PLANNING COMMITTEE Date: 20th October 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Applic. No: C/04/0846 Agenda Item No. 3.4 Date Recvd: 27th July 2004 Officer: Ruth Lucy Ward: Newnham Site: 7 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DP Proposal: Erection of 4 storey faculty building for Land Economy Dept of the University of Cambridge in place of existing Criminology Faculty building, including some tree removals. Applicant: The University of Cambridge c/o Estate Management and Building Services. 74 Trumpington Street Cambridge ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.0 SITE DESCRIPTION/AREA CONTEXT 1.1 This application relates to the site of 7 West Road, part of the University’s Sidgwick site. The existing building is one of a number of large Victorian villas on the south side of West Road and has been extended to the west and south. The building is vacant and, until recently, was occupied by the Criminology Faculty of the University which is now housed in a new building on another part of the Sidgwick site, east of the Raised Faculty. 1.2 The Sidgwick site stretches south from West Road to Sidgwick Avenue and houses the arts and humanities faculties of the University. The application site is between the newly erected 4 storey English Faculty to the west and 5 West Road, a Victorian villa owned and occupied by Gonville and Caius College, to the east; this College site has permission for redevelopment as a sinuous 4 storey building to house students and Fellows of the College. 1.3 The Sidgwick site is made up of a collection of individually designed Faculty buildings, designed by various nationally and internationally recognised architects. Some of the buildings are grade II listed. Immediately to the south of the proposal site is a lawn separating the site from the Law Faculty. The eastern edge of the site is well treed with conifers on the Sidgwick site and trees, including a sequoia dendron, on the adjoining College site. Between the site and the new English Faculty building is the main pedestrian route into and through the Sidgwick site. A cycle track is being installed beneath the trees to the east. 1.4 The whole of the Sidgwick site is subject to revision and consolidation of its landscape treatment, rationalising pedestrian and cycle routes, lighting, signage and seating; details of these infrastructure works have been approved and are based on a masterplan prepared for the University by Allies and Morrison Architects, who have designed the proposed Land Economy Faculty on the current application site. 1.5 To the north across West Road are the open green spaces of Kings College School and Kings Garden Hostel playing fields and the southern approach for pedestrians and cyclists to the University Library. 1.6 There is a vehicle access from West Road and parking area to the north of the existing building. 1.7 The site is within Conservation Area No.2. 2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The application is for a 4 storey building to bring together and expand accommodation for the Land Economy Faculty. The building would house teaching facilities including undergraduate lecture rooms, working areas for post graduates and masters of philosophy, staff offices, library, social areas and a café serving the whole of the Sidgwick site with internal seating for 60. The Land Economy Faculty will bring together activities currently housed in ad-hoc buildings in Silver Street, Mill Lane and Laundress Lane. The University has been asked to provide details of this vacated accommodation before Committee. 2.2 The proposal forms part of a long-term strategy to rationalise and provide more faculty accommodation on the whole of the Sidgwick site. Of the proposals in the Sidgwick site masterplan, this is the third scheme to come forward for planning permission. The Criminology building east of the Raised Faculty and English to the west of the current application site being the first two. Although of no formal status, the masterplan is a useful background to this application especially as it analyses the history of the site’s development, earlier design philosophies, travel patterns and levels of use within the site, important vistas and external spaces. 2.3 The building has been designed in a simple rectilinear form with its short, 15m frontage facing West Road. The footprint of the building measures 15m x 48m, with the addition of a projecting stair, lift and WC block measuring just over 3m wide, 15m long and 17m high on the west side and a metal escape stair on the east. The main eaves line of the building would be 14.5m high. The main building volume would be constructed of glass and aluminium, in front of which would be an external framing structure serving 2 purposes; shading and maintenance access. A design statement submitted with the application states that the ‘double façade gives the building greater presence…and provides a ‘layering’ which will contrast with the hermetic glass enclosure of the existing Law Faculty and the solidity of the terracotta façade to the new Faculty of English.’ The main entrance to the building would be on the north elevation, marked by a projecting simple rectangular metal canopy. The stair enclosure would be faced in a buff/grey sto render; it includes a stone panel and integral seat beside the main pedestrian walkway and a projecting oriel window at first floor level with views north and south along the walkway. External decking set within the building’s overall framework is proposed in timber. A sample board has been submitted, showing the metal to be used as anodised aluminium. A model will be available at Committee. 2.4 Ventilation plant for the lecture rooms is shown terminating in 0.9m high extract ‘chimneys’ set in the ground, 1m from the eastern side of the building. A disabled driver’s car space would be located immediately to the east of the building, along with 6 spaces for motorcycles. The application states that disabled access would be available to all parts of the building and details have been amended to clarify that level access is proposed at the main entrance as well as the café towards the back of the building. Further details are set out in the disability access statement submitted. 2.5 Additional ground level uncovered cycle racks are proposed along the eastern side of the retained front lawn. External landscaping has been previously agreed under the infrastructure applications, but the current application addresses one of conditions in respect of relocating this cycle parking to avoid conflict with the roots of an existing walnut tree. Otherwise, tree removals and planting are much the same. 2.6 The application includes a sustainability statement and checklist and a waste disposal statement, as well as the disability statement and design statement referred to above. The applicants have agreed to enter into a S106 agreement to secure a public art strategy, or payment, and are suggesting that some form of water feature would be appropriate, as it would echo the theme of water features created at the new Criminology and English Faculties. 3.0 SITE HISTORY 3.1 C/95/0376/FP 7 and 9 West Road; Replacement Faculty buildings A/C C/95/0568 and 0569/CAC Accompanying applications for Conservation Area Consent to demolish A/C C/02/1097/FP Infrastructure works – hard and soft landscaping, cycle parking, lighting etc A/C C/04/0845/CAC Conservation Area Consent to demolish accompanying current application A/C 3.2 Other relevant sites; C/01/1122/FP 5 West Road – application by Gonville and Caius College to erect a sinuous 4 storey building with basement car parking in place of the existing Victorian villa A/C C/01/0354/FP Music Faculty 3 storey auditorium with basement A/C (not likely to be built) 4.0 PUBLICITY Advertisement: Yes Adjoining Owners: Yes Site Notice Displayed: Yes 5.0 POLICY 5.1 Central government advice PPG1 General Policy and Principles (1997) paragraph 40 states that Section 54A of the 1990 Act requires that applications for planning permission shall be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Conversely, applications which are not in accordance with relevant policies in the plan should not be allowed unless material considerations justify a planning permission. Other paragraphs within this PPG state; 13. The appearance of new development and its relationship to its surrounding are material considerations. 16. Applicants should demonstrate regard to good design, in a manner appropriate to the nature and scale of the proposals. 17. Local planning authorities should reject designs, which are clearly out of scale or incompatible with their surroundings. 64. Good neighbourliness and fairness are the yardsticks against which development proposals can be measured. PPG13 Transport (2000) encourages local authorities to enable reductions in the need to travel, and increase use of travel modes other than the private car. PPG15 Planning and the Historic Environment (1994) advises that conservation area consent for demolition can be granted where the replacement building preserves or enhances the conservation area. PPG16 Archaeology and Planning (1993) advises, at paragraph 30, that in cases when planning authorities have decided that planning permission may be granted, but with measures in place to secure the provision of archaeological excavation and the subsequent recording of remains, it is open to them to do