Peterborough City Council considers second deadline extension for East of England Showground developer

Land promoter AEPG has already been given one extension to a six months deadline imposed by councillors last October to provide time for a Section 106 agreement to be drawn up.

The planing committee members had warned that if the original deadline was not met that their approval for an outline planning application for 850 homes and a leisure village would be void .

The extension granted in April was set at July 17.

This was to dovetail with a six months Section 106 agreement deadline set for a second outline application, for 650 homes on an adjoining part of the Showground.

But just hours before the new deadline expires tomorrow, Peterborough City Council has revealed it is considering a second extension to the Section 106 deadline.

A council spokesperson said: “We are currently considering whether or not to extend the deadline."

News that a second extension is being considered has prompted an angry response from one councillor who says the deadline was imposed for a reason.

Orton Waterville Councillor Julie Stevenson said: “How many extensions should this applicant be granted before the council concedes that something might be wrong about the process that led to this?

"Residents who weren't particularly concerned at the beginning of this process are now questioning what is happening and why the council keeps giving this applicant more and more leeway.

"Not only is this debacle unfair on the people of Peterborough, it suggests the council's decision making is not as robust as it needs to be.

"These are not trivial matters.

"They are decisions that will affect the lives of the people who live here for decades to come.

"The council owes it to the public to explain exactly what is happening and how these delays are justified.”

AEPG has been approached for a response.

At a glance: Key dates for Showground planning applications:

• October 15, 2024: A nine hour meeting of Peterborough City Council’s planning committee. It was agreed to approve AEPG’s outline planning application for 850 homes and a leisure village, hotel, school and care village. But approval was subject to AEPG agreeing a Section 106 agreement in six months’ time. But councillors rejected AEPG’s second application for 650 homes on an adjoining part of the East of England Showground. This included the area that had been the race track for the popular Peterborough Panthers speedway team.
• October 23, 2024: The decision to reject the 650 home was ‘called in’ by three councillors.
• January 13, 2025: Meeting of Appeals and Planning Review committee. Councillors overturn earlier refusal for the 650 homes. But they also set a deadline to July 17 for AEPG to agree Section 106 conditions.
• April 22, 2025: Request for first extension to deadline for 850 homes outline application. This was approved and set to July 17 to tie in with the deadline set for the second outline application.
• July 16, 2025: Council reveals it is considering a second extension to the deadline.

What will the Section 106 include?

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 sold?

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.

What is the leisure village?

The leisure village, which will be called Cultura Place, is the central feature of the proposals.

The village will include an indoor arena, a court for a padel, a two storey, state-of-the-art golf driving range, a zip coaster, climbing wall, bungee trampolines, a jump tower and bounce pillow, mini Land Rovers, a bike trail and more. A 4,640 square metre indoor family entertainment centre will contain a range of activities.

The village will also include a 250-bed hotel, a school and a retirement village overseen by the Extracare charitable trust.