Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Dryden and Howard.

Councillor Bennett attended as Councillor Howard’s Alternate.

No declarations of interest were made.

The minutes of the meeting held on 7 January 2026 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Committee minutes list public speakers at Committee. Please view the recording of the meeting on Cambridge City Council - YouTube to see/hear more detail about statements from public speakers and Ward Councillors.

The Delivery Manager took the Chair for this item.

Members raised the comments/questions as listed below. Answers were supplied, and comments from Officers but as this was a pre-application presentation, none of the answers or comments are binding on either the intended applicant or the local planning authority so consequently are not recorded in these minutes.

1.    The requirement in the Build to Rent Policy was for 20% of the site to be affordable homes. Would this contribute to the overall 50% capacity across the city, i.e. would 50% of all housing be affordable homes?

2.    Could more than 20% of housing in schemes be affordable?

3.    What was the definition of affordable housing and other terms used, such as market rate housing?

4.    Ward Councillors got a lot of case work regarding the private sector build to rent market. Could good practice be learnt from and shared, particularly in Cambridge Investment Partnership/council housing schemes? Could Ward Councillors’ experience be factored into Officers’ consideration?

5.    Please clarify the reason for the mix of affordable homes, market rent properties etc. Was this to make a more viable mixed tenure development?

6.    Would the Housing Strategy be updated to take this scheme on board? How would Cambridge Investment Partnership schemes be embedded in documents?

Councillor Smart resumed as Committee Chair for the meeting.

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

The application sought approval for demolition of the existing building and structures, erection of an office building (Class E) to include ground floor flexible units (Class E, F1, F2) and a single basement for car parking and plant, hard and soft landscaping to create a new public realm, stopping up of the existing vehicular access on Hills Road and the provision of vehicular access on Station Road, provision of cycle access/parking, and related infrastructure and servicing.

Two local residents and a Cambridge Past, Present and Future Representative addressed the Committee speaking in objection to the application.

Laura Collins ([Stanhope] Developer, speaking on behalf of the Applicant) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

Richard Robertson (Ward Councillor) addressed the Committee speaking in objection to the application.

Councillor Thornburrow proposed amendments to the Officer’s recommendation to revise condition wording:

      i.          Condition 6: Explore the location and security of the Kett Oak Tree public art feature;

     ii.          Conditions 12 and 14 to ensure building colours, materials, landscaping and planting matched the character of the area on the south side of the building (botanic garden area) at ground floor and upper levels.

The amendments were carried unanimously.

The Committee:

Resolved (by 5 votes to 1) to grant the application for planning permission in accordance with the Officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the Officer’s report (with delegated authority to Officers to make minor amendments to the conditions as drafted), subject to:

      i.          Satisfactory completion of a Section 106 Agreement which includes the Heads of Terms as set out in the report with minor amendments to the Heads of Terms as set out delegated to officers;

     ii.          the planning conditions set out in the Officer’s report;

   iii.          delegated authority to Officers, in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair and Spokes, to revise the following additional conditions:

a.    Condition 6: Explore the location and security of the Kett Oak Tree public art feature;

b.    Conditions 12 and 14 to ensure building colours, materials, landscaping and planting matched the character of the area on the south side of the building (botanic garden area) at ground floor and upper levels.

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

The application sought approval for demolition of existing dwelling and erection of a 2.5-storey 9-bedroom 9-person large House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) (SUI GENERIS) and a separate 2-bedroom dwelling (C3), and associated works.

A local resident addressed the Committee speaking in objection to the application.

Peter McKeown (Applicant’s Agent) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

Russ McPherson (Ward Councillor) and Mark Ashton (Ward Councillor) addressed the Committee speaking in objection to the application.

Councillor Bennett proposed an amendment to the Officer’s recommendation that paths should be wide enough to accommodate bins and wheelchairs

This amendment was carried unanimously and incorporated into ‘access’ as part of the M42 requirement condition below.

Councillor Illingworth proposed an amendment to the Officer’s recommendation to include an informative requesting replacement of gas heating with an air source heat pump.

This amendment was carried unanimously.

Councillor Thornburrow proposed amendments to the Officer’s recommendation:

      i.          to explicitly delinear (guarantee) access arrangements for the bungalow to the rear (so access is separate to the HMO);

     ii.          M42 compliance condition, including access;

   iii.          applying standard retrofit ready condition.

The amendments were carried unanimously.

The Committee:

Resolved (3 votes to 3 – and on the Chair’s casting vote) to grant the application for planning permission in accordance with the Officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the Officer’s report (with delegated authority to Officers to make minor amendments to the conditions as drafted), subject to:

      i.          the planning conditions set out in the Officer’s report;

     ii.          delegated authority to Officers, in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair and Spokes, to revise condition 11 to explicitly delineate (guarantee) access arrangements for the bungalow to the rear (so access is separate to the HMO);

   iii.          delegated authority to Officers, in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair and Spokes, to draft and include the following additional conditions:

a.    M42 compliance, including access;

b.    applying standard retrofit ready condition;

   iv.          include an informative on the planning permission to request replacing gas heating with an air source heat pump.

The Committee received an S73 application to vary condition 5 of ref: 19/1674/S73 (S73 to vary condition 17 of planning permission ref C/04/0632 (Comprehensive redevelopment providing units for purposes within Classes A1(retail) and A3 (Food and drink), 15 residential apartments, the creation of new public spaces, including the re-opening of Christ's Lane, associated highway works, servicing, and landscaping) to extend the opening hours of Units 5 and 6) to vary condition 5 to read all servicing, delivery and collections shall be undertaken between the hours of 0700 to 2300 Monday to Saturday and 1000 to 2100 on Sundays, Bank and other public holidays, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the local planning authority.

The Senior Planner updated her report by referring to:

      i.          The amendment sheet which had details of new representations and text amendments.

     ii.          Her presentation which included additional proposed conditions:

a.    Delivery Management Plan – No deliveries on a Sunday, Bank Holiday or other public holiday shall take place at Units 5 and 6 until a delivery management plan (DMP) has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The DMP shall set out how deliveries will be managed on Sundays, Bank Holidays and other public holidays to avoid clustering and how the operation will be controlled to minimise noise and disruption to neighbouring properties. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved measures. Reason: To protect the amenity of the adjoining properties (Cambridge Local Plan 2018 policy 35).

b.    Vehicle delivery limit – No more than three vehicular deliveries, dispatches or collections cumulatively per day shall take place to serve Units 5 and 6 on Sundays, Bank Holidays and other Public Holidays. Reason: To protect the amenity of the adjoining properties. (Cambridge Local Plan 2018 policy 35).

A local resident addressed the Committee speaking in objection to the application.

Matthew Roe (Applicant’s Agent) addressed the Committee in support of the application.

Tim Bick (Ward Councillor – speaking on behalf of Katie Porrer) addressed the Committee about the application. 

The Committee:

Resolved (3 votes to 3 – and on the Chair’s casting vote) to grant the S73 application in accordance with the Officer recommendation, for the reasons set out in the Officer’s report (with delegated authority to Officers to make minor amendments to the conditions as drafted), subject to the planning conditions set out in the Officer’s report, amendment sheet and Officer’s presentation (Delivery Management Plan plus delivery limit).

The Committee noted the appeals list.

The Committee noted the compliance report.