Mayor Dr Nik Johnson warned of going immediately “to a cheap theatre of negativity” during a debate on the ambitious £48m regeneration of Peterborough station. His comments came during the first meeting of the Combined Authority investment committee.
The mayor said there was nothing untoward about the project being given an amber rating at this stage.
“I would love there to be green everywhere, but I’d also like to be realistic, and this amber rating reflects a prudent professional understanding of what it takes to deliver a major infrastructure and regeneration programme,” he said.
“And it wouldn’t surprise me if in the long term particularly on that project it may remain amber until we cut the ribbon – the sooner the better but it may remain amber.
“It would be naive if we didn’t take the concept of risk management and just sort of wishing it all away and I think we need not to be complacent.”
Mayor Johnson said it was a previous government who coined the phrase ‘levelling up’ but it was “very much as I remember done in conjunction with the MPs representing the area at the time and I think it’s important to clarify that point”.
Mayor Johnson said the amber rating report on the Station Quarter demonstrated the Combined Authority’s transparency too “but I think we have an obligation to be pragmatic in the face of what is unavoidably complicated work and take in the specific question about the Great Northern Hotel”.
He said it remained vital for all partners to continue working together and “we need to be able to resist the urge when honesty and transparency is put forward we don’t want to kind of immediately go to a cheap theatre of negativity.”
Addressing the committee he added: “For me the truth of the matter is that Peterborough and the Station Quarter specifically are absolutely integral to local growth plans, and we have been working in partnership with government as we did in the past with the previous MP, and we will continue to work with certainly with the two new Labour MPs.”
Mayor Johnson said: “Peterborough Station Quarter will be delivered, and it will be delivered very well but we have to do it transparently honestly and be pragmatic about the whole process.”
In a report to the investment committee the Station Quarter is given an amber rating which was explained because of the risks of it not completing within the tight deadlines given.
A final business case will not now be submitted until January and the Combined Authority adds that “the current status is amber reflecting the number of remaining risks and their significance.
“Notably the challenge in maintaining a programme that delivers a completion date of March 2026, as per Levelling Up Fund conditions and the challenge of delivering the station buildings within the budget.”
A surprise came from Labour as it revealed it hopes to include the Great Northern Hotel Peterborough in a future phase of re-development.
The revelation came as former MP Paul Bristow was served a reminder that he ‘signed off’ on the £48m levelling up bid for phase one that did not include the Great Northern Hotel.
Mr Bristow insists it was “always the plan” to include the hotel in any regeneration plan.
But during the meeting on Thursday Mr Bristow got a stark reminder that the £48m was for transport only related schemes.
Tim Bellamy, assistant director of transport at the Combined Authority, said: “With regards to the actual submission of the £48 million Peterborough submission to the levelling up fund it was for a transport scheme – the maximum of the input to that would have been £50million and we got £48million which was the joint highest of across the country.
“The rest of those schemes were around 10 to 20 million – we managed to secure 48.”
Mr Bellamy said: “The submission was with the MPs, with the city council and also with Network Rail and other partners as well so it’s a collaborative bid that we put in on behalf of the local community.”
Mr Bristow didn’t make any mention of the Great Northern after the £48m funding was announced.
Have YOUR say on £48m regeneration of Peterborough rail station
“Peterborough is the gateway to the East of England and the Station Quarter is the gateway to the city – it is vitally important that the Station Quarter and the station itself is fit for purpose,” he said.
The levelling up bid needed signatures and support from the Combined Authority (as overall sponsor) and the city council, which will deliver it. But the Government also required the bid to be signed by the MP, in this instance Mr Bristow.
One of the first to speak at the investment committee was Cllr Nick Thulbourn (Fletton and Woodston) and cabinet member for regeneration at Peterborough City Council.
He said the Station Quarter phase one does not include the Great Northern Hotel because of various issues.
“But stage two and three of the North Westgate projects will have to engage with the hotel so there’s a number of scenarios being run at the moment,” he said.
22 September 2020 to begin acquiring land at North Westgate, bringing momentum to this £150 million regeneration project which will deliver a new urban quarter for Peterborough. Initial artist’s impression
North Westgate regeneration is the longstanding proposal to re-develop the site that connects the city centre, the rail and bus stations and the communities along the Lincoln Road corridor to the north of the city centre.
Hawksworth Securities has outline permission for the 10 acre site but is bringing forward a revised application to reflect what they see as changes in demand.
22 September 2020 to begin acquiring land at North Westgate, bringing momentum to this £150 million regeneration project which will deliver a new urban quarter for Peterborough. Initial artist’s impression
Cllr Thulbourn told the investment committee that phase one of the station re-development “has not got the hotel in it but I expect the hotel to be moving before phase one is complete to be honest that’s where we’re at”.
Mr Bellamy said the scheme is considering the eastern and western access to the station “but exactly what councillor Thulbourn said previously is that it is part of the bigger master plan that actually will be looking at the hotel itself.
“And in regard to where we are with the state of the scheme, we are currently undertaking geotechnical surveys to look at the ground conditions etc which is the main reason why it’s an amber rating in the report
“So yes, the hotel was not included within the submission that was submitted by the Combined Authority in collaboration with the city council.”
FACT FILE
The investment committee has the delegated authority to make decisions to approve business cases valued at between £1 million and £5 million. It will also offer advice to the Combined Authority on investment proposals above £5 million, as well as on a range of strategic and operational decisions.
In its first meeting the committee considered early-stage proposals for projects totalling nearly £8 million.
These include a support programme for charity, social enterprise and third sector organisations, and the extension of the region’s digital connectivity strategy to improve digital infrastructure across the region for residents and businesses, fostering innovation and supporting inclusion.
Peterborough City Council is running a consultation on the Station Quarter – the details are here:
https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/news/peterborough-station-quarter-have-your-say
