Peterborough sports quarter can 'drive growth' for city, claims council leader
Cllr Shabina Qayyum has said where she wants the plans to be
A sports quarter in Peterborough is not a dream but instead, on its way to being a reality, the city's council leader has said.
In the Autumn Budget, the Government announced £20 million would be allocated for the scheme, which includes a new regional pool.
The sum is more than halfway towards the overall total, which is around £36 million.
"There are meetings taking place to understand how the rest of that funding is going to be procured," Labour councillor Shabina Qayyum, leader at Peterborough City Council, said.
"It's definitely achievable; it's through grant funding and asset disposals we're looking at."
At the time of the Budget, Morgan Stevenson - co-chair at City of Peterborough Swimming Club - told us he was pleased to see the funding commitment but knows more work needs to be done to get the project under way.
Sports quarter can 'drive up growth'
Speaking when the regional pool was being demolished, Mr Stevenson said the city was "losing something that's very important from a competitive swimming side but also for the health and wellbeing of the residents of the city.
"We need to feel that a replacement pool is coming."
The city's MP - Labour's Andrew Pakes - said the announcement "just shows what we can achieve when Peterborough comes together."
Cllr Qayyum hopes building can start in 2027, and that a new sports quarter can be built in the city centre, such as near the outdoor Lido and Anglia Ruskin University on Bishop's Road.
"In partnership with both of these assets, we have the ability to drive up growth," she added.
"People are coming from outside the city studying at our university, (and) it would also increase swimming provision for children that go to primary schools as well."