Planners have firmly rejected proposals for demolishing Kendal Court – the buildings around Station Stores on Cambridge Road, Impington – and redeveloping the area with high density residential accommodation.
Developers had applied for permission to develop the whole site with a building containing 28 apartments and two commercial units, in an L-shaped configuration at the corner of Cambridge Road and the guided busway.
But planning officers for South Cambridgeshire have provided 7 grounds for planning permission to be refused.
Objections
The Parish Council has been a vocal objector to the proposals. On behalf of the community, it made 27 objections to the original plans, and 24 objections to the revised version submitted to planners when it became clear that the initial proposal failed to adequately address local needs and concerns, or meet the requirements of the Village Design Guide.
Among the issues it raised were the absence of affordable housing; inadequate parking provision; and the density of residential accommodation that would be created in the area surrounding the former railway station, where more than 50 new properties have either been built or are under construction on the former Bishop’s site opposite. It also commented on the strain a development of this scale would place on the already-overstretched doctor’s surgery, and the loss of business premises in the area, which was formerly home to Anglia Fireplaces as well as Station Stores and Richard Stebbings Funeral Service.
Others who objected to the plans included the Local Highway Authority, which expressed concerns about vehicle manoeuvring from the site to the road, and the Local Flood Authority, unhappy about surface water drainage arrangements.
35 residents responded to the public consultation, commenting on issues including inadequate provision for cyclists and the visual impact of the four-storey development on the area.
Planners also felt that the private and communal outdoor amenity space available to residents in the properties would be inadequate.
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Next steps
The developers who own the site are now faced with choices about how to proceed.
While they could appeal the decision, success seems unlikely given the number of reasons given for rejecting the proposed scheme.
They could adjust the proposal and resubmit, or alternatively – unless they choose to sell the site on to someone else – they will need to go back to the drawing board to come up with a scheme that addresses the points raised by planners.
Parish Council chair Denis Payne commented: “We are delighted that this particular scheme has been rejected. The site is designated as an area for mixed development, so that the area around the guided busway stop could become a gateway to the village, with destination businesses creating a lively 7am to 10pm area.
“The proposed plans would have added a significant amount of residential accommodation but not provided the associated amenities and facilities that a growing village needs, and did nothing to address the serious problem of affordable local housing.
“It seems likely that the developers will offer an alternative scheme, and we hope they will take this fully into consideration before resubmitting ideas for the site.”