Railpen, manager of the £34bn railways pension scheme in the UK, and Ridgelift, its development partner, have secured consent from Cambridge City Council for 230 Newmarket Road, a 157,000 sq ft six-storey Grade A office building in the city. Outline consent has also been granted for 10,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space in a separate single-storey building adjacent to the office.
Designed by Leonard Design Architects, 230 Newmarket Road is in a prominent position on a major thoroughfare into Cambridge. It has been conceived as a multi-occupier headquarters building, providing exemplary quality and amenities.
The ground floor contains a generous reception area and extensive cycling and end-of-trip facilities, with space to park 438 bikes. Moving up through the building, the first floor includes an elevated lobby café and offices, with the floors above providing flexibility of configuration to reflect varied occupier requirements. The top floor features two pavilion-style office spaces, both opening onto an inside-outside terrace. Externally, the consent includes a new carpark with 45 spaces, 26 with EV charging.
Railpen also has strong ambitions for 230 Newmarket Road’s sustainability credentials, and is aspiring for BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and at least 20% biodiversity net gain.
Matthew Howard, Head of Property at Railpen, said:
“This consent represents another important milestone in our continued investment in Cambridge Retail Park. In addition to modern office spaces, retail areas, and an improved public realm around the building, this scheme will help create a sustainable retail park where people can shop, work and spend time.“We would like to express our thanks to everyone who has taken the time to meet with us and provide valuable feedback. We look forward to bringing this development to fruition.”
230 Newmarket Road is the next site set for redevelopment on Cambridge Retail Park, following the construction of a new Starbucks this year. Plans for new retail stores are also in development as part of a long-term strategy to enhance Cambridge Retail Park, offering a broader mix of uses that will attract a diverse range of high-quality retailers to better serve the local community.
