Ceremony marks start of construction work on Peterborough’s £30 million university

The long-awaited construction of Peterborough’s £30 million university officially got under way today.
Groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of ARU Peterborough construction work for the new university buildings at Bishop's Road with  Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice Chancellor of ARU, Mayor of Cambridgeshire John Palmer and leader of the City Council John Holdich EMN-200812-115750009Groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of ARU Peterborough construction work for the new university buildings at Bishop's Road with  Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice Chancellor of ARU, Mayor of Cambridgeshire John Palmer and leader of the City Council John Holdich EMN-200812-115750009
Groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of ARU Peterborough construction work for the new university buildings at Bishop's Road with Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice Chancellor of ARU, Mayor of Cambridgeshire John Palmer and leader of the City Council John Holdich EMN-200812-115750009

A ceremonial spade in the ground event was held at the Embankment site, on Wirrina Car Park, off Bishops Road, to mark the start of building work that is expected to go on into 2022.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Mayor James Palmer joined up with Peterborough City Council leader Councillor John Holdich and Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) for the ceremony which brings a long-time dream for the city closer to reality.

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Named the ARU Peterborough, it should open to students in September 2022 and is intended to be business orientated, focusing on providing under-graduates with the skills specifically requested by local employers.

This images shows how ARU Peterborough should look once completed. EMN-200812-115728009This images shows how ARU Peterborough should look once completed. EMN-200812-115728009
This images shows how ARU Peterborough should look once completed. EMN-200812-115728009

It will deliver courses targeted specifically towards industries across Peterborough where demand currently outstrips availability of skilled workers.

Initially, there will be 2,000 students with that figure rising to 5,000 by 2025 and 12,500 by 2030.

It will also create 170 university jobs plus 300 supply chain jobs over the first five years. In addition, construction will create 50 temporary jobs.

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Mayor Palmer said: “Breaking the ground on the site is a huge milestone in the first phase of development for our ambitious employment-focused university that will be transformational for the city and wider region.

“Today is a reminder of just how far we have come on a journey that will drastically improve the prospects of people in Peterborough and across the region while boosting the number of skilled workers available to businesses.

“This is just phase one of this ambitious project which we hope to see delivered in its entirety by 2030.

“I am looking forward to seeing the building work progress over the coming months, as well as the development of our other huge plans for this university.”

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The project is backed by more than £24.8 million of funding, including £12.3 million of capital investment from the Combined Authority, £12.5 million of Local Growth Funding and £1.6 million in land investment from Peterborough County Council.

Cllr Holdich said: “As a council, investment in making our city a great place to live, work and relax is of the utmost importance.

“The Fletton Quays development is progressing apace and we’ve been working hard to transform our city centre, with further key areas for regeneration including the Station Quarter, North Westgate and Northminster.

“The university will complement these transformative developments, helping to change the perception of our city and making a huge impact on Peterborough’s economy and in our civic and cultural life for many years to come.

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“It will also bring immeasurable benefits for our residents, for people across the wider region, for our businesses and for Peterborough as a whole – both now and for generations to come.”

Professor Watkins said: “This is another significant step forward for ARU Peterborough, coming so soon after planning permission was granted.

“The ARU Peterborough project is now accelerating at pace and in less than two years’ time this new university, with its fantastic city centre location, will be providing life-changing opportunities for residents.

“We are already in discussions with local businesses to make sure that the courses on offer will provide the right skills and qualifications to help generate economic growth across the city and the wider region.

“This is an exciting time for ARU Peterborough and, most importantly, for the city of Peterborough.”