Plans progressing for £15m community hub project

Plans for a £15m city regeneration project to refurbish a library and build a food hall and business incubator have moved a step closer.

Peterborough City Council has been asked to approve the award of construction contracts for a project known as The Vine.

The council originally wanted to use the former TK Maxx building in Bridge Street for the project but decided this was unviable.

A report being presented to the council's cabinet on Thursday said the new library would act as a "dynamic hub" and support "economic vibrancy".

The Vine is part of the government-funded Towns Deal programme, where money is ring-fenced, but the project has changed significantly since the application was first made in 2020.

The original plan was to house The Vine in a refurbished shop building on Bridge Street that used to be a TK Maxx, which is now being put on the market.

In 2023, the council decided it would not be economically viable to do up the building, choosing three different locations for The Vine instead: Central Library on Broadway, The Goods Shed in Fletton Quays and Peterscourt on City Road.

If a contract is approved, Central Library will get a £6.8m revamp of its ground floor, with a new space for education and "community-based cultural activities".

The report said this would give surrounding buildings a "property price premium effect" and lead to a "substantial growth in heritage and social capital" at the library.

The Goods Shed in Fletton Quays would turn a disused railway shed into a food and drinks hall, with offices and workspaces.

The council has already found a developer to take on the project, which is expected to cost £2m.

The £1.2m project for Peterscourt, a business centre, would refurbish the Grade II listed building into a business incubator with spaces for start-ups and early-stage companies.

The plan is to hold a mini-competition for contractors to bid for the project.

The council said the new facility would "foster innovation... and contribute to the economic development of the local community".

The authority said it needed to commit spending for the project by 31 March 2026.

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