230 Newmarket Road proposals

230 Newmarket Road is the next site to come forward for redevelopment on Cambridge Retail Park as part of a long term plan to create more reasons to visit Cambridge Retail Park.

The updated proposals now show new offices and a restaurant / cafe units. Parking for the offices is now included, with more new landscaping proposed at the entrance to Cambridge Retail Park

The Site

The site, which is shown below, is in a prominent location on Newmarket Road. There are currently three existing poor-quality buildings with very little landscaping and a large amount of tarmac hardstanding.

230 Newmarket Road is identified as a potential development site within Cambridge City Council’s ‘Eastern Gate’ area – an area stretching from the Crown Court, past the Elizabeth Way roundabout to the beginning of the Cambridge Retail Park. The Council’s vision for the ‘Eastern Gate’ area is focused on regenerating and transforming a key approach to the city through high-quality development.

OFFICE and RETAIL space

The updated proposals now show new offices and restaurant / cafe units. Parking for the offices is now included, with more new landscaping proposed at the entrance to Cambridge Retail Park.

Following earlier feedback, we have moved the building back further away from Newmarket Road to make more space for tree planting and to improve the pedestrian experience.

The new building will continue to have an active office frontage at ground floor with windows onto the street to bring back the feel of an active high street to Newmarket Road.

Design and materials

We have designed the building to reflect the materials and character of the local area, whilst also ensuring the building has distinctive features that add to the streetscape.

The local area has subtle variations in architectural style and character. Many of the buildings have a clear top, middle and bottom with one broad theme being a rooftop statement feature and a ground floor glazing feature like a bay window.

In response, the main elements of the proposed design feature a sculpturalrooftop and terrace, a calmersimpler middle to the building
and a predominantly glazed open and public-facing ground floor.

As a reflection of local materiality and history, the design will feature baked clay in different ways.

WHAT 230 NEWMARKET ROAD WILL LOOK LIKE

Landscaping

We are looking to provide tranquil spaces for habitat creation and for people to enjoy at their leisure, with these features being rare in a traditional forecourt on a retail park.

In response to earlier feedback, the building has been set back further from Newmarket Road to provide more space for the new trees and rain gardens we will be adding.

A landscaped roof terrace will also provide office occupiers with additional amenity space.

trees

The design retains the existing trees on site and reinstates trees on Newmarket Road, which were in place in the 1920s. These trees will not only benefit the wider street scene but also support sustainable drainage, biodiversity and health and wellbeing.

Parking Strategy

We know from speaking to local people that overflow parking is a concern in the area and we have therefore prepared a new parking strategy for 230 Newmarket Road.

Our initial designs included plans for a zero car development, but early feedback included commentary about overflow parking causing an impact in the local area.

As such, we are now providing around 45 parking spaces for users of and visitors to the new offices, allocated through a managed car park with bookable spaces allocated on a needs-first basis. These 45 spaces include six Blue Badge spaces.

However, we want to encourage sustainable transport as far as possible, so we are also providing 438 cycle parking spaces, as well as high-standard end-of-journey facilities. These will all be at ground floor level, with showers and changing facilities, e-bike docking stations and parking for cargo bikes, accessible bikes and tricycles.

We are also developing plans to enhance the retail park for pedestrians and cyclists: we will be bringing forward plans for improved routes through the site and connections between the car park areas and existing retailers.

  • 438 secure cycle spaces.
  • 23 EV charging points.
  • 45 car parking spaces, including six Blue Badge spaces, accessed from Henley Way.
  • End of trip facilities with 25 showers, drying lockers and vanity areas.
  • Servicing from Henley Way car park.

Sustainability

Railpen is committed to minimising our environmental impact and long-term sustainability has been factored into everything, from promoting energy efficiency and sustainable building design to encouraging green transport and supporting social and cultural diversity.

We will deliver a highly sustainable new building, which will incorporate a range of measures, including:

Commitment to achieving BREEAM Excellent rating with an aspiration to achieve Outstanding.

Rain and grey water harvesting, reducing water consumption by 40%.

Solar panels to generate renewable energy.

Planting 29 new trees.

An all electric building with no mains gas.

Delivering more than 900 sqm of additional planting.

Providing a Biodiversity Net Gain of at least 10%.

"Outstanding" Certification

The combination of these measures will create a net zero carbon development in operation and achieve BREEAM Excellent rating with an aspiration to achieve "Outstanding", which is the highest global sustainability rating for commercial buildings. BREEAM is the world’s most widely used environmental assessment method.

We are also working with Professor John French from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership to minimise carbon in development (embodied carbon) and only then to offset residual carbon, making the development net zero carbon at completion.