Editing Peterborough (section)

== Economy ==
[[File:Cmglee Peterborough market.jpg|thumb|Peterborough market, Laxton Square]]
[[File:Cmglee Peterborough Queensgate.jpg|thumb|upright|North Square, Queensgate shopping centre]]

=== Regeneration ===
Figures plotting growth from 1995 to 2004, revealed that Peterborough had become the most successful economy among unitary authorities in the East of England. They also revealed that the city's economy had grown faster than the regional average and any other economy in the region.<ref>Hastings, David and Swadkin, Claire [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/elmr/02_07/downloads/ELMR02_07REI.pdf Regional economic indicators with a focus on the differences in regional economic performance] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070616131749/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/elmr/02_07/downloads/ELMR02_07REI.pdf |date=16 June 2007 }} Economic and Labour Market Review, vol.1 no.2 (pp.52–64) February 2007.</ref> It has a strong economy in the environmental goods and services sector and has the largest cluster of environmental businesses in the UK.<ref>[http://www.encluster.org/ Peterborough Environment Cluster] The UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development (Retrieved 20 December 2007). {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118202125/http://www.encluster.org/ |date=18 November 2007 }}</ref>

In 1994, Peterborough designated itself one of four environment cities in the UK and began working to become the country's acknowledged environment capital.<ref>[http://www.gpp-peterborough.org.uk/new_07/environcapital.html Peterborough – the UK's Environment Capital] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216235959/http://www.gpp-peterborough.org.uk/new_07/environcapital.html |date=16 December 2007 }} Greater Peterborough Partnership (Retrieved 20 December 2007). {{cite web |url=http://www.gpp-peterborough.org.uk/new_07/environcapital.html |title=Greater Peterborough Partnership |access-date=20 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412234708/http://www.gpp-peterborough.org.uk/new_07/environcapital.html |archive-date=12 April 2008}}</ref> Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT), an independent charity, was set up at the same time to work towards this goal, delivering projects promoting healthier and sustainable living in the city.<ref>[http://www.pect.org.uk/about-us About Us] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125100034/http://pect.org.uk/about-us |date=25 January 2010 }} Peterborough Environment City Trust (Retrieved 30 May 2010).</ref> Until 2017, PECT organised a yearly 'Green Festival' centered around Cathedral Square, Peterborough, which also benefited local artists and arts organisations through attracting Arts Council funding grants aided by arts facilitator organisation Metal.<ref name=":0" /> During the summer of 2018 the last Green Festival was held at Nene Park, in 2019 Peterborough's community environmental projects attracted ministerial attention from the environment secretary [[Michael Gove]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lamy |first=Joel |date=4 February 2019 |title=Environment Secretary Michael Gove praises Peterborough's eco-credentials on visit to community project |work=Peterborough Telegraph |url=https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/politics/environment-secretary-michael-gove-praises-peterboroughs-eco-credentials-visit-community-project-128543 |access-date=18 October 2021 |archive-date=20 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020033852/https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/politics/environment-secretary-michael-gove-praises-peterboroughs-eco-credentials-visit-community-project-128543 |url-status=live}}</ref> During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] of 2020–21 Peterborough's culture and leisure umbrella charity, ''Vivacity'' ceased operating.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 June 2020 |title=Peterborough leisure and libraries charity Vivacity shut by lockdown |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-53098697 |url-status=live |access-date=18 October 2021 |publisher=BBC News |archive-date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019191658/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-53098697}}</ref>

The council and [[regional development agency]] have taken advice on regeneration issues from a number of internationally recognised experts, including [[Benjamin Barber]] (formerly an adviser to President [[Bill Clinton]]), Jan Gustav Strandenaes ([[United Nations]] adviser on environmental issues) and Patama Roorakwit (a Thai "community architect").<ref>Salman, Saba [https://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/oct/08/regeneration.peterborough "The civic engineer"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131163925/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/oct/08/regeneration.peterborough |date=31 January 2017}}, ''The Guardian'', London and Manchester, 8 October 2008. <!---access-date= 2008-10-13-----></ref>

