Ferry good ideas

Ferry Meadows will always have a special place in my heart. It was where, during a picnic on a summer’s day, I popped the question to My Special Friend.

And I feel lucky the land that makes up Nene Park is walking distance from my home and provides part of a lovely scenic route which I can cycle to and from work.

Today PT business editor Paul Grinnell reveals exciting plans for the park which could see it become an even more vital and vibrant part of the the city’s health and leisure offering.

The masterplan covers the years to 2050 and the authors are keen to stress that many of the developments are dependent on so far unsecured funding.

But even if they only achieve half of their ambitious aims it will increase the size and range of the park significantly and that will help it cope with the city’s growing population.

Hats off to Nene Park Trust chief executive Matthew Bradbury and his team and contributors for a vision that could make a significant difference for the better to Peterborians. Now all they have to do is deliver it. No pressure, then!

In a report which fittingly is full of blue sky thinking there is one negative. The authors refer to a rise in park strife with reports of increasing tensions between different types of users from cyclists, dog walkers, pedestrians and walkers.

Sadly, that’s a problem of selfishness and intolerance widespread in Britain 2017. Take a deep breath, folks.

Air quality, or lack of it, will be an issue I predict will move up the political agenda and these plans could help Peterborough get ahead of the game. The vision would see the park come right into the city centre and if, as is often said, parks are the lungs of a city, Peterborough will be blessed with a fine pair.

In recent years the parks’ play provision has improved greatly but there is still not enough. New play areas will help create a new generation of Peterborians who hopefully will also have a special place in their hearts for Ferry Meadows.