Major Development Schemes in the 2000s
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(CEN 17-Jun-1996, 28-Jan-1998, 4-May-1998, 2-Dec-1999)
- A £15M project called Cambridge Leisure to develop the old Cattle Market site for leisure has been
proposed by a consortium including Turnstone Estates and Cheffins, Grain & Comins.
- The developers are aware of the great demand from residents and of plenty of interest from potential operators.
- The plans were reportedly accepted and building was originally due to start in late 1997.
- However in early 1998 fresh plans were drawn up (for completion by 2000) but these were rejected.
- After consulation with residents, the developers suggested it be a single
covered centre rather than individual buildings.
- In December 1999 the Planning Subcommittee gave the plans conditional approval and
they went to the Secretary of State for approval (as they depart from the Local Plan).
Outline consent was granted in September 2000.
- In the meantime Warner Bros. then used the courts to try to
block the multiplex cinema, as that would be competition for them (though they didn't say that,
of course).
The Appeal Court rejected their case in November 2000.
- Building work finally started in 2003.
- Proposed:
- Six-storey car par for 520 cars (originally 950, then 800) parking spaces
- 120-bed (originally 72-bed) budget hotel
- A building with auction rooms, offices, non-food shops and 31 flats
- 28-lane bowling alley
- 1700-seat multiplex cinema
- A variety of restaurants
- Health & fitness centre
- Access off Clifton Road
- The Junction will expand, including relocating the Cambridge Drama Centre from Covent Garden
- Pedestrian bridge across the railway to near the station.
- The original plans also mentioned a nightclub, coach drop-off points and street theatre facilities.
- The developers Unex were responsible for this large office block
between Hills Road bridge and Brooklands Avenue, erected around 1990.
- First there was a row with the Council about whether it had planning permission
for what had been built and then a row with the builders about what had been built.
The latter was resolved in the High Court in February 1998.
- The block remained empty, even though it would be ideal for the nearby government
offices (still housed in temporary 1940s/1950s huts), releasing that space for residential building.
- In April 1999 Unex applied for planning permission to demolish it and build
offices, a conference/training facility, archive storage and car park.
- In early 2001 building work was at last in progress
and it seemed to be ready for use in 2003.
(CEN 4-Feb-2000, 21-Aug)
- Developer: Whitecliff Properties (Blue Circle Industries + Lend Lease Corp.)
plus involvement from others such as David Lloyd and his son Scott
[Lend Lease Corp. is Australian and also owns the Bluewater mall in Kent]
- Proposed use:
- Industrial centre of 132,000 sq.ft.
- Leisure facility including tennis, squash and badminton courts, swimming pool, fitness centre.
(This may be in the form of a Lloyds' "Next Generation" tennis centre.)
- 80-room budget hotel
- Car (possibly German) showroom - an "architectural statement"
- Minimum car parking, hundreds of cycle racks, shower facilities
- Site derelict since mid-1980s
- In 1991 Blue Circle applied for permission for an industrial & retail park here
- In 1992 Morrison Developments applied for a £25M leisure park next door to that development (multiplex cinema,
bowling alley & nightclub)
- By the summer of 2003 there had been a lot of progress
and the Express hotel opened around November 2003 with 100 bedrooms.
(CEN 10-Dec-1996, 20-Oct-1997)
- Developer: British Gas Properties
- Proposed use:
- Food store - Tesco (having abandoned the City in 1984)
- Retail warehouse
- Petrol filling station
- Car parking
- Housing
- Access also from River Lane
- Plan stalled while environmental & trading impact assessment was made
- Planning inspector approved the plan at the end of May 1999
- The gasholders were demolished in July 2000
- Another phase of planning approval started in Feb. 2002
- Tesco's opened in August 2002
- In late 2003 work begun on the housing (65 flats) between it and Riverside.
(CEN 27-Mar-1998, 3-Dec-1999)
- Developer: Mercury Asset Management (who sold the Grafton Centre to Prudential in 1997);
planning permission requested by BNY Trust Company, a Trustee of Mercury Property Fund.
- £20M scheme to demolish 17,253 sq.m of warehousing and build a large shopping centre:
- Rename to Cambridge Retail Park
- Three non-food retail units of 11,450 sq.m.
