Members Update – 13th June 2018
Dear all,
Late reminder that it is the Greater Cambridge Partnership Joint Assembly meeting tomorrow 2pm, the Guildhall
http://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=1073&MId=7170&Ver=4
Update on City Centre Access plans and preferred option for bus, cycling and walking improvements to Milton Road
Milton Road residents have a lot of questions
Greenways Paper – 12 new walking, cycling and equestrian routes connecting villages to the city
A number of you proposed we ask this question.
Regarding the Greenways. Please can you confirm that there will be no removal of historic cobbles or other historic fabric such as lights or railings in the historic core and that any signage for these proposals will be subject to planning approval.
There are proposals for new greenways over sensitive areas such as Grantchester. What landscape impact assessment has been done regarding the visual impact on these very sensitive historic landscape areas?
The fabric of Cambridge’s historic core and the city’s historic environment and landscape are of national and world interest so it is very important to get this right. As an example – one proposal on page 8 of the Consultant’s report for the Comberton Greenway which recommended the removal of the Senate House Passage cobbles featured in The Times and in the Cambridge student newspaper The Tab and in the Cambridge News .
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cambridge-cobblestones-under-threat-7bvqfgqw3
https://thetab.com/uk/cambridge/2017/07/14/cambridge-cobbles-jeopardy1-96639
Last year FeCRA organised a well-attended and successful seminar on the Greenways
Seminar trailer featuring speaker landscape architect Tom Turner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVkAPzFJqf0
Key speaker presentations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76z67RmIQ24
Community Rep Q &A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rDZSlWQeZ8B
Cambridge Assessment Building
Corfe Close RA say they are concerned about a feature of the new Cambridge Assessment Cambridge Assessment building. They wonder if anyone else shares their concern.
“The address of the building is “The Triangle building, Shaftesbury Rd, Cambridge CB2 8EA”, and it lies in the new developments adjoining the busway.
The building is surmounted by a tower, on the top of which is a feature. During the day one sees what is apparently a construction of girders, wrapped in a translucent material. At night, the feature is illuminated from within.
Our concern is that the feature looks ugly by daylight, and intrusive by night, also giving rise to unnecessary light pollution. Two of our members independently voiced the same thought: that the exposed metalwork led them to believe that this was an intermediate stage in construction – until it dawned that this was the final product.”
The planning application stated this about the tower:
‘The tower will have a varied design throughout its height with each of the four facades articulated slightly differently and so providing variation from differing viewpoints. A spiral access stair will rise up through the tower and meeting rooms located at different floor levels will ensure it is functional for users. The bulk of the tower will be clad in hand-set brick work with pre-cast concrete panels on certain sides higher up and an open viewing deck separating the top of the tower which will be raised above the deck on slender piers and comprise a glass ‘box’ which will itself include an artist intervention using a subtle lighting display installed within this box. The light display will ‘glow’ subtly at night and provide a visual point of interest from surrounding areas.’
Our members’ view is that the above description suggests something attractive, but which in reality is a poorly-designed vanity project. We are minded to approach Cambridge Assessment to express our views, and to see if at least the illumination can be turned off. However we would very much like to hear the views of other RAs. Are we a lone voice, or can we call on more general support ?”
Cambridge PPF Event , 23rd June to celebrate National Civic Day
With local historian, Jon Harris. 11am-1pm or 2pm- 4pm. Free, but booking is required. Donations appreciated.
https://tinyurl.com/CPPFGardenWalk
https://www.cambridgeppf.org/events/garden-of-eden-heritage-walk/
Best wishes,
Wendy
Wendy Blythe
Chair, FeCRA
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