Postgrad plans progress despite pollution fears

Plans for 60 new postgraduate rooms for Queens’ College students have advanced, despite concerns from the local community over construction traffic and air pollution impacting vulnerable residents. Queens’ College was granted planning permission for the Owlstone Croft development in 2023, after appealing an initial rejection. A construction traffic management plan is set to be created to ensure safe access to the site, but some have criticised the plan, saying that the site is “extraordinarily difficult” to access and the plan would be a “danger to elderly people and people with pushchairs,” according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Andrew Bainbridge, Queens’ domestic Bursar, said the College is aware that the traffic management plan is of “real importance” to the local community, adding that the College is “100% committed” to the project. 

(no) Timber!! Tree sculpture to be saved from building demolition plans

Plans are underway to preserve the oak tree sculpture on the side of 1960s office block Kett House, with developers saying that they are “confident” that the sculpture can be safely removed and reused, even if the building is knocked down to make way for new offices. Kett House, on Station Road in Cambridge, is currently facing the prospect of demolition, as developers seek to replace it with a taller office block. The sculpture’s survival has been of significant concern among members of the public, according to Peter Fisher from Bennetts Associates, the architects behind the new project. According to Cambridgeshire Live, Richard Robertson said that the developers must “find a good place” for the sculpture, which depicts where East Anglian rebel Robert Kett would meet his followers.

Roving robots missing from Cambridge streets

Starship delivery robots have been absent from Cambridge streets for several weeks, as Starship Technologies looks into the robots’ charging infrastructure. The fleet of robots, which deliver from the Co-op in Cambourne, was launched in Cambridge in 2022. For three years, they have been available for deliveries to over 12,000 people, and often amused residents by queuing at traffic lights and engaging in ‘stand-offs’ with one another. Starship Technologies says it hopes to resume service soon, with a spokesperson stating: “Starship robots love delivering in Cambridge – we miss our customers and the warm welcome you always give us!” according to Cambridgeshire Live. They added: “We paused our service to take a look at our charging infrastructure, it’s taking us a little longer than anticipated to be back up and running. We’re still delivering to homes in Cambourne, and in lots of places across the country, so we hope to be back up and running soon.”

Unbe-loo-vable U-turn: anger at South Station facilities

Cambridgeshire councillors expressed frustration this week when it was revealed that there will be no publicly accessible toilets in the new Cambridge South Station, according to Cambridge Independent. Network Rail has said that the “constrained” site upon which the new station is being made has meant that the toilet facilities will be behind the ticket barriers, preventing members of the public who are not travelling from using them. This contradicts previous assurances that public facilities would be available, although a planning officer said that a publicly accessible toilet was never made a formal requirement of the planning permission. Councillor Dr Richard Williams described it as “unacceptable” for such assurances to be made and then unfulfilled. “It makes a mockery of the whole system,” he added.