Peterborough Showground operator seeks venues to display development plans to the public

The operators of the East of England Showground are seeking to extend their public consultation about a multi-million pound leisure village and homes development.

Officials at the Asset Earning Power Group (AEPG) are appealing for public spaces where copies of their 220 page plus design and access statement can be set up for members of the public to examine.

Their appeal follows feedback from residents after details of the development proposals were made available at Orton Library.

An outline planning application for the showground development was recently submitted to Peterborough City Council showing proposals for a leisure village called Cultura Place and 1,500 homes.

An AEPG spokesperson said: “A copy of the statement was placed in the Orton Library on our behalf by Councillor Nicola Day and Cllr Kirsty Knight as they considered it a useful local public space in which to locate it, and that view was confirmed by feedback they received from residents throughout the Ortons.

“If anyone would like to provide suggestions about other public spaces where it would be beneficial to locate additional copies, we’d be more than happy to consider those.”

The spokesperson also said a soft copy version had been uploaded to AEPG’s Facebook page and had been downloaded nearly 50 times by Monday afternoon.

She said: “We are also happy to engage with residents via larger group meetings or on a one-to-one basis.

“We have made it clear that our door is always open to anyone who would like to discuss the development at the East of England Showground in more detail.

“We have a copy of the Statement at our offices on the Showground and can provide a quiet and private space to anyone who would like to come to the site to peruse it. Just email us at [email protected].”

Cllr Knight said: “The development of the Showground is of concern to people beyond the immediate surroundings of the venue.

"Orton Library was the only location that was suitable, being the centre of the community and fully accessible, including disabled toilets.

"The library is open to the public five days a week and has a table and chairs for the residents to relax and review the plans.”