Cambridge Civic Quarter consultation – Creating a Vibrant Heart
Cambridge City Council
Guildhall
info@cambridgecivicquarter.co.uk
Dear Civic Quarter team,
Thank you for the opportunity to give feedback about your plans for Cambridge Market, the Guildhall and Corn Exchange. As we have said previously, residents are supportive of investment plans which will make their city centre more attractive and welcoming. This investment is long overdue and if it is done well everyone will get behind it and support the plans. Unfortunately residents are telling us that this is not the case here.
They are telling us that the quality of the information boards and plans and designs are lacklustre. For such an important project residents say the quality of the spatial plans, the designs and illustrations are very poor. Yet, Cambridge University and its colleges (who are represented on the board of Visit Cambridge along with Cambridge Bid and City Council officers) boast of adding £30 billion to the UK economy each year. Cambridge has just received a further £200 million of funding for the Greater Cambridge Partnership
Residents have reported that the two community events for the consultation were not at all well signposted or advertised yet this project includes a complete reorganisation of the market square and its stalls which will have a huge impact on Cambridge city centre, Cambridge’s traditional market, the livelihoods of the market traders and residents and market customers.
People are saying this controversial reorganisation of the market square should not be slipped in alongside the less controversial plans for the Guildhall and the Corn Exchange just so that councillors can vote the plans for investment through.
Residents say that Cambridge deserves better. They share the concerns expressed in national media that these plans are not about making Cambridge an equal or happy city, rather they are focused on making Cambridge a playground for tourists.
Specific comments
Guildhall
The ground floor will feature a new customer service centre for people visiting the council, a welcoming public café, along with a Changing Places toilet open to the public
The plans for the ground floor and the ‘welcoming public café’ are not very exciting. Surely as a civic and business venue the plans for the Guildhall could be designed in a way to offer something more interesting? A place for art exhibitions, talks, small concerts ? A venue that reflects the city’s character and that of the traditional market and its attractive setting?
Residents sharing responses with us have primarily focused on the plans for the Market Square
Market Square
An underground bin storage area reducing clutter
Reduction of clutter is sensible
Space for cultural events and community activities such as open-air screenings and themed market
Is there a report on the cultural events and themed markets that are planned?
Residents want to know what the focus is likely to be?
Who will the customers be for these events and themed markets? Is there a business plan?
How will events work alongside the traditional market ? We are hearing lots of concern.
Will events be ticketed as they are for the Edinburgh Fringe ?
Will residents be excluded from accessing any parts of the city centre and its civic spaces, as in other cities operating ticketed events?
Will traders trading in themed markets get priority over Cambridge’s traditional market traders?
Who will decide the priorities and who gets which stalls?
These plans for the market involve governance issues
The proposals continue to prioritise a thriving seven-day market, which will have new permanent stalls alongside demountable stalls to allow flexibility on the Market Square, adapting to demand from traders.
We are hearing lots of concerns from experienced market traders and their customers, some of them experienced design professionals who have inspected the sample design gazebo and shared concerns.
‘A gazebo more appropriate to a pop-up village craft fair, it clearly would not survive more than a month of use. The proposed structure is also not a standard market size, and therefore useless to traders who travel from market to market with their own trestle tables and other equipment: these traders will simply not bother to come to the city as was confirmed to me by a notable trader who visits numerous markets every week’
‘It is clear that these structures are aimed at hot food stalls for the tourist economy, relegating
stalls selling fresh food, books and other goods to residents to second rate structures’
‘What about all the previous talk about affordable fresh food being at the centre of equality issues in the city?’
Many residents are telling us that these plans for Cambridge Market are about making Cambridge city centre a playground for tourists. There is no interest in residents.
Cambridge University and the colleges are represented on the board of Visit Cambridge, along with Cambridge Bid. Residents highlight that The Times has already reported that the King’s College (King’s are represented on the board of Visit Cambridge) business plan is dependent on growth in city centre tourism – especially a growth in tourists from China ( the business plan specifically mentions China tourists).
‘the permanent structures are ugly and poorly located in the square – the council
would be better off going back to previous proposals for stalls, which at least were sensitive to
how markets actually trade’
This seems strange when there has been so much feedback and information from traders and their customers. Why haven’t their views been taken into account?
‘The Council’s proposals rely on demountable stalls, but the trial stalls only arrived on the Market this Monday (9th June) – just about the worst possible time to see whether they could withstand year-round weather conditions. The trial stalls are lightweight, flimsy, and cannot support racking or hanging which traders need. They are demonstrably not fit for purpose. ‘
What happens to the traders during the work? There is no mention in these plans. Yet in a previous presentation in Great St Mary’s from Lewis Herbert, previous leader of the City Council, he assured traders and residents that the livelihoods of Cambridge Market traders would be secure.
Conclusion
We are hearing widespread concern that these plans for the Civic Quarter ignore concerns previously raised and the professional experience of the market traders
Yours sincerely,
Wendy Blythe
Chair, The Federation of Cambridge Residents Associations (FeCRA )
Wendy Blythe
Chair, FeCRA
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