Cambridge Northern Fringe East AAP - Issues and Options

Savills Planning Team in Cambridge are instructed on behalf of St John's College, Cambridge to submit responses to the Issues and Options Report on the CNFE having regard to the College's landholdings and land interests at St John's Innovation Park west of Cowley Road and east of Milton Road.

Option 3 relates to a higher level of development where Anglian Water have taken the decision to consider a significant reduction in their site area and a consolidation to the eastern part of the site close to the railway line. The presence of the Anglian Water site will still mean that the edge of the new development area will be formed by appropriate employment uses, (B2) storage (B8) and sui generis uses, which are more compatible with such a large infrastructure facility. Beyond this ring of employment uses, a series of further B1 and research and development uses are proposed which would complement the area around the Innovation Park as well as those uses on the Cambridge Business Park. New residential uses around the station and on Nuffield Road would create a better balance of uses and provide for increased sustainable credentials in this part of the City.

This option recognises and acknowledges the development potential that the College land possess around the Innovation Park in terms of being able to maximise employment opportunities through new floorspace which will create new jobs and investment in the area (unlike Options 1 and 2) . As stated in the response to Q10 and Q11, it is important that a major objective of the Plan to maximise employment opportunities is afforded across the existing employment areas within the CNFE. In this context, there is no differentiation between the opportunity that is afforded on the Cambridge Business Park from that at the Innovation Park area to be able to exploit the opportunities for new employment floorspace. This approach is entirely backed up by SQW in their report "CNFE Employment Guidance for the Area Action Plan" at paragraphs 1.29 and 1.34 where intensification is supported by the Councils' own consultants.

In addition, it is noted that the proposed household waste recycling centre and the recycling facility continues to be a land use proposed in the northern part of the Plan area. However, whilst it is the case that the College has objected to its location in both Options 1 and 2, it is the case that Option 3 further compounds the College's concerns by the proposed shift of the facility westwards and even closer to the Vitrium building on the Innovation Park. Our response to Q10 has highlighted the inappropriateness of such a land use in close proximity to B1 offices and research and development uses as a result of noise, dust and environmental impacts. Whilst again we would raise the lack of clarity on what the actual facility entails the College objects most strongly to such an industrial use being located in close proximity to high technology uses and which remains a key component part of the City's economic profile and a driver of growth from both a regional and national perspective. Even in the circumstances where such a facility is in a covered building or similar, we cannot see how the position and location of such a facility provides a suitable neighbour to the clean, high technology uses that are already in this location and which contribute significantly to the development of this sector.

The College can therefore not support Option 3 as it relates to the higher level of development.

Savills Planning Team in Cambridge are instructed on behalf of St John's College, Cambridge to submit responses to the Issues and Options Report on the CNFE having regard to the College's landholdings and land interests at St John's Innovation Park west of Cowley Road and east of Milton Road.

Redevelopment Option 4 as put forwarded within the Plan is based on the assumption that Anglian Water will choose to relocate the whole of the Water Recycling Centre off site. In this context, it is noted that an alternative site has not been identified. We are aware that an alternative site was mooted many years ago but there were significant objections raised in terns of the chosen relocation of the site in addition to other infrastructural concerns that related to logistical and technical matters..

However, in the event that such an Option is pursued, the opportunity afforded by the relocation means that rather than having a constraining land use which has an impact on the nature, scale and type of surrounding land uses, it means that a more comprehensive view can be taken on appropriate development proposals. It remains the case that the CNFE is appropriately identified for largely employment uses with the more residential themes being located in and around any new railway station. The St John's College land around the Innovation Park has been identified within this Option for further development in the context of plot densification. In the circumstances where the Cambridge Business Park has been specifically identified for such a policy approach in this option 4, then it is entirely appropriate that the College land is also included. Certainly there is no difference in terms of the ability of this site to accommodate additional employment floorspace and therefore this should be made clear if this option is to be pursued. To this end we fail to understand why the Innovation Park is not included for plot intensification in Options 1 and 2.

Additionally within Option 4, the proposed household waste recycling centre and inert recycling facility has now been positioned in the north-western corner of the former AW site which means it is adjacent to the Vitrium Building on the Innovation Park. In the absence of a clear definition of what the actual facility is going to look like and indeed its specific functions, it is assumed that the facility is in effect a relocation of the existing facility at Butt Lane in Milton. In the instances where new technology and the policy requirement is for a covered facility, we cannot see how such a use given the nature of the activity and the characteristics of such a centre are compatible with adjacent B1 offices and research and development uses on one of the most important research parks in this part of Cambridge. The location of such a facility in close proximity to the College's land holdings does not make for proper planning and this is especially the case when alternative locations exist across the whole of the land area within the CNFE. Indeed, this option as well as the other options acknowledge that alternative locations exist and in the situation where there is a well established clean, commercial area, it makes no sense in our view to locate such a use adjacent to the existing commercial uses.

