Row erupts between new Combined Authority mayor and Civic Society over future of Peterborough's Embankment

A row over the future use of Peterborough green oasis, the Embankment, has broken out between a city heritage and development guardian and the county’s just elected Combined Authority mayor.

A call from the new Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Mayor Paul Bristow for a community sports arena to be built on a section of the 70 acre Embankment has been given short shrift by the Peterborough Civic Society.

Now the society is demanding that a fresh look is taken at a three year old Embankment development blueprint, which the society’s vice-chairman says seems to have just ‘disappeared’.

A few weeks ago, Mr Bristow spoke during his election campaign for the Combined Authority mayoralty of his desire to work with Peterborough United Football Club to deliver a new ground.

The vision was to build a multi-purpose arena on the Embankment that would feature events such as concerts, conferences and weddings and would be open for more than 300 days a year. The arena would also include a swimming pool.

Mr Bristow said that as Combined Authority mayor he would be able to remove any planning permission concerns regarding the stadium by including a new stadium for Posh in his special development strategy.

And following his election win on Friday, Mr Bristow informed the Peterborough Telegraph that he was still committed to seeing a sports stadium built on the Embankment.

But Toby Wood, the civic society’s vice-chairman, said: “We are against a stadium being built on the Embankment.

“The Embankment should be treated as an entity and not just considered in pieces. A stadium would be an eyesore and there would be issues over access.

"We also feel that the current football stadium could be extended on its present site.”

Three years ago, Peterborough City Council spent several months consulting on an Embankment Masterplan, which was published to guide the future development of the Embankment.

And while the masterplan made provision for a new arena, alongside the new ARU Peterborough buildings, it made it clear such a development was an optional extra.

It urged caution that all other locations should be given intense scrutiny before a stadium was allowed to move onto the open green space.

The masterplan was drawn up to provide a blueprint for the future of a ‘key piece of Peterborough’s urban fabric over the next 10 to 20 years.’

Mr Wood said: “But what happened to this plan? It just seems to have disappeared.

"It needs to be dusted down and discussed further.”

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