Peterborough United moving forward with plans to build new multi-purpose arena hoped to create 1000 jobs

Peterborough United are pushing ahead with plans for their planned new multi-purpose arena on the Embankment.

Last week, representatives from the club met with both Jim Newton, the city council’s Assistant Director for Planning & Building Control and Council Leader Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald to discuss plans.

The club is yet to submit any formal application for either their preferred site or a planning application for the arena itself, however, Co-owner Jason Neale told The Yellow Block podcast on January 9 that the club was “about to” submit a red-line application for the land for the arena.

Ever since plans for a new stadium were launched in 2020, Posh have been committed to moving onto the Embankment and were given a boost when the Embankment masterplan, which was released in March last year, did make provision for the project.

Fellow co-owner Stewart Thompson only declared his tepid support for the masterplan though, insisting that the proposed location- right up against the university campus- was “no good for the university or city.”

Therefore, Posh have been keen to hold discussions over the exact location of the arena.

Dr Neale said: “We’re working hard. I have had meetings with the council’s head of planning and Wayne Fitzgerald in the past week.

“It might not be obvious to everyone that a lot of work is going on, we don’t play that out on social media but there is. We are preparing to submit an application to the council department that looks after physical properties and that will be the kick-off for urn negotiation for land- either a lease or a purchase.

“After that, we will follow the formal planning application process.”

In August 2021, Posh revealed plans for a new arena with an initial 19,400 capacity, with the potential to rise to 24,000, in documents in support of a screening opinion.

The plans also included an “enhanced public landscape” through a new pathway to the west of the site, alongside extending the existing access road, on Bishop’s Road, which serves the athletics track, by around 390m, to serve as an access road to both the new stadium and the new Anglia Ruskin university site.

When the stadium plans were first launched, a completion date of 2023 was given for the project and while that has now proved far too ambitious, Dr Neale has insisted that the club remain committed to plans and that the arena will bring benefits to the whole city.

Posh plan to have the arena in use for over 300 days a year, including for events such as concerns, conferences and weddings. The club believes that its plans will create as many as 1000 jobs.

Dr Neale added: "I think it took Tottenham more than ten years to build their stadium from start to finish, so it’s not surprising that it’s not an instantaneous job. It took us two years to build the dome and that’s a fraction of the effort of the cost of a new stadium.

“We’re really committed to it. We think it will be a fantastic thing for the city and it’s important to know it’s not just a stadium. We have planned a multi-purpose arena that should operate around 300 days a year. Everything from weddings to football, concerts, opera, plays and conferences.

"It will be a real catalyst for the city and create around 1000 jobs in the community, which I think will be really important.”

Posh brought back the site of its current London Road stadium and its land from the council last year for £5.265 million- with a £1.25m discount given- and it is now owned by London Road Peterborough Properties Limited; a company created by co-owners Darragh MacAnthony, Jason Neale and Stewart Thompson.

Plans for a new stadium on the Embankment are expected to be met with opposition from campaign groups such as Save Peterborough Embankment and city councillors.

In July 2021, Labour Group Leader Shaz Nawaz told the Peterborough Telegraph that his entire group opposed the plans.