Cambridge City Council is scheduled to meet on 9 October 2025, to discuss a range of topics including the Cambridge Civic Quarter project, new loan facilities for the Cambridge Investment Partnership, and the annual treasury management report. Councillors will also consider motions relating to waste water plant relocation, an anti-racism charter, new homes, and the condition of the River Cam.

Cambridge Civic Quarter Project

Cambridge City Council is scheduled to discuss the Cambridge Civic Quarter project, a plan to restore and modernise the Guildhall, Corn Exchange, Market Square and public realm in the city centre.

The Cabinet is expected to recommend that the council approves a capital budget of up to £4.4 million to fund the technical design development, detailed development programme and to finalise the total direct and indirect costs of the project.

The report pack states that the designs include:

• The most significant investment in public realm in the city centre for 50 years
• Creating a modern, thriving and inclusive market square to support existing and new business
• Much needed investment in the Corn Exchange to widen its appeal
• Modernisation and opening up the Guildhall to the community
• Providing an option for the headquarters for a new unitary council

The report pack notes that the designs have evolved since the project began in January 2024, with feedback from public engagement programmes and stakeholders, including council staff, the Civic Quarter Liaison Group and monthly market trader meetings.

The report pack also states that proposals for the Guildhall include:

• Conserving and modernising the Grade II listed building to operate at net zero operational carbon¹
• Making it accessible to wheelchair users
• A new customer service centre for people visiting the council
• A welcoming public café, along with a Changing Places toilet open to the public
• Workspace and meeting rooms for council staff and commercial tenants
• Making the Chamber an accessible and multi-functional space usable for different types of events, able to accommodate an increasing number of councillors following local government reorganisation

The report pack notes that the proposals for the Market Square build on the vision agreed in March 2022, for a bustling seven-day market which is an accessible, attractive, welcoming, exciting and safe place to visit, shop and gather during the day and into the evening. It is proposed that the setts² will be preserved but made accessible, with covered seating provided by parasols and new trees around the fountain, which will be brought back into use. A total of 96 new stalls are proposed – comprising 44 fixed stalls and 52 demountable stalls – offering flexibility to accommodate daily trading while also creating opportunities for events and cultural activities to animate the square throughout the year.

The report pack states that proposals to improve the Corn Exchange include energy-saving measures (increased insulation and solar panels), accessibility in all areas, and better sound quality and new audio visual systems for events. It is also proposed that more concessions and bar areas will be introduced – including outside in Parson's Court – to enable quicker service and more food and drink options.

The report pack notes that the proposals for the public realm for the civic quarter will be the most transformative change in the city centre for 50 years, with a shared surface restricting traffic to the civic quarter area. Proposals include increasing Blue Badge Parking from 5 to 6 and cycle parking by 10% to 219 bays and a biodiverse route along Peas Hill and St Mary's Street/Market Street.

The report pack also outlines decant arrangements for the Guildhall, Corn Exchange and Market Square during the works.

The report pack states that business plans have been produced for each of the three assets to test the proposed interventions, following the Treasury's recommended Five Case Model approach³.

The report pack notes that the financial implications of funding the Civic Quarter work have been reviewed by the Council's Section 151 Officer⁴.

The report pack outlines four options that have been considered by officers:

1. Do nothing – project is paused
2. Recommend approval for a capital budget of £92.3m, submit planning for all three assets and associated public realm, continue with technical design to develop a contract sum proposal for Cabinet approval in September 2026
3. Recommend approval for partial investment – to reduce the scope by excluding one or more of the assets, submit planning for all three assets and associated public realm, continue with technical design to develop contract sum proposals with a reduced scope for approval in September 2026
4. Recommend approval for a capital budget of £4.4m only, submit planning for all three assets and associated public realm, continue with technical design to develop a detailed development programme and contract sum proposal for cabinet and Full Council approval in Autumn 2026

Officers do not recommend options 1 or 3.

