First meeting of board responsible for £20m investment in Peterborough neighbourhood

It is part of the government’s Pride in Place programme which saw two areas of Peterborough each receive £20 million to give their communities a much needed facelift — Paston, Gunthorpe and Welland; and Orton Malborne and Orton Goldhay.

The meeting on Tuesday, August 25 will involve the neighbourhood board for Paston, Gunthorpe and Welland, chaired by Jonathan Jelley MBE, discussing a number of governance and forward planning issues.

Orton Malborne and Orton Goldhay will have a board of its own.

The Paston, Gunthorpe and Welland board consists of a range of representatives:

– Jonathan Jelley MBE JP (Chair), works across Paston, Gunthorpe & Welland

– Steve Warburton (Vice Chair), Gunthorpe resident

– Andrew Pakes MP (Board Member), MP for Peterborough

– Sandra Bond (Board Member), Gunthorpe resident and ward councillor

– Chris Cooper (Board Member), Gunthorpe resident

– Sufyan Sadiq (Board Member), works in Welland

– Janine Baxter (Board Member), Paston resident

– Ruth Beesley (Board Member), works in Paston

– Amber Oberg (Board Member), works across Paston, Gunthorpe & Welland

– Tom Streeter (Board Member), Paston resident

Both neighbourhood boards will bring together the private, public and community sectors to provide strategic leadership in how the £40 million is spent between the two areas over 10 years.

Each board will develop a plan that meets local area priorities to achieve three strategic objectives which are the overarching aims of the programme, including: ‘stronger communities’, ‘thriving places’, and ‘taking back control’.

The staffing framework includes a total operational staffing cost of £135,000 across both neighbourhood boards, comprising two project co-ordinators at a total cost of £95,200 and one shared project officer at a total cost of £39,800.

At the meeting on Tuesday, the Paston, Gunthorpe and Welland board members will discuss a report on an intensive community listening exercise which is currently taking place between July and November 2026 to shape the Pride in Place plans.

The board has already spent £104,138 on listening contracts, engagement kit and engagement letters.

The report states that the listening contracts involve engagement activities in the neighbourhood and schools, and targeted engagement with residents who are less likely to participate through mainstream routes.

This includes working with VCSE organisations, faith groups, carers, disabled residents, ethnic communities, people experiencing poverty, digital exclusion or social isolation.

“Engagement activity has begun with detailed population, stakeholder and community asset mapping,” the report states.

“This identifies key local organisations, community groups, schools, faith organisations, businesses, informal resident networks and existing community assets.

“Engagement will then be delivered through a range of methods including community listening events, pop-up stalls, street-based conversations, workshops, listening posts in community venues, school-based activities, youth engagement and online surveys.”

Feedback will be analysed to identify common concerns, opportunities, priorities and community assets, while ensuring that the views of under represented groups remain visible within the overall findings.

The neighbourhood board will also discuss any priorities for the next board meeting and establish a proposed meeting schedule and work programme.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Open Door Centre on Hallfields Lane.

Cllr Shabina Qayyum, leader of Peterborough City Council, previously said: “This is not our money to spend, it is firmly in the hands of our residents who know their neighbourhoods best.”