08:07 Thursday 28th November 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
[P]AUL STAINTON: Peterborough could soon have a city centre to be completely proud of. That’s the view of the chairman of the Civic Society, Peter Lee, after the City Council unveiled a radical redevelopment of one of the city’s most iconic roads, Bourges Boulevard. They’re planning to turn it into a pedestrian and cycle friendly route, which will also allow access both ways for car users in and out of the station. The work will cost £4.5 million, and it’s part of the continued improvements to the centre of Peterborough. Our reporter Johnny D has been telling us all about the plans this morning.
JOHN DEVINE: I’m here on Bourges Boulevard, which is currently like any other dual carriageway you’d find in any city up and down the country. But plans have been unveiled to turn this area into a pedestrian and cycle friendly tree lined boulevard. Thirty London plane trees, each 15 metres tall, will be planted along a widened central reservation. Two 10 metres wide pedestrian crossings will be put in between the Crescent Bridge roundabout and the Bright Street roundabout to improve access to the city centre for pedestrians and cyclists. The schemes will support the redevelopment of the station quarter, and the recently announced plans for North Westgate. £4.5 million of roadworks will also enable traffic from the station to turn right out of Station Road for the first time in history Paul, with traffic lights introduced at the junction. At the moment, if you want to head back into the city, motorists have to turn left onto the dual carriageway, go all the way up to the next roundabout and then come back.
PAUL STAINTON: The plans have also been warmly welcomed by Peter Lee, who’s chairman of the Peterborough Civic Society. He said Peterborough was closing the gap on Cambridge when it comes to having the most attractive city.
PETER LEE: Those people who say, oh I don’t go into Peterborough any more, it’s about time they did. Go into Peterborough and have a look round. Have a look in Bridge Street. Have a look in St John’s Square, Cathedral Square, Cowgate. It’s coming along a treat, and I think that’s great. If I’ve got one concern, it would be that Cambridge’s land values are so high that they can afford to be pretty fussy about new developments, and demand the highest standards of design. Peterborough has always been worried about its ability to command good design.
PAUL STAINTON: Well is the gap really narrowing, architecturally, between Peterborough and Cambridge? Well David Jones is the author of Hideous Cambridge, A City Multilated. He says a spate of overdevelopment and thoughtless architecture has ruined Cambridge.
DAVID JONES: There’s a lot that’s happened in the last six years which can’t be undone now. And if you go up Worts Causeway, for those who know Cambridge well, and up to the start of the Roman Road, there’s a field gate there. Look back down over the city and see what damage has been done to the skyline, most of that within the last decade. It’s appalling.
PAUL STAINTON: Well Marco Cereste of course is the Leader of Peterborough City Council. He’s with us this morning. Marco, morning.
MARCO CERESTE: Hello Paul. How are you?
PAUL STAINTON: I’m very good thank you. Ambitious plans for Bourges Boulevard. I had a look at them yesterday. And we’re going to get a tree-lined boulevard, we’re going to get a narrower dual carriageway, and all sorts of improvements to what is essentially a concrete monstrosity built in the ’70s.
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