Hauxton: Cambridge Road sewage works to be science campus

Outline plans to build six new office and laboratory buildings on the former waste water treatment facility off Cambridge Road in Hauxton, have been approved.

The developers behind the plans said they would clean up the contaminated land and build a science campus that offered around 1,000 new jobs and wider benefits to the village community.

The plans were submitted to South Cambridgeshire District Council by Bridgemere Land Ltd.

The former sewage works closed down in 2005; some of the facility’s old structures, including silos and tanks, were left behind and have deteriorated over the years.

The land is considered to be a highly contaminated site.

Under the plans to redevelop the old sewage works, the remaining structures will be demolished and the contaminated land cleaned up.

Six new buildings containing offices and laboratories are proposed to be built, as well as an amenity building including a gym, cafe, and changing facilities, which will be open to the public to use.

The development includes plans for 330 car parking spaces and 306 cycle parking spaces, and the developer has said it will contribute funding towards a cycleway through the site.

A country park is also proposed to be created around the north and west of the new life science campus.

Previous outline plans to build 32 homes on the site were approved by the district council back in 2016. A more detailed application for this development has also been submitted to the authority.

Rob Sadler, from Foundation Capital Ventures, a commercial partner of the developer, told councillors at a planning committee meeting this week (April 10) that the life science campus offered a “greater package of public benefits”.

He said the development would provide a new life science and innovation campus dedicated to providing space for small and medium companies.

Mr Sadler said the proposals would create around 1,000 jobs including both entry level and senior positions.

He also said they were committed to providing training options for people interested in working in the life science industry.

Mr Sadler said the amenity buildings would be built early on and that access to the adjacent sports fields would be maintained at all times throughout the development.

Hauxton Parish Council said it supported the development and said the developer had worked closely with the village when preparing the plans.

Councillor Pondori Kurade, from the parish council, said the new amenity building would “add a lot of value to the local community”.

However, concerns about the development had been raised by the Environment Agency, which objected on the grounds that it would contribute to increased water abstraction and risked the further deterioration to water bodies in the Greater Cambridge area.

Mr Sadler said the developer team has “really worked hard” to reduce the amount of water that would be used by the proposed science campus, and said it would use 22 per cent less water than the alternative development of 32 homes.

He also highlighted that the Environment Agency had not objected to the latest plans for the residential development, which would use more water.

Councillors said they were concerned about the water issue, but said they recognised the water usage would be less at the science park compared to the homes.

Councillor Dr Lisa Redrup said the water situation was “not ideal”, but said she accepted the explanation that the science park would be better than the homes in terms of water usage.

Councillor Heather Williams said: “Had there not already been permission given I think the Environment Agency response would be incredibly strong.

“Me being practical, we do have a water issue, it is something that concerns a lot of us, but the reality is there is still that fall back position.

“Being pragmatic I do not think it is wrong to accept there is a water problem and to follow officers recommendation [to approve the plans].”

Councillor Dr Tumi Hawkins said the Environment Agency’s decision to object to the science park application, but not the latest proposals for the new homes was “inconsistent”.

Councillor Bill Hadley said “any development is going to be an improvement” from the existing contaminated site.

Councillor Peter Sandford said when the committee had visited the former sewage works he thought it looked like a “post apocalyptic wasteland”.

However, Councillor Dr Richard Williams said he would have liked more information provided to show the contaminated land would be properly treated and said he wanted “much more reassurance on that”.

When a decision on the application was put to a vote eight councillors voted in support of approving the plans, with one councillor voting against, and one councillor abstaining.

As an outline application further more detailed plans for the science park will need to be submitted to the district council for approval before it can be built.