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Mixed feedback over £20m city centre proposals

Local Democracy Reporting Service The photo is of the Cambridge market. The sky is blue with some clouds and the camera is mainly focused on a plant stall with a grey tarp roof. There are buildings of various colours in the background and rows of stalls behind the plant stall which have white, blue, yellow or green striped tarp covers atop. The stalls are on cobbled flooring. Around the market is a smoother concrete path.Local Democracy Reporting Service
Cambridge City Council proposed improvements to the Corn Exchange, Guildhall and Market Square to increase visitor numbers and reduce operational costs

Feedback on £20m investment proposals to reimagine a city centre have been published.

Cambridge City Council proposed improvements to the Corn Exchange, Guildhall and Market Square to increase visitor numbers and reduce operational costs.

Mixed feedback was received in relation to a proposal for a hotel in the Guildhall and conflicting interests were also logged in relation to Market Square plans.

Executive councillor for finance and resources, Simon Smith, said the council faced "the same budget pressures as councils up and down the country," and it aimed to adopt a long-term plan to balance the budget and care for local landmarks.

The money for renovations would come from the council's existing general reserve with most of the funding going towards improvements at the Guildhall.

The council's plans for the site included making the grade II listed building more open and accessible with modern flexible office facilities.

While the project is still in its early stages, feedback will help update proposals before they go to councillors on 11 November.

If approved at a strategy and resources scrutiny committee, further development will progress in 2025.

Mr Smith thanked respondents for their "valuable insights and suggestions".

"Investing in these historic sites is an important thing to do, but it also gives us an opportunity to reduce our overheads and generate income," he said.

"We have been eager to hear from local people how these spaces could be improved and I’m delighted with the level of engagement over the summer."

Local Democracy Reporting Service The photo is of the Guildhall but in the bottom right of the photo some stall from Cambridge market can also be seen. The sky is blue and the sun looks to be shining just above the Guildhall building and behind the flag being flow atop it. Just below the flag, on the front of the light bricked building is a clock. There looks to be five-stories to the venue and on the ground floor outside the Guildhall, lots of bikes can be seen parked near to the entrance. Local Democracy Reporting Service
Ideas to add libraries, free seating areas and affordable spaces for community groups to hire, were all suggested as part of the refurbishment of the Guildhall

Suggestions on plans for the Guildhall looked at how the space was used and could be used in future.

There were suggestions the Guildhall could become an open-plan design with better visibility from the outside and less formal interiors.

Mixed feedback was also submitted regarding a hotel proposal with 260 comments in support, 232 comments against and 48 indifferent.

There were worries about its impact on locals, traffic, noise and other hotels in the area, but support was shown for a rooftop pavilion, especially if it was open to all and not just guests.

Google The Google image shows the two big wooden doors with a black sign atop for the Corn Exchange. There are two framed posters either side of the entrance against the cream coloured bricks and railings on both sides of the building leading up to the double doors. There are carvings in the upper level of the building, beneath two sets of windows, showing what looks to be agricultural workers and a horse and plough. Google
"Inaccessible and uncomfortable seating" was criticised at the Corn Exchange

Feedback on the Corn Exchange reflected a desire for better acoustics for speaking and music events.

There were criticisms about inaccessible and uncomfortable seating, and requests for ground-floor toilets and better access for those with a disability.

NChadwick/Geograph The photo is of the Cambridge market. The sky is grey and cloudy and there are buildings of various colours in the background. On the ground the camera is focused on the market stalls which have white, blue, yellow or green striped tarp covers atop. The stalls are on cobbled flooring and around the market is a smoother concrete path. There are customers walking around the market, one with a bike, browsing the stalls. Signs for a olive stall and a coffee stall can be seen clearly from the camera angle.NChadwick/Geograph
Suggestions were made both for and against building a permanent structure at the Market Square

Conflicting interests were clear from the feedback gathered on the Market Square, with heritage groups and some market traders preferring to retain the cobblestones.

However, wheelchair users said the cobbles created accessibility difficulties. Other market traders highlighted issues with cleaning and maintaining the cobbles.

There was a desire to improve security and deter anti-social behaviour and also suggestions for solar panels, green spaces to sit and eat, trees and moss roofs.

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