New £32m lab will be a 'cultural hub' - university

ARU Peterborough says the lab will help increase skills and boost growth and investment

A £32m university lab designed to be used by a city's residents as well as its students has been completed.

It is hoped by linking up with libraries, museums and arts venues, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) Peterborough's new science building will create a cultural hub for both the city and the region.

It includes a microbiology lab, tissue culture lab, engineering workshops, teaching spaces and what ARU has described as a "Living Lab", which will host exhibits and events to inspire people to learn more about science.

The public can see inside on Saturday, when ARU Peterborough holds a community day.

Work on the building began in June 2023 on the site of an old swimming pool car park

Professor Ross Renton, principal of ARU Peterborough, said: "It is right that the community of Peterborough gets the first look at the new building.

"ARU Peterborough is a partnership with the community and with industry, and the new building will enable those collaborations to be strengthened in the coming years."

Nick Thulbourn, a Peterborough city councillor who is the cabinet member for regeneration, said the lab - next to University House on Bishop’s Road - would benefit city residents with an interest in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

He said: "It will be a cultural landmark for our city and will help to play a strong part in cultivating the next phase of STEM experts in Peterborough."

Mr Thulbourn added it would "help boost our overall skills and economy".

The deputy mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Anna Smith, said as a former teacher, she was excited to see how it brought "the community closer to the campus".

ARU Peterborough's community day is on Saturday from 10:00 BST to 13:00 BST.