Peterborough's political leaders to lobby Government for £30 million energy innovation centre

Government ministers are to be lobbied today to support ambitious plans to create a green energy research hub in Peterborough.

Political leaders from Peterborough City Council and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority will join Peterborough MP Paul Bristow to seek support to create a £30 million Global Innovation Centre for Energy Transition.

Government ministers will be attending a special presentation at the Palace of Westminster later today as Peterborough’s civic leaders, including city council leader Mohammed Farooq, chief executive Matt Gladstone, and Combined Authority Mayor Nik Johnson, outline why the centre should be built in the city and how the project will work.

It is hoped the proposed innovation centre will create hundreds of jobs and attract industry giants such as Rolls Royce, BP and Shell to the city.

Hope of creating the new innovation centre were first unveiled last year.

Mr Bristow said: “We outlining the vision for the centre and what needs to be done to take the project to the next stage.

"It will require Government intervention of some sort to make it work.”

Mr Bristow told MPs last July: “The proposals for a Global Innovation Centre for Energy Transition at Peterborough have the potential to leverage significant economic benefits for Peterborough and the UK.

"The investment proposals are expected to generate £160 million of private investment over 10 years from 2025.

"There is an immediate need and opportunity for the UK to accelerate its transition towards a greener, low-carbon economy.”