=== Employment ===
According to the [[2001 United Kingdom census|2001 census]], the workplace population of 90,656 is divided into 60,118 people who live in Peterborough and 30,358 people who commute in. A further 13,161 residents commute out of the city to work.<ref>[http://insighteast.org.uk/viewResource.aspx?id=12662 Commuting Profile for Peterborough] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710100547/http://www.insighteast.org.uk/viewResource.aspx?id=12662 |date=10 July 2011 }} East of England Regional Assembly, 11 April 2005.</ref> Earnings in Peterborough are lower than average. [[Median]] earnings for full-time workers were £11.93 per hour in 2014, less than the regional median for the East of England of £13.62 and the median hourly rate of £13.15 for [[Great Britain]] as a whole.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/1946157202/report.aspx#tabearn |title=Earnings by residence (2014) |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=1 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042753/https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/1946157202/report.aspx#tabearn |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> As part of the government's [[M11 Corridor|M11 corridor]], Peterborough is committed to creating 17,500 jobs with the population growing to 200,000 by 2020.<ref>[http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/employment_projects_promise_jobs_to_end_worrying_trend_1_62225 "Employment: Projects promise jobs to end worrying trend"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622034104/http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/employment_projects_promise_jobs_to_end_worrying_trend_1_62225 |date=22 June 2012 }}, ''Peterborough Evening Telegraph'', 23 March 2006.</ref>

Future employment will also be created through the plan for the city centre launched by the council in 2003. Predictions of the levels and types of employment created were published in 2005.<ref name=plan/> These include 1,421 jobs created in retail; 1,067 created in a variety of leisure and cultural developments; 338 in three hotels; and a further 4,847 jobs created in offices and other workspaces. Recent relocations of large employers include both [[Tesco]] (1,070 employees) and [[Debenhams]] (850 employees) distribution centres.<ref>[http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/jobs-boom-time-1-35758 "Jobs: Boom Time"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622033857/http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/jobs-boom-time-1-35758 |date=22 June 2012 }}, ''Peterborough Evening Telegraph'', 18 April 2005.</ref> A further 2,500 jobs were to be created in the £140&nbsp;million Gateway warehouse and distribution park. This was expected to compensate for the 6,000 job losses as a result of the decline in manufacturing, anticipated in a report cited by the cabinet member for economic growth and regeneration in 2006.<ref>[http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/business-distribution-park-will-bring-2-500-jobs-to-city-1-66212 "Business: Distribution park will bring 2,500 jobs to city"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622033951/http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/business-distribution-park-will-bring-2-500-jobs-to-city-1-66212 |date=22 June 2012 }}, ''Peterborough Evening Telegraph'', 12 September 2006.</ref>

With traditionally low levels of unemployment, Peterborough is a popular destination for workers and has seen significant growth through migration since the postwar period. The leader of the council said in August 2006 that he believed that 80% of the 65,000 people who had arrived in [[East Anglia]] from the states that [[2004 enlargement of the European Union|joined the European Union in 2004]] were living in Peterborough.<ref>[http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/limit-plea-fears-over-immigrants-1-65537 "Limit plea: Fears over immigrants"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622033833/http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/limit-plea-fears-over-immigrants-1-65537 |date=22 June 2012 }}, ''Peterborough Evening Telegraph'', 23 August 2006.</ref> To help cope with this influx, the council put forward plans to construct an average of 1,300 homes each year until 2021.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20051027140810/http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/page-230 Housing Strategy Statement 2004-7] Peterborough City Council, July 2004.</ref> Peterborough Trades Council, formed in 1898, is affiliated to the [[Trades Union Congress]].<ref>[http://www.ptuc.co.uk/about/ About PTUC] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530203114/http://www.ptuc.co.uk/about/ |date=30 May 2015 }} Peterborough Trades Union Council (Retrieved 30 May 2015).</ref>