The Cambridge City Council Development Control Forum met on Thursday, 11 September 2025, to discuss a planning application for Christ's College Library. The forum was scheduled to hear from representatives of the applicant, objectors, and supporters, as well as a presentation from the planning officer. Councillors were expected to raise questions and discuss the issues before a final summing up by both the objectors and supporters.

Christ's College Library Redevelopment

The main item for discussion was planning application 25/02161/FUL, submitted by Mr Simon McDonald, for the redevelopment of Christ's College Library. The proposal involves the demolition of the 1970s library building and its replacement with a new library and social and study spaces. The plans also include:

• Re-provision of a bridge to the Bodley Library
• Alterations to the kitchen, Upper Hall, and adjacent areas, including new plant, access improvements, and alterations to WC provision in the south-east range of Second Court.
• Relandscaping of Bath Court
• Installation of a temporary kitchen and dining facility in Second Court for the duration of the works.

Miss Charlotte Bailey from Turley was listed as the agent for the application.

Objections

The Christ's Lane Action Group, Lion Yard, was listed as the lead petitioner in objection to the application. Their grounds for requesting a forum included:

• The proposed development being a tall, bulky building disproportionate to its surroundings, harming the heritage setting, specifically the neighbouring Grade I listed buildings, in a Cambridge core conservation area.
• The scale, height, and mass of the proposed building causing overshadowing, loss of light, loss of vertical sky component, and harm to the public realm along Christ's Lane.
• The proposal including no active frontage or public benefit to offset the harm caused by its substantially large scale and mass.
• The proposed structure qualifying as a Tall Building as defined in the Cambridge Local Policy guidance, but the developer not providing an assessment of how the application aligns with Policy 60 of the Cambridge City Local Plan (2018).
• No Daylight/Sunlight Study being submitted to assess the impact on the residential amenity i.e. Bradwell Court, or the impact on the public amenity i.e. Christ's Lane.
• The submitted Townscape and Visual Impact Appraisal being highly inaccurate, due to the use of inaccurate methodology, visualisations, and verified views.

The Christ's Lane Action Group suggested several changes that could be made to overcome their concerns, including:

1. Mitigate the building height and scale on the basis of:

• Impact shown by a daylight/sunlight on the neighbouring residential amenity, and the neighbouring public amenity
• A revised Townscape and Visual Impact Appraisal that uses an accurate methodology, visualisations, and verified views
• Reduce the mass and height of the proposed building to respect its heritage surroundings, and to respect the conservation context.
• Introduce permeability and active frontage to contribute positively to Christ's Lane, and to satisfy the Cambridge Local Policy 2018 regarding retail frontage.
• Consider design elements from the earlier 2011/2016 proposals that were more sympathetic to the setting.

The group stated that they would put forward examples of alternative building designs at the Development Control Forum that incorporate these suggestions.

Support

A resident of Gilbert Road was listed as the lead petitioner in support of the application. Their statement in support said:

We the undersigned petition the council approve the planning application for the demolition of the existing inadequate Library and the construction of a fantastic new Library.

The superb design of the new Library will provide vital new study spaces for students; provide accessibility to a whole range of buildings; significantly improve sustainability; and enormously improve the Christ's Lane streetscape.