ccc-alco-pros-rp-y-0001 v1.3 16dec20.docx 16/12/2020 07:25 Design and Access Statement. Bouygues E&S Solutions Ltd on behalf of Cambridge County Council 2

Report Details

Alconbury Weald Civic Hub Solar Car Ports

Client Cambridge County Document Title Council. Box 1315, Growth and Design and Access County Council. Economy, Room Statement 304, Shire Hall, Cambridge CB3 0AP

Delivery Partner Future Business Document Reference Centre, Kings Bouygues E&S Hedges Road, CCC-ALCO-PROS-RP- Solutions Ltd Cambridge, CB4 Y-0001 2HY Telephone: 01223 781 380

Planning 14 – 18 Hill Street Version Consultant Edinburgh, EH3 3JZ Telephone: 0131 Prospus Group Ltd 215 1167 1.3 www.prospus.co.uk

Prospus Consulting, Furrow Green, Wharton, Kirkby Stephen Cumbria CA17 4LQ www.prospus.co.uk Design and Access Statement. Bouygues E&S Solutions Ltd on behalf of Cambridge County Council 3

Table of Contents REPORT DETAILS ...... 2 INTRODUCTION ...... 4

BACKGROUND ...... 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE AND PLANNING BACKGROUND ...... 4 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSAL ...... 7 DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT ...... 8

CONTEXT AND USE ...... 8 AMOUNT ...... 8 LAYOUT ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8 SCALE ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8 APPEARANCE ...... 9 LANDSCAPING ...... 9 ACCESS ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9 SUMMARY ...... 9

Prospus Consulting, Furrow Green, Wharton, Kirkby Stephen Cumbria CA17 4LQ www.prospus.co.uk Design and Access Statement. Bouygues E&S Solutions Ltd on behalf of Cambridge County Council 4

Introduction Background Prospus Group has been instructed by Bouygues E&S Solutions Ltd on behalf of Cambridgeshire County Council to prepare a Design and Access Statement in support of a Regulation 3 planning application for a Solar PV and Car Port Proposal located in the rear car park of the Weald Civic Hub.

Description of the Site and Planning Background The site is currently a construction site for the erection of the approved Cambridgeshire County Council Civic Hub, located in Alconbury Weald. Alconbury Weald is a major mixed-use development that was granted outline planning consent by District Council (reference no. 1201158OUT) for land forming part of Alconbury Airfield (adjoining Ermine Street), Little Stukeley, PE28 4WX. It is located on the 1,420 acre brownfield site of the former RAF air base. The outline planning consent was obtained by Urban and Civic and comprises the development of up to 5,000 new homes, 290,000m2 of B1/B2 employment floorspace, open space and community facilities. See Figure One for the Alconbury Weald Parameter Plan.

Prospus Consulting, Furrow Green, Wharton, Kirkby Stephen Cumbria CA17 4LQ www.prospus.co.uk Design and Access Statement. Bouygues E&S Solutions Ltd on behalf of Cambridge County Council 5

Figure One: Parameter Plan for Alconbury Weald

Prospus Consulting, Furrow Green, Wharton, Kirkby Stephen Cumbria CA17 4LQ www.prospus.co.uk Design and Access Statement. Bouygues E&S Solutions Ltd on behalf of Cambridge County Council 6

Key Phase 1 of the site, which is 107.6 ha in size, is currently being developed. A Key Phase 1 Framework was approved by the LPA under application 14/08285/COND. It has recently been updated under application 19/80094/COND. The updated KP1 Regulatory Plan is shown in Figure Two. The Civic Hub site falls within an Enterprise Zone and an area identified for commercial uses in the Key Phase 1 Regulatory Plan.

Figure Two: KP1 Regulatory Plan

Prospus Consulting, Furrow Green, Wharton, Kirkby Stephen Cumbria CA17 4LQ www.prospus.co.uk Design and Access Statement. Bouygues E&S Solutions Ltd on behalf of Cambridge County Council 7

The Civic Hub was approved by Cambridgeshire County Council on 12 September 2019, under application reference H/5005/19/CC for the following development: ‘Erection of two- storey Cambridgeshire County Council Civic Hub (4,219sq.m GEA), comprising office space with an ancillary multi-function meeting area (to include Full Council Member Meetings), support space, a staff break-out area, with provision of vehicular and cycle parking, and associated landscaping to site’. Subsequent applications for non-material amendments to the proposals approved under H/5005/19/CC have been submitted to Cambridgeshire County Council. Application CCC/20/036/NMW was approved on 11 June 2020 for the reduction of the front entrance canopy to the Civic Hub. Application CCC/20/068/NMW to Cambridgeshire County Council, which was approved on 9 December 2020, approved minor changes to the landscaping and layout of the car park to the rear of the Civic Hub including an ASHP enclosure; an additional flagpole to the front of the building; and the removal of planters and seating to the entrance courtyard.

