Question 20

If my first diagram is used, then employment should be office lead, however if diagram two is used in the event of relocation of the sewage works, then there could be a few changes to have manufacturing as required. The location for employment uses is about as good as it can be, from a transport perspective, and should therefore be encouraged, however not at the expense of residential development.

Let's go for what we are good at.

Fulfils the need to integrate with the wider area.

There should not be heavy industry in this area.

Best options and coherent

Support: Yes

Comment: No heavy industry

A combination of commercial and residential uses which are likely to include offices and R & D uses should be provided in the CNFE area, with the mix being informed by both market conditions and successful place-making.

Savills Planning Team in Cambridge are instructed on behalf of St John's College, Cambridge to submit responses to the Issues and Options Report on the CNFE having regard to the College's landholdings and land interests at St John's Innovation Park west of Cowley Road and east of Milton Road.

Paragraphs 9.11 through to 9.16 acknowledge the importance of the Northern Fringe as a potential employment hub for the Cambridge area. It is the case that increased accessibility provided by a new railway station together with the enhanced links provided by the Guided Busway will ensure that higher density and more productive use in terms of land uses should be encouraged in order to maximise development potential and meet with the objectives of the Plan area. The specific work commissioned by the Councils acknowledge the continuing pressure and demand for employment space in Cambridge in general, and specifically the City Centre and the Northern Fringe around the Science Park. The development of a new major employment area will therefore respond to the market and help to deliver new buildings in a highly sustainable location.

Paragraph 1.94 of the Plan recognises that the area should meet the need of a range of users and this includes small firms and start ups together with major firms with large numbers of employees. Certainly the importance of the St John's Innovation Centre and the Innovation Park area is an absolute key part of the Cambridge economy and as stated in separate responses to other questions posed by the Plan it is important that the CNFE acknowledges that the immediate area around the St John's Innovation Centre including circulation areas and other buildings around the Innovation Park provide the real potential to increase employment floorspace and to capitalise on the very credentials that the Cambridge economy is famous for. Accordingly, the specialist sectors which are indicated in terms of creation of new employment clusters in the CNFE are supported together with an approach which should look to the area delivering a flexible range of unit types and sizes including start ups and small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). Encouraging the variety of employment space together with the need for new office floorspace including commercial laboratory space are all component parts of delivering new employment on new areas of land as well as consolidating existing employment areas at the Cambridge Business Park and St John's Innovation Park.

Paragraph 9.15 highlights the precise issues with the development of the AAP site to meet the current and future demands of the R&D market who would potentially be looking to expand in Cambridge or relocate to Cambridge. Paragraph 9.15 advises that due to issues associated with availability of specific sites and demand for space at that time some of the development could take place beyond 2031. We would contend that at current take up rates Cambridge will run out of suitable, available and deliverable R&D floorspace within the next five years.
The employment uses listed include office and R&D developments but it is unclear if any market research has been undertaken to support these particular sectors listed. The R&D sector is diverse and extremely location sensitive. Is it clearly understood if those high value employment uses will want to locate to a site which is mixed use with waste and industrial uses close to some other uses in the sector but geographically divorced from others? The plan needs to be able to demonstrate that it can bring forward land rapidly to meet requirements for a full range of R&D uses in the immediate term and in the future.

See attached [below]

20.1 Paragraphs 9.11 through to 9.16 acknowledge the importance of the Northern Fringe as a potential employment hub for the Cambridge area. Increased accessibility provided by the new railway station and enhanced links through the Guided Busway will together ensure that higher density and more productive land use can realistically be encouraged to maximise the development potential and meet the objectives of the Plan area. Work commissioned by the Councils acknowledges the continuing pressure and demand for employment space in Cambridge in general, and specifically in the City Centre and the Northern Fringe around the Science Park. Development of a major new employment area will respond to the market and help to deliver new buildings in a sustainable location.

20.2 Paragraph 9.14 of the Plan recognises that the area should meet the needs of a range of users, including small businesses and start-ups as well as major firms with large numbers of employees. The St John's Innovation Centre specifically and the Innovation Park area more generally form critical components of the Cambridge economy. It is crucial that the CNFE acknowledges that the immediate area around the St John's Innovation Centre (including circulation areas and other
buildings around the Innovation Park) provide real potential to increase employment floorspace and to capitalise on specific assets for which the Cambridge economy is famous.

20.3 We therefore support the emphasis on specialist sectors indicated as the basis for the creation of new employment clusters in the CNFE. We also support an approach which sees the area delivering a flexible range of unit types and sizes, including facilities suitable for start ups and small and medium size enterprises, and commercial laboratory space. Variety of employment space will be critical in delivering new employment on new areas of land as well as consolidating existing
employment areas at the Cambridge Business Park and St John's Innovation Park.

Support the intention to provide a range of unit types and sizes, hybrid buildings and laboratory space

The potential of the CNFE to support the cluster of high technology and R&D development is noted. However, it is also one of the very few locations in the Cambridge area which accommodates B2, B8 and sui generis uses which support and provide essential infrastructure for the Cambridge area. This role is reflected in the Options and should not be diminished.

There needs to be greater reference to middle level jobs not just a focus on high skill jobs as it currently reads. This proposed policy seems to focus on high skills jobs, which as of 2013, made up 70% of the jobs in Cambridge - more focus should be made to the middle level jobs which are desperately needed in Cambridge so people can get out of low skill low paid employment. As it stands this policy does not support the development principle as detailed in chapter 7: 'Deliver additional flexible employment space to cater for a range of business types and sizes, and supporting a wide range of jobs for local income, skills and age groups'

Provides range of options reflecting Cambridge economy.

Too much emphasis on employment uses and in particular B2 and B8 uses in Options 3 and 4.

The proposed approach to employment uses is supported. The CNFE area is highly suitable to accommodate future employment uses identified in the Employment Land Review 2012, especially technology and research and development sectors, give the juxtaposition of the existing Science Park and evidence on demand. It is also a highly sustainable location to concentrate further employment uses given the proposed new railway station, potential guided busway route and scope to enhance pedestrian/cycle networks. Furthermore, there is a good opportunity to develop sustainable linkages between new homes and new jobs through strengthened connections between Waterbeach New Town and the employment opportunities at CNFE.

Generally Turnstone can support the proposed approach but consider that it should be acknowledged that employment uses at CNFE can include pure offices as well as hybrid buildings, and buildings aimed at particular sectors and technologies. Flexibility will be a key consideration and it will be important to ensure that CNFE can respond to developments in the market place and in the economy in an appropriate way.

No comment.

CambridgePPF would like to see a mixed development with employment and substantial residential provisions.

See attached document

See attached document

I find all proposed options to be too restricted with the use of space. A mix of residential use, offices and industry would be preferable to give it a more natural feel. For example, leave the Nuffield Road industrial area and more residential use development further north. Also consider a more modular approach that allows to develop toward a future goal, but doesn't depend on things (like moving the water recycling centre) from the get go.

*******************


9) Objective 3 shouldn't get highest priority.
14) 11-13 are too divided in to use of space, a more natural mix of residential, offices and industrial would be better. Also, re-use as much of what is already there as possible.
15, 16, 17) No clear explanations, which means meaning will be defined later.
18b) Would destroy the feeling of that part of the city.
23c) Science Park should be independent.
24d) This should only be considered if there are no other options. Moving the businesses will be expesive, so leave them there and build the residential area somewhere else.
30e) Student accomodation should be integrated so they won't all be in the same area.
36) Whatever makes best sense for transport at the current stage of the project.