Extensive plans to create new shopping areas in Cambridge city centre have been partly abandoned after pressure from Cambridge colleges, architects and residents.

Under the proposed scheme, unveiled by Cambridge University and the city council last year, the Mill Lane area was to undergo an ambitious renovation. This was to include the demolition of the University Sports and Social Centre, Mill lane lecture theatres and university owned buildings between Silver Street and Mill Lane. In their place was planned a 21,000 square metre complex of offices, flats, shops, cafés and a 75-room hotel.

Cambridge residents had been critical of the perceived ‘over-commercialisation’ of the Mill Pond area, in particular the 2,500 square metres of retail space which was to include the creation of a row of shops on the façade of the University Graduate Centre.

The decision to drop plans for the new shops was taken by the University and City council after discussions with preservation groups, colleges and city residents. In their place a revised scheme will be adopted by councillors at an environment scrutiny committee, due to be held on January 12.

Opposition to the plans have come from all quarters. Some residents objected to the infringement upon the “haven” which Mill Lane provides from other busy retail areas in the centre. Others were critical of the destruction of the historic centre in the city. Further critics of the scheme cited the number of empty shops elsewhere in the city and the uncertain economic future as reasons to veto the retail proposals.

Independent Cambridge, an organization representing businesses in the City, have condemned the number of empty retail spaces in the Centre and advocate a long-term development plan for Cambridge which is sensitive to both the needs of local and county-wide residents and to the existing “magnificence” of the Colleges' architecture.

In response to the concerns, planning officers have agreed that "there should be no significant increase on the existing level of retail floorspace on the site". They have also decided to reduce the amount of office and commercial space from 6,500 square metres to 6,000 square metres, though there have been calls from nearby colleges to limit commercial space even further.

These proposals follow on from recent retail regeneration of the City Centre, with the Grand Arcade centre opening in March 2008. This redevelopment programme continued in spite of strong opposition from University officials.