East of England Agricultural Society to hold public exhibition to consider future of the Showground

The East of England Agricultural Society, which owns the venue, is to host a public exhibition of its ideas for the future of the Showground.

The drop-in exhibition will take place on October 30 at FitzRoy House at the East of England Showground from 3pm to 7pm.

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A spokesperson for the EEAS said: “Visitors will be able to view the proposals, meet the project team, ask questions and give feedback.

“The exhibition takes place while Peterborough City Council consults on its Local Plan, which will guide where new homes and infrastructure go across the city up to 2044.”

The Showground is one of the sites proposed for new homes in the draft Local Plan plan, which has been put out for public consultation by the council.

It envisages that more than 1,500 homes could be built on the Showground and 570 on 222the adjoining Milton Estates land.

EEAS chairman Stuart Roberts has previously spoken of his hopes of to steward the Showground’s development into a ‘well-planned new neighbourhood for Peterborough.’

He says: “What is proposed for the site is not simply housing.

"It is a comprehensive new neighbourhood to be built on brownfield land.

"This will involve around 2,000 homes brought forward gradually over the next two decades, alongside a new primary school, a care home, local shops, sport and leisure facilities and generous green space, with walking, cycling and public transport links designed and built in from the start.”

The EEAS spokesperson said: “The Society is encouraging residents to visit the exhibition and to take part in the council’s consultation while it is open.

"The Society is not submitting a planning application at this stage.

“Any future application would be subject to its own public consultation.”

The spokesperson said: “The Showground has been part of Peterborough’s life for many years, and we know how much its future matters to the people who live nearby.

"As a charity with deep roots in the area, we want everyone to have the chance to see our proposals, ask questions and find out more.

"We’d encourage anyone with an interest in the site to drop in on October 30, and to take part in the council’s Local Plan consultation while it is open.”

Challenge ahead:

An issue for the EEAS as it seeks to develop the Showground is that 50 acres of the 164 acre venue is leased for the next 20 years to AEPG, which has just secured a premises licence for the site to hold public leisure attractions at which it can sell alcohol and refreshments for spectators who could number 14,999 at any one occasion.

There are likely to be concerns over highways and access if potentially 15,000 cars are trying to get to the events at the Showground through one access, and the impact of amplified music and significant leisure activities on householders.

Planning battle:

The exhibition is being held a year after a lengthy planning battle over two outline planning applications for 1,500 homes and a 50 acre leisure village on the Showground ended when the plans were rejected by councillors after EEAS refused to sign a Section 106 agreement on provision of a range of community provisions from social housing, health to roads.