No 6365
Wednesday 19 November 2014
Vol cxlv No 9
pp. 143–150
25 November, Tuesday. Discussion at 2 p.m. in the Senate-House (see below).
29 November, Saturday. Congregation of the Regent House at 2 p.m. End of third quarter of Michaelmas Term.
5 December, Friday. Full Term ends.
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Discussions at 2 p.m. |
Congregations |
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25 November |
29 November, Saturday at 2 p.m. |
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9 December |
The Vice-Chancellor invites those qualified under the regulations for Discussions (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 111) to attend a Discussion in the Senate-House, on Tuesday, 25 November 2014, at 2 p.m. for the discussion of:
1. First-stage Report of the Council, dated 31 October 2014, on the North Range of buildings on the New Museums site (Reporter, 6363, 2014–15, p. 119).
2. Report of the General Board, dated 5 November 2014, on the establishment or re-establishment of certain Professorships (Reporter, 6364, 2014–15, p. 140).
The Report published in this issue (p. 148) will be discussed on 9 December 2014.
The Council has considered the remarks made at the Discussion on 14 October 2014 (Reporter, 6361, 2014–15, p. 69) concerning the above Report (Reporter, 6357, 2014–15, p. 11), following the publication of Grace 1 of 29 October 2014.
Mr Lucas-Smith comments on the layout of the junctions on the North West Cambridge development. The design of the junctions has been undertaken over a number of years, with the full engagement of a range of stakeholders including the City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, and the County Council as well as local residents and the Cambridge Cycling Campaign. The junctions have been designed to balance the needs of all users (pedestrians, cyclists, public transport, and vehicles). The University has achieved design approval from the County Council as highway authority, which safeguards the facilities for all road users. The highway authority has to apply current design guidance, or may find itself liable to legal challenge. The authority has applied current best practice guidance to the design of the junctions.
Two of the junctions are currently under construction. Notwithstanding this progress, in response to comments made by cyclists, the University has established a consultative cycling forum to contribute to developing and improving the cycle experience around and through the North West Cambridge development and West Cambridge site. The group will be chaired by Professor Ian White, a cyclist and a member of the Syndicate for the West and North West Cambridge Estates.
Mr Lucas-Smith requests the creation of a formal Cycling Officer post within the Estate Management Division. Earlier this year the post of Travel Plan Manager was established within Estate Management, and it will be filled by the end of the year. The role-holder will be responsible for University-wide travel planning issues, including promotion of more sustainable forms of transportation across all University sites.
Mr Sargeant raises concerns about the ability of Cambridge residents to purchase the market housing that will be available on the site. The University is currently in the process of identifying developers to deliver the first tranche of market housing within the North West Cambridge site. This housing will establish a high quality place, and it will also generate receipts that will be required by the University to help fund the Key Worker housing at the heart of the development. A wide range of homes will be developed, and their prices will be determined by the market, which itself responds to Cambridge housing demand. The University cannot withhold sales from potential buy-to-let purchasers nor, given that the receipts from the sales are required to offset the costs of providing homes at subsidised rents for the target group of junior researchers and other staff, is it in a position to offer the market housing for sale at a lower than market rate. The Syndicate acknowledges that, given the current state of the housing market in Cambridge, homes offered for sale by the developers are likely to be unaffordable for many University staff. However, the Syndicate has ensured, through the Sales and Development Agreements that will be signed with the developers, that large organizations and groups will be prohibited from buying large volumes of homes.
The Council is acutely aware of the housing pressures experienced by current and potential staff. It has recently agreed to extend access to its shared equity scheme to all incoming permanent staff and has increased the levels of investment it is prepared to make in the scheme. It is currently exploring the possibility of investing in affordable housing in partnership with local authorities in association with the City Deal.