Two Peterborough car parks to be replaced by homes and shops including Lidl

Two central Peterborough car parks are likely to be replaced by new houses and shops after the council’s cabinet agreed to their redevelopment.

While planning permission is still required to realise the project, the Dickens Street and Wellington Street car parks are now one step closer to a “comprehensive regeneration” which will include new homes, food and drink outlets and a Lidl supermarket.

The company already owns part of the Dickens Street site, but has previously been refused planning permission to build a supermarket there due to traffic concerns.

It has now formed a consortium and come forward with a new proposal that incorporates the remainder of this car park as well as the Wellington Street site, Peterborough City Council (PCC) says.

This also includes provision for electric vehicle charging.

Councillors discussing the decision stressed that parking provision will be increased in other parts of the city.

Leader Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald (Conservatives, West) said that “conspiracy theorists” online who believe that “two and two make five” have suggested that the council is depriving residents by agreeing to the plans, but that it's already in discussions about growing other car parks which are more frequently used.

“We’re also talking to private operators such as Queensgate and others in order to make their car parks more accessible,” he continued, “but at the same time we have to balance air quality and drive down car use.

“Even though I’m a pro-car fan – I believe that people should be able to drive and commute how they want to commute – we also have to be socially aware of air quality.

“Let’s also have more electric vehicles – and they need somewhere to park.”

In its report, the council added that a survey undertaken between April 2022 and February 2023 shows that the Dickens Street car park generates the least income per day of all of its car parks and that Wellington Street is similarly not well utilised.

Further financial details and rationale behind disposing the assets is included in a council report exempt from the press and public.