WATCH: Extra £2 million funding for Peterborough's Cygnet Bridge approved after last minute changes to project

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
The project now has a total cost of £8.3 million

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) has approved an extra £2 million funding to be put towards the Cygnet Bridge project at Fletton Quays.

The footbridge, which will link Fletton Quays to the Embankment, had an initial cost of £6.3 million, but Peterborough City Council asked the CPCA to provide additional funding of £2 million so that construction could start this year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

CPCA’s investment committee discussed the request for additional funding at a meeting on Monday, January 13.

The bridge will now cost £8 millionThe bridge will now cost £8 million
The bridge will now cost £8 million

Reasonings for the additional funding, which will bring the total project cost to £8.3 million, include complex design modifications and ‘significantly higher’ costs for required sewer diversions than initially projected.

Construction of Cygnet Bridge was initially due to be completed by summer 2025, but this has now been pushed back to spring/summer 2026.

At the investment committee meeting, Councillor Nick Thulborn representing Peterborough City Council, said: “We’re already getting investment coming through because of this bridge.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It’s already creating a positive move forward in the area. Active travel will make a huge leap forward in the area.”

Peterborough City Council hopes the bridge will assist in creating a ‘walkable, liveable city’ and reduce pressure on city centre traffic routes.

Councillor Dr Haq Nawaz, Fenland District Council representative on the investment committee, labelled the decision to approve extra funding for the project a “no brainer” and said the importance of the bridge “cannot be exaggerated”.

He added: “The bridge has been talked about for as long as I can remember.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mayor Dr Nik Johnson, chair of the investment committee, said: “I remain fully behind Peterborough City Council in their ambitions for the area and their ambitions for the city.

“This is a very good project. It’s definitely something we should be getting behind.”

The government’s Towns Fund pledged £2 million towards the bridge, while the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) will now contribute £5.4 million and the remainder will be paid for by Peterborough City Council’s redevelopment budget.

The CPCA investment committee voted unanimously in favour of the extra funding.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Detailed reasons for the additional £2 million funding included:

Structural Enhancements: Testing and third-party reviews identified the need for additional piling on the embankment landing areas, as well as increased steel requirements to ensure the bridge’s structural integrity and compliance with safety standards.

Sewer Diversion Costs: While Anglian Water initially provided an early estimate for diverting the sewer pipe, subsequent contractor assessments revealed significantly higher costs for this essential work.

News you can trust since 1948
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice