As Cambridge gears up for Â£1.5 billion metro system - what could Peterborough do with that money?

How the metro in Cambridge is expected to look

The huge transport project is being promoted by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority - the local authority run by metro mayor James Palmer - with funding expected to come from a variety of public sources, and possibly private sources as well.

The estimated cost of the scheme at this early stage is between £1.5 billion and £1.7 billion, which begs the question: what could Peterborough get with a similar amount of money...

. 50 new Rhubarb Bridges - The current bridge at the junction where the A47 meets the A15 near Brotherhood Shopping Park needs to be replaced. Peterborough City Council said that might cost £30 million

. 5 London Aquatics Centres - There are demands for an Olympic-sized swimming pool in Peterborough, but why not go further and replicate the centre which was built for the London Olympics? Aside from two 50 metre swimming pools and a diving pool, it would also hold enough seats for 17,500 visitors

. 2 O2 Arenas - The £789 cost for the O2 in London would alleviate any calls for a large concert arena

. 2 Wembley Stadiums - Instead of Peterborough United haggling with the city council over buying their ground back, why not buy two 90,000 seater stadiums for when Posh make it into the Premier League?

The combined authority has also invested in Peterborough, having already spent £6.5 million on progressing the application for a University of Peterborough and invested in a total of 188 affordable homes in Newark Road and on the old John Mansfield school site.

And next week (Wednesday, January 31) its board will vote on whether to spend £600,000 to develop an outline business case and options appraisal report for the Cambridge metro.