Three active travel schemes in Peterborough are moving forward following formal approval to secure external funding and begin delivery work.
At a Cabinet meeting held at Sand Martin House today, members agreed that the council will enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority valued at £1,138,537. This funding will support the progression of three active travel schemes in Peterborough focused on cycling and walking improvements.
The funding will be allocated to the design and delivery of the Bourges Boulevard Cycleway, the Peterborough Station Quarter Citylink scheme, and the Stanham Way Cycleway. Delivery work across all three projects will be undertaken by M group, the council’s highways partner.
Councillor Angus Ellis, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: “I am delighted that these vital projects can now move forwards and I look forward to seeing them progressed. Each scheme will have positive impacts on the environment enabling people to travel via active and sustainable modes.
“We remain fully committed to providing quality walking and cycling routes across Peterborough so that more people can travel to work, education or for leisure in a sustainable way, tying in with our ongoing work to reduce carbon emissions.”
Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Paul Bristow said: “This Combined Authority funding will ensure we can deliver much-needed upgrades to cycling and walking in the city and continue the momentum on the Peterborough Station Quarter. By improving choice and accessibility for locals and visitors, we can help make Peterborough healthier, wealthier and happier.”
Following Cabinet approval, development work will now proceed on upgrading the existing Bourges Boulevard cycleway between Bright Street and Junction 18 at Rhubarb Bridge. A total of £663,537 has been allocated to fund improvements to one or more sections of the route as part of the wider programme of active travel schemes in Peterborough.
Further design work will take place before final decisions are made on which sections will be upgraded. The council has stated that the ambition remains to improve the entire Bourges Boulevard route in the future, subject to securing additional funding.
As part of the Peterborough Station Quarter project, new footways and cycleways will be introduced to support the wider transformation of the area. The Station Quarter scheme has already secured £48 million from the Levelling Up Fund alongside £1.5 million from the Towns Fund. This funding will support the creation of western station access, enhancements to the existing eastern station building, and improvements to the surrounding public realm.
The first phase of the Station Quarter works, known as the Citylink scheme, is scheduled to begin in 2026. This phase will concentrate on the Queensgate roundabout and nearby areas. It includes the removal of two subways and the construction of new footways and cycleways. £200,000 of Active Travel Funding will be used to match fund the walking and cycling components of the Citylink scheme.
Progress will also be made on plans to improve and reopen an existing bridge to provide pedestrian and cycle connections from Crown Lakes Country Park into Stanham Way. This scheme forms another element of the active travel schemes in Peterborough currently being advanced.
The council has already secured £106,000 in s106 funding to support this project. Construction costs are currently estimated at £275,000. Additional investigative work will be carried out on the bridge structure to establish the measures required to ensure it can be safely opened for public use.
