Run-down former SNAP! 4 Kids nursery in Cambridge to become flats and early years space

A “dilapidated” former nursery in Cambridge will be converted into new flats and early years space.

SNAP! 4 Kids ran the nursery in Church Hall, in Chapel Street, for more than 20 years, but closed after its previous plans to build 13 flats and an improved nursery space were refused by councillors last year amid concerns the proposals represented an overdevelopment.

In January, the nursery submitted a new application to Cambridge City Council for 13 one and two-bedrooms flats, each with a terrace or balcony, and a community early years space on the ground floor.

A planning committee was told last Wednesday (December 6) that the building was suffering “increasing dilapidation”, with the roof now “falling in”.

Janet Robertson, owner of SNAP! 4 Kids, confirmed the nursery would not reopen under the new plans, but said the early years space would be a base for the group Chicken Shed Cambridge to develop an inclusive performance education training site for the under fives.

Ms Robertson said: “Pursuing the aim to retain and improve the whole chapel building makes this site challenging and one where compromise is inevitable.

“But we believe the hard work we have done by incorporating [councillors’ and officers’] advice and guidance means that this application represents an excellent opportunity to save the building, retain the community space, and create some high quality and much-needed residential accommodation for the city.

“It won’t suit everyone and we completely accept and understand that.

“If we are going to keep this building and sustain it as a sustainable space for the future we are certain that this application offers the very best chance we have.”

Objections were raised by some neighbours.

Victoria Helmer believed the new plans would be “overbearing” and raised concerns about potential traffic from 13 additional households and the early years space, which she feared would lead to people arriving and leaving at all times of the day.

Ms Helmer highlighted that Chapel Street was very narrow and said her own car had been written off a couple of years ago by another driver “trying to squeeze through”.

She said: “As residents we want the building to be refurbished, we want it to be made useful, but this is an overuse of the space.”

Ms Robertson said the aim of the new early years area was not to bring more people into that space, but to use it as a base, and then go out to work with other organisations.

Concerns were raised by council conservation officers, who said the extension would “overwhelm and dominate” the original chapel building.

Cllr Ingrid Flaubert (Lib Dem, Trumpington) “echoed” these concerns, saying: “I actually do not see that much of the building has been retained - it is just at the front.”

Cllr Martin Smart (Lab, King’s Hedges) thought the proposed building was “bulky” and “quite large in its context”.

But others felt the new plans were an improvement on what was previously proposed.

Cllr Katie Thornburrow (Lab, Petersfield) said: “I am pleased this has come back again. It is a real improvement in terms of conservation and protection of the adjacent listed building.

“Providing these smaller units helps meet the demand for units in Cambridge, it is also sustainable in a time of climate crisis to have more units like these..

“Someone could have developed this into a huge single home. This is more sustainable as it provides accommodation for many more residents in the city.”

Cllr Alice Gilderdale (Lab, East Chesterton) said: “I am really pleased to see that this has come forward. It is a fantastic space and I know that lots of residents will really benefit from having this space opened again.”

A majority of the councillors voted in favour of the plans.