Public meeting organised over concerns about homes west of Lincoln Road and east of the A15 at Market Deeping allocated in Peterborough City Council’s Local Plan

Fears that a tight-knit community could double in size have prompted a meeting.

More than 1,000 new homes have been earmarked for land west of Lincoln Road and east of the A15 at Market Deeping in Peterborough City Council’s draft local plan.

Judy Stevens, a Deeping St James parish councillor and member of Deepings Neighbourhood Plan group, has expressed concerns that the 1,055 homes in Deeping Gate along with other developments planned for Baston, Deeping St James, Market Deeping and Glinton will double the size of the Deepings.

She said: “When I moved to the area more than 40 years ago it was a friendly community.

“The Deepings has grown organically and has managed to hold on to that sense of community.

“With an influx like this doubling the size, it will be difficult to retain the sense of community and friendliness.”

An estimated 20,120 new homes will have been built in Peterborough and the surrounding villages by 2044, according to the draft local plan.

This includes urban extensions such as in Deeping Gate and in Castor and Ailsworth, where 1,800 homes are planned, and smaller developments in villages such as Glinton, Newborough, Barnack, Bainton and Helpston.

Questioning the need for the number of properties, Judy said: “I’m not sure where they are coming from with the proposed development.

“I understand the indigenous population of the country is falling, if we are driving down immigration are these homes really needed?”

Although the market town is in Lincolnshire, the proposed site falls into Deeping Gate which is over the border in Peterborough City Council’s territory.

This means money from planning obligations or agreements will likely go towards services in Cambridgeshire. Campaigners opposing the Quarry Farm development in Stamford faced the same concerns as the site falls into Rutland.

A public meeting organised by parish councillors and the Deepings Neighbourhood Plan group is being held tomorrow (Saturday, May 17) between 10.30am and midday at the Green School in Church Street, Market Deeping.

Pam Byrd, mayor of Market Deeping and chairperson of the Deepings Neighbourhood plan group, said: “We are gathering information as with any proposed development and are assessing the potential impact on the countryside and services in the town.”

The main concerns raised ahead of the meeting include an increase in traffic and the impact on health provisions and schools.

“We have been looking into all of these issues but I’m not sure we’ve had satisfactory answers,” said Pam.

“We also want to know if there’s anything we might have missed.”

If the development goes ahead, there will be walking and cycling connectivity to Market Deeping, a new primary school and on-site and off-site leisure provision.

A consultation is underway with the deadline for submitting comments set for May 29.

Publication of the final submission of Peterborough’s Local Plan is due to take place at the end of this year, with submission to the government scheduled for January or February 2026.

An independent examination is planned for summer 2026 and it's hoped the plan will be adopted by the end of next year.

Coun Nick Thulbourn, cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: “At this stage, the plan is still in draft form, so the public’s feedback is essential in helping shape later versions. I encourage everyone to have their say.”