The council has also confirmed that visitors to the city centre from April 12 to 18 will enjoy free parking in council-owned car parks, increasing the incentive to pop into town.

As well as the already announced businesses, Argo Lounge and Côte Brasserie have applied to be able to serve food and drink outdoors come April 12.

Dom Brewin, General Manager, Argo Lounge, said: "Our new outside furniture and planters have arrived and I'm looking forward to welcoming the community back into our fantastic city.

"I think the Café Culture approach can help the area around Cathedral Square to be a more popular location for both local residents and visitors to the city alike.

"The council and Peterborough Positive have been supportive and helped me to engage with other businesses in the city, with our number one priority being to ensure our guests can enjoy a safe dining experience."

The re-opening of the city centre is being coordinated by the Peterborough Positive, which is a partnership comprising Peterborough City Council, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Opportunity Peterborough and large outlets like Queensgate Shopping Centre.

Tom Hennessy, chief executive of Opportunity Peterborough, said: "We are working closely with businesses to ensure the safe and successful re-opening of non-essential shops.

"We are fortunate in Peterborough that our economy is strong which should help our retailers who have been heavily impacted with a loss of trade over the last year."

Speaking on behalf of Peterborough Positive, Kelly Linay said: "The re-opening of non-essential retailers is hugely important for the city. It’s vital that we now look to the future and work with businesses to encourage customers to shop local and support the local economy."