[Discuss] Fwd: Licence for construction site of 2000 sq.m. of Parkers Piece for two years

[John Lawton]

Sorry if you have already received this via our Announce list.

We've just had this message from our colleagues at the Federation of 
Cambridge Residents' Association. It is of concern that part of 
Parker's Piece is under an imminent threat of being used as a 
builders yard, but I'd be grateful for your opinion.

Alan Brigham has wondered what happened in the 1960's when the hotel 
was last redeveloped. Anyone know?

Please discuss this issue on this list.

Best wishes,

John

>Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2014 18:42:41 +0100
>Subject: Licence for construction site of 2000 sq.m. of Parkers 
>Piece for two years
>From: FeCRA Home <fecra.mailings at gmail.com>
>To: undisclosed-recipients:;
>X-Filter-Node: Scanned by cf5.email-cluster.com
>
>Grretings
>
>You may have heard of a plan to demolish the 1960s part of the 
>Unversity Arms Hotel for it to be replaced along with a major 
>refurbishment of the remainder of the hotel to produce a "high-end 
>bespoke hotel".
>
>The development was granted planning approval under 13/1087/FUL in 
>October 2013.   The refurbished hotel will have an additional 71 
>bedrooms, giving a total of 190.
>
>Last week I heard for the first time about a proposal from the City 
>Council to grant a two year licence for the occupation of 2000 
>square metres of Parkers Piece for occupation by site facilities for 
>the contactors undertaking the work.   The proposal points out 
>that the area compares with the 95,000 m2 of Parkers Piece - just over 2%.
>
>A formal notice was place in the Cambridge News on 3rd October 
>referring those interested to a web page, namely
>Â Â Â Â 
>Â 
><https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/parks/parkers-piece>https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/parks/parkers-piece
>Tha page provides no information about the proposal other than 
>providing two more URLs:-
>
>Â Â Â Â 
>Â 
><https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/sites/www.cambridge.gov.uk/files/documents/university-arms-hotel-refurbishment-notice.pdf>https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/sites/www.cambridge.gov.uk/files/documents/university-arms-hotel-refurbishment-notice.pdf
>and
>Â Â Â Â 
>Â 
><https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/sites/www.cambridge.gov.uk/files/documents/university-arms-hotel-refurbishment-presentation.pdf>https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/sites/www.cambridge.gov.uk/files/documents/university-arms-hotel-refurbishment-presentation.pdf
>
>The first page does little more that advise that "Any person who 
>objects to the proposed grant of the above mentioned licence should 
>prior to 17 October 2014 notify
>Alistair Wilson (Streets and Open Spaces manager) at Mill Road 
>Depot,Mill Road, Cambridge, CB1 2AZ of their objection, giving the 
>reasons for such objection."
>and
>Any person wishing to do so is welcome to attend a presentation of 
>the proposed refurbishment of the University Arms Hotel to be held 
>at 7.30 to 10.00 am and at 17.00 pm to 21.00 pm on Thursday 9th 
>October 2014 at the University Arms Ball Room which is accessed from 
>Parker's Piece towards the rear of the hotel building.
>
>The second link is to a PDF dowload that is 22.1MB - a big file. 
>Â  It contains a project sales brochure containing
>    * architect impression of the finished building
>    * aerial view of the existing hotel with a superimposed outline 
> of the area proposed for a licence
>    * 18 small colour photographs of the area around the existing hotel
>    * a small scale map of the area
>    * three isometric outlines of the proposed development
>    * plan of "the revised scheme" for Parkers Piece area to be used 
> for the building contractor site
>    * plan of "rejected scheme".
>
>Crucially for those interested in the proposed licence,
>    * there is no detail plan showing the dimensions of the 
> "squeeze" where the cyclists and pedestrians crossing Parkers Piece 
> transfer to Regent Street
>    * the squeeze appears to be about half the width of the pavement 
> outside the hotel
>    * temporary tarmacing is proposed for the area approaching the 
> squeeze that appears to be about twice the width of the tarmac way 
> across the Piece to the end of East Road
>    * the is no reference whatsoever that I could see to a lorry 
> access for the works.
>
>My key concern that the proposed licence could be long end of a very 
>thick wedge by setting a further precedent for the commercial use of 
>Parkers Piece.  Â
>
>Somehow I missed the planning application submitted last autumn. 
>Â  Looking at the Council's IDOX system, I can find nothing in the 
>Planning Officer's report outlining how the project of this size was 
>to be completed given its location.   I find it astonishing that 
>evaluation of a proposal to build a large four storey building 
>sitting alongside an iconic public area could be compiled without 
>any information of how the work might be undertaken and do not know 
>what if anything was stated about logistical arrangements for the 
>construction work during the Planning Committee deliberations.
>
>There is however a proposed condition that before work on site 
>commences a Demolition and Construction Environmental Management 
>Plan is agreed with the Council.Â
>I cannot find such a plan on IDOX or elsewhere on the Council website.
>
>My key concern though (is a licence a "done deal"?) is that the City 
>Residents should be handsomely recompensed by a busines taking over 
>a significant corner of a vital City lung for two years.
>Regads
>
>Morcom
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