Local creatives will be invited to design a new community pavilion that will be at the heart of a new public park on Devonshire Road.
The proposed public park is the centrepiece of a planned development on Devonshire Road in central Cambridge.
Devonshire Gardens, as the project is known, will include new homes for rent, workspace and community amenities. A planning application for these proposals is currently being prepared by developer First Base and investors Railways Pensions Fund (RPMI Railpen). This follows a comprehensive public consultation programme, in which around 3,000 local people had their say, including calls for a highly sustainable development, delivering increased biodiversity, more community space, support for local businesses and for local arts and culture.
Responding to calls for a public park that promotes sustainability, supports the local community and reflects local creativity; a competition will be launched for local designers to express their vision for the park’s pavilion.
A scope for local designers will be provided, that will likely encourage entries that promote sustainability, embrace community and celebrate local arts and culture. The ambition for the pavilion is it becomes a new focal point for the local community. Acting as a future meeting place, a flexible space to socialise and a potential venue for activities, events, exhibitions or small-scale performances; it is envisaged that the pavilion will provide the opportunity for local people to connect with each other and with nature, all year round, whatever the weather.
An example of how the pavilion could serve the local community is its potential to support the increasingly popular Mill Road Winter Fair. The Devonshire Gardens project team has been in talks with the Winter Fair Committee about how the new public space might benefit future events, providing more space and potential to provide an overspill or fringe events, alongside the main activities on Mill Road.
Further details on the design competition will be shared in due course. This initiative will be one of many ways that local people can continue to have their say on the proposed design of the new public park, from what might be planted there, to new opportunities for public art.
Douglas Higgins, Project Director, First Base, said:
“Places are about people, not just bricks and mortar. That’s why we’re proposing a new public park for people to enjoy and feel welcome. We hope the pavilion can act as a focal point for community acitivites, whether hosting activities for the Mill Road Winter Fair, or simply a local brass band on a sunny summer afternoon!
“The design of Devonshire Gardens must reflect the local character and identity, which is why we have been consulting with local residents so extensively and why we will continue to ensure the community is involved throughout the process.
“If the pavilion is for local people, then it should be designed by local people! We look forward to launching this competition to find a local designer who can help us to deliver a highly creative and community-focussed environmentally-friendly pavilion that forms the centre-piece of our new public park for years to come.”
Kate Collins, Mill Road Winter Fair Committee Chair, said:
“Any new public outdoor space should be welcomed, especially if it’s sustainable and community-focussed. For instance, the Mill Road Winter Fair has continued to grow in popularity, year-on-year and a new public realm such as this could really help in providing some much-needed additional space for our ever-increasing event to grow into.
“The proposed new amenities, such as a public park, pavilion and community kitchen, could really help local events like the Mill Road Winter Fair to add to our offer of activities in the future. We’re pleased that the Devonshire Gardens project team has reached out to us to better understand how it might help support future events.”
First Base invites those wishing to express an early interest in the pavilion design competition to share their contact information with debra.fisher@consciouscomms.com.