The Beehive Centre’s back with more proposed changes

Posted byCambridge Town OwlPosted inUncategorized

The formal response from a coalition of local residents under the banner of Better Beehive Cambridge was written up in January 2024 here.

This has been a long-running planning application on one of the biggest brownfield sites in Cambridge. I wrote about the proposals as submitted to The Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service (with links for you to leave your comments) here.

“What are the re-worked plans?”

You can browse them here. They were published just before polling day for the general election. Make what you will of the timing. If you click here and scroll down, you can:

  • Watch the webinar (it only works as a pop-out)
  • View the consultation boards
  • Give feedback

You can also see Cait Findlay’s article about the proposals here

One other thing to be aware of is the social impact work that the developers have done, which you can read here. Note to future developers – this is the bare minimum you should be aiming for, especially engaging with children and young people.

A new small-medium-sized park

I was pleasantly surprised that local residents and campaigners had secured this.

Above – you can download the map from the boards via their consultation page

It’ll never be perfect – as a ballpark figure I’m estimating that it’ll be around 100m x 60m. It would be nice to have an open space that is large enough for team games, but the potential financial return is too great to leave such an open space in this political and economic era.

I’m still very dissatisfied with the public transport options

Camcycle have been able to influence the developers to make a better go of the cycleroutes through the site.

Above – you can compare the improved cycle route through the site with what CamCycle called for last year

Above – CamCycle’s proposed alternative on the right

I cannot see the bus options being sustainable given the employment market the developers are targeting

Below – from the developers’ boards.

Whether private commuter shuttles or via the proposed bus franchising, I cannot see how the buses won’t get stuck in ‘last mile’ traffic jams – all other things being equal.

This is why I have called for (repeatedly) a rail/light rail stop at Coldham’s Lane Bridge

Above – note the Grafton Centre top-right, the Newmarket Road Tesco and the Cambridge Retal Park on either site of Newmarket Road, and just below TK Maxx is Coldham’s Lane Bridge. It is around that bridge I propose a rail station – either light or suburban rail.

The above was from my blogpost from this time last year, making the point that a new station built over and around Coldham’s Lane Bridge in a concept similar to the one Smarter Cambridge Transport put together for Cambridge South Station. One ignored by Network Rail.

Above – Smarter Cambridge Transport’s proposals for Cambridge South Station of 05 March 2020

It would in effect require the complete rebuilding of the bridge or the construction of a new road bridge adjacent to the existing one. But given the proposed scale of change proposed for both The Beehive Centre and Cambridge Retail Park on the other side of Coldham’s Lane (you can view their consultation materials here – the first round is closed but there will be more rounds looming) you can see why I want something much more radical.

The feeble structures of local government in/around Cambridge means that the Combined Authority does not have what it needs to produce a radical rail-based scheme that can serve both the current and proposed sci-tech developments east of Central Cambridge – including Capital Park at Fulbourn Hospital, and Mission Street/Land South of Coldham’s Lane/East Cambridge Lakes (which is also back – see here and click on the link to see the latest documents). If you click on the ‘comments’ tab you can see the extensive response from Cambridge Past, Present and Future – the Cambridge branch of the Civic Voice charity collective. You can see their responses to a range of developments here.

Contacting your city/county councillors and MPs

See https://www.writetothem.com/ should you wish to raise the issues – especially on transport, with our county councillors in particular.

And finally…

I’m looking to put on some more workshops – including some at https://www.togetherculture.com/ – would anyone be interested in one that tries to bring together the various larger applications to get a feel for what the cumulative impact might be? Only Cambridge Science Park North is informally consulting on its proposals for a speculative Green Belt development. They presented to Cambridge PPF’s planning committee which replied they are against it in principle as it is contrary to the current Local Plan. (See CPPF here and scroll down)

Above – from the Cambridge Science Park North page – which for three city-based sites indicates an increase of 25,000 new homes/flats, and inevitably future parliamentary boundary changes by 2040. At what point will the city become too big for the city council if it is not already?

Food for thought?

If you are interested in the longer term future of Cambridge, and on what happens at the local democracy meetings where decisions are made, feel free to: