The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Developer issues ‘work with me’ plea on North Westgate
A developer behind multimillion pound plans to transform Peterborough’s North Westgate has hit out at calls for him to sell the site.
Peter Breach, chairman of Hawksworth Securities, has taken out a half-page advert in the Peterborough Telegraph to explain why his company is still the right choice to engineer the long-awaited regeneration of this derelict area of the city.
His action is in response to a challenge from Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, the leader of Peterborough City Council, thatlandownersinNorthWestgate should sell up to the local authority and let it get on with the development after numerousfailedproposalsoverthelast 30 years.
But Mr Breach, who put in his first application for North Westgate in 2003, said: “Why doesthecouncilnotjoinwithus to move these proposals ahead without delay? Our proposals comply with the local plan and other requirements, subject to agreement on details.”
He adds: “Criticism of delay byHawksworthisentirelywithout justification. Hawksworth waits for the council to be supportive of proposals which are on the table and ready to be taken forward.”
Hawksworth got outline planningapprovalfora150-bedroomhotel-leddevelopmenton the 4.6 hectare North Westgate in November 2018.
It was followed by Covid-19 which changed the nature of shopping and meant a revision of the plans.
The failure of Hawksworth to submit reserved matters, details of how the development will work, to the council within three years meant the planning approval lapsed in 2021. By that timeMrBreachwasworkingon a new application with less retailspace.Acollaborationagreement between the council and
Hawksworth in 2020 to begin acquiring land at North Westgate was terminated by the local authority soon afterwards.
Asthelargestlandowner,Mr Breach is in a strong position to resist a Compulsory Purchase Order from the council, but he might have been overtaken by events. The city’s success in securing £48m of Levelling Up fundingforaregenerationofthe StationQuartercouldseethose plansencompassingtheadjoining North Westgate.
Writing in the PT in March, CllrFitzgeraldstated:“Iamfrustrated with the lack of action to redevelop this important city centresite.Thecouncilwillconsider all legal steps available.”