New milestone nears for 1,500 homes and leisure village plans for Peterborough Showground

Land promoter AEPG has just short of three weeks – June 17 – to fulfil community welfare conditions laid down by Peterborough city councillors as part of the grant of outline planning permission for a total of 1,500 homes and a leisure village on the 14 acre Showground site.

But the inclusion of a draft Section 106 legal agreement, dated April 23 this year, with the Showground plans and an assortment of statutory and public comments in the council’s planning portal, suggests that AEPG is on course to meet the deadline.

But neither the council or the AEPG were willing to comment on what might happen after June 17.

A spokesperson for the council said: “The deadline is June 17 so there isn't a lot we can say until the deadline gets closer.”

An AEPG spokesperson said: “AEPG continues to work collaboratively with Peterborough City Council.

"We have no further comment to make at this time.”

Two Section 106 deadlines were originally set by the council as members considered two outline planning applications for the development of the Showground.

The first was set at April 16 and linked to the permission granted for an outline application to build 850 homes plus a leisure village, hotel, school and care village.

But that deadline was missed and was reset to July 17 to tie in with the second agreed by councillors who approved the second outline application, which was for 650 homes on an adjoining part of the Showground.

What is contained in the Section 106 Agreement?

A section 106 agreement will seek to ease the impact on a number of features including housing, education and healthcare.

Housing: 30 percent of all dwellings on site to be affordable housing

Education: A total financial contribution of £21,633,995 for early years, primary and secondary education. There will also be a serviced plot for a primary school

Healthcare: A financial contribution of £2,072,143 towards additional/enhanced primary care facilities on or off site plus a financial contribution to bereavement services of £29.33 per bedroom and £470,900 to the East of England Ambulance Service.

Community facilities must serve local needs, medical facilities, sports facilities, public house/restaurant with a timetable for implementation

Highways issues include:

Speed limit changes to Joseph Odam Way/Orton Northgate, and Dunblane Drive area and to Orton Parkway.

Financial Contributions to off-site highway schemes, including active travel scheme on Oundle Road.

Financial Contributions to off-site cycleway infrastructure

Milton land vehicular access to be provided and maintained via Joseph Odam Way.

Why is the Showground being developed?

For about five decades the East of England Showground has been a popular and regular leisure destination for thousands of local people and others from further afield.

Over the years it has staged many major public events, many of which had become firm favourites, such as the annual Truckfest, Antiques Festivals, Festival of Motorcycling, the National Caravan and Motorhomes show, Fireworks Fiesta, music concerts and the annual agricultural show as well as elite speedway racing and an array of exhibitions and conferences.

But times have changed and the agricultural society says attendance at its public events has fallen.

It also says that over the last 10 years many of the open air events staged at the East of England Showground have failed to cover their costs and make a profit.

And they say it is not possible to carry on running the Showground as an events venue which was only being supported to some degree by earnings from investments and land sales.

In a letter to the council, the Society states its Showground operations failed to make a profit – income minus expenses – in any year from 2010. The worst year was 2013 when its expenses exceeded its income by £1,005,000.

It also shows that in most years even with income from investments and land sales, the Society figures at the end of the year were in the red.

Agricultural Society bosses say selling the Showground will leave the Society to focus on its charitable aims of promoting agriculture, education, and rural life.