Cambridge is one of the UK’s most successful and fastest-growing cities. The Cambridge Biomedical Campus, an internationally significant health and life sciences cluster, is expected to accommodate 27,000 jobs by 2031. Meanwhile, new housing developments across the Cambridge Southern Fringe are projected to deliver an estimated 4,000 new homes by 2031. With these locations identified as areas of major change in the Cambridge Local Plan 2018, the city needs a new railway station to ensure this boom in jobs and population can be sustained.
The new station will connect the Cambridge Biomedical Campus to potential destinations such as central London, London Stansted Airport, Ely, and Birmingham and serve as a gateway to Europe.
Network Rail appointed Arcadis to deliver town planning, environmental and heritage services, and planning advice, as well as multidisciplinary design services, including project and commercial management. We also supported the Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) for the project.
By supporting the development of environmentally sustainable transportation solutions in Cambridge, the station will improve access to high-quality employment and help relieve local congestion. In the future, East West Rail services from Bedford to Cambridge could also serve the new station.
Building a new station in the South of Cambridge aims to encourage sustainable travel across the region. Unlike most railway stations, the design solution intentionally excludes car parks. It will also provide more inclusive access to the campus.
The site, situated in the Green Belt between the campus and Hobson’s Park, is tightly constrained, with a nature reserve, scheduled monument, listed building, and conservation area all within proximity.
In addition to town planning, Arcadis is delivering detailed design for the scheme. We contributed to option appraisal and selection, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) scoping, and preparation of the Environmental Statement. Our Chartered Town Planners supported the preparation of a land and consent strategy, and our heritage team conducted a detailed heritage assessment, including designing and managing a geophysical survey and archaeological evaluation within and near the scheduled monument.
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