Demolition of existing buildings and erection of a new Travelodge Hotel, 180-190 Newmarket Road.

 

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Revised proposals for a demolition of existing buildings and erection of a new Travelodge Hotel, 180-190 Newmarket Road.

 

Introduction

The Chair explained the role and purpose of pre-application developer presentations to Councillors and the format of the meeting.  He referred to the guidance contained in the agenda.  

 

Presentation by the Developer Team

 

Colin Brown explained the history of the site and the planning policy context.  He referred to the site allocation in the Cambridge Local Plan 2006 for a mixed use development, to the previous reserved matters office permission on the site granted in 2006 (valid until March 2011), and to the recent Travelodge hotel proposals. An appeal into the Council’s refusal of the second hotel application in February 2010 had now been withdrawn and his client now wished to discuss a revised proposal for the site that would overcome previous concerns.  He outlined the key issues that he felt needed to be addressed in relation to the previous reasons for refusal.

 

Patrick Llanaway said new traffic surveys had been undertaken at Travelodge sites in Bath and Brighton, sites that had similar characteristics to the Newmarket Road site.  The profile of trip arrivals/departures at the Bath site is considered to be more representative of the Cambridge site.  Comparative trip arrival/departure information was shown, which he felt indicated that there would be no undue traffic impacts from the Travelodge hotel at the Cambridge site.

 

Neil Ruffles explained the key site characteristics and the proposed design changes, which he felt were significant whilst retaining some of the original thinking.     A number of images were shown of the proposals including floor plans, cross-sections, elevations, shadowing, perspectives, and viewpoints.  The main design changes are: removal of top floor; internal space changes to achieve same number of rooms; building to be timber framed and not of a pod design; new orthogonal design to Newmarket Road to add interest, which also released internal space; softer, semi-circular, elevation to Coldhams Lane; different palette of external materials – ground, first and second floors brick (as at 35 Parkside), top two floors cedar cladding; new canopied entrance; south elevation, potential for trellising and climbing plants; smaller site coverage by building (38%) compared to the previous office approval (48%); stronger landscaped boulevard to Newmarket Road; redesigned canopy entrance; single storey only extension at rear, taking advantage of natural light; ramp to underground car park, all cars parked underground; access officer and police comments taken on board; trees retained along Harvest Way; 2 metre high plant space on rooftop; maximise opportunities for renewable energy; west elevation, modest escape stair.

 

Member questions and Developer responses

 

Cllr Walker: Seems more pleasing than the previous scheme.  Visual appearance important because of impact on streetscape and the Council’s wish to improve the planning of the area.  Would like the parking arrangements to be clarified.  Will it all be underground?

 

Cllr Dixon: The shadowing diagrams need to be looked at carefully.

 

Cllr Pogonowski: The Council’s Eastern Gate visioning document has just been released and a proposal for a new crossing from Godesdone Road.  Has the impact of this been considered?

 

Neil Ruffles: All the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.