Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options

The Welding Institute (TWI)

Object

Policy S/JH: Level of Jobs and Housing

The Greater Cambridge City Deal recognised the relationship between housing and economic growth, and that the shortage of available and affordable housing within Greater Cambridge has an impact on house prices, commuting patterns, and recruitment and retention of employees. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Devolution Deal committed to delivering substantial economic growth and to double economic output during the next 25 years. The 2018 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Economic Review (CPIER) identified that recent employment growth has been faster than anticipated, and the aim of doubling economic output in the area by 2040 was realistic. It was suggested in CPIER that economic growth could be achieved by attracting knowledge-intensive businesses that would not locate elsewhere in the UK, by delivering new housing, and by prioritising infrastructure projects. The National Infrastructure Commission, the Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority and the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership acknowledge and support the economic growth potential of the Greater Cambridge area. All these factors support flexible consideration to the evolution of the established employment clusters including Granta Park.


Requested Change

It is requested that jobs requirements in Policy S/JH are based on delivering the higher growth level option and focussing development towards existing employment clusters, such as Granta Park.

The Welding Institute (TWI)

Amend

Draft Policy J/NE: New employment and development

The Welding Institute (TWI)

This submission relates to the historical campus of TWI which forms part of the wider Granta Park campus, with the Bevan Braithwaite Building at the operational centre. The area falls within the ownership of TWI.

To the east of the main Bevan Braithwaite Building is Abington Hall (a Grade II* Listed Building) and its historical landscape to the south. The Conservation Area boundary runs down the west flank of Abington Hall. To the north of the Bevan Braithwaite Building is a Grade II Listed wall and cottage. There are currently a number of buildings and structures on the site, which have been introduced to meet various specific operational requirements of TWI. The buildings are functional and utilitarian in appearance. The site is accessed via the Granta Park site, via the internal circulation ‘spine’, principally from the north, but with a secondary access from the south. Listed building consent has recently been granted for the refurbishment of Abington Hall as part TWI’s future planning for the site.

TWI has occupied the site since 1946, with several generations of buildings built in its grounds as the institute evolved. During the 1990s, TWI formulated the idea of a new science/research park adjacent to its established Great Abington facility, which ultimately resulted in the development of the Granta Park campus.



The TWI land as it is today featuring a large number of buildings which are which are important to the ongoing operations of TWI, but over time may need to be adapted or replaced to meet the evolving needs of TWI has resulted in changing operational and logistical issues, which need to be addressed. The existing buildings also offer no flexibility as operations change over time.

TWI, as an organisation, needs to adapt and evolve to changing market conditions and the research requirements of its member organisations, and reflect changing operational requirements and respond to poor environmental performance of some of their older building stock. There is likely to be requirements to repurpose or replace some of the existing buildings on the site during the next 10-15 years.

TWI is undertaking a review of its business strategy and related space requirements, which are likely to flex and adapt over the life of this next Local Plan.

TWI would therefore encourage the Council to put in place policies which are supportive of this adaptation over time.

TWI is one of the UK’s leading independent research and technology organisations, that works across all industry sectors in the structural integrity field, and has a long history of innovation, invention and knowledge transfer, and are experts in many elements of manufacturing, fabrication and while life integrity management technologies. Their operations require a variety of elements including offices, teaching/education, laboratories, and heavy engineering workshops.

However, despite this relatively new facility (Buildings B1, B2 and B3 approved under applications S/1244/12/OL and S/1052/13/RM), there are a significant number of utilitarian buildings that remain on the site, which are scattered throughout it. These have been developed over the years in an ad-hoc manner as and when the functional requirements of the organisation evolved. They also offer very limited flexibility as operations change over time.

The requirements of the Bevan Braithwaite building have also changed over the years, and there is a need to rationalise operations and address the inflexibility of some of the existing buildings and shortcomings of the existing accommodation to meet TWI’s requirements over the next 10-15 years. The “Greater Cambridge Employment Land and Economic Development Evidence Study” 2020 identifies the benefits of adaptable buildings allowing firms to change and grow as they develop through their life cycle.

