The housing estate opened more than 10 years ago
Residents on a ‘forgotten’ Peterborough housing estate have received an assurance from the council that plans to improve their development will be delivered later this month.
At a Full Council meeting held on Wednesday, July 1, Leader of Peterborough City Council, Dr Shabina Qayyum, directly addressed residents of the Roman Fields estate who have long campaigned for more facilities.
Cllr Qayyum began by apologising to the residents and campaigners, some of whom attended the meeting in person: “I’m really sorry that you and the residents have had to face this predicament. The current lack of facilities on the Roman Fields development is not acceptable.”
Since it opened more than ten years ago, the Roman Fields estate – also known as Manor Drive – has had no shops, park benches or playing fields. A recently-launched local campaign group called ‘Forgotten Fields’ has been drawing attention to the fact the estate’s facilities currently include one playground, one post box and two bus stops.
Teachers from the estate’s school have voiced concerns that the lack of available outdoor recreation areas may hinder attempts to help keep children on the estate fit and healthy. Cllr Qayyum described the situation as a “complex issue” which has arisen from a “combination of historical planning issues that have stemmed from the 1990s.”
She said: “The developer hasn’t been able to meet the trigger-point of 750 dwellings by which they are obliged to hand over a piece of land south of the school which was envisaged as community land.”
Cllr Qayyum also explained that, until recently, the developer has used other land proposed for community use to the south of Arkwright Drive as a development compound: “There is a need to remediate that before play facilities can be installed,” she said.
The Council Leader added: “We are working proactively to resolve the issue. By the end of July, we will be meeting with stakeholders… to decide what is needed in those development areas.”
These stakeholders, Cllr Qayyum noted, will include residents, ward councillors and the local MP. She added: “By the end of July, we should be forthcoming with a plan as to how we are going to implement those much needed facilities.”
Taking his opportunity to quiz the leader, Roman Fields resident Dr Tim Rogers asked: “Could you confirm please that you are ring-fencing £587,000 – plus all interest it has accrued since it was paid over to the council – for the specific purpose of building a community centre and two new play areas for Manor Drive/Roman Fields residents?”
Cllr Qayyum replied: “That money is in the bank; it’s there to be spent. Whether it’s spent on a community centre or play areas will depend very much on the meetings that will be held with various stakeholders.”
Dr Rogers followed up by asking Dr Qayyum if she would be willing to provide a “cast-iron guarantee” that those funds would be spent before August 2027, as that is the deadline by which those monies, along with all accrued interest, can be returned to the developer.
“We can absolutely guarantee that we are going to be delivering on those projects,” Cllr Qayyum said, adding: “depending on those conversations with stakeholders.”
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