New £4 million grant to power relocation of Peterborough's bus depot

Plans to relocate Peterborough’s bus depot in a move that will allow the electrification of the city service have secured multi-million pound support.

About £4 million has just been secured by the city and allocated to meet the costs of relocating the depot, currently based in Lincoln Road.

Plans to move the bus depot were outlined several years ago but the cost and the difficulties of finding a new site have hindered progress.

Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, leader of Peterborough City Council, said: “The current depot is not really fit to allow the installations needed to create an electrified bus service.

“Our priority is reducing the carbon footprint of the city and making Peterborough a greener and cleaner place.

“This new grant will allow us to make an investment in the electrification of the city’s bus network.

“Finding a new home for the bus depot will also allow further improvements to be made to the built up area of Millfield.

“We will be reclaiming a brown field site and creating something better for the community.”

Cllr Fitzgerald said a number of alternative sites were being considered for the new depot.

The new funding comes after the Combined Authority approved £40,000 to pay for an investigation into options for the bus depot.

A meeting of the Combined Authority last July was told by Oliver Howarth, bus strategy manager: “The current location has insufficient capacity for electric buses because each electricity charger will need barriers to protect it from parking accidents, taking up floor space. There are also difficulties with bringing high voltages into a residential area.”

The money for the depot project comes from a new £7 million grant from the Government via the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

The remaining £3 million will go towards the cost of building the research and development centre at ARU Peterborough, in Bishops Road.

The news comes just hours after the Government announced a £48 million Levelling Up grant to Peterborough for the transformation of the city’s Station Quarter.

Cllr Fitzgerald said: “It seems Peterborough can’t put a foot wrong with the Government.

“It shows the continued confidence that the Government has in Peterborough to deliver on these major financial projects.”