As Peter Freeman prepares to face Cambridge residents, UDL asks what you can learn from our city

UDL Being Urban Design Learning who produced a series of videos on some of the recently-built developments on the edge of Cambridge

There are very few tickets left for the talk by Mr Freeman of the Cambridge Growth Company on Thurs 15 May at Great St Mary’s

What do Cambridge’s new developments look like?

You can view the videos here and also browse through Stephen Platt’s report on the newly-built housing developments from July 2024 here.

I won’t pass judgement on the content – that’s for you to do! That said, it has only been just over four years since Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner tore into the construction industry – in particular the volume builders, over the quality of the design and build of too many newbuild homes in our city. That he did so in via an adjournment debate (you can watch it here) – which involves the MP concerned applying for a specific speaking slot on a specific constituency issue, was all the more striking.

*Post-occupancy evaluations are essential*

“…says Emma Cooke of the Quality of Life Foundation in response to the Newtowns taskforce’s interim report. Also, on radical leadership and empowering communities“

…who I quoted in that blogpost nearly a year after I tabled a public question to Cambridge City Council’s Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee. You can see the exchange between myself and Cllr Katie Thornburrow in the first public question in the minutes here (item 4).

Cllr Thornburrow stated:

“If there was more post occupancy assessment the build quality would improve.”

And

“If there was a requirement that the energy efficiency had to be shown in use and not just hypothetically on every scheme, the build would be more considered, the same applied to water efficiency.”

Cllr Katie Thornburrow, response to Q1), Cambridge City Council Planning & Transport Scrutiny Committee, 19 March 2024

Furthermore, Cllr Thornburrow stated:

“[Post-occupancy evaluations were] an area that could be taken forward and considered though the new Local Plan process. This already had elements which sought to ensure proposed design standards were met upon completion, particularly on climate change requirements.”

It might be worth both Cambridge City Council and also the Combined Authority given the latter’s expanding remit to make new policy statements or statements of intent regarding the emerging local plan.

Food for thought?

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