New office and lab space plans approved

The developer had originally planned to build a hotel and a block of flats on the site

Plans to build a new office and laboratory development in Cambridge have been approved.

Outline planning permission has been given at the site of the former National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB), in Huntingdon Road.

Plans had previously been approved to build 291 flats and a 202-bed hotel. However, the developer, Vertex Living Limited, later came back with alternative plans.

The developer highlighted in its plans that the land had historically been used as an employment site, and the latest proposals would bring it back into a similar use.

A decision on whether the development could go ahead was due in April, but was deferred to allow more time to explore concerns raised by people living in the neighbouring street.

Concern had also been raised about the impact the development could have on sewage infrastructure, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Anglian Water had asked for a condition to be applied that it would have to confirm there was "sufficient headroom at the water recycling centre to accommodate foul flows" from the development.

Council planning officers advised that they did not think this request was reasonable, as it would restrict occupation of the office and laboratory buildings until the company agreed it had capacity for the sewage.

Officers said Anglian Water had not been able to provide the specific evidence they had asked for to demonstrate the harm of the development.

They also highlighted that the previous approval for the flats and hotel created a fallback position, and if built, Anglian Water would have to meet demand.

Councillors unanimously agreed to approve the plans. As it was an outline application, more detailed plans would need to be submitted and approved before building work could start.