Owner of East of England Showground calls for 'conversation about future' of venue

The East of England Agricultural Society, which owns the Showground, is seeking to hold meetings with councillors to discuss new thoughts for the future of the 165 acre venue. Now local councillors have been invited to to meet for an ‘initial conversation’ with the Society’s representatives in order to make their views known.

The message to councillors states the Society aims to ‘open a conversation about the future’ of the venue.

It states: “As both the Society and the city look ahead to our long-term growth and development needs, we believe the time is right to engage with local representatives about what role the site might play in Peterborough's future.

It states: “We remain keen to work constructively through the Local Plan process to consider the medium and long-term use of the site, and we are equally open to

discussing what it might provide for the local community in addition to new homes.

It adds: “For our revamped scheme, we are at an early stage in our conversations with the council and local stakeholders, and we would welcome the opportunity to listen to your priorities and those of your constituents as much as to share our own thinking.

"We are not seeking to bring forward a planning application at this stage.

“Rather, in light of the recent May elections, we are committed to engaging openly and constructively with the council and local communities as the Local Plan process moves forward.”

It adds: “We have been giving considerable thought to how the Showground's 165 acres could contribute to meeting the city's long-term housing, infrastructure and community needs.

"We believe the site has real potential to support Peterborough's ambitions in a sustainable and deliverable way, and we are keen to ensure that any future use reflects both those city-wide needs and the interests of the surrounding communities.”

Conservative Councillor Kirsty Knight, one of the Orton Waterville representatives, said: “My worry is that development might take place in small blocks of homes that would not have to include infrastructure and social housing.”

The new move comes 11 months after two outline planning applications from the Society and its then land promoter, AEPG, failed to secure planning approval for a 1,500 homes and 50 acre leisure village development.

The application was rejected after the Society failed to sign a Section 106 agreement that demanded about £20 million worth of works to ease the impact of the development on the community.

Plans to develop the Showground might be complicated as AEPG has a 20 year lease on a 50 acre site that it is planning to use for a range of leisure activities.

The Society has been approached for a response.