Consultation runs from: 1 December 2025 9:00am - 30 January 2026 5:00pm
S/C/CLT: Clifton Road Area
- Site area of 7.26 hectares.
- Clifton Road Area will develop as an integrated part of Cambridge to become a great place to live, work and visit. It will contain new homes, space for business and industry and will benefit from its location as the link between Cambridge Junction and Cambridge Leisure and any possible future new eastern entrance to Cambridge Station.
- Capacity for approximately 200 homes, employment uses and other complementary uses including hotel and retail.
1. proposals must demonstrate how they will meet the following requirements to deliver a vibrant mixed use neighbourhood:
a. A masterplan led approach to the comprehensive redevelopment of the site, ensuring that it:
i. aligns with adjacent development proposals within Cambridge Junction and Cambridge Leisure, Hills Road (Policy S/C/CJ);
ii. makes provision for any possible future eastern entrance to Cambridge Station;
iii. incorporates any future phases of the Chisholm Trail into the design of the masterplan, ensuring that people, cyclist and vehicular conflicts are designed out;
iv. Is fully integrated with its surrounding area and is well structured to increase legibility;
b. Provides a significant and multi-functional open space and public realm offer, ensuring that those living, working, visiting and passing through the area have sufficient opportunities to dwell and play;
c. The reprovision of the existing floorspace for General Industry (B2), Storage and Distribution (B8), Light Industry (E(g)iii), mid-tech and any sui generis floorspace that share a significant number of characteristics with these uses, through an intensification of built form;
d. The provision of a range of commercial uses, in particular for start up companies, grow on spaces, workshops and maker spaces as well as office (E(g)i) and Research and facilities (E(g)ii);
e. Includes complementary uses that make best use of this centrally located site, including hotel, retail and food and beverage facilities;
f. The provision of residential uses provided that noise mitigation and outlook is addressed at the masterplanning stages of development to ensure there is no adverse impact on residential amenity from surrounding uses;
g. A positive, context-led approach should be taken in relation to the massing, style, and materials of new buildings to limit any negative impacts on the setting of the Grade II Listed Railway Station, the New Town and Glisson Road , and other designated and non-designated heritage assets that are in the vicinity of the site;
h. Opportunities to open up the site from Cherry Hinton Road and Rustat Road should be taken to increase the permeability of the site;
i. Adequate access and servicing arrangements for the range of uses for the site and the adjacent Royal Mail Depot should be incorporated into any proposal. Where possible and practical, access for servicing and deliveries for new development within the site should be managed on-street.
Supporting information
Clifton Road Industrial Estate plays a critical role in the functioning of the city, providing a range of light industrial and trade counter units. However, these types of uses have historically been built at low densities, creating large spaces between buildings that are designed around the needs of vehicles. The estate is within a highly sustainable location, close to Cambridge railway station and bus interchange as well as Hills Road and Cambridge Leisure, which offer a wide range of services and facilities.
Through a comprehensive masterplan led approach, there is significant potential to transform the current industrial estate into a mixed use neighbourhood that is fully integrated with the surrounding area. A masterplan would need to align with and compliment development proposals at Cambridge Junction and Cambridge Leisure as well as existing and future active travel plans and projects, including future phases of the Chisholm Trail. Engagement with local transport bodies and stakeholders will be important to ensure some of the positives and challenges from the CB1 development around pedestrian, cyclist and vehicular conflicts can be designed out.
The Cambridge Plan (Holford Wright, 1950) outlined the merits of a new eastern entrance to Cambridge Station. This long held ambition still remains and would be a significant factor in unlocking this site as well as bringing benefits to those using the railway station, particularly those at Hills Road Sixth Form College and people visiting Cambridge Junction and Cambridge Leisure. It could also relieve congestion for those using the existing station entrance. The masterplan for this site therefore needs to be flexible to ensure that it does not prejudice any potential station entrance and can positively respond to it through the design of streets, public realm, building orientation and land use.
Given the importance and success of the light industrial and trade related services, this must be retained as part of the redevelopment of the site, through a fine grain and intensified approach. Opportunities should be taken to stack complimentary uses, providing a rich and varied neighbourhood, whilst the introduction of some office and laboratory space could further diversify the employment offer. Residential development will need to be carefully located to create activity within the site but also protect residential amenity and outlook from existing and proposed uses, including the Royal Mail Depot which is currently proposing to remain within the area.
Given the mix of uses and the potential number of people living within, visiting or passing through the site, the public realm will be a key component for the future success of this neighbourhood. It must be multi-functional and provide a range of spaces for people to dwell and play all year round. Through a mix of land uses, high quality public realm and better integration with the surrounding area, there is an opportunity to create a vibrant, mixed use resident and working community in a highly sustainable location, and one that would rebalance development either side of Cambridge Station, following the near completion of the CB1 development on the western side. The proposed mitigation measures within the policy will also ensure no unacceptable impacts on the local and wider skyline, townscape character and listed assets and their setting through appropriate building height, massing and style and materials.
Tell us what you think
We will consider all comments while developing the next version of the .
All comments must be received by 30 January 2026 at 5pm.