Hotel - 27-29 Station Road

None

Personal Interest: Cllr Sheila Stuart works in Station Road.

 

 

Presentation by Red House Project Team

Colin Brown described the background of the scheme, planning history and the reasons for refusal (against officer recommendation) given at Planning Committee in February 2010. http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/public/councillors/minutes/2010/0210PLAN.pdf

A new application will be submitted within the next two weeks. A presentation would be made to the Design & Conservation Sub-Panel later that day. The scheme received a ‘Green’ verdict from the Sub-Panel last time.

 

Colin Brown and Michelle Sweeney described the amendments made to the scheme. This was followed by questions from Members.

 

Michelle Sweeney presented the design of the building and Colin Brown discussed traffic and parking arrangements.

 

The amendments include:

·        The breaking down of the overall visual mass (including removing the 7^th floor)

·        Re-organising the public space.

·        Basement car parking provision replaced with a revised valet arrangement with NCP at the Cambridge Leisure car park to secure parking provision in line with City Council Car Parking Standards.

 

Traffic and parking (Colin Brown)

 

Due to the scheme’s very central location, it is expected that most guests will be arriving using non-car modes. The valet arrangement would be for up to forty spaces, which conforms with the City Council’s Car Parking Standards. This is a very secure and workable solution. The risk of spillover parking into neighbouring streets has been looked at as part of a commissioned survey on parking. Residents Parking areas, Short Stay and yellow-lined areas will be off-limits to hotel guests. In need of the certainty of being able to park, the design team are confident that guests arriving by car will use the valet service.

 

 

Member questions.

 

Cllr Dryden: How much will the valet service cost guests?

 

Colin Brown: With this kind of arrangement, a discount rate for guests is usually agreed with the car park operator – possibly 10%. This will need to be agreed with NCP.

 

Cllr Hipkin: The applicant has clearly gone to some trouble to improve the height, scale and massing of the scheme. However, the public realm area to the front reveals real tension between a hospitable, comfortable area and vehicular use. The area is heavily weighted towards traffic circulation with minimal landscaping.

 

Michelle Sweeney: CGI (computer graphics) is a very cold medium. The continuation of high quality materials will make it a good public realm. Linear kerbs are flush with the roads. Delivery traffic will be controlled.

 

Cllr Hipkin: Why kerbs? This is an indication of traffic use. Is there anything you can do to reduce this as a traffic circulation area?

 

Cllr Howell: On the traffic issue, did you take into account the streets on the other side of the railway line that have no parking restrictions? There would be traffic peaks at checkout time in the morning. Your examination of traffic flows seems to be based on the current situation, not on the future CB1 situation.

 

Colin Brown: We don’t anticipate many guests arriving by car. In terms of the parking areas surveyed, these were within a 400-meter radius of the site. To reach  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.