Quality of life

As an ancient cathedral city with an exciting, modern lifestyle Peterborough has a rich mixture of history, activity and leisure for residents. Our plans for growth will bring an even wider range of sporting, cultural and leisure facilities.

The city already supports an exciting, eclectic mix of events, entertainment, sports and leisure. If you can’t always find what you want in Peterborough, the city’s excellent transport links mean that London, Cambridge and nearby attractions are all within easy reach.

The environment is a defining feature of the quality of life in Peterborough.

We are one of only four Environment Cities in Britain and our public, private and voluntary sector organisations are working together to promote sustainability as part of our bid to become the 'environment capital'.

Around 800 hectares (2,000 acres) of parkland alongside the River Nene bring the countryside right into the city centre and the 200-hectare (500-acre) Ferry Meadows country park offers a wide range of recreational facilities.

Peterborough and the surrounding area have a number of wildlife sites and nature reserves. This includes woodland, marshes, dry habitats and lakes. The city itself acts as a link between the three surrounding nationally important ecosystems – the limestone uplands of ‘John Clare’ country to the west and north, the River Nene Washes to the east and the fens to the south.

A 122-hectare (300-acre) nature reserve at Hampton, Peterborough’s southern township, is home to a colony of protected great crested newts, birds, reptiles and mammals as well as rare plants and foliage. The site is designated as a European ‘special area of conservation’ and a site of special scientific interest.

A tree-lined dual carriageway ring-road system gives Peterborough commuters easy travel to work and home while a comprehensive network of footpaths and cycle routes – including the 50-mile (80 kilometre) Millennium Green Wheel – means that residents enjoy healthy, traffic-free access to all areas.

Education in Peterborough is being transformed with massive investment in new schools and there is a new campus being built for Anglia Ruskin University. Healthcare in the city is also receiving a major boost with construction of new hospital and care facilities.

The city and its surrounding villages offer a huge choice of housing to rent and to buy at prices which you will find surprisingly good value – check out the facts with our cost of housing calculator.

There could be no more exciting time to live in Peterborough than right now. We are planning a huge expansion of the city which will make Peterborough not just bigger but better – and we are doing it in a truly sustainable way.

If you are thinking of joining us, you will be very welcome –

you’re part of our plan!