Pembroke College said it has no need for the offices and meeting rooms and believes they would be better used as student housing.
Offices in the centre of Cambridge are set to be turned into student housing after plans were approved by Cambridge City Council. Pembroke College, part of the University of Cambridge, said it has no need for the offices and that the building would be better used for student rooms.
The College had asked the city council for permission to convert offices and meeting rooms at 12 Mill Lane into student accommodation. The plans explained that the building is connected to 13 which is already used for accommodation. The plans proposed to create 13 student rooms, with shared bathrooms, kitchen, and study spaces.
Under the proposals the Grade II listed buildings would not only be converted, but would also be upgraded to make them more energy efficient. The College said it believed it would be appropriate to revert 12 Mill Lane to residential use due to its “layout and more domestic scale”.
The plans said: “Prior to their purchase by Pembroke College they were used by the University, No. 12 having a mixture of meeting rooms and offices and No. 13 multiple occupation accommodation. The two properties are linked together at first floor level, and the mixed use is a safeguarding issue.
“The College has no requirement for meeting rooms [or] offices in this location and this along with the safeguarding issue, being mixed use, the most beneficial use would be to revert this to residential accommodation changing the use of No. 12 from ‘office’ to accommodation in line with No.13.
“The building fabric for both buildings is generally in poor condition with some inappropriate materials. Therefore, an extensive programme of repairs, refurbishment and minor alterations is planned to be carried out; taking the opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings, provide new services and upgrade the thermal properties of the fabric, all carried out in a sympathetic manner appropriate to a listed building.”
In a report planning officers at the city council highlighted that the building is currently vacant and “showing early signs of disrepair”. They added that converting the building into student housing would “allow for the fabric of the building to be improved and maintained through occupancy”.
Officers said there is also a need for more student accommodation in the city and that the 13 new rooms would help to meet this need.
The report said: “Officers consider the proposal to be a positive addition to the varied uses within the city centre and will promote sustainable transport, while preserving the historic character and appearance of the heritage assets.”
Permission for the conversion was granted by the city council, subject to conditions, including that work needs to start within three years.
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