The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
‘Posh are at step one of a long process’
Peterborough United announced last week that they plan to move out of the Weston Homes Stadium and into a new ground, possibly as early as 2022.
Posh hope to open a new stadium with capacity for 17,500 fans - potentially rising to 23,000 - on the Embankment,
after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the city council.
The club has answered numerous questions on the project, both from media and fans, since the announcement.
The Peterborough Telegraph contacted co-owner Dr Jason Neale to ask about the parking situation for the proposed new stadium and what will happen to the current ground in London Road which the club are set to buy back from the council in the next few weeks.
What are the plans for parking at the new stadium?
We are at step 1 of a long process to work with the city and develop plans and a design for a new stadium. Our goal is that it’s more than simply a football stadium but a venue for business, entrepreneurship and entertainment that is used more than 200 times for non-football events.
Everything from concerts to exhibitions to dinners to weddings to TED talks. Of course parking will be a key part of ensuring the success of the venue but it’s too early in the planning process to know what that will look like. When could a planning application be submitted?
As mentioned we are right at the start of working with the city, and until that planning phase is near completion we cannot predict when an application will be completed.
What will happen to the current ground after the move?
It was important for us to buy the Weston Homes Stadium to reduce operational costs whilst we go through the planning and ultimate construction phase. We also wanted access to business space to start a small accelerator programme.
Whilst we are all enthusiastic about timeframes for a new stadium it’s unclear how long this planning stage will take. In terms of what happens with London Road on completion of a new stadium it’s too early to say and we will work with our partners at PCC (Peterborough City Council) to determine the best use or mixed use.
Cost and future use of the Embankment
Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony said on Twitter, in response to a tweet, that the new stadium would cost ‘in the ballpark’ of £40 million.
Meanwhile, council leader Cllr John Holdich has confirmed events such as the Beer Festival will be able to continue being held at the Embankment even after the new stadium (and new university campus nearby) are built.
Asked if there are any concerns about traffic or the environmental impact in the area, he said there were not, highlighting plans for a new £24 million slip road off the Frank Perkins Parkway to the university.