Question mark hangs over future of key 5,000 jobs-creating employment land in Peterborough

The proposed development involves the creation of a science and innovation campus, a logistics park and warehousing and has been earmarked for a site at Drysides in Stanground,

The proposal also includes areas of green infrastructure including wetlands and an area called City View Park with the development site bordered by green landscaping.

Developers says the project would also generate £15 million in annual business rates for Peterborough.

The site had been included in Peterborough City Council’s draft Local Plan as one of the key employment sites for the city over the next 20 years.

But it was removed from the draft document by the council’s ruling cabinet on August and leaves the draft Local Plan with a 21 per cent shortfall in employment land.

Now councillors will be asked to decide at a full meeting of Peterborough City Council on September 29 whether to recommend that the development site be put back into the draft Local Plan.

Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, the council’s Conservative group leader, said: “The Drysides site was dropped suddenly and leaves the city in danger of not having enough employment land for the future.

"No alternative employment has been suggested.

"Without resolving this the council runs the risk of of its Draft Local plan being rejected by government officials and that would leave the city at risk of speculative developers.”

Cllr Chris Harper, one of the representatives for Stanground, told a scrutiny committee meeting on September 15: “We have campaigned for 20 years to protect Drysides from development.”