Council throws North Westgate gauntlet

Forgive me for a issuing a deep sigh as we look at the latest set of plans to be filed for Peterborough’s (long-awaited) North Westgate development. The latest scheme from Hawksworth includes flats, retail, a food hall, hotel and offices in a major revamp for the area. Many of those elements have featured in previous plans put forward by Hawksworth and others. City council leader John Holdich has given these latest proposals short shrift - calling them dull and uninspired. He has an agenda, of course, the council would now prefer to lead the development of this part of Peterborough itself. Fair enough, but those comments are not only a gauntlet thrown down to Hawksworth but also to the people of Peterborough. Presumably, the council’s plan will include elements of retail, flats and offices as well but it must also have something that makes it stand out from previous applications. Something which will genuinely transform that part of Peterborough and capture the imagination of the city’s residents. The council’s plan also needs to be on the table within a reasonable timeframe - the wait for North Westgate to come to fruition has been long and frustrating. Cllr Holdich is absolutely right to have the highest ambitions for Peterborough and North Westgate. He is right to demand more from developers but he and the city council must now show that they can trump Hawksworth because after such a lengthy wait, residents could be forgiven for thinking a plan in the hand is worth two on the drawing board.