New bridge over River Nene at the Embankment to be brought forward

A bridge linking the city’s new university by the Embankment and the landmark Fletton Quays development on the South Bank was part of Peterborough’s successful bid to the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund.

So far £23 million of funding has been approved, with the bid including a new library and cultural hub called The Vine at TK Maxx in Bridge Street.

A bridge for pedestrians and cyclists over the river has been called for, with the PT in July 2017 launching a campaign to ‘build the bridge’ which was subsequently earmarked for instalment to coincide with ARU Peterborough opening in 2022.

Now, minutes of a meeting from the city’s Towns Fund Board - which is responsible for utilising the Government funding - have revealed that is has approved moving the project forward a year from 2024/25 to 2023/24.

The minutes added: “It was also agreed to review private funding as (a) contribution towards the bridge.”

Leader of Peterborough City Council Cllr John Holdich said the bridge, which is due to be fully funded by the Government, is currently being costed.

Cllr Holdich, who sits on the board, told the Peterborough Telegraph: “They wanted to put it back a year and I asked them to put it forward a year, if at all possible, on the grounds that we need to put it in somewhere along the line of when the university opens and the shops on the other side open.

“If possible I would like it open when the university opens so the students can use it to go across to Fletton Quays.

“It will be a good place for them to go and get a drink or coffee or whatever.”

The minutes also revealed that The Vine is due to be ‘fast-tracked’, with the landmark hub set to host a library and voluntary bodies and provide training, while talks are ongoing about potentially moving the BBC’s cultural archives in there.

Cllr Holdich added: “Hopefully within the next couple of months we’ll have it fully costed and know what’s going in it.”

The minutes also reveal that cabinet member for housing, culture and recreation Cllr Steve Allen wants to spend money from the Towns Fund earmarked for regenerating Lincoln Road to be aligned with a “potential move of the Stagecoach bus depot”.

The funding is also set to include a Bronze Age themed extension to the museum, a new activity centre at Ferry Meadows and the opening up of the Station Quarter.

During a debate in the House of Commons last week, MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow said the Towns Fund will deliver a “fresh start for Peterborough”.