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We submitted a detailed planning application on behalf of Almeran for a major mixed-use development in the heart of Peterborough. The site sits on both the north and south banks of the River Nene, forming a key arrival point on the southern rail approach into the city. With its prime river frontage and partial location within a Category 2 flood risk zone, the project offers a rare opportunity to reshape the city’s relationship with the river while delivering new homes, public spaces and a destination exhibition venue.
Working closely with Peterborough City Council’s Urban Design team, the Council’s Design Review Panel and the Inspire East Design Review Panel, we’ve developed a scheme that responds sensitively to the site’s environmental and urban context. A full Environmental Impact Assessment is currently underway to support the planning process.
To the north of the river, the masterplan introduces 300 new dwellings supported by public open space and new connections to the waterside. The layout prioritises walkability, access to the river and a clear structure of public realm that encourages movement through the site.
Given the location’s flood risk designation, the masterplan is designed to be resilient and adaptive, with careful consideration of levels, landscape strategies and building placement to ensure long-term protection.
This part of the proposal aims to create a lively, sustainable new community that feels connected to the city centre and embraces its riverside setting.
On the south bank, we’re developing the 7,500 m² Sustainable Transport Exhibition Centre — TransEco — a new focal point for the wider development and a platform for education, learning and public engagement. The centre is conceived as a showcase for emerging sustainable transport and energy technologies, reflecting Peterborough’s ambition to be at the forefront of environmental innovation.
The building is designed as a flexible framework capable of supporting evolving exhibition formats and technological displays. Its external envelope acts as an environmentally responsive skin, providing a calm, understated backdrop to the river, setting the tone for the new public realm, and ensuring the building sits comfortably within its sensitive riverside context.
Although split across two distinct land parcels, the north and south sites are conceived as one interconnected destination. The public realm strategy ties the two together, emphasising views across the water, shared materials and coherent landscape spaces.
The combination of housing, public open space and an active, publicly accessible exhibition venue brings diversity and vibrancy to the riverfront, setting the foundation for a new gateway experience for people arriving by rail and for those moving through the city centre.
Railworld represents a major opportunity to reimagine a prominent part of Peterborough’s urban fabric. By blending new homes, high quality public realm and a landmark sustainable transport exhibition centre, the scheme helps reconnect the city with the River Nene and creates a destination that is both civic and forward-looking.
The project combines environmental sensitivity, flexible design and strong collaboration with planning and design review bodies — forming a proposal that strengthens the city’s identity while paving the way for long-term regeneration.
