Plans move forward to create Living Lab at Peterborough's new university

Detailed plans for the creation of a Living Lab at Peterborough’s new university are now being drawn up.

The publicly accessible Living Lab will form part of the third phase of ARU Peterborough, off Bishop’s Road, and is expected to be completed in about 18 months time.

A request has been submitted to Peterborough City Council to find out if an environmental assessment of the site is needed before a full planning application is submitted.

The move follows the end of a public consultation to gauge the thoughts of residents and businesses about the continued development of the university site.

Alongside the publicly accessible Living Lab, which will feature an open, interactive science centre and education space to engage people in science and technology, there will be areas for specialist teaching, social learning, academic work space and a student base.

The third phase will involve the construction of a two storey building on the Regional Pool car park.

A document submitted to the council states , the construction phase will have a temporary effect on employment opportunities through the creation of various roles for engineers, skilled tradesmen, construction labourers and managers and indirectly generate employment opportunities down the supply chain as well as increased local spending by tradesmen.”

The first phase of the university, called ARU Peterborough, will open to students on September 12.

The second phase, which will be a research and development centre, anchored by Peterborough-based 3D printing experts Photocentric, is currently under construction.