Cambridge homes plan changed sparking severe neighbourhood concerns

Proposed plans to build 40 new short-stay flats in the city have been amended despite numerous objections from locals.

Last week development group, GCR Camprop Eight Ltd, announced they changed plans which include building 40 new homes in Cambridge.

The properties, which will be situated in Queen Edith’s Way, were initially refused by Cambridge City Council as they claimed it would offer a ‘poor level of accommodation’ but were eventually given the greenlight after the developer won an appeal to overturn the decision.

Within the original application plans included a basement level property, where some parking spaces, bin storage and air source heat pumps were promised to be installed.

However, the organisation have now unveiled that the basement has been axed from the plan which means there will be just seven parking spaces instead of 14.

A representative developer claimed: ‘The main change involves the removal of the basement which we feel should be welcomed, particularly as this will result in a much more efficient build and deliver a significant carbon reduction. We will be reducing the car parking provision to seven spaces, which we consider appropriate.’

Although, residents who already live within the area have raised concerns that people will now leave their cars on the street instead of being able to park at the apartment block.

Cllr David Levien said people would ‘almost certainly’ be coming to the city to stay in the story stay flats. He said: ‘Are we not just building into this development a problem with parking in the area?’

Cllr Naomi Bennet has also raised concerns as she claims the application ‘exposed’ a problem with the city council’s policy of parking in new developments, highlighting the parking needs were different in the middle of the city compared to the areas on the edge.

Against this backdrop, planning officers have stated the city council had a maximum parking policy and not a requirement for a minimum amount of parking, and therefore the proposals were considered to meet the authorities policies.

Following the news that Cambridge locals are upset by the new change in this specific housing plan, developments which were outlined last month by Michael Gove have also sparked concerns amongst people in the city.

In July, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, revealed plans for a new urban quarter in Cambridge, however, Anthony Browne, the Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire, said: ‘I will do everything I can to stop the government’s nonsense plans to impose mass housebuilding on Cambridge, where all major developments are now blocked by the Environment Agency because we have quite literally run out of water. Our streams, rivers and ponds already run dry.’

Image: Chris Boland