Business owners on a well-known Peterborough road claimed that recent multi-million pound upgrades had not improved footfall in the area.

Construction began in April 2025 on a £3.4 million refurbishment of a section of Lincoln Road between Windmill Street and Searjeant Street.

The work included new widened pavements on either side of the road, a new pedestrian crossing at the Lincoln Road/Alma Road junction, as well as new cycle parking, benches and bins.

Peterborough City Council hoped the upgrades would boost local business, encourage more people to walk and cycle, and create an attractive destination for residents, visitors and shoppers.

Six months on from the scheme’s completion in February, the Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to business owners and residents to see if the work had made a positive impact.

Major £3.4m regeneration of Lincoln Road in Peterborough completed ahead of sche...

“Nothing has changed,” said Krzysztof Krol, who has run his Mobilezone shop on Lincoln Road for 20 years.

“It is not the road that is the problem, the people are the problem.

Hussain, who has run a clothing shop on Lincoln Road for decades, claimed that his business had been even worse off since the road reopened in February.

“There are even more homeless that have come to Lincoln Road.

“The road was opened six months ago and nobody has cleaned it.

“We are grateful that they did something as they hadn’t touched it in 20 years. If not for the homeless, the area would be great.”

Hussain, who has run a clothing shop on Lincoln Road for decades, claimed that his business had been even worse off since the road reopened in February.

Paul Smith said he felt the road had been “less busy” in recent months.

He said: “Business has been very hard this year. The biggest problems here are drug users and the homeless.

“[The upgrades] don’t make any difference because people don’t come here, people are frightened.”

Hussain has lived in the area for 55 years and claimed Lincoln Road was getting dirtier due to more litter and a lack of cleaning.

Speaking of his footfall, he said: “The last two to three years it keeps going down and down and this year it is the worst year. It is not very busy.”

Krzysztof Krol, who has run his Mobilezone shop on Lincoln Road for 20 years, said “The road was opened six months ago and nobody has cleaned it."

Peterborough resident Paul Smith, who was making use of the new seating installed on the pavement, said he felt the road had been “less busy” in recent months.

Another resident Heather Matzk was more optimistic and said the road looked “much better” than it did before.

She said: “People are spending a lot of money opening businesses in this area and it’s pulling it up. It looks really nice.

“In Cambridge, they celebrate Mill Road for its diversity and I think Peterborough needs to do the same.”

The works were completed by M Group Highways and its subcontractor Environ Civil Engineering Limited after more than £3.4 million was secured in funding, including a £2.4 million contribution from the government’s Towns Fund and money from the council budget.

A spokesperson for Peterborough City Council said: “From a highways perspective, the Lincoln Road regeneration scheme has had a positive effect, improving safety for motorists and pedestrians in a busy area that has a high volume of traffic.

“However, we are aware of concerns around littering and staining of some pavements and are currently in the process of arranging for these areas to be cleaned.

“We would also urge residents to report any concerns around rough sleeping and littering to us, or any criminal activity to the police.”