Plans submitted to redevelop Fanshawe Road in Cambridge

Plans have been submitted to demolish 30 homes and replace them with 84 new properties at Fanshawe Road in Cambridge.

The plans, submitted by Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP), are made up of 45 affordable and 39 private homes.

The affordable homes will be made up of 34 homes for social rent and 11 for intermediate rent.

Water usage will be restricted to less than 99 litres per person per day to reduce the impact on local resources.

Cllr Gerri Bird, executive councillor for housing and homelessness, said: “It is important that we provide new developments across the city that are socially inclusive, diverse, and cohesive with a mixture of homes that reflect the needs of people from different ages and abilities along with the council’s housing requirements.

“At the same time, as a council, we must balance financial viability, the likelihood of successful grant applications from Homes England, and development costs over a ten-year housing programme.

“This proposed development will provide us with further funds that the partnership can reinvest into the programme to deliver more new homes across the city.”

The site is currently home to 30 ageing homes - 20 council apartments and 10 leasehold apartments - built in the 1950s, which were no longer cost-effective to maintain or renovate.

Extensive consultations have been conducted with existing residents, who are in the process of being rehomed to facilitate the redevelopment.

The proposal includes the construction of 76 homes within four apartment buildings, with a further eight houses positioned on the eastern and western boundaries of the site.

This includes four wheelchair-accessible homes for council tenants, exceeding planning policy requirements by five per cent.

Tom Hill, managing director at The Hill Group, said: “We have gone through extensive consultation with the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service and the local community to reach this point and are delighted to be submitting this planning application.

“In addition to providing high-quality new homes, we will be enriching the open space with a new play area and amenities that families can enjoy, alongside creating a green corridor with enhanced links between Fanshawe Road and the Coleridge Recreation Ground.”

The new development will achieve a 35 per cent biodiversity net gain through a landscaping design that incorporates a wide variety of trees and wildflowers, while preserving existing mature trees.

All the homes will have views of green open space, with 85 per cent offering dual aspects, and all flat roofs will feature green roofs for rainwater management.

The plans also include enhanced pedestrian and cycle routes along with secure cycle parking and EV charging points.