Plans for Queens’ College’s Owlstone Croft student accommodation scheme have taken another step forward. Cambridge City Council has signed off two conditions for the development.
The college was given planning permission to build 60 new postgraduate student rooms off Owlstone Road in Cambridge in 2023 – on a site that currently houses cycle storage facilities and a lawn area. City councillors had refused permission for the development after residents raised concerns about the impact it could have on the nearby Paradise Nature Reserve and Newnham Croft Primary School, but a planning inspector overturned the decision on appeal and granted permission.
The University of Cambridge college was required to get certain conditions signed off by the city council, including one to create a construction traffic management plan showing construction vehicles would be able to access the site safely, and another to create an air quality and dust management plan. Councillors at the planning committee meeting signed them both off.
The new student homes at the Owlstone Croft development will be designed to create a sense of community and encourage interaction, whilst also providing individual identity within each home. Each block will feature a mix of four and five bedroom houses, providing a total of 60 bed spaces spread across 13 terraced homes.
As part of the wider masterplan, the proposed development will also provide spaces for students to collaborate, work and unwind. The proposed amenity spaces include a student study centre, seminar room and gym in Block A. A new single storey building will be attached to the south end of Block B to be used as a café for the site. Further cycle parking will be provided to the west of the café.
The design of the proposed development directly takes it inspiration from the original Owlstone Croft House and local properties in the surrounding area. One of the guiding principles of future development at the Owlstone Croft site is to provide housing that prioritises student wellbeing while also incorporating sustainable buildings.
Mikhail Riches have extensive experience in the creation of sustainable designs, and the new postgraduate terraces will be built to Passivhaus standard and will be carbon zero in operation. The layout of buildings is being orientated due south for passive solar design.
The scheme will be fully integrated and responsive to the surrounding environment. By incorporating elements of the neighbouring nature reserve into the site – such as wetland and woodland features – the landscape plan has integrated the character of surrounding natural features.
It also seeks to reference echoes from the past, through the inclusion of diverse outdoor spaces such as courtyard areas and secret gardens, creating semi-private areas. The courtyard spaces will be incorporated into the building design, with terraces opening out onto the open spaces.
