Vision for Cambridge Retail Park is unveiled

A vision for the future of Cambridge Retail Park to secure its long-term success while improving access for pedestrians and cyclists has been unveiled to the public.

Developer Railpen is working on plans to transform the park into a destination with retail, leisure, and dining options, which it says could be complete by 2028.

The company has revealed that retailers Boots, Currys, Sofology, Halfords, Furniture Village, Dunelm, and Lidl will remain on the site, along with eateries Starbucks and Nando’s.

“We aim to create a vibrant, sustainable destination by offering large format retail, leisure facilities and a variety of restaurants and cafés – giving visitors compelling reasons to return time and again,” says Railpen, which administers the railways pension funds.

A consultation on the proposals is under way and closes tomorrow (Thursday, 29 May).

The proposals were shown to the public at a community drop-in event held in the former SCS building.

The redevelopment faces several challenges, which the developer says need to be addressed, including co-ordination with existing tenants over lease agreements. ​

Railpen points out that the site is currently car-dominated, with poor pedestrian and cycle connections, and low-quality landscaping. The developer says its proximity to residential areas also presents additional hurdles. ​

It said some tenant leases require a specific number of parking spaces, which has also complicated changes. The site also has a number of vacant units.

Cllr Naomi Bennett (Green, Abbey) attended this month’s exhibition about the retail park.

She told the Cambridge Independent this week: “I thought that residents were mostly happy with the new car parking arrangements in the two mini multi-storey car parks. However, some residents were worried about drivers speeding between the two to grab the last spaces and wanted to see better signage and designs for the site.

“There were a lot of questions about the car park. People wanted to know how high it would be. Railpen staff explained that it was six ‘car park’ storeys which is a bit less than a four-storey apartment block.

“Some people were sceptical about whether the expected reductions in car traffic could be achieved, especially Coldhams Lane residents, even with improvements in bus services , cycle parking and access.

“Some residents were clearly expecting the plans for the retail park to be more like the one for the Beehive, with towering buildings. Those people were reassured that the Cambridge Retail Park was not going to change out of all recognition but not everyone went away happy.

“There is still a lot of anxiety especially from residents who don’t have use of a car and are dependent upon the site for in person shopping. Residents who work on the site are very keen to be kept better informed about possible store movements by their employers.”

Railpen purchased the 230,000 sq ft retail park in 2020 for around £100million. The company, which is responsible for the safekeeping and investment of around £30billion in pension funds, also owns the neighbouring Beehive Centre and its plans to redevelop that into life science labs, offices, shops, leisure facilities and green space are to be determined by a government planning inspector.

In 2022, Railpen purchased the 309,000 sq ft office Botanic Place development, which was owned by Pace Investments, and includes the Flying Pig pub. Work on construction there is now under way, with Skanska appointed as the contractor.

Railpen is also behind the Devonshire Gardens development in Cambridge, which was the first of its schemes in the city to break ground.

The developer says it aims to establish a clear identity for Cambridge Retail Park, which it will do by introducing six new “character areas”.

“Cambridge Retail Park lacks a clear identity. Through our investment, we aim to establish a more cohesive and distinctive sense of place, while diversifying the offer to encourage longer visits and support an evening economy,” the company says.

“To help achieve this transformation, we will introduce six new character areas across the park – reimagining it from a car-dominated space into a vibrant, welcoming destination that feels fully integrated with the wider city.”

The shopping quarter will feature new retail and food and beverage buildings with minimal surface parking.

Meanwhile, Newmarket Place, at the centre of the site, will bridge the retail spine and the new buildings along Newmarket Road. It will feature a mix of uses, including retail, cafés, restaurants, leisure, and offices.

In addition, Dining Street, a mix of cafés and restaurants, will be formed by new buildings on Newmarket Road, while The Avenue is defined by the building frontages of a new northern multi-storey car park.

The final two areas are defined by Newmarket Road and Coldhams Lane.

Newmarket Road will act as the primary ‘shop window’ for the site, with the developer focusing on enhancing the streetscape character of the street.

In March, a new ‘five-storey plus one’ office block at the park was approved by Cambridge City Council for 230 Newmarket Road.

New development on the north side of Coldham’s Lane will include a variety of buildings that “enhances the entrance way” into the park.

The developer is proposing to relocate the current surface-level car parking into two multi-storey car parks – one to the north and one at the south of the site.

The first car park is proposed for the southern end of the retail park, located next to the gym, and will replace the existing goods yard that previously served the vacant Homebase unit.

The 312-vehicle, six-storey car park will be located 50 metres from Coldhams Lane, with access from Henley Road.

“The two new multi-storey car parks allow us to change the look and feel of the existing spine road, making space for a dedicated pedestrian and cycle route. The preferred route provides a direct, safe connection through the site, avoiding busy areas in front of shops and linking to the Beehive Centre, Riverside and the Chisholm Trail,” Railpen says.

Cycle provision on the site is also proposed to increase by 332 spaces to a total of 594 across the site. More frequent pedestrian crossings will also improve access to bus stops along Newmarket Road.

“Looking ahead, we aim to attract more local visitors on foot, by bike and by bus. This will be supported by improved pedestrian and cycle connections, alongside enhancements to bus services, including the addition of a bus stop within the park.

“With the wider bus improvements proposed by the Beehive Centre, we believe we can reduce car arrivals from 65 per cent to 55 per cent on weekdays, and from 59 per cent to 49 per cent on weekends.

“Parking will remain free, but we plan to gradually reduce the parking to floorspace ratio, which will complement measures to encourage more sustainable travel.”

A spokesperson for the developer said: “The next application to be submitted will be for the southern multi-storey car park, located in the goods yard of the former Homebase site.

“Delivery of this car park is important, as it will enable Railpen to deliver the phased improvement of the park while maintaining the number of car parking spaces required under existing tenant leases.”

The developer is planning to redevelop the site in phases, starting this year and concluding in 2028, subject to planning permission being granted.