Multi-million pound The Vine community centre in Peterborough is delayed

An ambitious project to open a culture and community hub that will entice more people into the centre of Peterborough has hit a setback.

It had been hoped to submit a bid for £12 million of Government funding for The Vine Culture Hub in the former TK Maxx premises in Bridge Street next month.

But now the application for project, one of eight that is eligible for a share of £22. 9 million of Towns Funds, has been moved to next year.

The delay centres on the creation of a business case for the project to justify the funding.

A spokesperson for Peterborough City Council, which is overseeing the project, said: “The Vine is the largest project that will be delivered via the Towns Fund so it's imperative that we get it right.

"We are taking extra time to ensure the business case delivers on its aims and is right for Peterborough.

"This extension has been agreed with DLUHC."

The Vine project could see the three storey building, which has 89,000 square feet of space, be home to a new city centre library, business space for start-ups businesses in digital, creative and design sectors, meeting rooms and rehearsal studios, a learning resource centre and gallery space for artists.

Councillor still have to agree the appointment of a design team to help create the business case and a decision to approve that business case is not scheduled to take place until January 9 next year.

According to the minutes of the Towns Fund board meeting in June, concerns were voiced about the cost of moving the city’s library to The Vine and about whether a commercial business case could be made.

The minutes state Councillor Steve Allen ‘suggested that it will be economically prudent to renovate the current library instead of moving the library to The Vine.’

Cllr Allen told the Peterborough Telegraph: “The Vine is a big project and a large investment, and I believe it’s essential we make the right decision.”

A Mini-Vine community centre was opened last year in the former New Look outlet in Bridge Street to give a sense of what The Vine would be like. It closed because of heating issues.