A major planning application has been submitted to the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning authority seeking to redevelop the Crown Estate’s Cambridge Business Park into a mixed‑use district valued at around £2 billion. The outline masterplan, prepared by Studio Egret West, would see the nine‑hectare site on the north‑eastern edge of Cambridge reconfigured to include new homes, research and office space, and community facilities.
What the proposals include
Under the outline plans, the existing campus of 12 office buildings would be replaced by 16 larger buildings ranging from three to 13 storeys. The masterplan sets out a substantial shift in the site’s purpose from a traditional office park to a mixed innovation district situated close to established residential areas and neighbouring research parks.
- Homes: up to 500 residential units, with 40% classed as affordable.
- Offices: around 114,000 sqm of office space.
- Research & development: approximately 75,000 sqm.
- Community space: about 2,750 sqm plus new public realm.
- Height: buildings between 3 and 13 storeys; tallest buildings proposed for residential use, including an option for a 13‑storey co‑living block.
| Element | Proposed amount |
|---|---|
| Homes | Up to 500 (40% affordable) |
| Office floorspace | ~114,000 sqm |
| R&D floorspace | ~75,000 sqm |
| Community space | ~2,750 sqm |
Location and context
The business park, established by the Crown Estate in 1985, sits on the north‑eastern fringe of Cambridge as part of a cluster of science and research campuses that includes the life science‑oriented Cambridge Science Park. The applicant says the site’s proximity to nearby housing is a key reason for proposing a mixed‑use transformation rather than retaining a solely office‑focused campus.
"The Crown Estate said its vision for the site is to create a ‘distinctly different place’ to the current business park and a ‘new centre of gravity for a globally significant innovation district’."
Project team and next steps
The submission lists a multidisciplinary project team including 3pm (project manager), WSP (planning and townscape), Arup (transport and sustainability), Ramboll (structures, civils and MEP), Aecom (costs), Kanda (consultation), Savills (social value), Hoare Lea (lighting) and Trigon Fire (fire). The masterplan is an outline application, which means detailed designs, reserved matters and planning conditions will be considered in subsequent stages if the authority grants approval.
The proposals raise several matters for local stakeholders: the scale and density of new development on a nine‑hectare site; the balance of housing (including the level and delivery of affordable homes); transport and sustainability measures to serve increased residential and business activity; and how the scheme will connect with existing research parks and neighbouring communities. As an outline plan, many of these issues will be tested through the statutory planning process and public consultation by the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning authority.
