-supported projects have been bringing momentum. ARU Peterborough is helping local people access higher-level skills and better jobs. The Station Quarter will reconnect the station to the city centre and unlock regeneration. The Youth Hub at Peterborough United is supporting young people who need a chance.
But there's also examples of projects that have not seen progress — North Westgate being an obvious one. A Development Corporation would have the focus and the powers to get these things moving.
I’ve written to Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook alongside Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes and Council Leader Cllr Shabina Qayyum, making the case for a Mayoral Development Corporation. We know that when Peterborough works together, we deliver. That's been true before, and it can be true again.
Government wants growth. It wants new homes, more businesses and bigger investment. Peterborough can deliver that. We've got great transport links, a growing population, and strong foundations, now we need the tools to build on them.
I'm excited about what a Development Corporation could unlock for Peterborough. Not just individual projects, but a whole new phase of growth which delivers for local people, creates better jobs, and makes this the city we all know it can be.
It’s time to get moving.