Cambridge: Park Street Car park aparthotel plans 'commercially-motivated'

The redevelopment of Park Street Car Park is expected to cost £80-90m

A council's plan to redevelop a city centre car park has been criticised as "entirely commercially motivated".

Park Street Car Park in Cambridge is due to be demolished and replaced by an "aparthotel" serviced apartment block with underground public parking.

The city council's leader said the £80-90m cost would be its "biggest single financial investment" ever.

But the opposition group leader said the site could have been used to address the city's housing deficit.

The council plans to provide the anticipated funding, and then lease the hotel to Staycity for its "premium Wilde brand".

The current car park is more than 50 years old and has 390 spaces, while the new design will provide 225 spaces.

The aparthotel will have 227 rooms.

The new design will provide 225 car park spaces and the aparthotel will have 227 rooms

Liberal Democrat opposition leader Tim Bick said: "Labour is straining to make the best out of an entirely commercially-motivated scheme," according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"What a pity they couldn't have used this site to address some of the city's housing deficit and still obtained a financial return.

"What a pity the new building won't achieve a carbon-neutral standard and still builds in reliance on gas.

"And what a pity the scheme eliminates the existing public service of public toilets. Overall the council's declared values are being sidelined and a huge opportunity is being missed."

Labour council leader Lewis Herbert said the scheme included an environmentally-friendly build, and would generate £10m for affordable housing.

He said the plans "always had ambitious multiple objectives to meet the needs of our whole community, contrary to the misleading and selective claims that opposition councillors continue to make".

He said the ground floor would be dedicated to expanded secure cycle parking, and there was a planned £100,000 investment in the expansion of nearby toilets.