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The party said it will spend £7.5 million on “one of the most deprived areas of our city” if it takes control of the city council following May’s local elections.

That amount is the same promised by the Conservatives for the area back in 2017.

The Peterborough Telegraph revealed last October only £663,000 of that funding had been spent which led to a protracted argument between the Tories and Labour that played out over a number of weeks.

Cllr Mohammed Jamil, a business owner in Millfield and a Labour councillor representing the area, accused the Conservative administration of being “happy for the area to rot away”.

This was fiercely denied by council deputy leader Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald who claimed that the issue had been “hijacked” and was “being used by the Labour Party and others for electioneering purposes”.

He added that the money remained available to spend if suitable schemes were proposed.

Now, ahead of council elections on May 6 which could see the balance of power at the Town Hall change hands, Labour councillors in Park, Central and North wards have pledged to provide £7.5 million for Millfield’s regeneration if the party takes control.

Park ward councillor and Labour group leader Cllr Shaz Nawaz said: “We had a Conservative administration making election pledges they clearly had no intention of keeping, much as they are doing for this election.

“This vibrant, multi-cultural yet run down area of our city is in desperate need of the investment promised over four years ago.

“As Labour councillors we deal with the deprivation caused by underfunding every single day but, as opposition councillors, we do not control the purse strings. This will change with the necessary and welcome change to a minority Labour administration after May 6.

“We are committed to delivering the investment to this area, subject to other urgent priorities. A Labour administration cannot ignore the promises made to people in their wards and other deprived areas of the city when we will also be looking to bring a great deal of external investment into Peterborough.”

The PT reported in November that the city council is preparing to spend £2.5 million allocated from the Government’s Towns Fund, on top of £1.9 million from its own budget, to revitalise Lincoln Road in Millfield from the Taverners Road junction to The Triangle.

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