1,000 government workers to move onto Peterborough’s Fletton Quays site

A CGI of how Fletton Quays will look when completed

The £120 million revamp of the city’s South Bank will see staff from five government agencies move in to a new building where Aqua House used to be situated from 2021.

The Cabinet Office said today the move will help regenerate the city centre and could lead to more government jobs being created here in the future.

The announcement comes a fortnight after the Peterborough Telegraph revealed the Passport Office was being relocated to the site near Peterborough United’s London Road stadium.

However, the Government has now revealed that Passport Office staff will be joined under one roof by civil servants from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Environment Agency, Natural England and Joint Nature Conservation, all of whom currently work in the Peterborough area.

Cllr John Holdich, leader of Peterborough City Council, said: “To have key government organisations secure a space at Fletton Quays is good news, both for the development and the city as a whole.

“Fletton Quays represents a new age of growth and regeneration for Peterborough. These key additions to the site will bring footfall, recruitment and investment, as well as opening up the prospect of attracting additional government jobs to Peterborough in the future.”

The relocation of government staff will free up office space across the city.

Fletton Quays will become the 15th ‘government hub’, which bring together different departments under one roof near inner-city sites.

Minister for implementation at the Cabinet Office, Simon Hart, said: “Peterborough is a thriving town and an outstanding location for our latest government hub.

“This move will save taxpayers money and play an important role in the regeneration of the town centre.”

Howard Bright, principal development manager at Peterborough Investment Partnership, added: “The Passport and Defra offices are both high-quality employers whose place in Peterborough sets the city apart from even some major UK towns and cities. We’re thrilled to see them move to offices at Fletton Quays and hope this strengthens Peterborough’s position for future government operations.”

The site will be developed by Bride Hall which also developed the council’s 100,000 sq ft Sand Martin House office.

Latest big name to Fletton Quays

Approximately half of the jobs which will be filled at the new office in Fletton Quays will come from the Passport Office, which is currently located near the city market.

The Peterborough Telegraph revealed a fortnight ago that the relocation of staff follows two years of negotiations between the city council and the Home Office which have finally now been completed.

The new government hub will be the latest key addition to the £120 million regeneration of Fletton Quays. The site is already home to the council’s new Sand Martin House offices, and once works are complete there will also be a Hilton hotel, a whisky and gin distillery, an arts centre and retail, restaurant and leisure facilities.

On top of that there will be 450 apartments.