Views sought on regenerating city centre

Peterborough's residents, visitors and businesses are being asked to help shape plans to transform the city centre over the next 20 years.

The Peterborough Visioning Project aims to create a "truly inclusive city centre" that attracts "residents, visitors and new businesses to invest", the city council said.

A six-week public engagement programme has been launched with an online survey and a series of pop-up events in schools, local businesses and community spaces, to obtain feedback and suggestions.

Mohammed Farooq, Peterborough First cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: "We want to create a city centre of which our residents and communities are proud."

The project wants to gain the opinions of people about the current state of the city centre and what its strengths and weaknesses are.

They are being encouraged to share their ideas on how they would like it developed to ensure it is an attractive place to visit, live and work in.

The results of the engagement exercises will then "help shape a vision for the city centre to drive investment and regeneration over the next two decades", the council said.

Farooq said: "We want to create a city centre of which our residents and communities are proud - somewhere they want to spend time with their friends and families and that meets their needs with the right balance of shopping, working and other experiences.

"We want to hear from as many people as possible to help shape this vision."

Paul Bristow, the Conservative mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: "Peterborough is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and the city centre has to reflect that confidence and potential.

"If we want higher-paid jobs, stronger businesses and rising living standards, we need a city centre that attracts investment, talent and visitors."

Special pop-up events are being held in Cathedral Square on Tuesday and in Queensgate on 14 February.

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