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Planning permission sought for new university

Published: 4 August 2020 at 11:16

ARU Peterborough concept art

ARU Peterborough plans move step closer after planning application submission

A planning application for a new university in Peterborough has been submitted by Pegasus Group, on behalf of Peterborough HE Property Company, to Peterborough City Council.

The submission of the planning application for the new university, on the Wirrina Car Park off Bishop's Road, has been led by Mace Limited and designed by MCW Architects.

It marks an important step in the delivery of these exciting proposals, and follows on from an extensive public consultation exercise undertaken in February of this year.

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has been announced as the official higher education partner for the new employment-focused university, which will be known as ARU Peterborough.

The new university is set to open to its first cohort of 2,000 students in 2022, with an ambition to increase the number of courses to accommodate 12,500 students by 2030.

The curriculum will be designed to meet local economic needs for the benefit of local residents and businesses.

In response to emerging areas of employment, the university's first four faculties will be:

  • The Faculty of Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • The Faculty of Creative and Digital Arts and Sciences
  • The Faculty of Agriculture, Environment and Sustainability
  • The Faculty of Health and Education.

ARU Peterborough aims to deliver solutions to the practical shortage of degree-level employees in Peterborough, with the city ranked in the bottom 10% in the UK for skills levels.

Students will learn through a mixture of on-campus lessons, in-work training and apprenticeships. The university also hopes that distance learning and outreach programmes will improve accessibility and widen participation.

Mayor James Palmer, said:

“Thanks to our commitment to delivery and our challenging of old thinking, this university project is now really gathering pace. We have completed the business case, we have formed a partnership with Anglian Ruskin University, and now our plans for the campus buildings are starting their way through the planning process.

“As this university grows it will act as a real disruptor in the higher education market, providing top class education with a real chance of a local job at the end. I hope this application will be swiftly dealt with, so we can carry on pushing the delivery of the university the people of Peterborough have been waiting 20 years for.”


Councillor John Holdich, leader of Peterborough City Council and deputy mayor of the combined authority, said:

"It has been a great few weeks for the university with Anglia Ruskin announced as our higher education partner to deliver the curriculum and manage the university and now the submission of the planning application for the new buildings on the Embankment site.

"Plans really are progressing fast and it won't be long before we see the first students walk through the doors in just two years' time.

"A dedicated university for Peterborough will see huge improvement in the opportunities available to our residents; the success of our businesses; and on informing external perceptions of Peterborough as we progress from a small to a medium sized city and one which will become an even more attractive place to live, work and set up business."


Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said:

“The development of ARU Peterborough provides a huge opportunity to tackle the social and economic inequalities that exist across the region.

“We look forward to working with our partners to build an outstanding, employment-focused university for Peterborough and welcoming our first students, both on and off campus, in September 2022.”