Issue - meetings

Planning Officers to update meeting on the progress of the University’s application on the West Cambridge site.

The Committee received an update presentation from the Principal Planner on the West Cambridge Master Plan.

In response to the presentation members of the public expressed concern about design, employment provision, visual impact, amenities and transport matters.

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

       i.          Transport issues needed addressing.

     ii.          Relevance of outstanding S106 commitments from the extant 1999 permission.

   iii.          Strategy for car parking through the key phases needed to be fully understood.

   iv.          The lack of a mix of uses across the site was disappointing.  The absence of further residential accommodation appeared to be a missed opportunity to reduce the transport impact of the proposal.

The Principal Planner said the following in response to questions from Councillors and members of the public:

       i.          Visual impact from the site edges, including Madingley Road was a key issue for consideration. Connections between the two sites across Madingley Road was very important.

     ii.          The Landscape and Visual impact assessment submitted with the application included analysis of impact from longer viewpoints from the south and west, including the higher chalk hills beyond the M11. 

   iii.          Travel management was needed to control demand for private motor vehicle trips. The emerging transport strategy set out the strategy for car parking on the site, travel planning measures, together with the emerging access strategy and strategy to improve highway safety. 

   iv.          Some obligations from the 1999 planning permission had not been delivered.  These would be fully considered as part of the revised masterplan proposal.

    v.          Further residential use was not part of the University’s strategy for developing the site.  Emerging local plan policy 18 does not mandate the provision of further residential use at West Cambridge.

   vi.          The application is likely to be reported to Committee in spring 2017.