Tackling 'interruption' of Peterborough's Bourges Boulevard among early tasks for Station Quarter designers

Plans for a multi-million pound transformation of Peterborough’s railway station and the surrounding area will initially focus on tackling the barrier to the city centre posed by Bourges Boulevard.

Enhancing links between the station and the city centre are a prime goal of the largely Government-funded £65 million project that seeks to improve the economic, social, and cultural landscape of Peterborough.

Initial proposals for the work to deliver a new railway station plus a Station Quarter precinct are being sketched out ahead of a presentation of an outline business case by the end of the year – a vital step to ensure Government Levelling Up funds of £48 million will be paid out for the development.

A key area of focus for the team of specialists who will carry out the design and assessment work for the project are pedestrian and cycle links between the station and the city centre.

A report to be presented to Peterborough City Council’s growth and communities scrutiny committee tonight (July 18) states one of the key difficulties is how the Bourges Boulevard road ‘severs’ the route between the station and the city centre while an underpass poses an ‘intimidating’ zone for pedestrians and cyclists.

It states: “There is a lack of accessible and level pedestrian and cycle links between the heart of the city and the train station and from the west to the station – Bourges Boulevard interrupts movement and the existing buildings provide visual severance.

It adds: “There are three routes into the city centre from the rail station, but these are via an underpass that is unattractive and of poor quality.

"The underpass could be perceived as intimidating and offers a very poor first impression of Peterborough.

"A strong connection between the railway station entrance and Cowgate could become an accessible route suitable for all which would introduce visitors to the city through a series of legible spaces, finally culminating in the west face of the Cathedral.

"The western entrance will also be a new prominent approach and as such an interchange area is required that enables drop-off, walking and cycling arrivals.”

The team will also consider alternative uses for some of the five hectares of car park land around the station.

The report states: “This high value land has the potential to transform the local area and could be unlocked for greater commercial and housing development.

"This is particularly significant as there is a substantial lack of high quality commercial and office space in Peterborough and particularly in the proximity of Peterborough Station.”

Also on the design team’s agenda will be tackling the ‘shortage of quality food and beverage, waiting facilities, meeting and conferencing space’ within the station, assessing uses of the eastern Station building, main footbridge and commercial opportunities and the possibility of a western access to the station with car parking provision.

“The station feels isolated from the city centre, both visually and from an active mode's perspective.

"This is demonstrated by the severance created by the dual carriageway (Bourges Boulevard) between the Station and city centre, and presence of multiple underpasses that allow pedestrians to move between these locations.”