Development project in North West Cambridge

About This Project

Project Team:

University of Cambridge, Turner & Townsend, AECOM, Cast Consultancy, Company, Place, Field Consulting, Grant Associates, Hawkins\Brown, KMC Transport Planning, Max Fordham LLP, Mike Dean, Quod, Trium Environmental Consulting LLP and BB7

Site:

North West Cambridge development area

Introduction:

Plans have been submitted for the next phase of development at Eddington, North West Cambridge. Eddington is a growing community which is being designed to be sustainable and ambitious, offering affordable housing to staff at the University of Cambridge and attracting global talent to the area. Tree Frontiers were part of a large team of consultants who were involved in putting together the proposal and guiding the design process.

Background:

The project is being driven by the University of Cambridge. We worked alongside Turner & Townsend, the appointed project management company, together with the following consultants: AECOM, Cast Consultancy, Company, Place, Field Consulting, Grant Associates, Hawkins\Brown, KMC Transport Planning, Max Fordham LLP, Mike Dean, Quod, Trium Environmental Consulting LLP and BB7

The Opportunity:

The development plans which have been submitted for Eddington and the North West Cambridge development area include 3,800 new homes, 50 hectares of green space, new community facilities, play areas, sports pitches and active travel routes.

Tree Frontiers were invited to tender for the arboricultural advisor element of this project in July 2024 and were successfully appointed in September that year. We began our input to the project with an extensive tree survey over the course of several days in October. During this survey we identified two veteran trees which would require more stringent protection, as well as carrying out a more detailed inspection of the Horse Chestnut Avenue which runs across the southern end of the site. There were also a several trees subject to a Tree Preservation Order and part of the site is in a conservation area. In the report that followed we were able to identify a total of 66 trees that would require removal, with over 90% of the losses being limited to low and poor quality trees.

Working in collaboration with the landscape architects we assessed the replacement planting scheme that was being proposed, which outlined an extensive scheme of over 2,000 new trees. We also compiled a tree protection plan for all the remaining retained trees, and provided a draft arboricultural method statement detailing the general tree protection principles that should be adopted across the site.

The Results:

Working with the project team, we were able to ensure that not only were the highest quality trees on site retained, but we also worked closely with Grant Associates to develop a long term management plan for the Horse Chestnut Avenue, a key feature of the site that the University was keen to see restored and enhanced through a programme of management and replacement planting.