Opinion: ‘Station Quarter is transformational’

This happened at a fortuitous time as it took place on Tuesday – the day that Liz Truss officially became Prime Minister – ensuring it achieved the maximum amount of publicity among key national decision makers. As well as pledging his own support, Paul also secured a response from the Government. The Minister of State for Transport, Wendy Morton, welcomed Peterborough’s ambitions and spoke warmly about the proposals. The Peterborough Station Quarter bid calls for Government to grant £48million as part of its Levelling Up Fund by recognising its importance to the entire East Coast Main Line and the future of train travel in the Eastern region. The money would be used to redevelop Peterborough Train Station and the area around it to include a mixture of flats, shops, bars, cafes and office working space. Key to this would be the creation of 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 tracks. It would be transformational for Peterborough, boosting our city’s economy, future proofing the station against congestion and improving journey quality for customers and encouraging private investment.

It would create a gateway to the city and help attract more visitors. It would create green spaces with biodiversity, community spaces and additional housing, shops, restaurants and retail units. Finally, it would attract more knowledge intensive and high-level employers, attracted by our improved transport links. In this way it would work with our new university to boost the wages of future generations. It is vitally important that the Station Quarter and the station itself is fit for purpose – not just for the Peterborough of today - but for the city it will be in years to come. The Levelling Up Fund bid for the Station Quarter represents a chance by this Government to use this prime asset to bring jobs, retail and other visitors to our city.

- I was delighted to see Liz Truss confirmed as our new Prime Minister and look forward to her making a positive difference. The national challenges she faces are well documented, but having backed her leadership bid I have every confidence that she can steer us through difficult times and deliver for the whole country. Everyone should give Liz a chance to prove what she can do. She will announce vital support measures for people struggling with the rising costs of living, so watch this space. Liz is also a friend of Peterborough and visited our city twice recently during her campaign trail. As MP for nearby South West Norfolk she is acutely aware of Peterborough’s challenges and keen to support us in our work to make our city an even better place to live, work and play. Don’t forget that the council already has support measures in place to help people with energy bills, visit www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/campaigns/support-with-the-cost-of-living to find out more.

- I’ve spoken recently about the many great events that have taken place in Peterborough over the summer months and that trend is continuing. Later this month the city centre will be decked in red, white and green when the Italian Festival makes a welcome return. The event, supported by the Italian Community Association (ICA), is taking place on Sunday, 18 September in Cathedral Square. Fans of Italian cuisine will be delighted that traditional food such as pizza, sausage, freshly-made rolls and Italian cakes are all on the menu, and there will be numerous other stalls and attractions across the city centre. If you like Italian food and let’s face it, most people do, then you’re in for a treat!

- As part of my ambition for the council to be even more open and transparent with our residents, last year I started a monthly session called ‘Ask the Leader’. It’s an informal online meeting, giving residents a chance to put questions to myself and council officers on any issues that affect their daily lives. The next Ask the Leader takes place on Tuesday 27 September and you can watch it back afterwards on the council’s Youtube channel. If you’d like to take part, you can submit questions to [email protected] and we will respond with details and a link to the meeting.