Peterborough MP hits out at 'suspension' of £200,000 bus depot fund and vows: 'we'll find the money ourselves'
Total cost of electric bus hub could be £32 million
Peterborough MP Paul Bristow has vowed to find £200,000 to keep the city’s hopes of building an electric bus station on the road.
His pledge comes after a dispute between Peterborough City Council leader, Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald and the Combined Authority’s Mayor Nik Johnson, following which the mayor voted to suspend a previous decision to award Peterborough the £200,000.
The cash is to pay for a masterplan and other studies that need to be carried out before work can start to build a modern bus station, which it is estimated will cost about £32 million to complete.
But Mr Bristow said: “I am certain we can raise the £200,000 ourselves.
"And we will be starting with a conversation with the Roads Minister Robert Holden who happens today to be visiting Peterborough.
He said: “The Mayor has blocked £200,000 that was meant for Peterborough.
"It is money given by central government to the people of Peterborough towards building a new bus station.
He said: “We’ll go and find that money – we’ll lobby government for it and we’ll build ourselves a bus station.”
But Mr Bristow said the £32 million needed to build the bus depot would still come from the Combined Authority, central government, bus operator Stagecoach and the city council.
He said: “It is the job of the Mayor and the Combined Authority to agree to fund transport infrastructure across the county. If they are not doing that then there is no point in them being there.”
Hopes of creating a bus depot were boosted earlier this year when the Government awarded £4 million towards the project to find an alternative site to the Lincoln Road depot which is unsuitable for a 21st century electric bus service.
However, just a few days ago it was revealed to Combined Authority members that building costs were likely to be £10 million higher than expected and could total at least £32 million.
The project hit a new obstacle yesterday (September 20) when Cllr Fitzgerald vetoed the Combined Authority’s transport strategy, prompting Dr Johnson to lead a vote to defer approving the £200,000 for Peterborough’s new depot, saying the project rested partly on the success of the strategy.