Consequently, we object to Option 4.

Savills Planning Team in Cambridge are instructed on behalf of St John's College, Cambridge to submit responses to the Issues and Options Report on the CNFE having regard to the College's landholdings and land interests at St John's Innovation Park west of Cowley Road and east of Milton Road.

Having regard to the College's objections to Options 1 - 4, we consider that other options should be identified. The College land at the Innovation Park should consistently be recognised for the development potential that exists in terms of increasing employment floorspace consistent with the Plan's objectives to maximise employment opportunities, and secondly, to relocate the household waste recycling centre and inert recycling facility to a location either on the southern periphery of the Anglian Water landholding or at least to a location further away from the existing employment area at the Innovation Park.

The current options do not improve the image that the Innovation Park is seeking to protect and enhance and initially is not being assisted by a major new recycling facility in close proximity to the site.

Savills Planning Team in Cambridge are instructed on behalf of St John's College, Cambridge to submit responses to the Issues and Options Report on the CNFE having regard to the College's landholdings and land interests at St John's Innovation Park west of Cowley Road and east of Milton Road.

The proposed approach within the Plan is to provide a design-led approach which reflects the location within the City having regard to the different land uses, viability and other policies of the Plan. In this context, we support the Council's approach which does not seek to impose general densities across sites since there are many determining factors which affect density and these should be left to the design stage. The example of the Science Park and the application of percentage coverage figures as well as densities has been rejected more recently for a more sensible design led approach which looks critically at the site and its surroundings rather than applying a general density across a large site.

Savills Planning Team in Cambridge are instructed on behalf of St John's College, Cambridge to submit responses to the Issues and Options Report on the CNFE having regard to the College's landholdings and land interests at St John's Innovation Park west of Cowley Road and east of Milton Road.

It is the case that developments within any Cambridge Northern Fringe AAP area will need to be in accordance with the policy within the Adopted Local Plan which is currently at Examination at present. Policy 60 of that Plan together with Appendix F provides the detailed policy context for the policy applicable to Tall Buildings and the Skyline. The guidance within the emerging Local Plan provides a robust set of criteria to assist in assessing the likely impact of a tall building or buildings but in short, it is the intention of the guidance to ensure that the overall character and the qualities of the Cambridge skyline should be maintained and where appropriate enhanced as the City continues to grow and develop. In the context of the opportunities afforded by the CNFE Plan area, it is considered that the applicability of all of the various criteria contained within the Local Plan policy is appropriate and that as one would expect, applicants will be expected to provide a clear justification for tall buildings within any submitted Design and Access Statement accompanying the application. In the case where the Councils acknowledge the potential of plot densification on the St John's College landholdings around the Innovation Park (and which has been the subject of separate responses to your questions raised) then it is the context of those buildings and the surrounding areas that will be key criteria in assessing the acceptability of building heights in that local area.

In terms of supporting an objection to the policy, it is clear that whatever policy emerges from the APP that it must be in accordance with the policy in the Adopted Plan.

Savills Planning Team in Cambridge are instructed on behalf of St John's College, Cambridge to submit responses to the Issues and Options Report on the CNFE having regard to the College's landholdings and land interests at St John's Innovation Park west of Cowley Road and east of Milton Road.

Option B suggests that mixed use development of up to six commercial storeys (24 metres) would allow development to be intensified and create more flexibility in the overall masterplanning of CNFE with new landmark buildings around the new station and other key "nodal" points.

This option in our view, provides the opportunity to make the best use of limited resources within the existing employment areas within the CNFE. Whilst it may not necessarily be the case that the maximum height of buildings would be six commercial storeys on every employment site identified within the CNFE, it is important that the Planning Authorities acknowledge the flexibility that needs to be applied in order to maximise employment opportunities which is an important objective within the Plan area. A key test set out within the criteria in the emerging Local Plan is an acknowledgement of the site surroundings - it remains the case that Cambridge should exploit the limited resources of land that remain in order to secure the jobs and investment for a rapidly expanding population.

Savills Planning Team in Cambridge are instructed on behalf of St John's College, Cambridge to submit responses to the Issues and Options Report on the CNFE having regard to the College's landholdings and land interests at St John's Innovation Park west of Cowley Road and east of Milton Road.

