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Leisure park sale may lead to major redevelopment

Phil ShepkaCambridgeshire political reporter
News imagePhil Shepka/BBC Cambridge Leisure Park, with a path and grassed area through the centre of it. To the left is the edge of a hotel. To the right are shops and a cinema. A big sign saying "Cambridge Leisure" in the foreground shows the different facilities based at the site. There are some people walking around and many bikes are parked near the shops.Phil Shepka/BBC
Cambridge Leisure Park hosts a hotel, cinema and a number of shops and restaurants

The potential sale of a city's leisure park could pave the way for a big revamp of the site.

Cambridge Leisure Park includes a hotel, car park, restaurants, cinema and bowling alley, and according to a sales brochure is the city's "only multiplex and drive-to leisure destination".

The brochure said it presented "a unique opportunity for major redevelopment", with drawings including workspaces and a "new, sustainable home" for the Cambridge Junction, which hosts gigs and events.

LandSec, which is selling the site, has declined to comment. Cambridge City Council said the Junction could not be redeveloped without its permission.

The brochure said a "proposed masterplan" would include a mixed-use estate for office, lab, retail, creative workspace, the Junction and an "energy centre".

"Whilst the masterplan leans heavily on offices and lab space," it said, "the current commercial environment and local need would also position this site favourably for the massing of multi-family, co-living and senior living on those areas of the site currently designed for offices and labs, complimented by further retail and leisure uses".

The site currently has a 611-space multi-storey car park, but the proposed masterplan has 145 spaces.

News imagePhil Shepka/BBC A side entrance to Cambridge Leisure Park, showing the side of the big brick building housing the cinema. There is greenery and a road. It is a sunny evening and there is some lens flare on the image.Phil Shepka/BBC
A future masterplan for the site shows much reduced parking availability

Cambridge City Council is the freehold owner of the site and LandSec is the long leaseholder for the majority of it.

A spokesperson for the council said: "This means LandSec would need our approval to redevelop, but legally we couldn't unreasonably withhold it. LandSec would also need our approval to transfer the leasehold, but again, we couldn't unreasonably withhold that.

"As freeholders but not leaseholders, we have limited influence on whether LandSec decides to sell, redevelop or retain the site as is. The exception is for the Junction, as the council is both the freehold owner and the landlord, with Cambridge Junction CDC operating the Junction.

"The Junction could not be redeveloped without our permission, and any proposals would need to meet a minimum of reprovision of the existing cultural offer of the Junction, although the council would be interested in any proposals to deliver a larger, bespoke cultural facility in line with our emerging Local Plan and Cultural Infrastructure Strategy.

"Any specific proposals, such as the number of car parking spaces, would be a matter for any future developer to propose through a planning application, and determined by the planning authority through the planning process in the usual way."

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