Cambridge developers drop appeal and re-think £725 million regeneration scheme centred on transport interchange

Proposals for a major redevelopment for the Station Road area of Cambridge have been scrapped by developers who have now agreed to go back to the drawing board over the £725 million project. Ashwell Property Group has announced it is shelving an appeal against Cambridge City Council's decision to refuse planning permission for the cb1 scheme.

The decision follows detailed discussions with Cambridge City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council and highlights Ashwell’s commitment to working in consultation on a revised vision for the station area. Ashwell and its architects, Rogers, Stirk, Harbour & Partners - formerly Richard Rogers Partnership - are working closely with the City and County Councils to deliver a scheme that addresses the concerns on the original planning application and secures the buy-in of local residents and stakeholders.

The company is now working on new plans for the 21.5 acre development that originally involved ambitious plans for a transport interchange, 1,400 flats, a hotel, offices and a multi-storey car park. Those plans were dismissed by the planning authority on 25 counts. The new scheme is still in its infancy and Ashwell expects to begin public consultation later this summer.

Paul Thwaites, chief executive of Ashwell Property Group, said: ‘We are making excellent progress working in consultation with officers at the city and county councils on the key principles for the redevelopment of cb1. ‘At the heart of the redesign is a focus on delivering a high quality transport interchange, which will enable people living, working or visiting this great city to move between transport by bicycle, bus, train and car with ease.’

Simon Payne, director of environment and planning at Cambridge City Council, said: ‘The city council welcomes the withdrawal of the appeal by Ashwell. Our key priority is high quality urban design and affordable housing provision.’ Commenting on the withdrawal of the appeal, Chief Executive of Ashwell Property Group, Paul Thwaites, said: ‘We are making excellent progress working in consultation with officers at the City and County Councils on the key principles for the redevelopment of cb1.

At the heart of the redesign is a focus on delivering a high quality transport interchange, which will enable people living, working or visiting this great city to move between transport by bicycle, bus, train and car with ease.’ Ashwell will be undertaking the first step of its public consultation programme in the early summer of this year.

Appeal history on cb1

Ashwell previously secured a deferment of its appeal from the Planning Inspectorate in December 2006 but - in agreement with the City and County Councils - it has decided to withdraw the appeal to focus wholly on developing its revised plans for cb1.