A Levelling Up Fund bid for around £48million for the first phase of redevelopment of the area around Peterborough Train Station – known as the Station Quarter – was submitted by the Combined Authority to the Government
Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority collaborated on the bid for the Peterborough Station Enhancements and Connectivity Project, submitted on 1st August, and expect to hear back from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) in Autumn 2022 whether it has been successful.
Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson:
“The Combined Authority has worked closely on the bid with Peterborough City Council, which will drive the enterprise forward if the pitch wins through. Regenerating the Station Quarter would uplift not just the city but the whole of Cambridgeshire and beyond, helping take the east of England to a new level, and making Peterborough itself greener and ever more welcoming to visitors, investors, and businesses.”
If the bid does succeed, funding will be released by the Government to allow the Peterborough Station Enhancements and Connectivity project to move forward.
Additional match funding to bring the total funds up to around £65million is expected to come from Peterborough City Council, Network Rail and LNER, enabling future private investment in commercial and residential development as a further phase of the Station Quarter programme.
The project involves creating a new western entrance to the station with a car park – to create a double-sided station – with a new wider footbridge over the train lines. This will alleviate pressure on city centre roads, making it easier and safer to travel around the city by bicycle. Green areas with biodiversity, community spaces and better connections to the city centre will make it safer and more attractive for bikes and pedestrians.
The enhancement of Peterborough Train Station will improve rail passenger journeys and encourage more rail travel, which will have a positive economic impact on the city and regionally, as the city is already well connected to key areas of Eastern England and the rest of the UK. In addition, it will support Peterborough in attracting more knowledge-intensive and high-level employers through its transport links.