Three more Towns Fund projects have been successful in bringing millions of Government funding to Peterborough.

The Pedestrian Bridge project, Station Quarter project and Lincoln Road improvements projects have all had their business cases signed off by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) – with £6 million given to Peterborough to help fund them.

Pedestrian bridge

A pedestrian bridge will be constructed to link the Embankment with Fletton Quays, offering  pedestrians and cyclists an alternative route across the river, away from the busy main road.

It will create a good link from the south of the city to the new ARU campus.

The bridge will extend the city’s Green Wheel and play an important part in making walking or cycling the default option for getting around the city centre, helping boost public health and air quality by reducing city centre traffic.

A public consultation is set to take place later this winter, with construction on the bridge due to start in 2024.

A total of £2 million has been secured from the Government for this project. The remainder is being funded by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and additional funding from Peterborough City Council’s redevelopment budget.

Station Quarter

This project will create a safer and more visible route to the city centre from Peterborough Train Station for pedestrians, cyclists and those with restricted mobility, cutting down on travelling time, encourage more to walk and cycle as a default option and improve the first impression of Peterborough for visitors and commuters.

The design options will be developed and a public consultation will follow; construction is due to start in 2024.

£1.5 million has been secured from the Government for this project.

Lincoln Road improvements

This project will make street and highway improvements on Lincoln Road between Searjeant Street and Windmill Street.

Potential redevelopment options include: widening and improving pavements on either side of the road, pedestrian crossings at the Lincoln Road/Alma Road junction, soft landscaping (eg shrubs), electric vehicle charging points, new bins, new cycle parking, additional benches, the possibility of cycle lanes and the introduction of a community art trail.

Officers are currently reviewing responses following a public consultation earlier in the year and will work with the council’s highways provider to create the final scheme.

The improvements are due to start in 2023.

£2.5million has been secured for this project; additional funding will come from Peterborough City Council’s redevelopment budget and expected grant funding from other sources.

These three are the latest projects to win funding in Peterborough, bringing the total number to eight. They are:

  1. Embankment Masterplan – £200k secured from Towns Fund (complete)
  2. Digital incubator – £120k secured from the Towns Fund (complete)
  3. Green Technology Centre – £2million secured from Towns Fund  (ongoing (business case successful))
  4. Activity centre – £1.5million secured from Towns Fund (ongoing (business case successful))
  5. The Vine – asking for £13 milion from the Towns Fund, £4 million of which has already been received  (ongoing (business case due to be submitted in January 2023))
  6. River Nene pedestrian bridge – £2 million secured from Towns Fund (ongoing (business case successful))
  7. Lincoln Road upgrade – £2.5 million secured from Towns Fund (ongoing (business case successful))
  8. Station Quarter upgrade – £1.5 milion secured from Towns Fund (ongoing (business case successful))

Matthew Bradbury, independent chair for the Towns Fund Board in Peterborough, said: “The last couple of months have been so successful for the Towns Fund. We have had five projects given the green light by the Government – representing £9.5million worth of funding for Peterborough.

“I would like to thank everyone on these projects who have been working tirelessly in the background for many months now for pulling together all the information that the Government required to produce these business cases. This is a welcome boost for Peterborough.”

Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, leader of Peterborough City Council, said: “Our Towns Fund bids represent a significant amount of cash investment in Peterborough by the Government – in addition to the £28million that will be coming through the Levelling Up Fund for the ARU Peterborough Living Lab and Cultural Quarter Hub and a potential £48million for the redevelopment of our Station Quarter.”

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