5,600-home Hartree development in north-east Cambridge ‘frozen’ for now - and vision for residents to park in mobility hubs confirmed
The project to build the 5,600-home Hartree development in the north-east of Cambridge has been “frozen” while a government decision on moving the city’s sewage works is awaited.
Meanwhile, rumours that it would be a car-free development have been quashed - and plans to allow residents to park only at one of four mobility hubs around the edges have been described as part of the vision.
Master developers LandsecU+I and TOWN had hoped to submit a planning application for Hartree in March.
But now an application may not be submitted until the summer and that is dependent on permission being granted to build a replacement sewage works, so that the homes can be built on the site of the existing facility.
Anglian Water has applied for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to build the new Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant on land north of the A14 between Horningsea and Fen Ditton, known as Honey Hill.
A decision was due on 12 January, but was delayed for a second time by the Secretary of State, Steve Reed, with a decision now due on April 14.
Mike Bodkin, head planner at TOWN, described the Hartree scheme as “now frozen”, but said if the sewage works relocation was approved, an outline planning application for the housing development would follow “shortly after”.
Of Hartree’s proposed 5,600 homes, 90 per cent would be flats and 10 per cent houses, with 40 per cent of all homes made available as affordable housing and 25 per cent as Build to Rent properties.
Two primary schools, one library, one health hub, a sports hall and two flexible community/culture facilities are also proposed.
Jobs would be created with 6,550 sq m of retail space, 1,800 sq m for food and beverage commercial units, 87,100 sq m for research and development, and 8,300 sq m for workshop/studio ground floor space.
The master developers previously claimed there was not a development like Hartree “anywhere in the world yet” and said it would “set a new standard” in Cambridge.
A briefing last Wednesday (22 January) gave councillors on Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council an update on the plans.
Mr Bodkin called the plans a “fundamental part of the regeneration of North East Cambridge” and said the developers were committed to “creating a quality place”.
Cllr Katie Thornburrow (Lab, Petersfield) raised concerns that “misinformation” had spread suggesting no cars would be allowed in the development.
The developers confirmed there would be car access, but said they were aiming to create “excellent walking and cycling facilities” to give people the option not to have their own car.
And it emerged that residents may need to walk hundreds of metres to reach their cars at one of four ‘mobility hubs’ planned around the edge of the site, which will offer parking.
There could also be car club spaces, access to e-bikes, buses and other transport options.
All of the homes would be within 400 metres of a mobility hub, the developers said, adding that disabled car parking spaces will be created near the accessible homes.
Cllr Anna Bradnam (Lib Dem, Milton and Waterbeach) suggested some people may not accept when moving into the development that they cannot park a car near to where they live.
She warned this could lead to people parking on the street where they are not meant to and asked the developers what plans they have to stop people from pavement parking.
Mr Bodkin said landscape design would restrict where it would be possible to park throughout the development and fines issued for those who parked inappropriately.
Mr Bodkin said: “We are not dictating who can come and live here, but what we are saying is that if they want to come live here, that they are then buying into the vision.
“If they want to live with a car then there will be an additional cost and they will be paying to use a space.”
Cllr Thornburrow said moving home was a key point when people made a decision about potentially shifting from using a car to using public transport.
“When people move to an area with different forms of transport provision they will weigh up the pros and cons of public transport, or the ability to own a car, or the ability to access cars in a different way,” she said. “I think what we are planning here is a very good idea.
“I hope that the details will be done very carefully, so that people can choose to make that modal shift, to not give up car use, but car ownership.”
Cllr Thornburrow agreed with Cllr Bradnam’s concerns about people parking throughout the development and said there needs to be parking enforcement from when the first person moved in.
She recalled problems at other new developments where parking restrictions were brought in at the end, by which point people had got into “bad habits” of parking along the streets.