Planning Department
Cambridge City Council
The Guild Hall
Market Square
Cambridge
CB2 3QJ
30th September 2013
Dear Sir/Madam
DRAFT CAMBRIDGE LOCAL PLAN 2013: PROPOSED SUBMISSON: ISSUES AND OPTIONS 2
CONSULTATION – LAND TO SOUTH OF COLDHAMS LANE
Iceni Projects Ltd are instructed by Anderson Group to make representations in respect of the
proposed submission Local Plan 2013 and in order to promote the options available for the land to
the south of Coldhams Lane.
We would be grateful if the following information could be given due regard through the Local Plan
consultation process.
a. Cambridge Local Plan 2014: Proposed Submission
The proposed submission Local Plan sets out the way Cambridge City Council will meet the
development needs of Cambridge up until 2031. It states that the city has plans to grow significantly,
with the policies of the local plan setting out how the council proposes to meet the important
development aspirations and needs.
The land in question is situated to the south of Coldham’s lane and is a 30.16ha site located two
miles to the east of Cambridge city centre. The site consists of two lakes situated to the south of the
railway line, and two separate land parcels to the north of the railway line. The area is designated in
the proposed submission Local Plan as being an “Area of Major Change”.
The Anderson Group are the freehold owners of the two land parcels to the north of the railway line,
and are co-owners of the land to the south of the railway line (that accommodating the lakes). The
Anderson Group are fully committed to the delivery of public open space and recreational uses on
land to the south of Coldhams Lane in accordance with Cambridge City Council’s aspirations. The
Anderson Group are also committed to delivering the Council’s target of redeveloping the eastern
part of the site (to the north of the railway line) with appropriate commercial land uses.
b. Policy 15: Land South of Coldham’s Lane Area of Major Change
Policy 15 of the proposed submission Local Plan refers to the land to the South of Coldhams Lane.
The policy states that the Council is seeking the wider regeneration of this area with appropriate
redevelopment and the creation of an urban country park to serve the east of the city. A masterplan
for the area will be developed and this will set out the principal uses, quantum of development and
extent of developable land, approach to the built form, circulation and movement, public access and
landscape improvements, and future management and funding arrangements for the urban country
park.
Cambridge City Council highlights two main parts to this area:
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a) The area south of the railway line, including the water bodies, which will provide primarily
passive outdoor recreation opportunities in the form of a new urban country park
b) The area immediately south of Coldhams Lane (lying north of the railway line), which will
allow for appropriate commercial uses and some outdoor recreational uses.
It is suggested that this area of Cambridge represents an under-utilised resource that should be
revitalised. The area provides a unique opportunity to introduce new uses, redevelop key sites and
improve access. The redevelopment of the land south of Coldhams Lane as an urban country park
will help enhance the existing ‘green and blue corridor’ of important open spaces that runs from
Coldhams Common through the western and eastern sites to the north of the railway line, and the
lakes into Cherry Hinton Hall, and then further south through to Limekiln Hill local nature reserve and
the Cherry Hinton Pit Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The Anderson Group are totally
committed to the early delivery of recreational uses on the western site to the north of the railway
line, as well as the lakes and their surroundings.
c. Anderson Group Representations
Anderson Group are fully supportive of the aspirations portrayed in Policy 15 of the Local Plan 2013:
proposed submission. They welcome the opportunity to facilitate the creation of an urban country
park for Cambridge, which enhances the open access and appropriate leisure activities. These
enhancements will also facilitate ecological improvement across the site.
It is, though, important that the policy allows a degree of flexibility in terms of land uses elsewhere
across the site in order to ensure that the overarching aspirations are economically viable and
therefore achievable and deliverable.
Anderson Group agree that the proposed urban country park, which will incorporate the two lakes
and makes up 10.53ha of the total site, can become public open space, accessible to the public,
facilitating both ecological and recreational improvements. The third lake situated to the west of the
site is in the ownership of the Territorial Army, is unavailable, and should not be included as part of
the masterplan.
The western part of the development area to the north of the railway line is 10.45ha in size and has
been highlighted in Policy 15 as being a site suitable for outdoor recreational use. The Anderson
Group agree that the site should be used for recreational purposes. In this regard, and as freehold
owners, The Anderson Group are committed to the early delivery of recreational use(s) on this site,
in accordance with the Council’s aspirations. The actual use of the site will have to be given careful
consideration, though, given the proximity to the runway at Cambridge Airport, and the topography of
the site relative to that runway.
As proposed in Policy 15, Anderson Group also agree that the 9.182ha site situated on the eastern
part of the development area (to the north of the railway line) is suitable for built development
comprising predominantly commercial land uses. Anderson Group would, however, respectfully
suggest that there is a degree of flexibility regarding an element of complementary land uses, in
order to ensure the viability of the redevelopment. The Anderson Group endorse a strategy that
seeks to utilise that eastern site as a receptor for non-conforming commercial uses currently located
within the city centre. This will, in turn, release previously developed land within the urban area for
more appropriate redevelopment to meet the Council’s aspirations and strategies.
Figure 3.4 of the proposed of the Cambridge Local Plan 2014: Proposed Submission remains
misleading however. Policy 15 highlights this eastern site as being appropriate for commercial
redevelopment. However, Figure 3.4 continues to identify this area as protected open space and a
designated city wildlife, county wildlife and local nature reserve. In order to make the proposed
masterplan economically viable the scheme needs to allow for commercial and other complementary
land uses, and this needs to be reflected on the associated proposals map.
The Tins Link cycle path (which connects the site with Cambridge city centre) also runs through this
part of the site. Anderson Group are working with the County Council through the masterplan
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process to explore improvements to the the Tins cycle path, so to allow better access for cyclists and
pedestrians travelling to and from Cambridge City Centre.
In these circumstances, Anderson Group commend the proposed allocation of land situated to the
south of Coldhams lane as an ‘Area of Major Change’ as set out in Policy 15. For the foregoing
reasons the proposed masterplan should accommodate the recommendations suggested by
Anderson Group so as to promote the regeneration of the area as an urban country park, which is
accessible to members of the public and which also consists of both recreational, commercial and
complementary land uses in order to make the proposed scheme economically viable.
We would be grateful if these representations could be given due consideration through the
consultation process. In the meantime we hope that sufficient information has been provided, but
should you require any further clarification then please do not hesitate to contact us.
Yours faithfully
Paul Webster BA(Hons) DipTP MRTPI
DIRECTOR
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