This will help the organisation that has positioned itself as a global leader in technology engineering, but also allow for new complementary businesses to be attracted to the park to make better use of established infrastructure and associated facilities.

TWI requests that full consideration is given to a new policy that will support and recognise a comprehensive approach to redevelopment and the opportunities afforded to site.

In doing so, it also needs to be recognised that the site context will be changing. The Cambridge South East Transport (CSET) proposals for a new Travel Hub adjacent to Granta Park would provide an off-road public transport route between Granta Park and Cambridge with an adjacent footway /cycleway, thereby providing an off-road route between the city centre and Granta Park. It is proposed to improve the cycle bridge across the A11 between Granta Park and the Babraham Research Institute thereby improving cycle access a significant barrier. As part of Phase 2 of the CSET route will create a new bus and cycle route direct to Granta Park. These routes will connect to the Chisholm Trail for journeys to north Cambridge, or the rest of the Cambridge City cycle network, and will allow a mode shift to cycling.



Comment

TWI requests that full consideration is given to a new policy such as an “opportunity area” that that recognises opportunities afforded through the redevelopment of the site, through both a rationalisation and upgrading of the existing building stock and the opportunities afforded to attract new occupiers through sensitive new development.

The Welding Institute (TWI)

Amend

Draft Policy J/NE: New employment and development

The provisions in the development plan need to give greater weight to the significance of Granta Park, but also recognise the need to provide flexibility to allow for the continued evolution of the park, and in doing so recognise the requirements of the Welding Institute.

The research and development Sector has seen consistent fast growth particularly in South Cambridgeshire since around 1999. This is a key employment sector relating to life sciences (including biotech, natural science, and engineering) and linked to recent and planned growth across the various campuses including Granta Park and we expect a high level of tenant demand to continue. Clustering and agglomeration benefits are most obviously applicable to the life sciences. Greater Cambridge Employment Land and Economic Needs Study Nov 2020 identifies that the R&D Sector will continue to see growth.

Clustering and agglomeration benefits are most obviously applicable to the life sciences. Although, there are other examples of clustering such as the Cambridge Biomedical Campus which is located alongside Addenbrooke’s Hospital; the development of other campus / business parks across such as Granta Park - demonstrates the ability of life sciences companies to grow around Greater Cambridge – recognising the footprint of the specialist labour market and the fact that not every life sciences business requires adjacency to a research centre or hospital.

Policies with the Local Plan need to recognise the growth opportunities on established Parks as they continue to evolve and be supportive of these, recognising the need to be able to respond to changing market below and re-invest in the existing built form. Policies within the emerging local plan should explicitly support employment development, and Granta Park should be being given similar weight to other campus developments.

Comment
Policies in the Local Plan need to be flexible enough to supporting the needs of clusters and proactively recognise opportunities for some densification to make best use of established R&D Parks, including Granta Park.

The Welding Institute (TWI)

Support

Draft Policy J/NE: New employment and development
This states that proposals for new Employment development (classes E(g), B2 and B8) will be supported in defined ‘established employment areas in the countryside’ (listed below).

Recognising that a number of business parks are located in the rural areas of South Cambridgeshire these key employment sites outside the green belt were identified in the Local Plan 2018 as ‘Established Employment Areas in the Countryside’. It is proposed to continue this designation for the sites previously identified to support their continued evolution. The reference of Granta Park as an ‘established employment areas in the countryside’ is supported.

Comment
The ‘Established Employment Areas in the Countryside’ designation supported and must include reference to Granta Park.

Amend
Draft Policy J/NE: New employment and development proposals states that Employment development (classes E(g), B2 and B8) will be supported in defined ‘established employment areas in the countryside’.

Granta Park must be clearly referenced within the terms of this policy. However, the boundary of the Established Employment Area much be regularised/extended to include the extant consent which was been granted under application S/1110/15/OL, which is subject to a reserved matters submission, which is pending determination. The proposed alteration to the site boundary is identified in green.

The boundary of the Established Employment Area should be regularised and extended.