Residents urged to turn out to support rejection of homes and leisure plans for East of England Showground
Opponents of a multi-million pound homes and leisure village development for the East of England Showground are urged to show their support for moves to reject the plans.
A campaign group is encouraging residents to attend a key planning meeting that is likely to decide the fate of the 1,500 homes and 50 acre leisure development of the 164 acre venue.
Members of Peterborough City Council’s planning committee, which meets on October 21, will be advised by officers to reject the plans after the applicants, the East of England Agricultural Society (EEAS) and its land promoter the Asset Earning Power Group (AEPG, failed to support a Section 106 agreement set up to ease the impact of the development on surrounding communities.
Now leaders of SPURR (Showground Plans Under Residents' Review) are hoping residents will turn up to show their support for the refusal, which they hope will clear the way for a far better future for the site.
A spokesperson said: “We support the council's recommendations but the future is uncertain.
"We are calling on councillors to put an end to the cataclysmic catalogue of missed deadlines and confusing decisions which has surrounded plans that would leave new residents stuck in high density housing, experiencing traffic chaos, lacking facilities and without sufficient green space for their health and wellbeing.
"We have always recognised the need for more housing in Peterborough, especially properly affordable homes.
But we think people deserve better than this current proposal."
SPURR representatives say that if there is a rethink of how the Showground is developed, they would wish to see fewer homes which would mean less traffic and more green space with room to develop a major attraction that would boost tourism and bring money to the city.
Councillor Nicola Day, who was instrumental in setting up SPURR, said: "I will be speaking against the planning applications, citing the lack of an S106 agreement for community infrastructure and a concern over traffic mitigations. I will be supporting the officers' recommendations to refuse both applications."
Councillors will be told that the failure of the EEAS and AEPG to put together a Section 106 agreement means the development would not provide the necessary infrastructure to make it acceptable in planning terms.
It comes after more than a year since approval was given for the first outline planning application for 850 homes and a leisure village on part of the Showground.
A second outline application for 650 homes on an adjoining part of the site was initially rejected but later approved.
Both approvals were made conditional upon a Section 16 agreement being put in place.
- The Planning and Environmental Protection Committee will meet at 11am on October 21 at Sand Martin House, Fletton Quays, Peterborough.
At a glance: Key dates for Showground planning applications:
October 15, 2024: A nine hour meeting of Peterborough City Council’s planning committee. It was agreed to approve AEPG’s outline planning application for 850 homes and a leisure village, hotel, school and care village. But approval was subject to AEPG agreeing a Section 106 agreement in six months’ time – the first deadline. But councillors rejected AEPG’s second application for 650 homes on an adjoining part of the East of England Showground. This included the area that had been the race track for the popular Peterborough Panthers speedway team.
October 23, 2024: The decision to reject the 650 home was ‘called in’ by three councillors.
January 13, 2025: Meeting of Appeals and Planning Review committee. Councillors overturn earlier refusal for the 650 homes. But they also set a deadline to July 17 for AEPG to agree Section 106 conditions.
April 22, 2025: Request for first extension to deadline for 850 homes outline application. This was approved and set to July 17 – the second deadline – to tie in with the deadline set for the second outline application.
July 16, 2025: Council reveals it is considering a second extension to the deadline, effectively creating a third deadline.
September 11, 2025: Council sets final deadline – the fourth deadline – at September 12 for S106 to be agreed
September 12, 2025: Final deadline is missed.
October 21, 2025: Date set for council planning committee to reconsider outline planning applications for Showground development