Council signals support for proposed gateway sculpture
Peterborough City Council has indicated it wishes to engage with plans for a metallic archway sculpture that campaigners hope will become a focal point for the city’s Station Quarter regeneration.
The artwork, commissioned and funded by the Friends of Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, was designed by award-winning artist Jeni Cairns. It is intended to sit at the Priestgate end of the new pedestrian and cyclist route being created across the Queensgate roundabout, the first phase of the larger Station Quarter project.
Mr Stewart Howe, chair of the Friends of Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, said the group are still planning to go ahead with the sculpture and are waiting for further directions from the council. The Friends have suggested the work would contain motifs related to the museum and hope it will boost footfall to the cultural venue once the public realm improvements are finished.
“We are still planning to go ahead with the sculpture, and are waiting for instructions from Peterborough City Council.”
Artist available and designs ready but formal steps pending
Jeni Cairns, who was invited a year ago to produce designs for a new gateway into the city, has produced sketches and said she could complete the project in around three months, though she told the local paper she had not heard further since the initial proposal.
Council transport portfolio holder Cllr Angus Ellis set out the authority’s position, saying it wanted to continue discussions with the Friends about potential designs and locations. His statement suggests the local authority is prepared to explore how the sculpture could be incorporated into the Station Quarter layout.
- Artwork: metallic archway by Jeni Cairns (designer commissioned a year ago)
- Funders: Friends of Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery (commissioned and funded)
- Proposed location: Priestgate end of the new pedestrian/cycle route across Queensgate roundabout
- Context: part of the first phase of the Station Quarter regeneration
Public realm scheme and wider implications
The proposed sculpture sits within a major piece of public realm and transport work — the pedestrian and cyclist route across the Queensgate roundabout which forms the initial phase of the Station Quarter project. As a visible gateway feature, its proponents argue it could play a role in wayfinding and in promoting the nearby museum once the carriageway and junction changes are complete.
At this stage, decisions on exact siting, planning permissions and technical integration into the highway work remain matters for further discussion between the Friends and the council. The Friends have funds committed for the artwork, but the council’s engagement will be necessary to settle details such as installation logistics, safety and long-term maintenance on a busy junction and visitor corridor.
| Item | Current position |
|---|---|
| Designs | Sketches completed by Jeni Cairns; artist available to deliver within three months |
| Funding | Commissioned and funded by the Friends of Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery |
| Council role | Willing to continue discussions on design and location; formal instructions awaited |
The Station Quarter is a high-profile element in the city centre’s renewal, and proposals for prominent public art often invite close public scrutiny as well as technical and budgetary challenges. While the Friends’ enthusiasm and the artist’s readiness have moved the proposal on, implementing an artwork on a transport corridor will require co-ordination across highway design, planning and heritage considerations.
For residents and visitors, the outcome will shape how the western approach to the city centre is experienced. If approved and installed, the archway would not only aim to create a distinctive entrance but also to act as a visible prompt to explore the museum and surrounding cultural assets once the Station Quarter works are complete.
