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Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Planning, Building Control, and Infrastructure
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: No
Approval by the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Transport to consult on a draft Development Framework SPD for the New Museum's site.
Matter for
Decision
To
consider the approval of the draft New Museums Site Development Framework SPD.
Decision
of Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Transport
i.
Approved
the content of the draft New Museums Site Development Framework SPD (Appendix A
of the Officer’s Report);
ii.
Agreed
that if any amendments were necessary, these should be agreed by the Executive
Councillor in consultation with Chair and Spokes of Development Plan Scrutiny
Sub Committee;
iii.
Approve
the draft New Museums Site Development
Framework SPD for public consultation from 13 July to
Monday 7 September 2015;
iv.
Approved
the consultation arrangements as set out in paragraphs 3.39 to 3.41 and the proposed schedule of consultees in
Appendix B of the Officer’s report.
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 Head of Joint Urban
Design (Environment),
The report referred to the draft SPD which had been produced in order to set
out the joint aspirations of the
Council and the University of Cambridge regarding future changes to the site.
These should improve the urban form with changes to the public realm, provide
better access for all and adopt more sustainable forms of development while
respecting the site’s heritage and surroundings. Future development on the site
offered an opportunity to create an improved, more coherent development and
especially to improve the public realm on the site.
Comments from the Sub-Committee
i.
Noted the public consultation ran from 13 July to 7
September, a period when many academics and administration staff would be away and
asked if the time frame could be extended so that future and present users of
the site could take part in the consultation.
ii.
Queried what improvements had been made to the
site to negate the impact of traffic.
iii.
Enquired if the masterplan
envisaged a single architect or architectural practice.
Officers and representatives
from Cambridge University stated the following:
i.
The masterplan had been
developed over a number of years through various Committees which had been
cascaded down to staff and academics and a number of exhibitions and
information sessions had been held. Therefore the University was confident that
the staff and academics had been sufficiently consulted.
ii.
The site had been overdeveloped over a number of
years and the aim was to reduce the amount of useable space which would improve
access.
iii.
Detailed plans to the improvements for pedestrian
access were available for further viewing.
iv.
Changes to access from Downing Street would further
be investigated.
v.
A detailed traffic management plan had been put in
place to elevate the impact on traffic to the area during construction.
vi.
As each phase of the build came forward there would
be a procurement process to allow for open tenders process but the masterplan consultants would be retained.
The Committee resolved
unanimously to endorse the recommendations.
The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.
Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any
Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest were
declared by the Executive Councillor.
Publication date: 08/04/2016
Date of decision: 16/06/2015