Science District plan for Cambridge suburb wins approval

Planning consent has been given by Cambridge City Council for a new "Science District" in Cherry Hinton.

The developer, Mission Street, said the project would provide 1,000,000 sq ft of building space and open up lakes at Burnside that are currently closed to the public.

It would be built partly on the site of old cement works, and the developer plans to make "significant ecological improvements".

Dishone Lloyd, 16, died at the lakes in August after getting into difficulty in the water.

At the time of his death, local residents complained that their concerns about people getting onto the private land hadn't been listened to.

The planning documents for the Science District said two of the lakes would be opened to the public as part of plans for it to become an "urban country park, in an area where accessible open space is in short supply".

Permission for the development was given unanimously, despite concerns raised by the Environment Agency over contamination at the site. The developer has been given conditions to adhere to and will contribute Section 106 money, which is spent on local facilities.

The path and cycleway known as The Tins will be widened to make it easier for people to get to the site by bike. There will be a pedestrianised square and a children's play area.

An artist-in-residence will employed and there will be a STEM-based educational outreach partnership with the Cambridge Science Centre.

"Since our first consultation with local stakeholders and the Cherry Hinton community, we've said that this is about breaking down the barriers prevalent with traditional science parks, creating an open and inviting innovation district, and putting the science on show," said Artem Korolev, chief executive of Mission Street.

The developer described the planning decision as a "significant step forward for the UK's aspirations to be a 'science superpower'."