City estate to be rebuilt with no council housing

No affordable housing will be built as part of the redevelopment of two city centre apartment blocks, councillors have been told.

Cambridge City Council's planning committee has approved plans to demolish Hanover Court and Princess Court, both off Hills Road, to make way for 165 new flats.

The plans received the green light at a meeting last week despite concerns that it would mean losing social housing at the site.

Ben Binns, the authority's assistant director of development, said the council had "already committed £18m to relocating residents".

Local resident Peter Hume told the committee he had many friends who had lived in the two blocks because it was one of the only affordable places to live in the city.

"We need these council homes in our area," he urged. "This is a neighbourhood where we shouldn't see people being sent away… and segregated into other areas."

The redevelopment is being completed by the Cambridge Investment Partnership, which is run by the city council and housing developer the Hill Group.

Binns said the partnership had instructed an independent appraisal which confirmed no affordable housing could be provided as part of the proposals.

The partnership hoped to apply for funding from Homes England which could mean affordable housing eventually returning to the site, he told the meeting.

"We are aiming to ensure that 72 homes for Hanover and Princess will be council homes with the majority of those at social rent," he said.

However, planning officer Aaron Coe made it clear there was no guarantee that funding would come.

"The Homes England funding process is separate to the planning process," he explained.

Coe told councillors the current apartments were built in the 1960s and now had "significant fire safety deficiencies" and ongoing structural deterioration.

Most residents had already moved out, he said, with just nine flats currently occupied.

The flats were mostly council homes, but some were privately owned.

Coe said the council had considered refurbishing the properties, but significant costs to deal with the safety issues meant it was not a suitable long-term solution.

Four members of the committee voted for the plans, and three against.

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