Description of Proposal Erection of four number Solar PV car port canopies, lighting, associated electrical infrastructure within the existing car park for the approved Civic Hub. The proposal is seeking to use the existing car parking area and infrastructure permitted under Ref H/5005/19/CC to generate solar electricity while providing shading for users of the facility and the provision of new intelligent low energy lighting, mounted to the underside of the car port canopy.

Prospus Consulting, Furrow Green, Wharton, Kirkby Stephen Cumbria CA17 4LQ www.prospus.co.uk Design and Access Statement. Bouygues E&S Solutions Ltd on behalf of Cambridge County Council 8

Design and Access Statement Context and Use The site is in the process of being constructed as the new Cambridgeshire County Council’s Civic Hub. It is located within the regenerated former Alconbury Airbase now known as Alconbury Weald a major mixed-use development granted outline consent by Huntingdonshire District Council in 2014. The Alconbury Civic Hub lies within a commercial area in Key Phase 1, with a residential area to the south and east and commercial areas to the north and west. The proposed solar car ports are positioned to the rear of the Civic Hub building and do not have a visual relationship with the Grade II listed Watch Tower that lies to the front of the building.

Within the site the solar car port area lies above the proposed car park which has been designed for staff and visitors. It comprises a series of landscaped perpendicular parking bays that echo the curve of the building and the main axis to the Watch Tower. The main access from the car park to the building leads directly to the main entrance from the disabled parking bays. Each array of fanned parking bays is highlighted by a tree and shrub planting at each end. Within this arrangement the solar car ports will lie directly over each car park space to provide shelter and protection to the car and its occupants while providing power that will be used within the Civic Hub building.

Amount The amount of development is predicated on the size of the proposed car park area and would not result in any change to the car parking numbers approved under the main Civic Hub permission.

Layout The layout of the scheme seeks to follow the geometry of the approved car park and will elegantly complement the curved design of the car park area. A shade tolerant plant mix is proposed beneath the solar canopies.

Scale The scale of the proposal is limited to single storey height (approximately 4m) in height.

Prospus Consulting, Furrow Green, Wharton, Kirkby Stephen Cumbria CA17 4LQ www.prospus.co.uk Design and Access Statement. Bouygues E&S Solutions Ltd on behalf of Cambridge County Council 9

Appearance The appearance of the proposal will be ranks of canopies which follow the existing car park design to provide a series of arrays each set at a slightly different angle to each other in order to echo the design of the car park and to maximise the solar energy gained (while ensuring not to compromise the elegant design of the site). The canopies will shield some vehicles and passengers from the sun and wind providing a degree of shelter although remaining in the open air. At night or on darker winter days the underside of each canopy will be lit by a series of LED lights connected to a central intelligent lighting management system. This will provide a good level of lighting for the users that will minimise light pollution and create a welcoming ambience.

Landscaping The landscaping plan for the carpark area approved as part of the main Civic Hub consent has been amended to propose a shade tolerant plant mix beneath the new solar canopies and additional species rich grassland to promote biodiversity and ecology.

Access Access to the site is unchanged by the proposal which will remain a car park for the Civic Hub. A construction traffic management plan is submitted as part of the CEMP enclosed with the current application submission to demonstrate how the constituent parts of the proposal will be delivered to site during the construction phase. Parking provision for the construction workers will be within the construction compound although most will be encouraged to access the site via crew bus and or public transport. Post construction the car park will benefit from additional shelter and lighting.

Summary The Proposal provides a sensible additional development on an existing approved car park serving the proposed Civic Hub which will make its use more sustainable in the future and contribute generally to resisting the current climate emergency.

Prospus Consulting, Furrow Green, Wharton, Kirkby Stephen Cumbria CA17 4LQ www.prospus.co.uk