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The Beehive Centre in Cambridge could be knocked down and replaced with tech site




The Beehive Centre shopping park could be redeveloped as a new life sciences or technology site with retail areas and landscaped gardens, the Cambridge Independent has learned.

An invitation to an information session about the new proposals landed on residents’ doorsteps this week but no clues were given about what could be in store for the shopping area. The first of these open events will be tomorrow (Thursday). There will also be online presentations.

The owner of the Beehive Centre, Railpen, says in its leaflet: “We want to work with the local community to release the potential of an under-accomplished site in one of the most deprived wards in the country. This public exhibition and digital consultation webinar will provide the opportunity for local partners and the community to input onto our plans, provide feedback and ask questions of the project team.”

The Bee Hive . Picture: Keith Heppell. (57357597)
The Bee Hive . Picture: Keith Heppell. (57357597)

So far nothing has been made public about what could replace the shopping area. But when the Cambridge Independent approached Railpen’s media representatives at Four Communications to find out more, their spokesperson said the exhibition would be about the principles of the development and “to really interact with the community to see what principles really matter
to them.”

They added: “There’s going to be a mixture of retail and life sciences but the life science proposition hasn’t really been developed at all yet.”

The spokesperson explained the proposal was for “a life sciences building with retail underneath and community space. There’s a big focus on landscaping as well, and there is going to be a community garden.”

They clarified: “The ground floor will be retail and above that will be the office space and commercial.”

The spokesperson said there would be no designs available at the information events this week, but that there would be further information days in the summer and the autumn.

Instead, residents will be asked to comment on seven principles for the project: delivering a highly sustainable building, investing in landscape, creating healthy communities, promoting life science and innovation, generating a thriving economy, creating new opportunities for young people, promoting new design that draws on the character of Cambridge.

The Bee Hive . Picture: Keith Heppell. (57357593)
The Bee Hive . Picture: Keith Heppell. (57357593)

They said that Railpen aims to take its proposals to Cambridge City Council’s planning committee in 2024, with the first phase of construction completed by 2027 and the final phase by 2029. Construction was not expected to start until April 2025. Ridgelift will be the development manager for the build, which will be known as Project Otter.

Railpen, the investment manager for the £30bn railways pension scheme, is also the owner of the adjacent Cambridge Retail Park, which houses stores including Boots, Homebase and Currys. However, no proposals have been announced for this site.

Ward councillor Hannah Copley (Abbey, Green) said: “The Beehive Centre has a lot of well-loved shops that provide affordable food and household goods. Were the area to be developed it must positively contribute to the local area – that means things like genuinely affordable or social housing, community facilities and open
green space.”

The public exhibitions will be held at St Barnabas Church on Mill Road on Thursday, June 16, from 2.30pm to 5.30pm and Saturday, June 18, from 11am until 4pm.

The online presentations will be Tuesday, June 21, at 2pm and Thursday, June 23, at 6pm.

To register, email projectotter@fourcommunications.com or call 01223 960001.



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