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163 15/1759/FUL - Murdoch House, 40-44 Station Road 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.