Sale of Peterborough's Pleasure Fair Meadows Car Park prompts call for review of decision

Concerns have been voiced around the decision to sell Peterborough’s Fair Meadows Car Park.

A leading councillor is urging for a review of the sale of the car park at the north of Oundle Road to an affordable homes developer.

Pleasure Fair Meadows Car Park was first bought by an investment partnership eight years ago for £200,000, according to documents.

Filings at the Land Registry show that the registered company PIP (Pleasure Fairs) Limited, a so-called special purpose vehicle (SPV) jointly controlled by Peterborough City Council and the investment specialists IAGH3, bought the land to the north of Oundle Road, on November 25, 2015.

It has since been revealed that the land has recently been sold to registered company Medesham Homes, which is jointly controlled by Peterborough City Council and social housing association Cross Keys Homes, based in Shrewsbury Avenue, Peterborough.

It is thought the sale took place last autumn but the price paid has not been disclosed.

However, three years ago, the car park site was being proposed as an alternative venue for a £38 million regional swimming pool.

News of the sale of the car park to Medesham Homes has prompted concerns from a leading city councillor about how the decision was taken.

Councillor Dennis Jones, leader of the council’s Labour group, said: “I have not seen this going through council committees.

"I am concerned that decisions like this are being made outside of the council’s democratic committee structure.

"Matters like this should be discussed by councillors of the various groups before decisions are made – out of curtesy if nothing else so that we all know what is going on.

"if we are going to work together why aren’t these things on the table in advance of decisions being made?

"I’m very uncomfortable about things like this happening. We should be reviewing these matters.”

A spokesperson for Cross Keys Homes said: “It is Medesham Homes who own the Pleasure Meadow Car Park so it will be them who look to develop the site.

"As far as I’m aware, everything is still in the discussion stages, so there are no timeframes as of yet for when any plans are likely to be drawn up.”