444 Newmarket Road

High-quality new student accommodation at 444 Newmarket Road

Our proposals for 444 Newmarket Road will deliver a high-quality, attractive and sustainable student accommodation development to meet local demand in Cambridge.

The proposals will add to the consented development currently being built out to provide an extended building which will deliver additional student bedspaces alongside internal and external amenity space and significant cycle provision.

More information on our proposals can be found further down this webpage.

We are keen to engage with the local community and will be hosting an in-person drop-in event on Thursday 13th July from 3pm-7pm at City Church Cambridge, 12-14 Cheddars Lane, Cambridge CB5 8LD.

This will be an opportunity to learn more about the proposals and put your questions to members of the project team.

We are keen to engage with you and get your thoughts.

Our feedback survey has now closed, however you can still get in touch with comments and questions through the contact details at the bottom of the page.

Our proposals

for 444 Newmarket Road

Building on existing consent for a four storey student accommodation development on the site.

Providing an extended building which will deliver additional student bedspaces.

Three new blocks of four storeys, delivering 175 ensuite student rooms.

New rooms which are a mix of clusters and studios, with internal and external amenity spaces for students.

Providing a total of circa. 125 cycle spaces, encouraging sustainable transport use.

A focus on accessibility with 5% of rooms proposed as fully accessible studios.

The Site

The redevelopment site is located at 444 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8JL.

The site used to consist of a large three storey building operating as a Honda car dealership showroom. Works have begun on site to build out the previously consented development.

The surrounding area is varied in character and contains a mix of uses, including residential uses opposite Newmarket Road and a variety of commercial uses within Cambridge Retail Park immediately to the south.

The site is accessed from Newmarket Road, with pedestrian and cycle links into the city centre, and sits near two train stations, with several bus stops close by, as well as the Chisholm Trail.

The site is also easily accessible to Anglia Ruskin University. This high level of connectivity makes the site a perfect location for new student accommodation.

The redevelopment of the existing brownfield site to deliver a new use will also provide an opportunity to regenerate the site and benefit the wider area.

Planning consent was granted in 2019 for a four storey student accommodation development of 154 student rooms

The proposals also retain the three blocks from the previous consent, and propose a similar footprint, design aesthetic and materials palette.

The additional storey increases the viability of the proposal and enables the development to provide more rooms on site. The new proposals also provide a high standard of living, with larger rooms alongside more amenity space and cycle provision.

Quality student accommodation to meet local need

There is a recognised shortage of purpose- built student accommodation in Cambridge. Providing 175 new high quality student accommodation rooms, linked to a local institution, will help to meet this need.

The proposed new student accommodation will provide ensuite rooms and internal and external amenity spaces, delivering a high standard of living for students.

Alongside this, there will be a focus on accessibility, with 5% of rooms fully accessible studios of approximately 28sqm and a small, landscaped courtyard which provides a safe space for disabled students.

An attractive and sensitive design that respects the surrounding area

The proposals will create an attractive design that delivers an improved street front aesthetic to Newmarket Road.

A key focus of the design is respect for the surrounding heritage assets, such as the Grade I listed Leper Chapel. As with the 2019 consent, the proposals will have a limited impact on the settings of the listed buildings.

The building will be visible in part when viewed from the Leper Chapel, however the overall ridge/roof level of the resulting development would remain clearly subservient to the Chapel in this view and sensitive context. This will ensure the proposed development would be a background element like the previously consented scheme.

Sustainable transport strategy for a well-connected location

The proposals will provide a car free scheme that utilises the sites well-connected location to encourage sustainable transport use. This includes significant cycle provision of circa. 125 spaces, including Sheffield Stands for less able users.

The principle of a car free development was accepted in the previous consents, given the nature of the proposed student accommodation use, which attracts much lower trip generation than conventional residential uses, and the accessible location. Alongside this, there will be a disabled parking bay and a landscaped courtyard for service vehicle turning and start/end of term drop-off and pick- up.

The proposed additional storey is not considered to significantly impact the transport implications of the development and there will be on site management and a car parking scheme to prevent parking overspill to neighbours.

Key benefits

Provision of 175 high-quality student accommodation units

Car free development that encourages sustainable transport use

Sensitive design that respects surrounding heritage sites

A well-connected location on Newmarket Road

Accessibility at our core with 5% of rooms fully accessible

Regenerating a disused brownfield site

Our proposals

Online survey

Our feedback survey has now closed, however you can still get in touch with comments and questions through the contact details at the bottom of the page.