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15/1759/FUL - Murdoch House, 40-44 Station Road

Meeting: 02/11/2016 - Planning (Item 163)

163 15/1759/FUL - Murdoch House, 40-44 Station Road pdf icon PDF 277 KB

Minutes:

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

 

The application sought approval for the demolition of Murdoch House and the remains of the former Silo and the construction of two new mixed use buildings comprising 767sqm office floorspace (Class B1), 419sqm retail/cafe/restaurant floorspace (Class A1/A3) and 65 residential units for Block I1 and 473sqm retail/cafe/restaurant floorspace (Class A1/A3) and 24 residential units for Block K1, including ancillary accommodation/facilities with a single basement and 71 car parking spaces, with associated plant, 218 internal and external cycle parking spaces, and hard and soft landscaping.

 

The City Development Manager referred to late representations and the amended conditions contained within the Amendment Sheet.

 

The Committee received a representation in objection to the application from the Cambridge Cycling Campaign.

 

The representation covered the following issues:

     i.        Raised issues with cycle parking provision and access to the cycle parking.

    ii.        Fly cycle parking occurred because of insufficient cycle parking provision. Fly cycle parking would increase if the development went ahead as planned.

   iii.        There was little cycle parking provision for out of gauge bicycles, not everyone used a carbon fibre bicycle.

  iv.        Appreciated that there was Sheffield cycle parking provision but there needed to be a wider diversity of cycle parking provision.

 

Mike Derbyshire (Applicant’s Agent) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

 

Resolved not to accept the officer recommendation of approval, as the committee were minded to refuse the application, a decision on whether to approve or refuse the application was subsequently deferred under the Adjourned Decision Protocol

 

Under the Council’s agreed Adjourned Decisions Protocol this application will be brought back to a future meeting of the Committee to allow further discussion of reasons for refusal.  The following matters may form the basis for detailed reasons for refusal.

1.   Design – Block I1 is acceptable.  Block K1 is not acceptable because it breaks the coherence of the square and fails to achieve a quality of design that the square deserves.  The building does not surprise or delight and fails to do justice to its setting.  It fails to enhance the setting of the Mill and would not enhance the appearance of Station Square

2.   Community facilities – the development fails to make appropriate provision for community facilities for use by new residents.  There should be on site facilities for residents

3.   Cycle parking – the development fails to provide appropriate facilities for cycle parking.  The use of double stacker cycle storage is unacceptable, there is no provision for off-gauge cycles and the access ramp/stair is too steep.  The failure to provide adequate cycle parking will increase fly cycle parking in the area.