Grand £4m plan to enhance Peterborough’s Railworld Wildlife Haven revealed - and Prince William said he will open it!

The future king of England has promised he will visit one of Peterborough’s top attractions once it completes a £4 million project to educate future generations about environmental challenges.
Brian Pearce and volunteers at Railworld Wildlife HavenBrian Pearce and volunteers at Railworld Wildlife Haven
Brian Pearce and volunteers at Railworld Wildlife Haven

Brian Pearce recently received an MBE from Prince William to recognise his outstanding dedication at the Railway Wildlife Haven.

The site near Oundle Road boasts a wildlife habitat and an environment centre, but Brian’s vision is to develop a pioneering world facts centre which will enlighten and educate young and old about the many environmental challenges the planet faces.

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And it appears the 70-year-old already has royal backing for the project from the Duke of Cambridge, who has even promised to bring his dad (the Prince of Wales) once it opens.

Brian recalled: “Prince William said ‘I understand you’ve been building a wildlife haven. That sounds fabulous. What are your future plans?’

“I said I want to build a facts centre. He said ‘when you’re ready to open it me and my and father will open it for you’.

“I offered to name it the Prince of Wales Earth Centre.”

Aside from establishing the new interactive facts centre on the north side at the former power station coal yard the project would find an indoor home for the site’s hover train - which currently resides outside on the south side - and Victorian turntable.

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The hover train was a pioneering project in the 1960s to travel from King’s Cross to Edinburgh in 90 minutes by riding on a cushion of air created by big electric fans, only for the Government to pull the plug on it. The RTV 31 was then saved from scrappage by Railworld, which is seeking money from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to tidy it up and exhibit its archive.

Brian hopes to start funding the project by selling land which is in the city plan for 50 homes. He said: “We want to highlight the facts of what’s happening. They are building the city the size of Paris every week. We are working on lots of plans and ideas to make it a gateway to Nene Park.”