Paragraphs 9.11 through to 9.16 acknowledge the importance of the Northern Fringe as a potential employment hub for the Cambridge area. It is the case that increased accessibility provided by a new railway station together with the enhanced links provided by the Guided Busway will ensure that higher density and more productive use in terms of land uses should be encouraged in order to maximise development potential and meet with the objectives of the Plan area. The specific work commissioned by the Councils acknowledge the continuing pressure and demand for employment space in Cambridge in general, and specifically the City Centre and the Northern Fringe around the Science Park. The development of a new major employment area will therefore respond to the market and help to deliver new buildings in a highly sustainable location.

Paragraph 1.94 of the Plan recognises that the area should meet the need of a range of users and this includes small firms and start ups together with major firms with large numbers of employees. Certainly the importance of the St John's Innovation Centre and the Innovation Park area is an absolute key part of the Cambridge economy and as stated in separate responses to other questions posed by the Plan it is important that the CNFE acknowledges that the immediate area around the St John's Innovation Centre including circulation areas and other buildings around the Innovation Park provide the real potential to increase employment floorspace and to capitalise on the very credentials that the Cambridge economy is famous for. Accordingly, the specialist sectors which are indicated in terms of creation of new employment clusters in the CNFE are supported together with an approach which should look to the area delivering a flexible range of unit types and sizes including start ups and small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). Encouraging the variety of employment space together with the need for new office floorspace including commercial laboratory space are all component parts of delivering new employment on new areas of land as well as consolidating existing employment areas at the Cambridge Business Park and St John's Innovation Park.

Savills Planning Team in Cambridge are instructed on behalf of St John's College, Cambridge to submit responses to the Issues and Options Report on the CNFE having regard to the College's landholdings and land interests at St John's Innovation Park west of Cowley Road and east of Milton Road.

The plan for the CNFE suggests either resisting any hotel uses within any part of the Plan area or encouraging a hotel use as part of the mixed use development of land around the proposed railway station. We consider that a hotel use in any part of the CNFE subject to its siting and relationship to other land uses would be appropriate and there should be no geographical limitation as to where such facilities should be provided. In the instance where the mixed-use development area around the Railway Station has higher land uses and a hotel cannot be forming part of the development for whatever reason but can find an alternative location elsewhere than in the CNFE then the Plan should not prevent it coming forward. Whether the hotel forms part of the mixed use development around the Railway Station is not important in our view - the key is provision of a hotel in a location which will serve the whole of the Cambridge Northern Fringe East as well as the wider area.

Savills Planning Team in Cambridge are instructed on behalf of St John's College, Cambridge to submit responses to the Issues and Options Report on the CNFE having regard to the College's landholdings and land interests at St John's Innovation Park west of Cowley Road and east of Milton Road.

It is the case that vehicular access into and out of the CNFE Plan area remains a significant problem and it is through land ownerships and incremental changes and piecemeal highway works that have created a situation whereby the existing access to the area is limited with a single main route in the form of Cowley Road in and out of Milton Road. Conseqently the Councils have accepted that this creates a significant bottle neck constraint to further development given the amount of heavy peak time congestion and the environmental and economic consequences of such characteristics. Clearly in the circumstances where significant new development proposals are coming forward for the area, then it is entirely appropriate that a wholesale comprehensive highway solution needs to be considered. Such an access needs to secure links into the whole of the area and certainly create an environment where the present problems do not exist.

In such a context, it would appear that the most obvious area to concentrate major highway improvements is the interface where Cowley Road meets Milton Road close to the entrance of the Cambridge Business Park. In the situation where Cowley Road remains the main route to and from any new railway station then it is clear that it is at this point that a significant new junction needs to be put in place to cope with new traffic levels. To perpetuate a situation where the whole area is being accessed through a single stretch of road wedged between the Innovation Park area and the Taylor Vinters buildings is simply going to exacerbate existing problems and dissuade landowners from looking at alternative uses and dissuading investors in bringing forward development proposals. A new major interchange is required for vehicular traffic with the existing network of footpath and cycleways creating links to the surrounding area.

Savills Planning Team in Cambridge are instructed on behalf of St John's College, Cambridge to submit responses to the Issues and Options Report on the CNFE having regard to the College's landholdings and land interests at St John's Innovation Park west of Cowley Road and east of Milton Road.

It is entirely appropriate for the Plan to acknowledge that car parking in and around a new CNFE area will be an important part of any new development. This is particularly the case with instances where existing employment areas have established patterns of movement and car parking which seek to meet the needs and users of the existing employment areas. It is important that any new developments that do come forward do not compound any existing problems and to that end, it is acknowledged that landowners such as St John's College along with the tenants and their existing buildings will perhaps need a more stringent car parking management system in place to ensure that there is no abuse of the spaces within their control.