Peterborough has the reputation of a modern, progressive city located within one of the UK’s fastest growing regions. However, Peterborough is a long established city, with a cathedral dating back to pre-Norman times. Throughout the city and its surrounding district, there are notable features that serve as a reminder of Peterborough’s historical identity.
From medieval times to the start of the industrial revolution, Peterborough was little more than a small market town on the edge of the Fens, though it was granted city status by Henry VIII in 1541. For many centuries the river was an important highway and the Customs House still stands today alongside the Town Bridge. Its real growth started in the mid-19th Century, with the arrival of the railways. Peterborough soon became a major railway junction and attracted a number of heavy industrial companies.
By the late 1960s, the 'New Towns' programme had begun. Peterborough was designated a 'New Town' in 1968, and the Peterborough Development Corporation was established to double the city's population in close partnership with the City Council. The Master Plan was to concentrate development in four new residential townships, each with a full range of social and economic facilities. The fourth township, Hampton, is now being built to the south of the city, and will continue the city's growth into the next century with the development of over 5,000 houses and industrial and commercial space for 12,000 jobs. In April 1998 the City Council achieved Unitary Status and is now responsible for all local government services in the district.
Our neighbourhood is one of earliest township of Peterborough that was developed under the 'New Towns' programme. In fact, the house we live in was built around 1973 by the Peterborough Development Corporation.
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