Peterborough: Plans To Change Dual Carriageway Into Pedestrian-Friendly Boulevard

28 November 2013, 06:10 | Updated: 28 November 2013, 11:53

Plans to turn a dual carriageway that runs through the city centre into a pedestrian and cyclist friendly tree-lined boulevard have been unveiled by Peterborough City Council today.

The plans, which will include the planting of about 30 London Plane trees, each 15 metres tall, along a widened central reservation of Bourges Boulevard, will also include creating two 10 metre-wide pedestrian crossings across the road between Crescent Bridge roundabout and Bright Street roundabout to improve access to the city centre for pedestrians and cyclists. 

View Looking North 

View Looking South

The schemes are an integral part of the council's continued support for development and growth and will support the redevelopment of the Station Quarter and the recently announced plans for North Westgate.

The £4.5 million works on the road, which is a major route into and through the city, will also enable traffic from the station to turn right out of Station Road for the first time with traffic lights introduced at the junction.

The council has also unveiled the next phase of the city centre public realm works for Long Causeway which will include creating a new square and meeting place half way along the street outside the Queensgate entrance, replacing the paving and seating and uplighting the trees to create the same brighter lighter street scene that is now present in Bridge Street. The scheme will cost about £2 million.

Councillor Marco Cereste, Leader of Peterborough City Council, said: "These works are a major piece in the jigsaw of the city's growth plans because the changes we are making both to Bourges Boulevard and to Long Causeway are all about planning for the city's future and creating a better city for our residents. This in turn shows investors we are a forward-thinking city and gives them the confidence to want to come here and do business. Since we started the public realm works Carluccio's, TK Maxx, Primark, Nando's, Wildwood, and a whole host of other companies have opened in Peterborough. 

"We are delighted that Waitrose has today announced that it is submitting plans to relocate its store to the old Royal Mail depot site next to the railway station creating a bigger brand new 29,000 square foot food store and 40 new jobs. 

"The changes to the road layout of Bourges Boulevard unlock the potential of this site and a number of other development sites that the city has struggled to get off the ground, making them far more attractive to prospective investors. This is not just a highways scheme, this is about creating a proper gateway into the city for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists."

The public has the chance to view the plans for Bourges Boulevard and Long Causeway as well as the proposals for the new Waitrose store at a public exhibition at the Great Northern Hotel, Station Approach, Peterborough on Thursday 5 December 2013 between 11am and 4pm.

Work is set to start on Bourges Boulevard and Long Causeway in March 2014.

Eight London Plane trees will be removed from Long Causeway as part of the public realm works, however six new trees will be planted in the area and more than 30 mature London Planes are being planted along Bourges Boulevard.