Approval given for 425 homes and 22 parking spaces

Detailed plans for more than 400 apartments have been approved despite concerns residents will only be allocated 22 parking spaces.

Councillors signed off detailed plans for the development near Cambridge North railway station on Wednesday.

Outline plans for the proposal were approved by the government in 2024 after initially being rejected by the local council.

Richard Thomas, development director at Blocwork, one of the applicants, told councillors that residents would have an "exceptional opportunity" to travel by public transport, walking or cycling.

"This is an opportunity to deliver 425 much-needed new homes, this is a deliverable scheme now, with funder, operator, builders in place ready to go," he said.

Councillors from South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council discussed the finer details of the design at the joint development management committee, with the project in principle already agreed.

The new "residential quarter" at Cambridge North would have 425 rented homes as well as parks, retail spaces and "pocket" gardens.

There would be 22 car parking spaces for residents and 711 bicycle parking spaces.

A 600-space car park has also been proposed for "commercial business users only" on the site, which sits between the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway and railway station.

The project is a joint venture involving Blocwork, a property development company, Network Rail, the residential landlord Grainger and Platform4 Rail Regeneration, which is Network Rail's property development company.

Richard Williams, a Conservative councillor for South Cambridgeshire District Council, speaking at the meeting, said he was "extremely concerned" about the parking situation.

"What will the consequence be of building residential accommodation with grossly inadequate parking?

"It will be parking on streets and surrounding areas," he said.

Milton Parish Council raised an objection to the proposals, saying the village should be given money to offset the impact of parking in the village and surrounding area.

The decision comes days before new planning rules come into force that could make it easier to build thousands of new homes around railway stations across England.

The updated National Planning Policy Framework includes default approval for homes within "reasonable walking distance" of stations.

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