Vape shops concentrated close to city centre, survey shows
A new analysis of retail proximity has found that people living in Peterborough are closer to vape shops than the national average, with the typical resident in the city 3.32 minutes from the nearest retailer. The data, produced by the Geographic Data Service and reported this week, also shows several central wards where travel time to a vape shop is measured in seconds rather than minutes.
The study compared average travel times across council wards and against a national benchmark. The national average time to reach a vape shop was reported as 3.82 minutes, while the Peterborough average was 3.32 minutes. In some inner-city wards the reported average was markedly lower:
- Central ward: 1.43 minutes
- Park ward: 1.45 minutes
- North ward: 2.00 minutes
Those figures reflect the density of vape retailers in and around the city centre, where the high street and public services cluster. The figures were published alongside a light-hearted local remark from the visiting historian and broadcaster Dame Mary Beard, who described a recent trip to the Passport Office and noted a walk past "the vape shops" when recounting how she spent four hours in Peterborough.
“What to do with 4 hours in Peterborough. I had a great time. A top notch cathedral visit, a walk past the vape shops and a decent lunch,”
The data has prompted local commentary about high streets and retail mix. Peterborough City Council leader Shabina Qayyum was quoted urging a revival of high streets as spaces for people to visit and spend time in again.
“Let’s make our high streets places people are proud to visit, shop and spend time in again,”
For residents and policy-makers, the Geographic Data Service figures underline how closely vape retail is integrated into everyday shopping corridors. Short average travel times can be read in different ways: as a convenience measure for adult consumers seeking alternatives to smoking, or as an indicator of retail saturation that may raise concerns about visibility and access, particularly in areas frequented by young people.
Ward-level spread and what it indicates
While the report highlights averages, local experiences will vary. Central and Park wards — both reported with averages under 90 seconds — are largely urban and contain civic services, shops and transport hubs that attract foot traffic. By contrast, other wards in the city have longer average travel times, which contribute to the overall city average of just over three minutes.
| Measure | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Peterborough average | 3.32 minutes |
| National average | 3.82 minutes |
| Central ward | 1.43 minutes |
| Park ward | 1.45 minutes |
| North ward | 2.00 minutes |
These snapshots are useful for understanding local retail geography, but they are not a measure of use, prevalence of vaping among different age groups, or of health outcomes. The Geographic Data Service dataset focuses on distance and estimated travel time to the nearest vape shop rather than sales or user demographics.
Implications for local authorities and residents
Local councillors, public health officials and community groups often refer to retail density when shaping licensing, planning and education strategies. Proximity measures such as those published by the Geographic Data Service can inform debates about planning controls, advertising restrictions and where to focus youth education and prevention efforts.
At the same time, city leaders who want to revive high streets pay attention to the mix of retail types that make streets attractive to visitors. Peterborough’s council leader framed the conversation in those terms, calling for high streets that people are "proud to visit, shop and spend time in again."
For residents, the data provides a simple metric of how visible vape retail is in their neighbourhoods. For civic planners, it is another piece of evidence to consider alongside health data, licensing records and local consultations when deciding whether and how to intervene in retail patterns on Peterborough’s streets.
As with any dataset, the figures are a starting point for local conversation rather than a definitive assessment of impact. They reveal where vape shops are easiest to reach, and thus where regulators, health services and community groups may want to focus attention.
