Mayor's View: Peterborough's summer is here and the best is yet to come

If you were in Peterborough city centre at the weekend, you’ll have seen it was buzzing.  

The sun was shining, it was half term, and people came out in numbers. Give Peterborough half a chance and it comes alive. People were enjoying the weather, using bars and restaurants, browsing market stalls and shops, and families were out and about. It was a great place to be.  

One place that was also busy was our precious Lido. I was there for its 90th birthday celebrations last week. And despite threats of closure not so long ago, the Lido remains irreplaceable and it deserves to be part of a thriving centre in a city that uses all its assets, including its riverside, much better. 

That's what I’m working towards as Mayor. Because Peterborough city centre is not dead, whatever you might have read or heard. What it needs is investment, ambition, and the right people willing to back it. 

Free parking is coming to four city centre car parks after 3pm, agreed with the City Council, and with a direct purpose to boost the high street. It's giving our restaurants, pubs and independent shops a fighting chance against out-of-town retail and online. It’s saying: ‘come in, park, spend time and spend money’.  

But free parking is just one piece of a bigger story that’s about regeneration. 

I'm going to establish a Mayoral Development Corporation which is a similar model that helped shape this city's growth for three decades from the 1960s. And I’m going to do that, working with the city council and Homes England, to give the proper powers and tools to make regeneration happen. So much of Peterborough has been crying out for redevelopment for too long.  

A good example of where the Combined Authority has unlocked investment is Peterborough Station Quarter. Now getting ready for construction, the Combined Authority has funded the scheme with £48 million to transform our station and its surrounding area, creating a better experience walking to the city centre, and unlocking underused land to create space for homes, businesses and jobs. It’s going to help our city centre fly again.  

And I also want to build a new community stadium for Peterborough – a home for Posh but also a top tier venue for concerts and events. It has worked in other places, and I recently visited York City’s stadium to see what a boost that has been for the city. It can work here too.  

And Peterborough has so much to gain from tourism. The Combined Authority is working to develop a Local Visitor Economy Partnership which will work with local partners and Visit England to better promote Peterborough and the region as a place to visit. On the ground, one of my earliest acts as Mayor was to work with the Combined Authority Board to fund replacement lighting at Peterborough Cathedral so they can continue to host top quality arts and cultural events.  

So this summer, take a dip in the Lido, eat and shop in the city and visit the Cathedral.  

Support what we have now, knowing that the best is to come.