Sarah Stannage - Cathedral Square project

Hello, I’m Sarah (age not possible to disclose now I’m no longer able to tick the 18-30 box). I went to secondary school in Peterborough and grew up not far away, so after returning to the area following University I would like to think I can call myself a local.

I’ve been really fortunate to be part of the OP team working with PCC to deliver the Cathedral Square public realm project.

Hopefully I will be able to provide a more of a behind the scenes look at the Cathedral Square project and aim to talk about some of the lesser known aspects of the project including the environmental and arts initiatives the public realm scheme is part of.

Everybody is encouraged to do their bit for the environment and the Cathedral Square project is no different. The team has been incredibly committed to ensuring we manage the scheme to the highest environmental standards possible and it’s not just me praising the team. PECT (Peterborough Environment City Trust) and DEFRA have been impressed by the efforts made and recently we were visited by Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Peterborough, including the Public Realm scheme, has signed up to be one of six national ‘Zero Waste Places’. For me the Zero Waste Place scheme and looking at the carbon footprint for the scheme is incredibly interesting as I recently qualified in Environmental Management so I’ve been able to put the theory into practice. The main ethos behind zero waste is obviously to reuse and recycle as much as possible, for example most of the old paving will be returned into the City Council’s stock for maintenance of other areas in Peterborough but it’s also fantastic that quite a few community groups, such as the Eco Art Project, the local Rugby Club and Thorney Abbey have benefited from being given some of the old paving and street furniture.

We have also looked at energy usage and associated carbon emissions relating to not just the build stage but also operating and maintaining the public realm scheme, including lighting system and water feature. Commitments to reducing waste production are a priority within the city, including transferring zero waste to landfill during the public realm construction works.

In terms of Carbon footprinting our construction work is relatively neutral on the carbon emission front. The actual construction work itself will result in the emission of 996 tonnes of carbon dioxide, whilst operating the water feature will generate just 94 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Fortunately in the “off set” bracket we have the trees and grassed terraced areas that will form part of the new square, currently being dubbed “St. John’s” square, which will significantly reduce the overall carbon dioxide emissions over a 25 year period. The new lighting system is technically more efficient than the old one but we have had to increase the number of light units in the square to raise light levels overall in order to meet national standards.

Added to this the scheme will use high quality materials as part of the scheme including the street furniture, which will minimise the need for replacement and manufacture of materials in the future, saving carbon and money in the longer run. Unlike some other cities we have sourced material from as close to home as possible – for example, the stone for paving is all from the UK.

For me the Zero Waste Place scheme is incredibly interesting as I recently qualified in Environmental Management so I’ve been able to put the theory into practice.

Next Time… the focus will be on our Public Realm Artist, Professor John Newling (who’s just been made a fellow at the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce).