The Old Press/Mill Lane site lies in the heart of the historic core of the city and provides a range of accommodation for the University of Cambridge's academic and administrative facilities. It has long been recognised that the university is interested in relocating some of these facilities from the site to other more appropriate buildings and facilities in the city.
To this end, the city council, working with the university, has prepared the Old Press/Mill Lane Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to help guide the redevelopment of the site. The SPD was adopted at Environment Scrutiny Committee on 12 January 2010.
Adoption of the SPD followed a period of public consultation, which took place between 23 February and 6 April 2009, and which led to a number of changes being made to the draft SPD. The adopted SPD can be viewed by selecting the link below, along with the other documents associated with the adoption of the document:
- Adopted Old Press/Mill Lane SPD [PDF, 4MB]
- Sustainability Appraisal [PDF, 0.2MB]
- Statement of Consultation [PDF, 0.6MB](including the Sustainability Appraisal Statement)
- Habitats Regulation Screening assessment report [PDF, 4.5MB]
- Habitats Regulation Screening assessment report: Appendix 3 – to be added soon
About the SPD
The Old Press/Mill Lane SPD sets out our aspirations for the future use and development of the site.
Based on the requirements of Policy 7/5 of the 2006 Cambridge Local Plan, the future development of this part of Cambridge offers the opportunity to:
- improve facilities
- reduce car parking spaces
- improve the external environment and amenity spaces
- make better use of land.
It is important that any future development of the site safeguards the architectural, historic, cultural and archaeological importance of the site, taking advantage of its setting on the river frontage within the historic city centre.
The Supplementary Planning Document will be a key material consideration in determining the acceptability of planning applications for the site.
Sustainability appraisal
The Old Press/Mill Lane Supplementary Planning Document has been subject to sustainability appraisal. This is to ensure that the proposals contained in the document can be considered in light of information on their social, economic and environmental impacts. The sustainability appraisal was made available for consultation at the same time as the draft SPD, and was reviewed following consultation and in the light of subsequent changes made to the SPD.
Background documents
A number of background documents have helped to inform the preparation of the Old Press/Mill Lane Supplementary Planning Document. These are as follows:
- Habitats Regulation Screening assessment report [PDF, 4.5MB]
- Habitats Regulation Screening assessment report: Appendix 3 – to be added soon
- Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report Addendum [PDF, 0.2MB]
- Historic Environment Analysis [PDF, 13.5MB]
- Site Option Appraisal Summary Report [PDF, 1.5MB]
- Second stakeholder workshop report [PDF, 1.5MB]
- Key Issues Report - Environment [PDF, 14.5MB]
- Baseline transport conditions report [PDF, 5.5MB]
- First Stakeholder Workshop Report [PDF, 1.5MB]
- Site Analysis [PDF, 16MB]
