Cambridge councillors have approved Christ College’s request to demolish and replace its library despite objections from local campaigners.

Christ’s planning application, which was submitted in June, received the vote of approval last Wednesday (29/10). The College has described its library, which was constructed in the 1970s, as “slowly falling down” and no longer fit for purpose, especially on accessibility and environmental grounds.

The replacement building will be four stories high and have a new frontage onto Christ’s Lane. Key features include a timber structure, a masonry wall, and chimneys that would make the library taller than it was before.

The College argues that the redesigned library will increase study spaces by 100%, while incorporating social and wellbeing facilities, and meeting environmental standards. It also claims the design will improve the appearance of Christ’s Lane.

Simon McDonald, Master of Christ’s College, said students “deserve better,” adding: “We are building something beautiful for the college for sure, but also for the city.”

The College has commissioned the Dublin-based company Grafton Architects to redesign its library. The architects describe the new facade as “a rich mix of stone and brick and the rhythmic play of chimney stacks,” which they said was “very much in proportion with a broad range of historic precedent that we examined locally” and “directly connected with the approach to sustainability”.

There have been significant objections to the plan, including by the local organisation Christ’s Lane Action Group (CLAG), which has expressed concerns about “heritage impact, scale, and disruption”. The group also said the plans would create “a towering factory library in the heart of historic conservation Cambridge,” which would turn the street into a “canyon”.

Following further objections from Historic England relating to the College’s Grade I listed status, the architects made several changes, including reducing the proposed height of the chimneys.

Christ’s Lane, which links St Andrew’s Street to Christ’s Pieces, is a popular route for pedestrians. Shops and cafes, such as Tesco Express, line the side of the lane opposite Christ’s Library. The construction work would narrow the passageway, which could impact businesses in the vicinity.

Christ’s has received planning permission to redevelop its library before, including in 2011 and 2016, but works never took place. CLAG claims that “the current proposal is significantly taller and more massive than the previously consented 2016 scheme” and worries that it will create a “fortress-like wall”. Unlike previous proposals, the new design does not include a basement space.

Councillors remain divided on the project. Green Party councillor Naomi Bennett said at the most recent planning meeting: “Christ’s Lane is our safe off-road route into the city centre … you can’t build an ‘accessible’ library by making the rest of the city inaccessible.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Tim Bick said he understood the desire for a “transformal improvement” but wondered whether more could be done to create “openness” at ground level and make the road a “less one-sided street”.

CLAG has expressed concerns about the nature of the vote, suggesting that councillors had “already made up their minds” despite a large number of residents attending the last planning meeting to object to the plans. The group said: “This isn’t the end … the planning process may be broken, but our resolve is not.”