reports

Report of the Council on Phase 6 of the Stage III extension to the University Library

The COUNCIL begs leave to report to the University as follows :

1. The purpose of this Report is to inform the University of proposals for the final stage of building in the Stage III extension to the University Library and to seek approval for the construction of Phase 6 of this extension.

2. The Council has previously reported to the University on proposals for the first five phases of the stage III extension: in July 1995 (Reporter, 1994-95, p. 1063), in January 1996 (Reporter, 1995-96, p. 365), in February 1998 (Reporter, 1997-98, p. 361), in February 2000 (Reporter, 1999-2000, p. 414), and in June 2003 (Reporter 2002-03, p. 1025). The first phase was the construction of the Aoi Pavilion named in recognition of a generous benefaction from Mr Tadao Aoi. The second phase was a westward extension at basement level of the bookstacks of the 1971 building. The third phase was the north-west corner extension which houses the Imaging Services Department and reading rooms for Rare Books and Manuscripts. Phase 4 comprised administration and legal deposit offices, a digital resources area, and inter-library loans and Official publications reading rooms. Phase 5 comprised five floors of closed access shelving. Phases 1 and 2 were completed in 1998, Phase 3 in September 2001, Phase 4 in February 2003, and Phase 5 in March 2005.

3. The West Bookstack represents the final element (Phase 6) of a development of the University Library approved by the General Board in 1993 and endorsed by the City Council Planning Department. The proposed development is in line with the decision made at that time by the General Board and the Library Syndicate that all further extensions should be in the style of the 1934 building. The proposed extensions have, like all other phases of Stage III, been designed by the architects Harry Faulkner Brown Howe Partnership now called Hopper Howe Sadler. Phase 6 will comprise five floors of closed-access mobile shelving and will be built over the existing westward basement extension linking the already completed Phase 5 and south-west corner extensions. In addition the work will involve some reconstruction of the interior of the fourth floor of the adjacent West Bookstack to increase the amount of open-access shelving available to readers. The gross floor area is 2,400 sq.m.

4. The project cost of £7m is being met from existing available funding which comprises £5.4m from the Research Capital Investment Fund and £1.7m from the University Library and Cambridge University Press Special Fund. In addition a capital sum endowment of £2.4m, which will be funded from the Cambridge University Press Special Fund, will provide the estimated Phase 6 running costs of £109,000 a year.

5. A Planning Application and Listed Building Consent Application for Phase 6 were submitted in April 2008. These applications are not considered to be controversial or contentious as previous phases received planning permission and Listed Building Consent without difficulty.

6. Plans and elevations of the proposed extensions are displayed for the information of the University in the Schools Arcade (see also http://www.arct.cam.ac.uk/ucpb/Documents.aspx/).

The proposed plan is available as a PDF file

•  Stage III Phase 6 extensionss

7. The Council recommends:

I. That approval be given for the construction of the Stage III Phase 6 extensions to the University Library, as described in this Report.

II. That the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Planning and Resources be authorized to accept tenders for the works in due course, within available funding.