Community Forum (6th March 2025)

Hybrid meetings; surely something to do with Darwinism
By Quentin |


Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/notebook-1226398/

The North West and West Cambridge Community Forum held a meeting on 6th March 2025, with Barratt and different stakeholders reporting on the progress on the development. For the first time, this was a hybrid meeting, with both physical and remote attendees. Here are some notes collected from the meeting.

Please keep in mind that these are the notes from attendees. They may be incomplete, inaccurate, and were not validated by Barratt or Eddington representatives.

Preliminary Observations

  • The meeting started with some news about the national context: the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was updated in December 2024, and includes new housing objectives: there are 1.5 million new houses to be built in the country from the plan, and in particular this should mean an additional 203,000 houses to be built in Greater Cambridge over the next five years (36,000 of which already have planning permission).
  • There are some structural changes in the building company. In autumn 2024, Redrow joined Barratt and David Wilson Homes (BDW) to form Barratt Redrow PLC (BR). In winter the same year, the BDW Cambridgeshire division closed and was transferred to David Wilson Homes South Midlands.

Darwin Green 1

  • Electricity in the Plaza should be installed anytime now. It’s up to the supplier to carry up the work.

  • The 100 year-old hedge laying in South England Style was part of the infrastructure requirement plan, it will support biodiversity.

  • Interim parking management: the scheme has been in place but was not enforced by Barratt and contractors until very recently.

  • Failed street lightning to be addressed. There should be a website to report these in the future.

  • Darwin Green Phase 2:
    • The ditch at the rear of Woodlark Road got grills fitted across the drain head wall.
    • Barratt will carry out a survey of building control point and transpose into planning documents to ensure the properties are built in correct places, will measure piling caps heights and back-to-back distances and cross-check with approved drawings.
    • Piling paused pending installation of monitoring equipment, resumption end of March.
    • The former Sports Pavilion has an application under consideration (25/00287/FUL) for conversion into a Kinder Cafe. Consultee comments and neighbour comments are being collected.
    • Allotments are nearly complete, the target is autumn 2025.
  • Local Centre:
    • Library: Barratt is working with the County to complete the fit out. No ETA.
    • Health-centre: Barratt is working with NHS and Red House surgery to progress towards announcing fit out of the building.
    • Retail: There is comprehensive marketing in place to obtain suitable tenants for the retail units.
    • Supermarket: Discussions are happening with the Consortium of Landowners.
  • Central Park:
    • The Central Park is due to open in summer 2025!
    • This will include the new Sorts Pavilion, the tennis courts, and cricket/football pitches.
    • This will not include the northern part of the park, that needs to be properly fenced off to protect residents while the work is ongoing.
    • Barratt is planning major event to celebrate the opening.
  • Parking in Darwin Green:
    • Clarification: Darwin Green is “no on-street” parking area.
    • There are no residents permits in the normal meaning of the term.
    • Barratt will try to accelerate paid bus service set up
  • Public art project: Barratt submitted indicative strategy about it. The company notes that community engagement commitment will be an important part of the project.

Darwin Green 2 & 3

  • Barratt is looking at phasing strategy, precommitments conditions (where the parks are going to be, etc.). Barratt is also looking into first reserved matters applications: infrastructure, country park, residential parcels, etc.
  • Progress was made since approval:
    • design code
    • first two pre-application meetings with local planning authority
    • initial surveys: ecology, archaeology
  • Timescales:
    • Timeline is currently under discussion, with Barratt anticipating submission of the design code in October 2025.
    • First units are expected to be delivered 2028 onwards.
  • The secondary school is confirmed but the site requires “engineering fill” along with transfer for services and access, which will take two years at least, so the school would open in autumn 2028, at best.

Eddington

  • Reminders:
    • 50% of the houses are for University employees (KWH). As of today, there are 700 KWH (out of 3,000 planned) and 1000 market-homes.
    • A new Outline application being prepared, as the one from 2013 has now expired.
    • House affordability is a core risk for University long-term future, so new houses is essential for the University.
    • The builder does not plan to increase density for future developments, so 40% remain open green space.
  • Timeline:
    • Spring 2025: preferred master plan consultation
    • Autumn 2025: planning application submission
    • Autumn 2025: post-submission information sessions

  • Storey’s Field Centre: The trust managing the centre is changing, the Council is withdrawing and the University will be sole manager. There is an access agreement in place to ensure public can still benefit from the Centre.

  • Swimming pool: Eddington got some bad press, but had made significant contribution towards provision. The provisions from the 2013 planning are no longer valid. There is an agreement to have a pool in West Cambridge West someday, but there is no more information available at this point

  • Questioned about the undeveloped parts that are in the parish of Girton, and on what steps are being taken to unify the community, Eddington representatives replied they are keen to engage into a conversation about that, they want to make sure all Eddington feels part of Eddington; Storey Field Centre being the centre of it, they don’t want “remote” people in Eddington to feel out of the community.

Community development

  • The Community Steering group is a new initiative to help community. It had only one meeting so far, but several residents for Darwin Green attended.

  • Community team does door knocking to chat with residents, find out what’s working, identify teething issues.

  • There is a Lego club in the Community Room during holidays now.

  • There are ASB (anti-social behaviour) and police drop-ins, following the many ASB reports (motorbikes, theft, etc.)

  • The Community team has an information pack available, aimed at new residents, about Cambridge, the transport systems, etc.

  • Darwin Green Community Rooms
    • The rooms have seen their booking increase, which is good.
    • They host free tea and coffee drop-ins on Wednesday mornings.
    • Every month on the last Wednesday every month, Barratt’s community representative drops in.
    • There is a weekly rhyme time for toddlers.
  • Past and future events:
    • Holiday lunches
    • Christmas gathering, carols
    • Something planned for Easter
    • Reminder that the following initiative exists: residents can close their street and play on doorstep, the Community team should like to help this grow.
  • Residents feedback:
    • There is more prevention of crime needed (bike stealing, drugs) -> report, report, report. The police can’t do anything if they don’t know about it.
    • It doesn’t feel safe, motorcycles driving around at all hours and a neighbour’s bike was nearly stolen.
    • A drop-down space in library would be useful.
    • Bins have been overflowing and the dog waste bin has bin overflowing.
    • Not all lights on the Greenway are working, it’s very dark.
  • The Council has some grant funding available for community events/needs (£5k total), get in touch if you have ideas.