The report pack states that approval of the recommendations would fix the broad outline of the proposals, but that proposals will evolve further and involve trade-offs as technical development, planning and financial constraints are identified.

Councillor Baigent, Civic Quarter Project - Council Chamber

Councillor Dave Baigent has submitted a notice of motion stating that work on the council chamber element of the Civic Quarter Project should be put on hold until there are answers to questions about the size, leadership and location of the new Unitary⁵ authority.

Cambridge Investment Partnership

The Cabinet is expected to recommend that the council approves a capital budget totalling £18.5 million for the provision of three new development loan facilities to Cambridge Investment Partnership LLP (CIP) in respect of regeneration activities and new build development at Newbury Farm, ATS/Murketts Histon Road, and Fanshawe Road.

The Cabinet is also expected to recommend that the council approves the setting of fixed interest rates applicable to the above loans at 3.5% per annum above the prevailing 5 year UK gilt rate, and a capital budget totalling £4.677 million for the provision of equity loan facilities to Cambridge Investment Partnership LLP in respect of the same three schemes.

The report pack notes that loans to CIP have to date been enacted for developments at Cromwell Road, Mill Road at Orchard Park L2, and for land acquisitions at ATS/Murketts and Newbury Farm.

The report pack states that the development loan facilities will be subject to a covenant, to the effect that any funds drawn down are to be utilised solely for the purposes of housing delivery on the three sites, including regeneration activities, new build development and delivery of affordable housing.

The report pack notes that there is a requirement for 50:50 equity funding of the project by each CIP joint venture partner, being the council and Hill Investment Partnerships LLP.

The report pack states that the council's Chief Finance Officer will work with CIP to agree the exact terms of the loan, for example drawdown and repayment arrangements, interest charging periods and payment dates, and the source and timing of the UK gilt rate to be used for the purposes of setting interest rates.

Annual Treasury Management Report

The Cabinet is expected to recommend that the council approves the Annual Treasury Management Outturn report 2024/25, which includes the council's actual Prudential and Treasury Indicators for 2024/25.

The report pack summarises:

• capital expenditure and financing activity during the year
• the impact of capital spending on the council's 'need to borrow'
• the council's compliance with prudential and treasury indicators
• the treasury management position as at 31 March 2025
• the council's treasury management advisors' view on UK interest and investment rates
• the actual prudential and treasury indicators
• the counterparty List
• a glossary of terms and abbreviations

The report pack notes that total capital expenditure in 2024/25 was £115.068 million, which was less than the budgeted £220.192 million, largely as a result of slippage on projects.

The report pack states that during 2024/25, the council used external borrowing to finance capital expenditure on the Park Street hotel and car park development, drawing down £30 million of external borrowing for this purpose, with a further £55 million pre-arranged to be drawn down in 2025/26.

The report pack also notes that total interest on treasury investments and dividends from managed funds of £4.705 million have been earned on the council's deposits during 2024/25 at an average rate of return of 4.81%.

Councillor Illingworth, Waste Water Plant Relocation: Rethink or our Money Back

Councillor Illingworth has submitted a notice of motion regarding the government's funding U-turn on the relocation of the Anglian Water waste water treatment plant from North East Cambridge.

The motion states that the council:

• Records its huge disappointment at the government's last minute funding U-turn on the relocation (and expansion) of the Anglian Water waste water treatment plant from North East Cambridge
• Is horrified that their short-sighted decision is at complete variance with the government's earlier planning approval for the relocation, its wider ambition for Cambridge's future, and the promise of a local partnership approach, and that it will prevent an attractive return to the Treasury from the growth that it would have unlocked.

The motion resolves that the council:

• Demand that the government urgently reconsiders its funding decision, so that the waste water plant relocation and the planned development of North East Cambridge can go ahead
• Failing which, ask for the council's money back
• Request the Head of Finance to prepare a comprehensive costing of all council resources deployed since the Housing Infrastructure Grant was awarded in 2019 and premised on it
• Urges the responsible government minister to attend the Performance, Assets & Strategy Overview & Scrutiny committee at the earliest opportunity, if invited, to discuss the status and outlook for the other expected financial support to back up its ambition for Cambridge.

