134-room aparthotel with no parking coming to Mitcham’s Corner in Cambridge

A new aparthotel is coming to the middle of the Mitcham’s Corner gyratory in Cambridge.

Some of the vacant buildings on Chesterton Road will be demolished to make way for the new 134-room aparthotel.

Developer Pan Albion LLP said its latest plans would “significantly enhance” the site.

Previous plans to redevelop the buildings on the island in the middle of the gyratory were approved by Cambridge City Council back in 2021.

At the time, the developer wanted to demolish the existing buildings to build new shops and 19 HMOs (houses of multiple occupancy).

But a representative of the developer told councillors at a planning committee meeting last Wednesday (24 July) that rising construction costs meant the previous plans were no longer viable.

The new plans include a shop space on the ground floor and an aparthotel offering short to medium-term stays for people in the city, up to a maximum of 90 days.

A gym and internal courtyard are proposed for hotel guests.

The representative of the developer said the site “lends itself to hotel use”, highlighting its location on an island in the gyratory and close proximity to the city centre.

Cllr Naomi Bennett (Green, Abbey) said she would “normally be very pleased to see something come forward to fill this vacant site”.

But she had concerns about the lack of any dedicated parking for the new hotel, and the knock-on impact this could cause in the area.

Planning officers acknowledged the lack of car parking, but said the city council’s policy was to support car-free developments in sustainable locations, which they considered this to be.

They added that there was an “overprovision” of cycle parking for the development.

The committee voted in favour of the planning application.