New Peterborough City Council leader ends political row that froze £200,000 for state-of-the-art bus depot in Peterborough

A £200,000 cash pot for a state-of-the-art bus station in Peterborough has finally been released three months after being frozen during a political row.

The funding was suspended by the Labour controlled Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) after the former Conservative leader of Peterborough City Council, Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald refused to agree to the CPCA’s county-wide transport strategy plan due to concerns its would bring in congestion charging.

But Cllr Fitzgerald was forced out as city council leader a few weeks later after losing a vote of no confidence and was replaced by Peterborough First Cllr Mohammed Farooq.

Cllr Farooq, who is a former Conservative councillor, has now agreed to support the county transport strategy, which has prompted the CPCA to approve the drawdown of the £200,000 which will enable a feasibility study on the planned depot to take place.

He said: “I am delighted that funding has been approved to help this important project move forward and we can now look towards developing a vital piece of infrastructure which will benefit our city for years to come.

“We are fully committed to working with our partners to develop opportunities for environmentally-friendly transport.

"By providing a new depot that can support electric buses, we can continue working towards our key goal of reducing carbon emissions and becoming a net zero carbon city by 2030.

Cllr Farooq added: “I am also looking forward to working closely with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to help deliver many of our priorities.

"Particularly in relation to shaping our public transport, cycling and walking infrastructure, as well as developing opportunities for housing, skills and ARU Peterborough.”

Dr Nik Johnson, the Labour Mayor of the CPCA, said: “This unanimous decision is excellent.

"It underlines our wholehearted commitment to net zero targets and a modern mix of sustainable, accessible transport services for all.

“Peterborough is a great and vibrant city, and we must all work together to improve electric vehicle provision, facilities for active travel, and the joined-up public transport a great city needs.

“By providing a new depot that can support electric buses, we will get nearer our goal of ensuring all buses and taxis operating within the Combined Authority area are zero emissions by 2030.”

What does the drawdown decision mean?

The decision to approve the £200,000 drawdown was taken by the Combined Authority’s transport and infrastructure committee.

The money will pay for the city council’s future expenses commissioning feasibility work on the planned depot on a site that has been identified at Nursery Lane, Peterborough, to replace the current 100-year old bus garage on Lincoln Road.

The new site will be larger and is intended to double as a facility for electric buses, which need powerful charging points for their batteries, and as a depot for council vehicles and health service vehicles.

It will need plenty of space for barriers that are essential to protect each charging-station from parking accidents.

The depot will also offer overnight parking and maintenance facilities for buses providing services all around the city.

The new facility will be an important part of the Combined Authority’s environmental commitment to bring in net zero electric buses.

How much will a bus depot cost?

The Government has already awarded £4 million to the CPCA for a new bus depot for Peterborough.

But a CPCA report in September revealed that officers fear it could cost upwards of £32 million.

What about those urban congestion charging fears?

Despite signing the CPCA’s new transport strategy, Cllr Farooq has vowed there will not be any congestion charging or ULEZ (Ultra Low Emissions Zone) in Peterborough while he is city council leader.

He said: “To be absolutely clear, there will be no ULEZ or congestion charge in Peterborough under my leadership.

“There has been commentary in recent months about the updated Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP) opening the door to ultra low emission zones or other schemes which penalise motorists.

"The plan I have voted for today clearly states that schemes such as this can only be introduced if approved and endorsed by the city council and I can confirm there are no plans to bring forward such schemes in Peterborough.

"The council also has the power of ‘veto’ on the implementation of any highways related scheme within Peterborough, which means it can cease any scheme proposed by the Combined Authority which it does not believe to be in the best interests of the city.”

Cllr Fitzgerald said: “It seems at last Cllr Farooq has woken up to this issue and pledged not to allow congestion charging in the city "as long as he is leader" despite he and all the opposition group refusing to rule this out in an earlier council meeting held in July this year. A remarkable U-turn in itself.

“We certainly believe and hope he won't be leader of the council for that long but today he has signed us up to this policy which will now allow other opposition parties including Labour, The Liberal Democrats and certainly the Greens to introduce this unpopular road charging scheme here in Peterborough if they were to take over in the future.

"It is party policy for most if not all of them.

“It is a woeful start to the first meeting of the combined authority with a new leader in Cllr Mohammed Farooq representing Peterborough - he has let us down badly here.”