A campaigner from Peterborough says growth plans will have a devastating impact on nature

A campaigner says that a proposed plan for how Peterborough will grow over the next 20 years will drive “damaging urban sprawl” into the countryside.

Martin Chillcott, who set up the Protect Rural Peterborough campaign group in 2016 to save open countryside from overdevelopment, has urged the city council to reconsider its Local Plan.

Peterborough City Council’s Draft Local Plan has been approved for public consultation, to take place between April 11th and May 29th, and includes a target of 20,120 houses to be built by 2044.

Within the draft plan, there are proposals to build 3,000 homes north of Castor and Ailsworth, which is land that Mr Chillcott said should be Peterborough’s “space to breathe”.

It's Peterborough's place to breath

Martin Chillcott said:

If you put houses on this site, the impact on nationally important nature like the skylark and many other species that thrive in the fields around here would be devastating."

"It will reduce the biodiversity and once it's gone, it's gone forever."

"It will be just another township and the countryside will be gone."

"It's Peterborough's place to breath and once it's gone it's gone."

“We urge the council to think again before they trash one of our city’s finest assets."

We urge the council to think again

Gemma Wildman, Planning Policy Manager for Peterborough City Council, said:

'Cabinet approved the Draft Local Plan for the purpose of public consultation at the meeting on Monday 24 March and people will be able to have their say from 11 April to 29 May.'

'Engaging with our residents, businesses and other groups for their feedback is a very important step in creating a new Local Plan, which will determine how our city looks and grows for the next 20 years.'

'The Sites Evidence Report will be published as part of the Draft Local Plan public consultation due to start on 11 April. The Sites Evidence Reports sets out all site assessment criteria and scores.'

'The full site suggested to the council for land north of the A47 and Castor and Ailsworth includes an area of land that falls within a gas pipeline. However, as part of the site assessment process the boundary of the site has been reviewed and this area of land has been removed from the proposed allocation, reducing the overall site area and capacity.'

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