Date set for release of outcome of Embankment masterplan public consultation

Peterborough City Council leader Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald told last night’s meeting of the full council that the findings of independent consultants would be made public before the council broke up ahead of the May local elections.

This means the consultants’ report should be made public on March 25.

Cllr Fitzgerald said: “I announce today that following speculation and interest in the Embankment masterplan consultation that the council has conducted, and to aid transparency and also to reassure people, there is no delay, there is no reason for it to be delayed and it’s nothing to do with elections.

“And I am pleased, that all being well, that it will be published before purdah, which is March 28, and hopefully on the March 25 and that will set out everything that has been said so far.

“The council will receive that document and all members and others can consider it.”

The public consultation on the future best use of Peterborough’s Embankment took place last November and generated some 2,000 individual responses and emails from the public regarding four options for development of the Embankment - two of which involved moving the Peterborough United stadium on to the green space.

The consultants had originally stated that the findings of the consultation would be made known by the end of January.

The date for the release of the findings was later moved to the spring.

Toby Wood, the deputy chairman of the Peterborough Civic Society, has said the delay was an ‘insult’ to the public.

But concerns about the options have been voiced with urban planners LDA Design of Minster Precincts, unveiling its own vision for the Embankment that builds on the city’s heritage, university and open space and that warns moving the Posh stadium on to the land will ‘kill’ the area’s potential.

About 787 people have also signed a petition, drawn up by city resident Martin Ferguson, which calls on the council to keep the Embankment as public parkland.

The petition was presented to councillors for consideration.

But it was thrown out after councillors decided by 30 votes to 27 votes that as there is no finalised plan for the Embankment, it was not possible to consider the petition further.

Afterwards, Mr Ferguson said: “It is a positive that the petition secured 27 votes.

“I do feel this needs to be looked at in more depth.”

But Mr Ferguson said it appeared an option in the masterplan that involves building the Posh stadium on the Embankment was the favoured choice.

He said: “The Embankment is a huge asset to Peterborough and has been undervalued and neglected for years.

“It doesn’t need a concrete scar of a huge stadium across it.

“It it were to be treated like Ferry Meadows or if Nene Park Trust was to be brought in to oversee it, then we would have a huge asset that is waiting to be utilised.

“If there were amenities and facilities there, such as changing rooms and toilets to open air theatre, table tennis tables, chess tables, just to make it a family environment, it would bring a lot more people into Peterborough.”

READ MORE:

Huge response to consultation on future of Peterborough’s Embankment

Preferred Peterborough Embankment masterplan option not expected until Spring