'Real asset': MP welcomes Hilton revival plan

A fully completed Hilton hotel in the centre of Peterborough will be "a real asset" to the city, Labour MP Sam Carling has said.

The unfinished Hilton Garden Inn in Fletton Quays has been sold to Cambridgeshire-based Leisure & Co Hotel Ltd, which intends to open the 160-bed site next summer following years of delays to the build.

The North West Cambridgeshire MP said "the hotel has sat unfinished for far too long", adding it was "encouraging" to see the city council "secure a way forward".

"It will support our visitor economy, create local jobs and complement the wider regeneration of Fletton Quays, helping make the area an even more attractive place to visit, work and invest," he added.

The hotel, which is about 80% complete, will be managed by Leaf Hospitality and feature dining and leisure facilities, including a rooftop terrace.

The Labour-led council said it had made a loss on the deal after the previous developer went bust, but believed selling the unfinished building to someone else was the best option available.

Work on the project began under a Conservative administration, which later attributed its failure to the Covid pandemic and building material costs rising "three times".

A sales brochure earlier this year revealed it would cost an extra £14m to finish the site, which has been hit with a "pigeon infestation and water ingress".

Michael Ferguson, who lives off London Road near the hotel site, said he was particularly looking forward to the rooftop bar.

"I have been waiting for it all this time - I'll be angry with them if they don't [build it]," he said.

"We don't know what went on behind the scenes and it's taken a long time. But let's hope nothing falls through at the last moment."

Ferguson, 66, said the hoardings and fencing around the unfinished hotel had narrowed the pavement for years, making it difficult for pedestrians to walk by safely.

"Hopefully soon we'll get the full width back," he added.

Charter's Bar, on the Embankment opposite the hotel, said it would be "fantastic" to see the site finished.

"With developments like the Cygnet Bridge improving connections across the city, it feels like Peterborough's waterfront is becoming an even better place to visit and enjoy," a spokesperson said.

Rebecca Jackson from Discover Peterborough, the city's new tourism board, said: "The city needs a flagship city-centre hotel, and the investment is a strong vote of confidence in Peterborough's growing tourism potential.

"While we should absolutely celebrate this positive step forward, it must not lessen the need for proper scrutiny of the original development, the prolonged delays and the significant financial loss to the city."

Mohammed Jamil, the city council's Labour cabinet member for finance and corporate governance, called the sale "positive news".

Previously, John Howard, a Conservative councillor, said the previous administration "couldn't have foreseen Covid" and he did not agree with the sale.

A spokesperson for Leisure & Co Hotel Ltd said: "This represents a significant investment in Fletton Quays, and we look forward to welcoming guests to the hotel next year."

Do you have a story suggestion for Peterborough? Contact us below.

Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.