Peterborough to receive £1.1m grant for active travel schemes across city
More than a million pounds has been allocated towards three active travel schemes in Peterborough.
Peterborough City Council’s cabinet will meet on December 16 to approve the acceptance of a £1.1 million grant from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA).
Cabinet members will then be recommended to approve the award of works to its highways partner M Group Limited so it can carry out the schemes, including the proposed Stanham Way Cycleway, Bourges Boulevard Cycleway and Peterborough Station Quarter City Link.
The CPCA received funding from the government’s Consolidated Active Travel Fund, which supports local authorities with developing and constructing walking, wheeling and cycling facilities in England.
Peterborough City Council received 30 per cent of this (£1,138,537), while Cambridgeshire County Council received the rest in line with previous transport grant funding.
A report to go before Peterborough City Council’s cabinet stated: “Active travel improvements will enable and encourage more people to cycle around the city, improving their health and wellbeing.
“More people travelling in active and sustainable ways instead of via cars will decrease emissions, improve the environment and the associated health implications linked to pollution and inactivity.”
What are the three active travel schemes?
Stanham Way
The Stanham Way Cycleway will receive £275,000 of the grant funding and is located at a business park in the south east of Peterborough.
Pedestrian and cycle access is available to the north and east of the business park, but it is not possible from the south because of a waterway, Stanground Lode.
The project will look to improve and open up an old, existing bridge and provide pedestrian and cycle connections from Crown Lakes Country Park into Stanham Way.
Bourges Boulevard
The Bourges Boulevard Cycleway will receive £663,537 of the grant funding.
The council report stated: “The council has received previous active travel funding, £358,950, to design an upgrade of the existing route between Bright Street and Junction 18 / Rhubarb Bridge.
“Due to the length of the route, it is being split into different sections from a design and future construction perspective.”
It added: “Further design work will be undertaken before determining which section(s) should be upgraded, in consultation with the cabinet member. It is the council’s intention to upgrade the entire route in future years, subject to future funding being secured.”
Peterborough Station Quarter City Link
The first phase of the multi-million pound Peterborough Station Quarter project to be built is the City Link package, with main construction works planned in 2026.
This package is focussed in and around the Queensgate roundabout and includes the removal of two subways and the creation of new footways and cycleways, including a new at-grade crossing to gain access into Cowgate.
This active travel scheme will receive £200,000 towards the walking and cycling elements of the City Link package.