Turnaround of Cambridge’s Brookmount Court approved

Columbia Threadneedle Real Estate’s proposed redevelopment of Brookmount Court in Cambridge has received planning approval. Brookmount Court sits immediately south of Cambridge Science Park and consists of three 1980s office buildings. The Driving Standards Agency partly operates from one, the other two have been unoccupied since 2018. Columbia Threadneedle plans to develop a life sciences facility to be known as GEO Cambridge, designed by Fairhursts. The scheme, spanning 106,563 sq ft across basement, ground and four upper floors, is expected to help address the shortage of laboratory space in the north Cambridge research and development cluster. The cluster comprises Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge Business Park, St Johns Innovation Park and Cambridge North, where Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council are jointly working on unlocking development sites for 8,000 homes and more than 2.9m sq ft of commercial space. GEO Cambridge is targeting BREEAM Outstanding certification and will use low-carbon construction materials, renewable energy technologies and minimise water consumption throughout the building’s lifecycle. Nicholas Buckland, head of asset management for UK real estate at Columbia Threadneedle Investments, said: “Our innovative proposal for GEO Cambridge is the result of ongoing engagement and consultation with local stakeholders and the community.” Quod acted as planning consultant; Kanda provided community engagement and public relations advice. Images © Fairhurst Design Group