Peterborough United delighted by engagement from Conservative Party as conversations about new stadium put back on the table by city MP Paul Bristow

Peterborough United has said this it is delighted that the Conservative party has come forward to engage with the club over plans for a new stadium and has welcomed representatives from other political parties to do the same.

As part of Peterborough MP Paul Bristow’s promises and aspirations for Peterborough- that he has launched in the past week- the MP spoke of his desire to work with Posh to deliver a new ground.

He said: “We need a brand new home for Posh in our city centre. If I can work with Peterborough United to deliver a new home then I will.”

Mr Bristow also promised to deliver a new Regional Pool and bus station in the next five years.

Over the past five years, the club has spoken of its desire to build a new multi-purpose arena on the Embankment, which is desired to open for over 300 days a year, including for events such as concerns, conferences and weddings and create over 100 new jobs.

The stadium’s design, that has been discussed to date, has been modelled on the Groupama Arena in Budapest, the home Hungary’s most successful club Ferencvárosi TC.

Plans are already well behind the schedule published originally with the plans not having progressed beyond the design phase.

An official club statement said: “As a football club we welcome any conversation with any political party in relation to the development of a new multipurpose arena for the football club and the wider community as a whole.

"We are delighted that the Conservative Party have come forward to engage and we would welcome representatives from other political parties to come forward.”

The story so far...

In 2019, shortly after the arrival of new co-owners Dr Jason Neale and Stewart Thompson, Posh announced their intention to deliver a new stadium to replace the club’s current home at the Weston Homes Stadium on London Road.

In February 2020, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the newly-formed Embankment Properties Limited and Peterborough City Council, outlining a vision for a new landmark development.

Initially, the club had planned to complete the project as soon as 2023 but the Covid pandemic proved the first of many delays.

The club considered a number of sites in the city but a location on the Embankment in the city centre has long been considered the only viable option for the club.

In June 2021, the club submitted a screening application to the council in which a document revealed plans for a new multi-purpose arena, on the banks of the River Nene, with an initial capacity of 19,400 but with the potential for this to be upped to 24,000.

In March 2022, an Embankment Masterplan was published to to guide the future development of the city’s 70-acre green space. The masterplan made provision for a new arena, alongside the new ARU Peterborough buildings, as an optional extra.

Co-owner Mr Thompson only declared his “tepid” support for the proposals, however, due to its proposed proximity to the university on the site.

A documented meeting took place between representatives from the club, the city council’s Assistant Director for Planning & Building Control as well as then Council Leader Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald in January 2023 to further discuss plans for the stadium.

In the same month, Dr Neale also told fans that the club was “about to” submit a a red-line application for the land for the arena.

Despite this, no further measurable progress has been made on the plans and no formal planning application for the stadium has been submitted.

As of December 2023, Dr Neale and Mr Thompson are no longer majority co-owners of the club, raising questions as to the project’s future.

The majority of their shares were re-acquired by Darragh MacAnthony, who is now back as the club’s sole majority shareholder.

Mr MacAnthony has spoken of his desire to still deliver a centre-piece new stadium down the line and has even invited the former co-owners to be involved in the project in the future.

Embankment Properties Limited- of which the three directors were Mr MacAnthony, Mr Thompson and De Neale- was dissolved at Companies House on December 19, 2023.

The three still co-own London Road Peterborough Properties Limited- the company under which Posh’s current Weston Homes Stadium is owned. The company remains in receivership having been placed into it in March 2023.