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West Cambridge

 

The University of Cambridge’s proposals for the West Cambridge site will be instrumental in maintaining the University’s and City’s long-term success and position on a global stage.

Proposals for the site will include integrating the activities of the University’s Physics and Engineering departments at West Cambridge, alongside opportunities for industry and enterprise.  The development will encourage substantial investment in Cambridge and benefit the region in becoming a premier site contributing to the City’s long-term growth plans, in particular supporting employment growth in the City.

The University is intending to submit proposals for a new Outline Plan for the West Cambridge site in Spring 2016 that will support the long-term growth, seeing development for the next 20 years that will provide 21st century facilities for the University departments and industry to explore future research and technologies that will go on to change the world. 

The existing site

Development of the West Cambridge site has been on-going since the 1960s and it is currently working from a planning agreement which dates to 1999.

The development has remaining capacity for academic, commercial and shared facilities outstanding from the 1999 scheme.  The existing site is the starting point for strategic developments that will see the integration of the University’s department of Physics as well as Engineering, which, together with departments already based at West Cambridge, will create a new world-class site for Physical Sciences and Technology. 

Priority Projects (2016-2021)

The first phase of the new development plan will see the construction of spaces for academic departments and shared facilities. This will be delivered within a five-year timescale.   

The priority projects include:

  • A new facility for the Department of Physics on a site to the west of JJ Thomson Avenue. 
  • The Civil Engineering building for the Department of Engineering on a site east of JJ Thomson Avenue.
  • Shared Facilities including food and beverage, meeting rooms, and teaching space on a site to the west of JJ Thomson and south of the new Department of Physics building
  • An energy centre will be located towards the west of the site
  • Car parking in multi-storey provision to begin to change the site’s public realm from car-oriented to cycle and pedestrian focused

Interim condition (2021-2030)

The next phase of the new development plan will see additional academic and commercial space provided for the site, particularly on the western part of the site. An additional entry point to the site will be created from Madingley Road, west of High Cross. 

Full development (2030)

At the full development build out, there will be academic and commercial employment space on site and shared facilities to support the long-term growth of the area. The final phase of development is dependent on the Department of Veterinary Medicine relocating. 

Heather Topel, Deputy Project Director of the West Cambridge said:

“The vision for the West Cambridge site is to create a high quality, well connected research environment that will support the University’s and City’s globally competitive position. There is a clear picture of how the site will develop over time to support the University’s growth as well as how the site will offer much-needed employment space in the City for long-term benefit.”   

A new outline planning consent for the West Cambridge site is expected to be submitted in Spring 2016 to the local planning authorities.  Once the new outline planning permission being granted, a series of Reserved Matters Applications for the detailed designs of the buildings will be submitted.