EF applies for Change of Use for historic house that previously it used for corporate language courses. In the meantime, will there be a new proposal for the Romsey Labour Club?
“The applicant added that it would “help meet the growing demand for resident facilities” for the school’s growing student numbers. It would also provide “much-needed” accommodation for the already established language school in Hills Road.”
Katie Green for Cambridge News 06 Jan 2025
It’s a shame that the historic property isn’t being turned into a public facility but given the property has been in the applicant’s ownership for decades, and given that the market has declined for its previous use, it seems like a relatively straight forward application.
To view the planning application…
See https://applications.greatercambridgeplanning.org/online-applications/ and type in 25/04927/FUL into the simple search box. If you’re lucky, the weblink to the all-important design and access statement is here.
Romsey Labour Club – what’s happening to it?
The history of the building reflects the long term decline of local government and the collective failure of our city to preserve our town heritage.
I’ve moaned about it for years – eg this post from 2021, and this from 2019 about our broken planning system – as far as I’m aware the applicant was not able to bank the planning uplift. But as a case study it reflects so much of what is wrong with the planning system.
I don’t know what follow up there was following the 2024 fire, but one architecture firm has indicated there’s a planning proposal somewhere.
Above – by https://www.29architecture.co.uk/projects/87-romsey-labour-club-cambridge
Any thoughts? Feel free to:
- Contact your local city councillor via https://www.writetothem.com/
- Get involved with the Mill Road History Society https://millroadhistory.org.uk/
- Get involved with Capturing Cambridge and the Museum of Cambridge
Assuming the local elections go ahead in Cambridge this year, the candidates standing for election in 2026 will be featured on https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/ – where you can type in your postcode and find out who is standing where you live.
Back in 2023 I made a short video about the building when I stood as an Independent candidate in Queen Edith’s ward.
Given that Romsey is likely to be a contested seat between at least two parties, feel free to get in touch with them.
Above – from Shout Out UK London on IG. See more at https://www.shoutoutuk.org/
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