- Two restaurants (1,022 sq.m)
- New access route
- It seemed likely planners would ask the developers to fund nearby transport improvements
- Notices of the application for planning permission appeared on 3-Dec-1999
- Work proceeded rapidly and seemed to be complete by mid-2002.
- Developer: Prudential (GC's owners)
- £22M
- Replace ten of the long-established small shops on the GC side of Burleigh Street plus the service yard behind,
some of whom have freehold, causing a major obstacle for the developers
- 17 new shops
- New food store (at last replacing the Presto which closed in 1988) - presumably included
as a significant sweetener to the planners.
- Far less room for buses.
- Presumably is a reaction to the Grand Arcade plans and the
North Arbury planning enquiry.
- Hopeed to start in 2001, finishing by 2003.
- Planning permission granted in April 2000.
- Revised plans resubmitted in May 2002.
- Work began on some of the units within that side of the Centre around November 2003.
- So far there's no sign of anything happening to the small shop units on that
side of Burleigh Street.
The Prudential 2000 proposal was followed-up with a proposal to redevelop the other side of the street:
- Developer: Grosvenor Estate Holdings.
- Replace the shops with offices above with... shops and offices (plus flats).
- Much opposition from City residents to the loss of
local, interesting shops and in particular the loss of the old
Co-Op building (currently QD).
- Went before the Planning subcommittee in May 2000.
- As of March 2002 both schemes made little progress since the City Council
refused to use compulsory purchase powers to acquire the properties for the developers.
- Then in Summer 2003, with QD having left the former Co-op premises,
that was pulled down and work started on new premises,
which will be Robert Sayles whilst Grand Arcade is being built, then
work will resume towards mixed shops/offices/flats.
(CEN 26-Apr-1997, 29-Apr, 4-Jun, 1-May-1998, 8-Jun-1999)
- Developer: Shearer Property Group, supported by the
Universities Superannuation Scheme (originally BZW Property Investment Management),
for Robert Sayles (John Lewis Partnership), apparently invited by the City Council.
- £3M
- 425,000 sq. ft.
- 240,000 sq. ft. Robert Sayle's department store (more than doubled in size),
including the space occupied by the Norwich Union building (10 Downing Street), abandoning
the 1986 suggestion of moving to an out-of-town site.
- Replacement of the Lion Yard car park and Magistrates' courts above.
- 45-50 other shop units, restaurant/bar, offices, possible nightclub.
- Changes to layout of St Andrew's Street and the Downing St. junction.
- The developer should help fund improved transport links.
- Considered at the public enquiry along with the
Sainsbury's Arbury Park proposal and the Chesterton Sidings proposal.
- Public displays: Grafton Centre 21-22 June 1997; former Hamell's store, Lion Yard 23-28 June 1997;
Guildhall 17-19 June 1999.
- Planning application published in the CEN 7-Jun-1999.
- Hope to start construction at the start of 2001 and taking about 4 years.
- An underground cycle park was added to the plans as the original proposal had little provision.
- Outline plans accepted by the Planning subcommittee in early 2000,
went to the Secretary of State for a possible public enquiry
and granted full planning permission in July 2001.
- Web site.
- The first phase, the redevelopment of Lion Yard, got the go-ahead in March 2001 and was quickly completed.
Part of this work was originally intended for c1995.
- Work is now planned for 2004-2006.
- Developer: Cambridge University -
North-West Cambridge Site.
- An outline scheme to develop fields into a mixture of affordable accommodation for
Univerisity staff and students, public amenities and University academic facilities.
- Looking 10-25 years ahead.
(Apr-2003)
- This is actually in South Cambs District Council's patch.
- Another attempt at a mixed development:
- Developer: Gallagher Estates
- 32 hectare site
- 900 homes
- open public space
- Community/Historical/Cultural Centre
- Primary School
- See previous attempts:
Arbury Park (North Cam.)
- Arbury Park II
(Sep-2002)
- Refurbishment of the 1962 shopping development
(there was a minor refurbishment around 1992)
- Developer: Land Securities (the leaseholder)
- Joint planning brief with the City Council
- Reopen Christ's Lane, for pedestrian use
- Mixed use development: shops, cafes, housing, entertainment
Cambridge