By Hannah Brown
Copyright cambridge-news
Fears have been shared that the “bustling” Christ’s Lane in Cambridge could be turned into a “canyon” if a new library is built as planned. Christ’s College has put forward plans to demolish the 1970s library that backs on to Christ’s Lane to build a new accessible library with a courtyard garden.
The plans have faced backlash from some in the city due to concerns about the impact the new development could have on Christ’s Lane. Cambridge City Council called a meeting on Thursday (September 11) to discuss the plans after the authority received two petitions, one opposing the project, and one supporting the scheme.
Planning officers said the planning application for the development was still under consideration. At the time of the meeting they said there had been 57 comments of support from members of the public and 65 objections.
Officers explained that there had been a “number of technical objections” and that the College had put forward a “package of amendments” to try and address these issues.
They highlighted that an objection had been received from Anglian Water due to a lack of capacity at the Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant. Simon McDonald, Master at Christ’s College, told the meeting that replacing the existing library was one of the most important outstanding items on the College’s agenda.
He said the library had been “done on the cheap” in the 1970s and had ”severe maintenance problems” by the 2000s. Mr McDonald explained that plans had previously been approved for a new library building, but it was not built due to a lack of money.
While he said this project had not gone ahead, the “urgency for replacing the library had grown”. Mr McDonald said the new library the College wanted to build would offer more study space for students and would be accessible, highlighting that wheelchair access was a “big issue” for the College.
He also said the building would be designed to last at least 200 years and would be a “beautiful building” that was part of the interface between the College and the city.
Shelley McNamara, from Grafton Architects, highlighted the plans to have new windows from the library facing onto Christ’s Lane, which she said would “light up” the street in the evenings and would offer “passive surveillance”. She added that it had been “very important” to the architects to make it a “beautiful wall”.
Dr Jon Burgess, from Turley Associates, said the elevation of the proposed new building onto Christ’s Lane would be a “considerable improvement” from what is there at the moment. He recognised that the new building would be taller than the existing library, but said it was not “disproportionate” to the surrounding buildings.
‘Proposed library will turn Christ’s Lane into a canyon’
Representatives from Christ’s Lane Action Group (CLAG), which submitted the petition opposing the plans, argued the new building would be “too large”. Alec Forshaw, from CLAG, said the proposed chimneys were “blocky” and from some views “coalesce into a continuous mass and turn Christ’s Lane into a canyon”.
He argued the project needed a “major rethink” and said the public benefits proposed were “poor”. Roger Hepher, from HGH consulting, a planning consultant representing CLAG, said the group was not opposed to an “appropriate form of development on the site”.
He said the project “pays scant regard to the interest of the public on the outside world”. Mr Hepher said: “My submission is that the planning system should do all it can to improve [Christ’s Lane], whereas the scheme that is currently on the table would effectively do the opposite and take what is already constrained urban space and turn it into an even less attractive canyon.
“The sheer height and block of what is proposed, it is like looking at a fortress. If there had been a deliberate attempt to turn its back on the outside world, it really could not have done much better than what is shown [in the plans].”
Professor Suchitra Sebastian, from CLAG, said Christ’s Lane was a “bustling vibrant lane” used by people across the city. She said the College proposals would create a “blank wall” with “no active frontage”, as she highlighted that all of the windows proposed were above the head height of people walking along the street.
‘We should be proud of the library plans and support them’
Those who submitted the petition in support of the project said it was something they “should be proud of and should be supporting”. Dr Tom Monie said it was important for everyone to remember that the students at Christ’s College were part of the Cambridge city community.
He said students had been asking for improved study space for many years and that only 10 per cent of the College’s student body could currently use the library at one time. Dr Monie said the proposed new library would “triple available work space” in a building that had “accessibility at its core”.
He added that improving student’s working environment would also help improve their mental health. He said: “This building is both sympathetic and inspirational and will move the College into the 21st century. It is a project we should be proud of and should be supporting.”
Councillor says College should not be ‘resentful’ of aim to get the most out of development
Councillor Tim Bick, ward councillor for the area, said he had visited the existing library and said it was “surprisingly inadequate for the sort of institution Christ’s College is”, and agreed it needed replacing. He said he did share the concern “about what has been called the canyon effect”.
Cllr Bick said something needed to be done to “beautify” the College side of Christ’s Lane, but asked whether more could be done to benefit the wider public. He said: “I do not think that this College should feel resentful about the fact that residents in the city want to squeeze the maximum out of them in this development. One question is can we see more than the bench that is proposed.”
Cllr Bick also said that there would be “considerable impact” on people using Christ’s Lane during the construction of the library. He said they needed the information on how this would be managed at the outset.
Mr McDonald said he recognised that the proposed new library would be taller than the existing building, and would be taller than the previous plans that had been approved for a new library.
He explained that the previous proposals had included a basement level, but said the focus on sustainability had changed since then and said digging a basement and filling it with concrete was “massively carbon intensive”.
Ms McNamara pushed back on the description of Christ’s Lane as becoming like a “canyon” and said the new building would not cast a shadow.
She said: “Cambridge is a city of walls, there are many beautiful walls, in objecting to a wall is in many ways objecting to the legacy of Cambridge. This is another university campus with a wall facing two directions, it does face the street, it does make a bench, which is not nothing.”
Dr Burgess addressed the concern about the impact during the construction process and said he believed they would be able to manage pedestrian access to Christ’s Lane while the work took place.
For more planning notices in your area visit publicnoticeportal.uk .
