Sign up to our newsletter for daily updates and breaking news Sign up here! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Park Street car park will close for almost two years so a new hotel, café and a smaller underground car park can be built in its place.

On Tuesday (August 13) Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP) submitted their planning application for the development of the car park billed to start in January 2020, now less than six months away.

The application is following a public consultation on the plans in May.

Since that consultation an additional proposal has been made to open up Jordan's Yard to the public which will include a café and seating area.

A proposal has also been made in an effort to increase biodiversity, with plans to have "insect towers, a green roof for the hotel, bird boxes and a bee hotel".

Plans for new hotel and small car park

The remainder of the application describes a 200-room "premium aparthotel" that will be built on the site above a basement car park which will remain in the hands of the council.

The car park will be smaller with just 225 public parking spaces compared to the current 390 spaces. However, there will be an increase from the three disabled bays at Round Church Street to 16 at the new underground car park.

Alongside this will be 26 electric car charging ports and 270 covered cycle parking spaces.

(Image: CIP)

But in an effort to maximise cycle spaces, there will be not public toilets located at the car park.

Instead CIP are proposing working with local businesses to establish a "Cambridge Community Toilet Scheme", where participating shops, restaurants and bars would allow free public access to their toilets during trading hours.

Cllr Lewis Herbert, leader of Cambridge City Council, said: “Submission of this planning application to the local planning authority is an important step towards the redevelopment of Park Street car park.

“The application sets out in detail the partners’ plans for replacing the current outdated car park with a new aparthotel and underground car and cycle park that will give a long-term economic boost to this part of the city centre.

(Image: CIP)

“Our Park Street redevelopment also delivers major benefits for the whole city. In addition to paying the full replacement cost for a 50 year old car park that is no longer fit for current and future use, it will also generate a receipt of at least £10m which the council intends to use in a future housing and affordable housing investment.

“The partners will continue to work closely with Park Street Liaison Group, residents, businesses and others to discuss their views and concerns and, where practical, work to reduce the unavoidable impacts of the car park closure while it is redeveloped.”