Shopping centre owners object to £50m development

Queensgate shopping centre has lost large retailers in recent years including Next, Marks & Spencer and John Lewis

The owners of an inner-city shopping centre have objected to proposals to build commercial and leisure facilities out of town.

Peterborough's Queensgate owners said the plans to develop the showground in neighbouring Alwalton could have a "negative impact" on the city centre.

Asset Earning Power Group (AEPG) plans to build 1,500 homes, a hotel, a primary school, care home and leisure and retail facilities on the 165-acre (67 hectare) site.

AEPG did not comment on the objection, which suggested the central North Westgate site in the city should be developed instead.

AEPG's plans include new leisure and retail facilities, as well as a primary school, hotel and care home

In an objection to the proposed £50m plans, Queensgate's owners said out-of-centre developments had made a "significant" negative impact on the "vitality of the city centre".

It said North Westgate in the city, which has long been earmarked for development, was already "available and suitable" for development.

The objection said it was "ironic" that AEPG had justified the loss of the showground, which was home to events such as Truckfest, by building new commercial leisure facilities.

It said: "If there is a significant void in the city's leisure offer... this could be satisfied by developing sequentially preferable sites in the city centre."

Queensgate shopping centre has lost large retailers in recent years, including Next, Marks & Spencer and John Lewis.

The centre has pinned its future hopes on a redevelopment that includes plans for a cinema and the retail giant Frasers, which is going to move into the empty unit left by John Lewis.

AEPG said it was not commenting ahead of two outline development plans set to be considered by Peterborough City Council on 15 October.