Opinion: Station Quarter project a 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity

I’ve not stopped smiling since hearing that the council and Combined Authority’s bid for £48million to enhance the station and area around it was given the green light by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Make no mistake, this project is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our city which will enhance a key part of infrastructure, stimulate business and provide economic benefit.

A new western entrance to the station will be created along with a car park, forming a double-sided station, with a new wider footbridge over the train lines.

This will alleviate pressure on city centre roads, making it easier and safer to travel around by bicycle. Green areas with biodiversity, community spaces and better connections to the city centre will make it safer and more attractive for bikes and pedestrians and ties in with our goal to become a carbon neutral city by 2030.

Enhancing the train station will also improve rail passenger journeys and encourage more train travel, which will have a positive economic impact on the city and regionally, as we are already well connected to key areas.

The project is many years in the making, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved from the council, the Combined Authority and city MP Paul Bristow for all their hard work and commitment to make this happen.

In terms of what happens next, detailed plans will be developed to enable work to begin as soon as possible, which I hope will be in the next couple of years. Construction work on the first phase could take place between 2024 and 2026, with wider development of the Station Quarter continuing up to 2028.

As stated, we are actively working with our partners to make Peterborough even better and we’re making great progress, with our new university, Fletton Quays and government hub to name just some examples.

We remain one of fastest growing cities in the UK, which is a great honour but brings several challenges. We must get the right infrastructure in place to meet those challenges and help ensure a bright future for everyone.

Hot on the heels of the Station Quarter success was the news that more money is on the way from government to boost key developments.

A total of £3million will enable phase two of our new university to be completed, whilst £4million will go towards relocating our city’s bus depot. This will see the current depot in Lincoln Road moved to a new location and allow the electrification of the service to take place.

It’s more positive news and shows the confidence that the government has in Peterborough to deliver major financial projects.

As mentioned, we are actively working to become a carbon neutral city and the current depot is not fit to allow the installations needed for an electrified bus service. Several alternative sites are being investigated and finding a new home for the depot will also allow further improvements to be made to the built-up area of Millfield.

Now we have the funding in place we can look to move this project forwards, so watch out for updates over the coming months.

Waking up to frosty scenes and wrapping up in several layers has been a regular occurrence of late thanks to the current cold snap.

Over the past week the council’s gritting crews have been out every single night, working hard to keep our roads safe for motorists.

A new cleaner and greener hybrid gritter will soon be joining our dedicated fleet for a trial period, helping in our efforts to become carbon neutral. The vehicle’s gritting work will be battery/electric powered, saving 19 per cent of carbon emissions.

I’ve come up with Greta the Gritter as a potential name for it – let me know if you’ve got a better suggestion.

We will use this trial and any future trials to make sure that when we next purchase vehicles and equipment, we can make the right decision for our residents and continue to focus on reducing carbon emissions to net zero.

This week you may have heard me on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire answering questions from residents on a variety of subjects including the station quarter redevelopment, the Cathedral Square fountains and car parking in the city centre.

I am always available to answer your questions and run a monthly Ask the Leader online session to do just that. The next session takes place on Wednesday 1 February. If you have a question you’d like to ask, email me at [email protected]