The proposed monster planning application, even when amended, is large enough to cover a significant portion of the cost for this much-needed amenity in one of Cambridgeshire’s most economically deprived neighbourhoods
I wrote about a new swimming pool for King’s Hedges back in January 2022 here (Yo! Progress update please?!?) and have been tabling public questions on this ever since. (Cambridge City Council – advanced warning to expect one either at Full Council or at the next Transport and Planning Scrutiny Committee)
The image below is from the North East Cambridge Area Action Plan – the documents of which are here. And there are ***a lot of them***
Above – NECAAP (2021) p37PDF – you see that grey patch separated by the busway (black line) from the pink patches (the Cambridge Science Park)? That’s currently a Milton Road Garage site selling fossil-fuelled cars.
Which are being phased out according to current government plans. Hence my idea to:
- Turn the site into a large swimming pool (indoor or outdoor, I’m not fussed
- Use the excess heat generated from the economic activities of the employment parks to warm the water
- Have the facilities designed with children and teenagers in mind given the proximity of Cambridge Regional College, North Cambridge Academy, and local primary schools nearby
The development proposal is too big for my little head to deal with.
And it’s on the other side of town. It is a massive increase in the number of storeys. This is how big they currently are, and below is a CGI of the entrance.
Above – see the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service here, go to the simple search options and type in 24/04575/FUL
Cambridge Past, Present, and Future have objected – not surprisingly
“We object to the design, height and bulk of the buildings and the impact on the Cambridge skyline.”
Cambridge PPF: Planning Responses Planning application for redevelopment for R&D at 210-240 Cambridge Science Park.
Want to submit a comment? See guidance from GCSP at https://www.greatercambridgeplanning.org/planning-applications/view-and-comment-on-planning-applications/
Anglian Water object to Cambridge Science Park proposals
Their response speaks volumes:
“The foul drainage from this development is in the catchment of Cambridge Water Recycling Centre which currently does not have capacity to treat the flows from the development site”
“Anglian Water objects to the connections into our foul network from the proposed development, due to capacity constraints and pollution risk.“
Documents that some of you might be interested in
Please feel free to go through these, and then email your observations to the GCSP Service above or your city councillor via https://www.writetothem.com/
Only my head is about to explode because I’ve been publishing around 2-3 blogposts a day of late, such has been the rate of report and policy publications.
- Public Art Strategy
- Travel Plan
- Transport Assessment
- The photos – you’ll have to zoom in because they have done that thing where they take photos from far away at a high resolution so it looks like the impact will be small when it won’t be.
Above – before and after photos – zoomed in
Planning application tricks of the trade. And don’t get me started on the ugliness of the buildings which again, tricks of the trade, the applicants have hidden with greenery. Trees and plants do not compensate for ugly architecture and poor building design.
Above – bulky brown rusty stuff made to look ‘acceptable’ by trees and green stuff everywhere. It won’t look like that on a cold, wet, rainy and windy January lunchtime
Anyway, over to you, because if all of the trailing by the Supercluster people is anything to go by, we’ll have more news on Cambridge in…the next 24 hours.
“Supercluster board?”
They made their demands clear to the new government back in July 2024. A sort of Congratulations on your electoral victory! These are our requirements.
And if the speculation on the Return of the Arc turns out to be correct…
“…someone will commission a parody of ‘Return of the Mack from 1996?”
Above – what is it about 1996?
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:
- Follow me on BSky <- A critical mass of public policy people seem to have moved here
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Want to talk about these issues with someone in Cambridge? The Trials of Democracy in Cambridge is back for 2025
“Aunty and Pink with be back outside the Guildhall with their inviting sofas and listening ears on Saturday February 8th from 11am – 12 noon.” (And if you can’t make that, Puffles is back at TeaCambs2 on 09 Feb from 2.30-4pm at The Rock on Cherry Hinton Road)
The Cambridge Town Owl 