Westminster Life: Good growth and growing pride
“we are beginning to turn a corner.”
Two years on from becoming Peterborough’s MP, what strikes me most is how much has changed and how much more there is still to do to deliver good growth in every postcode and bring pride back to Peterborough, writes Andrew Pakes.
This week we confirmed new Pride in Place plans for the city centre, building on the government’s decision to invest £40 million over the next decade in some of our most left‑behind neighbourhoods.
The city centre and cathedral are the heart of our city, and I fought hard for a £1.5 million funding boost so we could make more of a fuss of them. You may already have seen the hanging baskets on the Guildhall, with more greenery, new seating and public toilets on the way, small changes, but ones that make the centre more welcoming. Peterborough Positive and local businesses do a tremendous job maintaining these spaces, and this extra support will help them go further with better market stalls and the pop‑up markets bringing more variety into our streets.
We can’t turn back the clock on decisions like the Conservatives selling off the old market with no plan for a new one, but we can invest now to put things right. Together with regeneration works about to start for the Station Quarter, we are beginning to turn a corner. A new station, plans for a public swimming pool, extra SEND funding and a new NHS Community Diagnostic Centre, alongside a fairer funding boost, are all starting to make a difference for people here.
Pride in Place funding will also help transform some of our poorest areas. In Paston, Gunthorpe and the Welland we have launched our first small grants fund so community groups can support families over the summer, with residents helping to shape the ideas directly.
I hope we can continue the good work alongside a government that backs good growth in every postcode, not just those already doing well. Andy Burnham has talked about using his experience as Mayor of Greater Manchester to push for better council and social housing, decent buses and fixing broken utilities, exactly the sort of practical changes cities like ours need. Peterborough at its heyday was built on the promise of a good, secure home for all, but that promise has been chipped away and housing is now one of the biggest issues people raise with me. I will always keep fighting to make decent, affordable homes an option for every family.
Alongside a secure home, we desperately need to improve education, skills and support for young people. One of my proudest achievements has been securing up to £10 million in Youth Guarantee funding so we can boost apprenticeships, training and tailored support. Apprenticeships have always been my passion, and we are lucky to have employers and providers like Peterborough College and ARU Peterborough backing the next generation of skilled workers. Peterborough embodies the kind of working‑class ambition Andy Burnham says we need to bring back; we just need the opportunities to show it.
Trickle‑down economics and a hands‑off approach have failed places like ours. It’s time for meaningful, positive action to rebuild services and regenerate our neighbourhoods so we can deliver what really matters: good growth in every postcode, and real pride in our city.