More than a dozen Peterborough parks to benefit from new £1 million funding

The money is the first instalment of the Government’s Towns Fund – a decision on the remaining £25million is expected late next month. The Towns Fund aims to unleash the economic success of towns and high streets across the country, levelling up communities and ensuring everyone can contribute to and benefit from economic growth. The impact of Covid-19 makes these investments more important than ever. The funding will be key in supporting the growth and recovery of our towns during the pandemic.

It will be invested in improvements, such as new play equipment, bins, benches, outdoor gyms, landscaping and LED lighting on footpaths. The following parks and open spaces in the city have been identified: Stanley Recreation Ground, Bretton Park, Fulbridge Road, Hodgson Avenue, Itter Park, Vermont Grove, Welland Recreation Ground, Baker Park, Parnwell, Wistow, Longthorpe Memorial, Lyvelly Gardens, Wesleyan Road and Bishop Road. A small proportion of the funding will also be spent on developing plans for open spaces on the Embankment, river frontage and Middleholme.

These improvements will aim to encourage residents to take advantage of their local parks and open spaces and get outdoors to improve their physical and mental wellbeing during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, along with driving down anti-social behaviour if needed. A Peterborough Parks website and app is also being devised to encourage residents to visit multiple parks on their doorstep and around the city. The £1million will be spent by April 2021.

The decision to improve these areas follows an audit of all parks and open spaces, which was completed by Peterborough City Council in March 2018 and annual safety inspections. The audit identified those that were in the most need of improvement.

Councillor Marco Cereste, cabinet member for waste, street scene and the environment for Peterborough City Council, said: “This is a welcome boost for the parks that are most in of improvements across our city and for the residents that live nearby them. One thing that I think all of us realised during the Covid-19 lockdown earlier this year was the vital need to get out and about in the fresh air and the benefit of this to both our physical and mental health.”

The city council acknowledges the help of its MPs in this successful bid.

Paul Bristow, MP for Peterborough, said: “It’s great news that Peterborough is getting an extra £1 million boost from the Government as part of our plan to regenerate the City.

“The Towns Fund is a key part of the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda. Our parks matter more than ever at the moment and will see the benefit by next spring.” Shailesh Vara, MP for North West Cambridgeshire, said: “This is excellent news. This £1m will go a long way in helping to provide and maintain much needed and valued open spaces in the city.

“I am sure this additional funding will also be welcomed by many in the local community who will derive much pleasure from the spaces.”