Decision details

To consider the issues arising from the consultation and agree amendments for the final Supplementary Planning Document.

Matter for Decision

The draft Cambridge Local Plan 2014: Proposed Submission (as amended) designates the area around Fitzroy Street, Burleigh Street and the Grafton Centre as the primary location for providing additional comparison retail in the City Centre along with other mixed uses including leisure uses under Policy 11: Fitzroy/Burleigh Street/Grafton Area of Major Change.

 

The Council, as the Local Planning Authority, has been working in partnership with local stakeholders to prepare a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for change for the Fitzroy/Burleigh Street/Grafton Area of Major Change (AoMC).

 

The SPD will help guide the development of the area, promoting a number of key strategies for change. These aim to take advantage of the opportunities to provide an improved street environment including public realm enhancements as well as a positive and attractive destination to support the vitality and viability of the centre for retail and associated uses. The SPD envisages a phased approach to ensure the area continues to perform as a mainstream City Centre leisure and retail location while ensuring phased improvement will deliver the area’s longer-term strategy.

 

The emerging Local Plan is still at the examination stage, which means that the Council is unable to adopt the Grafton AoMC - Masterplan and Guidance SPD until the Local Plan has been found sound and adopted. In the interim period, prior to adoption, the SPD provides context and guidance as a material consideration in the planning process.

 

In accordance with the process of preparing an SPD, consultation on the draft SPD was carried out over a six week statutory minimum period between 25 September and 6 November 2017.

 

A significant number of changes are proposed as a result of the consultation, although many of these are factual corrections and amendments to figures/diagrams. These are all set out in Appendix C of the Officer’s report.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Transport

       i.          Agreed the responses to the representations received to the Grafton Area of Major Change - Masterplan and Guidance SPD (Appendix B of the Officer’s report) and the consequential amendments to the Grafton Area of Major Change - Masterplan and Guidance document (Appendix C);

     ii.          Approved the Grafton Area of Major Change - Masterplan and Guidance document (Appendix C) in anticipation of the adoption of the Local Plan, and agreed that it should be carried forward for adoption as a Supplementary Planning Document at the same time as the Local Plan.

 

Subject to text amendments discussed at Committee, to be agreed by Chair, Executive Councillor and Spokesperson.

 

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Senior Planning Policy Officer.

 

The Committee reviewed the SPD section by section.

 

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

       i.          Queried the statistical weight to give the consultation responses as just 300 were received from city residents.

     ii.          Suggested the level of consultation responses indicated overall satisfaction with the process.

   iii.          Residents felt strongly about the mixed use of Burleigh Street and Fitzroy Street. The consultation gave a clear steer there should be no vehicular access, but differing views were given over the mixed use of cyclists and pedestrians. The SPD gave an opportunity to resolve this.

   iv.          The Burleigh Street and Fitzroy Street cycle route could be used by all types and sizes of bikes (eg pedal and electric) which could travel 15-30MPH. This needed to be factored into area plans to mitigate potential conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians. It would be helpful to have guidance in place before planning applications came forward in the area so people who would use buildings were aware of a potential cycle route on their doorstep.

    v.          Articulated lorries should not make deliveries through residential streets or the pedestrian area. Councillors noted that shop access (eg lack of rear access) made delivery arrangements difficult.

   vi.          Suggested taking the opportunity to pedestrianise the top end of Burleigh Street to minimise vehicular conflict with pedestrians.

 vii.          An evening rather than night time economy was more appropriate for the area.

 

The New Neighbourhoods Development Manager, Transport Assessment Manager and Senior Planning Policy Officer said the following in response to Members’ questions:

Section 2

       i.          Officers had followed the standard SPD consultation process. A number of workshops had been held, leaflets dropped and residents associations notified. There was no set target for the number of responses required, the Council received over 300.

     ii.          Officers confirmed that the Kite Residents Association had been consulted.

   iii.          The level of responses were not a cause for concern. They covered a broad range of topics.

Section 4

   iv.          Officers recognised the current situation in Burleigh Street and Fitzroy Street was not ideal. A cycling restriction was in place, but it was hard to enforce. There was scope in the SPD to improve the design of this transport corridor for cyclists and pedestrians. Officers did not want to curtail options by putting an explicit design in the SPD. Ideas would be sought through the consultation and reviewing designs in other cities.

    v.          Initial areas of work such as reviewing cycle parking facilities and decluttering the street scene would need to be completed before any planning applications could come forward to redevelop the Burleigh Street and Fitzroy Street area. The City Council and County Council were working on an Open Spaces SPD which would have some overlap with this work.

   vi.          (Paragraph 4.2.15) The bus stop on East Road was not in a good location, but the service was good. The SPD provided options to improve the site and provide appropriate cycle parking facilities. The Transport Assessment Manager had been in contact with the bus operator and there was an opportunity to improve bus stopping arrangements, accepting that the solution would need to consider associated improvements to walking/cycling/crossing.

 

Proposed amendments to the SPD tabled during DPSSC and agreed at DPSSC.

 

Item 5. SPD Section	Amendment
Amend 2.2.6	Include reference to other city bus routes (i.e. Citi 3 which is mentioned in 4.2.11)
Amend paragraph 4.2.18	“… There is a desire to minimise eliminate on-street servicing but, where retail and leisure units currently require servicing from key primary streets, …“
Add new paragraph after 4.2.10	Add new paragraph after 4.2.10 to read: “The potential to pedestrianise the top end of Burleigh Street between the Adam and Eve Street junction and East Road should be considered.”
Amend paragraph 4.3.7	Amend paragraph 4.3.7 to read: “Ground floors across the site area should be in use as retail, leisure or food and drink activities. Evening and night time economy uses will have an important role to play. The only exception to this are areas adjacent to existing domestic scale development to the north of Fitzroy Street.”

 

Tabled amendments to the SPD prior to DPSSC and agreed at DPSSC.

 

Item 5. SPD Section	Amendment
Amend Figure 6	Remove shading between 54/24 Burleigh St and East Road, motor vehicle access is permitted along here.
Amend paragraph 2.2.6	Remove reference to Excellent
Amend Figure 9	Change grey shading for car parking to a different colour
Amend paragraph 2.2.16	Remove reference to Maids Causeway
Amend paragraph 2.4.10	Change reference to commercial to reflect the area’s mixed residential area/use
Amend paragraph 2.4.17	Make reference to negative buildings
Amend Figure 32	Replace dark blue line with dashed line through the Grafton Centre
Amend Figure 37	Replace dark blue line with dashed line through the Grafton Centre
Amend 4.4.21	Replace Gade with Grade

 

Councillor Bick proposed additional text to the wording of paragraph 4.5.3 on P72 of the Grafton SPD:

 

“A separate design strategy will be prepared and consulted upon covering the shared use of pedestrians and cyclists.”

 

This amendment was unanimously agreed. Final wording would be agreed post meeting by Chair, Executive Councillor and Spokesperson.

 

The Committee unanimously resolved to endorse the recommendations as amended, plus agreed SPD text changes.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations as amended, plus agreed SPD text changes.

 

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.