Bosses of the East of England Showground have vowed to work with the community as they look to the future of the venue after the rejection of a planned 1,500 homes and leisure village development.

Directors of the East of England Agricultural Society (EEAS) say they are committed to finding a way to secure the charity’s future and to working with the councillors and residents over the future development of the 164 acre Showground.

In response to questions about a possible legal appeal against the refusal decision or whether former much-loved public entertainments might be restored to the Showground, a spokesman for the EEAS said: “The Society is currently considering next steps following the council's decision.

And he said: "The Society remains committed to finding a resolution to the current position that secures the future of the charity and allows the Society to continue its work across the region.

An aerial view of the East of England Showground before plans were drawn up for a major homes and leisure development

placeholder image — An aerial view of the East of England Showground before plans were drawn up for a major homes and leisure development

“As part of that commitment, the Society will continue to work with Peterborough City Council and the local community in relation to the future development of this site.

"We remain fully committed to helping deliver a positive legacy for the Showground site and so that it can continue supporting communities across Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, as it has done so for over 230 years.”

The comments after the council’s planning committee rejected two outline planning applications, submitted jointly by the EEAS and its then land promoter AEPG, that together envisaged the construction of 1,500 homes plus a 50 acre leisure village plus 250-bed hotel, school and care village.

Councillors were told that during a year-long battle to secure approval for the plans, the two applicants fell out over the viability of the development.

It lead to the EEAS refusing to sign an estimated £20 million Section 106 agreement that contained provisions for education, health, housing and roads, and that councillors had warned was pivotal to the plans securing approval.

Now a campaign group has welcomed the refusal for the planning applications and called on the Society to involve residents in future development proposals.

Welcoming the refusal of the planning applications, Orton Waterville Councillor Nicola Day, who set up SPURR (Showground Plans Under Residents' Review) said: “Looking forward we hope to work with owners the East of England Agricultural Society to ensure the right strategy and development is achieved for this site.

"This chance to go back to the drawing board could provide an even better environment for new residents and a major attraction that would play a major role in Peterborough's new strategy for increased tourism.”

In a statement SPURR declares that it “recognises the need for housing in Peterborough, particularly affordable homes, and says new residents deserve a lower density of housing, which would mean less traffic, more green space and room for more facilities to serve the area better, including play areas, shops and a community centre.

"SPURR is also calling for local residents to be more involved in plans for the future of the site, and believes that this could be a blueprint for shaping future city developments.”

It says the refusal of plans for the housing development was the ‘right choice for the future of Peterborough.’

It adds: “There were numerous problems with the plans themselves, including houses packed together, a chaos- causing traffic strategy and lack of meaningful attractions for local, regional and national visitors.

Following the planning meeting, AEPG chief executive Ashley Butterfield revealed that he plans to install leisure attractions on the 50 acres earmarked for the leisure village.

The 50 acre leisure village site is leased to AEPG for 25 years with 21 years still to run.