Councillor Anna Smith, Anti-Racism Charter

Councillor Anna Smith has submitted a notice of motion stating that the council determines to endorse and implement Unison's anti-racism charter in full.

The charter includes pledges to:

• Recognise the need and benefit in championing a racially diverse workforce
• Challenge racism internally and externally wherever it arises in relation to the organisation
• Recognise the impact of racism upon staff members' wellbeing
• Set and regularly review strategy to improve racial equality, diversity and inclusion so that the organisation reflects the communities it serves
• Have a clear and visible race equality policy championed by leadership
• Have a clear and visible anti-racism programme of initiatives and actions
• Undertake equality impact assessments for all strategic-level decisions
• Undertake ethnicity pay gap recording and publicly publish results
• Undertake workforce ethnicity recording and publicly publish results
• Provide unconscious bias and anti-racism training for all staff members
• Provide a racism reporting process for notifying, investigating and recording outcomes
• Provide robust equality training for managers involved in recruiting, promotions and investigating allegations
• Provide a wellbeing support facility for staff experiencing racism in the workplace
• Be anti-racist, not just non-racist in all we do

The charter also states that the council's equality auditing process will review:

• Recruitment processes to identify and address race disparities in equality of opportunity
• Exit interview results to identify and address race disparities in retention of staff members
• Promotional processes to identify and address race disparities in equality of opportunity
• Discipline and grievance to identify and address race disparity in outcomes of comparable cases
• Policies and research under a duty or commitment to promote solidarity and tackle racism
• Our mission, values, and support to removing racial discrimination in all its forms

Councillor Glasberg, New Homes & Old Myths

Councillor Jean Glasberg has submitted a notice of motion stating that:

• Cambridge data on completions of new homes, unused planning permissions and affordability ratios for rents and mortgages demonstrate that the market is not solving the city's housing crisis
• Its high housing costs impose severe financial and mental stresses on residents, weaken the night time economy and increase social isolation
• Cambridge's green spaces and wildlife habitats are essential for resident wellbeing, preserving biodiversity and resilience to climate habitats
• Part 3 of the proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill would allow developers to continue to destroy habitats and species, providing that they pay into a proposed national nature fund

The motion states that the council believes that:

• Biodiversity lost in Cambridge now cannot meaningfully be replaced by potential future projects elsewhere
• Market housing cannot on its own address the city's housing needs

The motion requests that:

• The government maintains and increases protection for the environment and biodiversity
• In particular it urges the government not to pass part 3 of the proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill currently going through the House of Lords without significant amendments to improve protection
• It removes excessive restrictions on the use by councils of Right to Buy receipts so that councils have the flexibility to fund the full cost of bringing empty homes back into use, purchasing and repairing existing homes and building new 100% council housing

The motion proposes to write to Daniel Zeichner MP, Pippa Heyling MP and Steve Reed MP to share its concerns and make this request.

Councillor Tong: The Failure of Jesus Lock Island and Baits Bite Lock Island

Councillor Tong has submitted a notice of motion regarding the condition of Jesus Lock and Baits Bite Lock.

The motion notes that:

• The islands of the two locks that maintain a steady water level, Jesus Lock and Baits Bite Lock, are both at risk of failing due to the disrepair
• The Conservators of the River Cam announced that they were in dire financial straits
• Urgent action must be taken, yet the Conservators of the River Cam do not have the funds to do so

The motion resolves to:

• Write to Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, explaining the need for the Conservators of the River Cam to receive funding for these essential repairs
• To also request that responsibility for overseeing the River Cam is transferred to any future unitary authority comprising Cambridge

Other Items

• Councillors will be asked to agree to an appointment for the position of Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee. A nomination to the position has been made by the Labour Group, nominating Councillor Katie Thornburrow.
• Councillors will note the written questions and answers document.