Shailesh Vara MP recently met with local residents who are opposing a retrospective planning application at the East of England Showground and also use of an entrance in Dunblane Drive for vehicular access.

The site is owned by the East of England Agricultural Society who are working with Asset Earning Power Group Ltd to develop the land for residential and leisure purposes.

In the meantime, while the site is being developed, it is intended that DHL Inside Track will operate a specialist automotive sales and marketing services business, having reached an agreement with East of England Arena and Events Centre to do so.

Residents oppose the retrospective planning application to allow the site to be temporarily used as a sales and marketing services business by DHL and also the use of the Dunblane Drive entrance by HGV car transporters and other vehicles.

Mr Vara met with local residents Andrew Sneden, Howard Dunn, Natalie Henry and Brian Williams who spoke on behalf of a significant number of other residents.

They spoke of large car transporters queuing at the entrance, stretching back to a nearby roundabout, causing traffic chaos and a danger to pedestrians.

Mr Vara shares their concerns and saw first-hand the hazardous entrance.

He has pledged to work with local residents, especially with a view to securing an urgent resolution to the dangerous entrance in Dunblane Drive.

Mr Vara has been in contact with Cllr Marco Cereste, Peterborough City Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Planning, Housing and Transport, urging him to take swift action.

Following the meeting, Mr Vara said:

 “I am very grateful to local residents for making the time to meet with me. The current use of the site is in breach of planning rules and it is causing a very dangerous situation that needs to be dealt with promptly. It simply isn’t right that large car transporters are lining up all the way back to a roundabout, causing traffic chaos and a serious danger to pedestrians.

I am in contact with Cllr Marco Cereste, the Cabinet Member responsible for this issue, and have urged him take swift action to deal with this unacceptable situation. I very much hope that common sense will prevail and that those responsible start using the Showground’s main entrance.”

Mr Andrew Sneden commented:                                               

“I like many residents have submitted objections to the PCC planning department, in relation to the change of use of the Showground to car storage, maintenance and distribution operation, which is well underway despite the planning permission having not yet been granted. In particular, I strenuously object to the use of the Dunblane Drive entrance to the Showground. Accessing an industrial operation through what is essentially a residential area, with a significant flow of HGV car transporters and other vehicles, is now causing significant disruption to residents. There have already been a number of near misses involving vehicles accessing the residential area caused by vehicles queuing to access the DHL operation and I, along with many of the local residents have deep concerns over safety and believe the application should be rejected by PCC”. 

Photo: Natalie Henry, Shailesh Vara MP, Howard Dunn, Andrew Sneden and Brian Williams.