WELCOME Existing building Mount Pleasant House Welcome to the consultation for Mount Pleasant Halls a proposal to redevelop the site of Mount Pleasant House as accommodation for St Edmund s and Darwin Colleges. The proposal is being put forward by the Colleges in partnership with local developer Howard Osborne LLP. This exhibition explains the background to the proposal and we are keen to hear your views. Your feedback will help to inform the planning application which we hope to submit to Cambridge City Council this summer. Members of our project team are on hand to answer any questions you may have.
WHY THE MOUNT PLEASANT HOUSE SITE? Mount Pleasant House is immediately adjacent to St Edmund s College in an area of the City which is home to many other college sites. This makes it an ideal location for accommodation and creates a natural extension to the College s existing grounds. Both St Edmund s and Darwin Colleges have grown substantially in terms of student numbers in recent years. St Edmund s College has grown from approximately 100 students in 1990 to 500 now, whilst Darwin has grown significantly over the last decade to over 600 students today. As a result they have an increasing need for modern, purpose built and accessible accommodation. The proposal will help the Colleges to maintain the University as a pre-eminent world institution, benefiting Cambridge and the local economy.
OUR VISION FOR MOUNT PLEASANT HALLS Mount Pleasant Halls will offer modern, purpose-built accommodation for St Edmund s and Darwin Colleges on the site of Mount Pleasant House. The proposals include demolition of the existing 1970s office building, removal of 145 associated car parking spaces and the construction of approximately 290 en-suite bedrooms for mature/graduate students and 28 studio flats for academic staff in four modern, attractive buildings. The accommodation includes accessible bedrooms for students with disabilities. Cycle parking will be provided on site for every student, alongside six car parking spaces for disabled students and servicing. The main entrance to the site, including vehicle access, will remain on Mount Pleasant with additional pedestrian and cycle access being created from Huntingdon Road/Castle Street and access directly into the grounds of St Edmund s College.
THE MASTERPLAN The application site is a natural extension to St Edmund s College and offers an opportunity for the College to expand without encroaching onto green spaces.
WHAT WILL THE NEW BUILDINGS LOOK LIKE? View from Mount Pleasant View from Huntingdon Road The existing office building on the site Mount Pleasant House is universally unloved. It is noted in the Council s Conservation Area Appraisal as a building which detracts from the local environment. The new Mount Pleasant Halls has been carefully designed to complement the local streetscape. As well as being built from materials which are in keeping with the nearby area, the proposals also include open spaces and walkways which integrate the proposal with the surrounding area.
THE BENEFITS OF MOUNT PLEASANT HALLS Mount Pleasant Halls will offer students high quality accommodation at affordable rates, providing a cheaper and better-located alternative to private housing. This will relieve pressure on Cambridge s rental housing stock, freeing up much-needed homes for local people. The rooms will be occupied exclusively by graduate students and academic staff from the two institutions. Both Colleges place great importance on their students living as part of the local community and being good neighbours to those living or working nearby.
THE BENEFITS OF MOUNT PLEASANT HALLS The scheme will open up the site with new pedestrian entrances and new green spaces within it. Mount Pleasant Halls will have cycle-parking provided for every student with car parking only allocated to the five accessible bedrooms and one space for servicing. The Halls will also be well served by a number of local bus routes via Castle Hill. Most students are working towards Masters Degrees or PhDs so, unlike undergraduate students, their term times vary meaning that there are staggered drop offs and pick ups at the start and end of their stay. Both Colleges discourage their students from using cars and promote the use of sustainable transport. Car parking is limited on the College sites, with students requiring permission from their College to have a car.
NEXT STEPS AND TIMETABLE JULY 2015 Public exhibition and consultation with local residents and businesses AUGUST 2015 Submit planning application AUTUMN 2015 Planning decision and project commencement SUMMER 2018 Project completion and opening of Mount Pleasant Halls Thank you for coming to today s event. Please fill out one of the feedback forms provided or go to our website to complete the form online.