Cambridge Council has warned that it will appeal to the Environment Secretary if South Cambridgeshire Council grants consent for a 25,000 sq m (82,500 sq ft) Marks & Spencer store at Barr Hill, on the outskirts of Cambridge.
M&S plans to develop the out of town store next to an existing Tesco superstore, which is to be extended by 10%. Brian Human, the council’s assistant director of planning policy, said the council had no objection to the Tesco extension. But he attacked M&S’ proposal, claiming that it “flew in the face of the structure plan and was counter to PPG6”.
Sainsbury has commissioned a study into a proposed £20m guided bus system in Cambridge. The system would use the existing Cambridge-St Ives railway line. The retailer has also offered to build a third lane on the A14 between Girton and Histon at a cost of between £6m and £8m as part of its proposals for a retail and leisure scheme at Arbury Park, north Cambridge.
